In Lent, we do better during these six weeks, than we do the joyful and longer season of Easter. During Lent, we sacrifice, pray, give to our parish and charities, we do extra activities for Our Lord. But the Easter Season is characterized in our parishes with joy on Easter, then a diminished joy as the Easter season progresses. There does not need to be sacrifices or great works during the Easter Season. The season has the expectations of remaining in the joy of the presence of the risen Lord.
We, however, look for the next event, and we do not bask in the joys of Our Lord’s presence. Our Lord remains in the Easter Season with His sheep. The abiding of joy over the Easter Season is important. We all say we desire happiness. But we do not know where to always find happiness and, better, we do not know how to hold onto happiness.
When we feel like we know happiness, it falls through our hands very quickly. How distant are the joy of our lives, even now. However, for us, we feel them as a distant memory. We have a hard time in remaining in the joy of Our Lord. To know that happiness, during the Easter Season…and beyond; this is why Our Lord makes a gift to us, …. Of His Mother. We need help in receiving and maintaining the great joy of Easter.
In this 20 minute audio: A question is posed. If Our Lord was risen on Easter morning; if He was not in his tomb as scripture tells us, where did He go? He did not yet ascend to Heaven (scripture tells us this). Where did he go? He went to see the person most grieved, most hurt by His passing. He went to see His Mother. In doing so, Our Lady’s heart was changed from sadness to the joy of His victory. Listen to this Gospel and Homily discussing this topic and more, and try to hang onto to your own Joys (through the Easter Season and beyond) with Our Lady’s help.
After listening to the audio, below it on this page, is a video. Fr. Hugh references, during his Easter Mission to the Philippines, the dancing Lord and His Blessed Mother in the streets on Easter morning. Unfortuately, that was not captured on video. But the Philippine Angels dancing to celebrate their joy was captured. Rejoice in their joy, and let it impact your joy!
