I Want to Be an Easter Catholic

Christmas and Easter Catholics. That phrase usually refers, in a negative way, to Catholics who only attend Mass on Christmas and Easter. But what if we changed it to mean something positive?

Let's focus on Easter.

What comes to mind when you think of Easter?

I'll start.

New life, lilies, short sleeves, rabbits, sun, spring, pastries, candles, bright colors, eggs, candy, trumpets, dressing up, Alleluias, more flowers.

All of these things are pretty positive, happy and uplifting. It just makes your heart sing a little to think about Easter, even the more commercialized Easter items: chocolate, stuffed rabbits, colored eggs, new clothes...these are all good things. (Case in point: I went to look for Easter images for this post...and all the images were so beautiful! Budding flowers, lambs in green fields, empty caves with light streaming in)

As a Catholic, right, Easter means even more. Christ defeating death, our redemption, glory, Heaven, hope, eternity with our Creator, victory, joy, freedom.

It's pretty radical to think about, but without the Resurrection, our life would be pointless. Jesus's death on the cross would just be...the death of an interesting man. But with the Resurrection everything makes sense, everything falls into place.

So, let's be Easter Catholics now and for the rest of our lives.

Let's allow the incredible joy of today to consume us and reverberate through every aspect of our lives until the end of our days.

Let's worship Him in weekly Mass and in Adoration. Let's love everyone we come in contact with, knowing that they were made by Him and for Him. And by love I mean talk to, care for, invest in, empathize with (not ignore, belittle, scold, or manipulate). Let's apologize when we mess up both to Him in confession and to those we have offended.

Let's talk to Him in prayer, let's get to know Him in Scripture. Let's live for others more than we live for ourselves. Let's live where we are right now, in this moment, to the best of our ability.

Let's let the Risen Christ slowly take over our lives, until it is no longer us who live, but He who lives in us. (Galations 2:20)

Let's be Easter Catholics.

He is Risen. Alleluia.