This year, I’m relieved to see Lent coming to a close, and not just for Easter Alleluias and Cadbury dark chocolate eggs Easter.
It was a difficult Lent. Some of it, of course, had nothing to do with Lent. The news has largely been awful, which serves as a reminder of why we need to save. This damaged, beaten, and merciless planet requires a rescuer. I need a savior.
Perhaps this is not true for you, but my Lent was particularly challenging since I struggled to keep my Lenten resolutions. To be honest, none of them were that difficult. However, each of them required a certain level of diligence in the sacrifice, which proved difficult this year.
I won’t go into all the horrible specifics, but when “Son of a … ” came from my lips, only to realize that I had resolved to refrain from saying “Son of a …,” it was that type of Lent.
One of my favorite Easter thoughts comes from St. John Chrysostom. He is a saint honored by both the Eastern and Western churches, and for very good reasons. However, this phrase from his Easter homily announcing the time to celebrate demonstrates his Christ-like love for our lowly humanity.
“First and last, you receive your reward; rich and poor, rejoice together! celebrate Easter”
Celebrate the day while sober and slothful! You who fasted and those who did not, celebrate today since the Table is fully loaded! The calf is fat, so feast royally on it. Let no one go hungry. Everyone, share the cup of faith. Enjoy the abundance of His goodness! Let no one mourn over his poverty, because the universal kingdom has now been revealed. Let no one be sad that he has fallen again and again; forgiveness has risen from the grave.”
“Forgiveness has risen from the grave,” so “you that have kept the fast, and you that have not,” come and celebrate all the same. Each of us: Those of us who did not perform properly during Lent. We kept our resolutions with gritted teeth and hushed groaning. Those of us who sacrificed with a devout spirit and a grin.
St. Chrysostom reminds us that everyone is welcome at the feast: the lazy and the good, the sober and the slothful, rich and poor.
In another section of the same homily, he uses the great parable that upsets Americans. It is the one about the workers in the vineyard (Mt 20:1-16) who arrive at different times of the day, day but all receive the same payment at the end of the day. Boy, did that ice our Puritan cupcake.
St. Chrysostom claims that Easter provides the same prize for all of us. Lent is a helpful discipline that reminds us of the Lord’s suffering and sacrifice for us. But that sacrifice has already been made for us, and today, in this joyful Easter season, we can rejoice that he has actually risen and vanquished death.
And, if I may recommend an Easter resolve, let us not forget about it so quickly. We spent 40 days in the desert during Lent. Let us now rejoice for 40 days, as St. Chrysostom did.
Break out the Cadbury eggs! Celebrate with specialty foods! Express thankfulness for Christmas, the greatest feast in the church calendar, which is truly a blessing.
There will be further Lents. There is only one Easter event. Let us remind this anguished old earth that there will be a joyful conclusion.
