Joy of Easter

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Alleluia!

This joyful acclamation of praise and worship will ring out at Easter as we proclaim that Christ has defeated death, conquered sin and is risen, bringing salvation to the world. For the 50 days of the Easter season – from Easter Sunday to Pentecost  – our liturgy will be filled with hymns of thanks and praise to God for his myriad blessings.

I freely admit that I am blessed. I live in a country where I can openly practice and proclaim my religion. Because of where I work I can easily attend daily Mass, and on Sundays there are at least a dozen churches within a half-hour drive that I can attend. Over the past 14 years I have met many Catholics who are deeply committed to the faith, and their example has strengthened mine. I’m also blessed to be able to study my faith, an opportunity denied to many throughout the world, especially women whose cultures frown on or prohibit education for women.

I am blessed, as well, that I have a job that I enjoy, that pays me well enough that I don’t have to squeeze pennies to be able to afford my mortgage, utilities and groceries, gas for the car and even a little extra for fun, as well as for charity.

Then, too, most of my family members and friends are healthy and not in need. Those who are ill are cared for; those who wrestle with addiction are given as much help as we are able, and we keep them in our prayers.

Despite all of this, I am struggling to be joyful. Publicly proclaiming my faith, even in the context of my family, which has its share of agnostics and atheists, brings criticism more often than not. No matter where I attend Mass, I can always find fault with the music or the homily or the other people in the pews, who talk while I’m trying to pray or clip their nails during the homily or otherwise distract me. Work has its daily stresses, and I don’t spend enough time with my friends and family.

Here at the eve of the Easter season I look back at my Lenten sacrifice and realize just how badly I failed. I had hoped and prayed to become more joyful, but I’m still mired in despair despite the fact that, as already mentioned, I have every reason to rejoice.

The mere fact that Jesus’ resurrection completes God’s redemptive plan is reason enough for joy. I and all those whom I love and everyone else have been offered new life thanks to the sacrifice of God’s only son. During Lent I contemplated this, praying for the joy I see in other believers, but my prayer wasn’t answered.

The mystics I’ve been reading for the past six months also exude a consistent, quiet joy, which amazes me when I consider the hardships they faced: Julian of Norwich lived at a time when the bubonic plague killed at least a third of the people in England. Teresa of Avila was prohibited from studying theology because she was a woman, and authorities were so suspicious of her writing that they submitted it to the Inquisition. John of the Cross was kidnapped by members of his own religious order, imprisoned and beaten because he proposed reform. Meister Eckhart was accused of heresy. And yet through it all they remained steadfast, and even joyous, as is evidenced by their words. I think that joy springs from their faith, a faith that I also profess even though I cannot yet look at the world through its lens.

During this Easter season, my prayer is that soon I will be able to see through the eyes of faith so that, along with the saints, I will in all things proclaim “Christ is risen. Alleluia.”

Marie Mischel is editor of the Intermountain Catholic. Reach her at marie@icatholic.org.