The Easter Joy of Our Lady

Fr. Hugh Gillespie, SMM

T he Easter Joy of Our Lady

Lent prepared us for Living in the Joy of the Easter Season!

Many Catholics do a great job in living the sacrifices required during the Lenten Season. However, most have not learned how to live in the Joy of the longer Easter Season. We must live in the Joy of the Victory of Easter. No only during this season, but onto eternity.

We must learn to Rejoice. Learn to have this joy penetrate us. This is why it is so important to turn to Our Lady…who treasured all “these things” in her heart throughout the life of Jesus. According to tradition, Jesus appeared to Mary and she treasured all these things in her heart. Jesus appeared to Mary likely late on Holy Saturday or early on Easter morning, before the sun rose…before her Son rose.

This is not in scripture, or authorized by the catholic Church, so one is free to believe it or not. However, tradition says that Jesus appeared to the most perfect human heart…an Immaculate Heart.

Regina Caeli, Laetare!

Queen of Heaven, Rejoice!

Before the world knew of the Risen Lord, Mary knows and treasures it. We move during Holy Week from honoring and gazing upon Our Lady of Sorrows to her Image that appears at the right. The audio examines the Regina Caeli and talks about Our Lady’s Joy!

Listen to this audio to learn about and learn how to Rejoice in the Joy of Easter. The audio ends with St. Louis de Montfort’s Little Crown prayer to Our Lady (this prayer appears in both the gray Preparation Book and the black book).

May the Joys of Easter that Our Lady and Our Lord want to share with you be with you always!

The Easter Joy of Our Lady

The Regina Caeli, mentioned in this Spiritual Insight audio, is an ancient hymn and one of the four Marian antiphons that are prescribed to be sung in the Liturgy of the Hours after vespers. This beautiful antiphon goes back at least to the 12th century, although there is a pious legend that holds that St. Gregory the Great, who died in the year 604 AD, heard it being sung by angels on an Easter morning in Rome.

St. Louis de Montfort wrote his own hymnic expansion of this traditional prayer. You may find it on Fr. Hugh’s personal website using this link.