HE IS RISEN!!! ALLELUIA!!!!! Easter is 50 DAYS LONG and I’m so happy to have a reason to celebrate. As we experience the joy of His Resurrection all over again, I’ve been reflecting on how many unexpected blessings have come out of this pandemic. Catholics everywhere are experiencing a renewed love and appreciation for the Sacraments. We’ve all been given a much-needed break from the busy-ness of our everyday lives. The Christian community as a whole has drawn closer together. Divisions have melted away, and people of all races, faiths, and political viewpoints are standing together in solidarity and lifting each other up instead of tearing one another down. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this happened during the liturgical seasons of Lent and Easter. Things may be hard right now, but God is bringing new life to so many barren places.
Feeling Thankful
As we all come to terms with the quarantine, it’s more important than ever to practice gratitude. And I have to say, I’ve been completely overwhelmed with thankfulness this Eastertide. I’m thankful for our healthcare workers who continually put the welfare of others before themselves. I’m thankful for our wonderful parish priests who are going above and beyond to minister to their flock in these unprecedented times. I’m thankful for the ability to connect with friends through technology. I’m thankful for hobbies that keep me occupied. I’m thankful for the health of my family. And above all I’m thankful for the abundant grace that is being poured out in this time of trial.
Missing Books
If you, like me, are mourning the loss of your public library, check out Project Gutenburg’s collection of free eBooks. There are so many to choose from (over 60,000!) and they’re all in a pretty easy-to-read format. If you can’t decide what to start with, here are some ideas: Pride and Prejudice, Oliver Twist, My Man Jeeves, Whose Body?, The Secret Adversary, and Three Men in a Boat are all fantastic.
In Case You Need a Laugh
A little levity is always a good thing, but now it’s practically essential if you don’t want a case of the quarantine crazies. A friend sent me this article a few weeks ago, and it made me laugh out loud. So. Good. (Caveat: You’ll probably only appreciate the humor if you’re a lover of classic literature.) And if you haven’t already, you should definitely check out John Krasinski’s Some Good News for feel-good stories from around the world. And this music video was also hilarious:
“Were Not Our Hearts Burning Within Us?”
This week’s Gospel reading is one of my very favorites! I’m hoping to post a longer reflection later this week, but for now here is a talk that I really enjoyed:
That’s all for today, everyone! I hope you have a great week!
Talking to Wildflowers 
As Christians it’s such a gift that we get to celebrate Easter every day of the year! This season of slowing down does give us a good opportunity to reflect on what’s truly important. I will be so grateful when we can be in community with people again! (in person and not on Zoom!) Thank you for sharing the fun Matthew West video. I hadn’t seen that one.
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Yes!!! “We are an Easter people, and hallelujah is our song!” Even in times like these 🙂
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