by Father Mark Goldasich
In a spirit of full disclosure, I must come clean about how I fared with my Lenten resolutions. Back in the Feb. 28th issue of The Leaven, I outlined what I called a scaled-down but “doable” Lent.
In the area of prayer, I set out to read “Dilexit Nos,” Pope Francis’ encyclical on the Sacred Heart, and “Stretch Out Your Hand: Reflections on the Healing Ministry of Jesus,” a book by Amy Ekeh. The result? Stellar!
In the area of fasting, I resolved to not buy anything nonessential. The result? Stellar! (I was worried, though, that Amazon might go bankrupt without my frequent purchases. As of this writing, however, Amazon appears to be fine.)
In the area of almsgiving, I undertook the “40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge.” I wanted to fill a bag each day of Lent with the “treasures” I no longer needed or wanted and then donate, recycle or give away the “stuff.” The result?
Abysmal! By last count, I filled 10 bags. Total, abject failure. This is why I continue to describe myself — literally — as a mess.
But pondering Lenten resolutions got me to thinking about why I’ve never thought of making Easter resolutions. After all, the church asks us to celebrate Christ’s resurrection for 50 days. While we seem to embrace the penitential spirit of Lent readily, we struggle mightily with extended rejoicing.
Benedictine monk Emmerick Lawrence told a story of a young Baptist woman who took a course in Catholic theology. She went to an Easter Vigil and “sat and kept waiting for the excitement to come.” It never did.
Her concluding words both sting and encourage: “Come on, people! Jesus is alive! He died and rose again. So, we can too. I think that’s exciting! I don’t know what it is, but the people at Mass tonight seem to have missed the whole thing. . . . I just pray that they will open up to the Holy Spirit and God. Liturgy and devotions may not be all that exciting to you, but life in Jesus Christ is more exciting than anything.” (Story found in “Sower’s Seeds of Encouragement: Fifth Planting,” by Brian Cavanaugh.)
To stimulate excitement during this Easter season, how about making resolutions in three areas: beauty, gratitude and laughter. Can we savor what is beautiful? Notice and appreciate the smell of a recently mown lawn, the time spent with a dear friend, the sound of a favorite song, the feel of a gentle breeze, the taste of a favorite meal?
Can we resolve to be grateful, especially for the things that we so often take for granted like our health, shelter, food, family and faith?
And in a world that so often seems depressed and hopeless, do we dare to inject into it the melodious sound of laughter? To get you started in this area, have a chuckle about these signs that you’re probably drinking too much caffeine:
• You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.
• You’re the employee of the month at Starbucks and you don’t even work there.
• You can type 60 words a minute . . . with your feet.
• Your only source of nutrition comes from “Sweet & Low.”
• You don’t sweat; you percolate.
• Your taste buds are so numb you could drink your lava lamp.
• Instant coffee takes too long.
• You walk 20 miles on your treadmill before you realize it’s not plugged in.
• When someone asks how you are, you answer, “Good to the last drop.”
• You don’t tan; you roast.
Let laughter ring out, beauty be appreciated and hearts warm with gratitude as we express excitement these 50 days of Easter that Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed!
