Forever Starts Today: Easter Reflection

I'm sure that when I started this draft I had some particular comments about the Easter season to make, some mini revelations to share, questions to ask, and responses to await. Perhaps now that we've observed the Ascension and the Risen Christ has been swept up into the clouds all is lost? But wait!....there's still hope...Enter Holy Spirit!
I suppose then that I'll rely on the oft-forgot third person of the Trinity to guide the flow of this post. Not until I was beyond college and more mature in my faith did I recognize and acknowledge the movement and reality of the Spirit. It's not unlike the mischievous grins of young lads- innocent and free yet luring you in and screaming whispers of I know something you don't know!

Pete and I make a concerted effort to make Easter special. After all, it is the high point of the Catholic liturgical year. Despite the Easter bunny appearances, razzle-dazzle-me eggs, fake grass stuffed baskets, and bulging bins of pastel colored delectables I think it is fair to attest that Easter is less commercial than the wonderful, yet admittedly less important Christian feast of Christmas.

On the flip-side, Christmas is a bit more easy to explain to the children. I mean, it's Baby Jesus's birthday. Explaining the journey of Mary and Joseph and the manger scene can be rather fun and entertaining with knocks on doors and animal noises. The bright, shiny star will likely grab the attention of all- old/young, boy/girl, rich/poor, shepherd/king- much like it did in the gospel accounts.

Easter, though, is made most glorious in light of the challenge and brutality of Lent- oppression, starvation, temptation, condemnation, abandonment, betrayal, torture, and death. Pain, suffering, and death are not particularly pleasant topics to explain to children. I'm sure they can understand sadness and hurt but the concept of ceasing to exist, on the physical plane, is perplexing and even difficult to talk about among adults.

We prayed the Stations of the Cross regularly throughout Lent. Luke and Augustine took part as well as I served as an interpreter/narrator. This may have been a more valuable experience for me as Luke questioned, "But why do they want to hurt Jesus?"

"Because they are afraid of him."

"But why are they afraid of him?"

"Because they don't want him to have more power than them."

"Why do they want more power? Why is his mommy crying? Why do they take off his clothes? Why does Jesus bleed? Why do they put him in a big rock?

Conversations about death and dying with a three year old....hmmmm??? I was earlier challenged by similar scenes painted in the Children's Bible- murderous story of brothers Cain and Abel, the flood, Abraham standing over his son with a blade ready to sacrifice him to God, Pharoah's orders to drown baby boys that were of Hebrew descent... Are these really appropriate stories to read to a child before bedtime? The one page rendition typically launched us into a series of questions and answers that led to even more questions. Let's just say I was relieved when we made it to the New Testament.

I resisted the urge to censor the stories or more simply skip pages. After all, this is our faith. Our salvation history. Our relationship with God is critical in the face of adversity, perhaps even moreso than when we experience the rainbows and olive branches.

I had started getting more comfortable as the questions and conversations about suffering and death continued through Lent...even welcoming the opportunity to further explore and meditate upon this very real and necessary part of life. Influenced by Luke's optimism and light-heartedness, I can't help but giggle inside when he enthusiastically comments at various times while driving past cemetaries...

"Hey, mom!...That yoots yite a pretty dood place to be buried at!"

Not long after all this was settled in come the resounding Alleluias. Glory to God!!!! He is Risen!!!!

And here come more questions....namely : HOW DOES HE COME BACK TO LIFE? BUT WHY?

This of course...is what Easter is all about. Life after death. God's presence and love and relationship with us that is out of this world, beyond human restrictions of time and space. Eternity. FOR-EV-VER!

I'm still working on formulating explanations of the resurrection and it gets even more sticky when we are on a midday stroll to the library and I perhaps mistakenly choose to point out the dead squirrel in the road to use it as a teachable moment about being careful, looking both ways, holding a hand, and following rules when near the road so we don't get squashed dead. To which Luke responds,
"Well why doesn't the squirrel just come back to life?"
"Come back to life?" I ask for clarification.
"Yeah. Like Jesus did."

Sigh.

I think I'll have to tackle more on the resurrection another day. Now on to some lighter happenings of the Easter season.

We went with a carmel theme. Our Lady of Mount Carmel prayer cards, and homemade Carmel Corn, Turtles, and Carmel apples with multiple toppings for gifts for our family. Delicious!

Wrapped up all pretty with ribbon and labeled with tags made with the Cricut.

Adding a little sparkle.

Oh so pretty!

Snacking on, yes, sprinkles before the Easter Vigil. The Vigil went rather well after the boys got over the initial disappointment that they ran out of candles to pass out to the congregation. Luckily, some nice women sitting nearby allowed our boys to blow out their candles at the allotted time which resulted in happy and calm.