Happy Easter

 “The fifty days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday are celebrated in joy and exultation as one feast day, indeed as one ‘great Sunday.’ These are the days above all others in which the Alleluia is sung.” US Conference of Catholic Bishops 

If I were to wish you a happy Easter today, you would probably think that I was a little cuckoo. This is exactly what happened to our priest. He went to Publix and he told the cashier “Happy Easter.” He was dressed in regular clothes so she had no idea that he was a priest. She told him that he was a bit late in wishing her a happy Easter, to which he replied: “I’m not late. I’m Catholic.” She told him that it didn’t matter, Easter had already passed whether he was Catholic or Protestant. He took this as an opportunity for a teaching moment. He explained to her that we Catholics don’t celebrate Easter for just one day, we celebrate it for 50 days. Lent lasts 40 days, Easter lasts 50 days. How awesome is that. We have an entire Easter season that concludes on Pentecost, which happens to be derived from the Greek word “pentecoste” meaning fiftieth.

Why is Easter so important for us? A few reasons:

First, without Easter we wouldn’t have Catholicism. If Jesus had died but had not resurrected, we probably wouldn’t have even heard about Him. We would be Jewish or Muslims or Buddhists, but definitely not Catholics. Christianity would not exist because it began with Christ. He would have been just another prophet but not as popular as He is. The reason why we worship Him is not because He died. The reason why we follow Him and still talk about Him 2000 years later is because He resurrected. 

Second, without Easter we wouldn’t have Christmas. Yes, that’s right. Christmas is not about the gifts or shopping. It’s not about the tree or the decorations. It’s not about Santa or the reindeers. The reason why we celebrate Christmas is because Jesus was born and resurrected. If He had only been born but had not resurrected, we wouldn’t have Christmas. 

Third, Easter gives us hope in the promise of the victory. If Jesus had not resurrected, we all would be terrified of dying. I know many people that are still very much scared of dying, even though they are Catholics. If you are one of them, I ask you: “Why? What are you afraid of?” Jesus conquered death for all of us. By resurrecting and ascending to heaven fourty days later, He left us the promise of the victory over death. Death is not the end, it’s only the beginning. We are spiritual beings having a physical experience here on earth for just a few years. We are on a journey and our destination is heaven. We have no reason to fear death. We have to look at death as the door that will allow us entrance into eternal life.

Sometimes I ask myself: “What will Heaven be like?” I picture it as a beautiful garden, full of flowers and all types of animals. The animals are not dangerous, they are all friendly, even the lions and the tigers. If Heaven has a scent, I hope it smells like chocolate, since in my imaginary Heaven there will not be any food. We will be nourished by love, not by physical food. I have often dreamt of my arrival to Heaven. All the people I have known in this lifetime who have left before me will be standing at the gates of Heaven to welcome me and hug me. At the end of this very long receiving line, the King and the Queen of Heaven will be ready to greet me. What will I do when I’m in their presence? I think that I will fall on my knees and bow before them. But the Queen will grab me, hug me and tell me: “I am not your queen, I am your Mother. Welcome Home my dear child.” Then, she will introduce me to her Son: “This is my beloved Son who gave His life for you.” And I will hug the King of Heaven, and ask for His forgiveness. And in the most loving voice that I have ever heard, He will say to me: “Welcome Home dear Christy. I have known you and loved you since before you were born. Your sins have been forgiven. Come with me and I will show you the place I have prepared for you. It is called ‘Eternal Paradise.’ Here, you will never feel pain or anguish again. Here, you will only rejoice. Your tears will not be of sadness but of joy.” He will take me by the hand and lead me to my forever dwelling place, where angels and saints will be my neighbors. 

Whenever I feel anxious or sad, all I have to do is close my eyes and dream of this Heaven that lives in my imagination. I have no doubt that my dream does not even come close to the reality because I know that it will be infinitely better than my limited imagination. There is not the slightest wonder in my mind that Heaven exceeds the most amazing place that we have ever visited.

I am not afraid of death because of Easter. This does not mean that I want to die tomorrow. I hope I don’t. I hope I still have another 20, 30 or 40 years left on this journey so that I can enjoy time with my hubby, children and grandchildren. I hope I even get to meet my great-grandchildren. I am looking forward to traveling extensively once I retire. I have many plans and I hope to enjoy every single day that I have left here on earth to the fullest. But when my expiration date arrives, I will not be afraid. And I hope that you will not live with fear of dying. Hold onto the very real hope that Jesus left us with Easter: we are not alone, He loves us, and there is a future with Him that goes beyond death. We are an Easter people and Aleluya is our song.

We still have one week left before Pentecost Sunday, therefore we can still say outloud: “Happy Easter!!!”