Easter Ain't Over

Once Lent ends, it signals for most Catholics that they can resume doing whatever they gave up. It’s like an exhale of relief that it’s over. If your Lenten experience didn’t transform you, you can still experience a closer connection to Christ during Eastertide, the season of the Resurrection. While Lent was focused on sacrifice, as Jesus sacrificed His life for us to have everlasting life, Eastertide is 50 days of celebrating the glory of the Resurrection.   

Jesus appeared to his disciples for 40 days before His Ascension to Heaven. Then the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles at Pentecost, empowering them to share the Gospel and signaling the beginning of Christianity. As believers and followers of Christ, we are also empowered to model and share the message of our Lord Jesus as His disciples.

Here are four ways to be a disciple of Christ during Eastertide. 

Share Your Testimony of Faith with Someone.  

Many people follow me on my social media pages, where I share daily how I live as a Catholic woman today. I have experienced things that have often caused believers to leave the Church because they felt unwelcome, abandoned, broken by a loss, or even betrayed by clergy or parish staff. Some will ask me why I stayed after experiencing something so painful. It provides me an opportunity to be a disciple by sharing Scripture passages or time praying for God to speak to my heart. Sometimes going to Confession heals a painful wound in a profoundly holy way, and sharing that can be a gift to someone struggling with their own challenge to forgive.  

Spend Time in Eucharistic Adoration

The Lord is with us in the Eucharist, whether displayed in a monstrance or stored in a tabernacle. When we pray with Him in Adoration or receive Him in Holy Communion, we celebrate the glory of the Resurrection. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states,

In an ancient prayer the Church acclaims the mystery of the Eucharist: "O sacred banquet in which Christ is received as food, the memory of His Passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of the life to come is given to us.” If the Eucharist is the memorial of the Passover of the Lord Jesus, if by our communion at the altar we are filled "with every grace and heavenly blessing," then the Eucharist is also an anticipation of the heavenly glory. (1402)

Reflect on Scripture: The Road to Emmaus Story

Luke 24:13-35 recounts the story of the Road to Emmaus, depicting Jesus walking with the disciples after He rose from the dead. Read this Scripture passage and reflect on it using the prayer practice of Lectio Divina. Reflect and pray for God to help you see Him in others, study Scripture, and feel the real presence of Christ, Whose Body and Blood you receive in Holy Communion.  

Create a Gratitude Journal  

Eastertide is a season synonymous with gratefulness. Before bed each night, write down five things you are grateful for. You may buy a simple journal from a dollar store to record what you are grateful for. If you want to record privately, use your Google Calendar or send yourself an email each day. After 50 days of recorded examples of gratitude, you will have a well of resources to draw from in times of trial, serving as pearls of hope and wisdom.  

Blessed Eastertide!