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Easter Letter
The Easter baskets that we have all assembled over the years are probably very similar. They are filled with assorted candy, colored eggs, maybe a small toy or two…and don’t forget the Peeps. But they are also somewhat different. Candy will vary based on a person’s particular taste. The chocolate bunny could be solid or hollow, milk or dark or (heaven forbid) even white. Peeps come in all sorts of shapes and colors. Eggs will be decorated according to the creator’s artistic abilities (or, as would be in my case, the lack thereof). And toys can run the gamut from stuffed bunnies and baby chicks to video games and who knows what else.
However, I think that there is one constant that is a part of virtually every Easter basket that has ever been compiled…that weird “Easter grass” that fills the bottom of them. I guess it does serve a purpose, though… actually, three that I can think of. First, it makes the basket look somewhat “spring-like”. Second, it helps to keep everything in place. And third, it serves as filler, otherwise you’d have to buy more of the other, more expensive stuff so that the basket didn’t look so empty. And for all of those reasons it is a good symbol for us as we celebrate Easter each year.
We certainly associate Easter with spring…and not just because of the time of year that it falls. Spring is a reminder to us of the fact that everything that dies each winter comes back to life again. The trees are beginning to bud already. That’s what Easter Sunday is about. It is the culmination of the Paschal Mystery, the journey from life…through death…to new life, eternal life. Jesus dies on the cross and then He is raised from the dead. Of course, this doesn’t only pertain to Him. We all have the opportunity to share in this amazing journey that God has set before us…that Jesus went through first…and that we all hope to experience one day.
Easter grass also helps to keep everything in the basket in place. In a sense, Easter should do the same for our lives. Knowing what God did (and continues to do) for us helps to keep us grounded. Understanding the depth of His love should give us a better perspective on life and how we live it. There are things that are important and there are things that are not. Sometimes, we’re so busy chasing after the things that aren’t, that we forget to stand still so that we can focus on, enjoy, and appreciate the things that are. It’s a lesson that we are all learning very well these days, isn’t it? When things seem like they might be falling apart, it helps to remember that God loves us so much that He would actually die for us. If that doesn’t help to keep us grounded and keep everything in our lives in place, I don’t know what will.
And it is used as filler. Our lives are filled with filler, aren’t they? When we talk to someone we often chit-chat to fill the otherwise awkward pauses. If we don’t have enough material to complete one of our church bulletins, we look for “filler material” so that there aren’t any empty spaces or pages: a word search, a picture, a quote of some sort all do the trick. And hobbies…interests…activities all fill our lives in one way or another. “Filler” is all around us. But that’s not a bad thing, is it?
I think that the term or the idea of “filler” might have a somewhat negative connotation to it. It sounds like it’s just there because we needed something to fill the space and that it’s not really all that important. But that isn’t always the case. Sure, there are things that are just there to fill up time or space…but much of the filler in our lives has meaning and can help us. Our chit-chat can bring us information that we never knew about before. Bulletin filler might spark a thought or feeling in someone…and even if it’s just one person, it’s a good thing. Our hobbies and activities can bring us a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment or even of calm and peace. Filler can be a very good thing at times.
How about our own personal faith? Is it made of real substance or is there a lot of filler in there that doesn’t mean as much as it should? We believe…we say our prayers…we go to Mass…we even live it out at times. These are all very good and important things. But sometimes we might allow them to just be filler…to just “be there”…and not do for us what they are able to do...what we need them to do.
So, as we assemble our Easter baskets this year, let the Easter grass be a reminder to us that we are not ultimately made for this world…but for the next. Yes, death will come someday, but so will spring…and so will resurrection and eternal life...IF...our faith holds us in place and keeps us from going off in all sorts of different directions that are contrary to it.
There is a part of each of us that can only be filled by God and what He wants for us. No matter how many other things we try to put in there to fill that space we will continue to feel somewhat empty because nothing else really can. The good news is that we don’t have to ever try to do that because God is always ready, willing and waiting for us to invite Him in to make us whole…to fill us up with His love and His grace. And because of that our “baskets”…our lives will never really be empty.
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From fr. Bob 3/27/20
“I wish I had the time to…” How many of us have said those words and finished them with any number of options? Well, now we do have some time. We might wish that we didn’t but we do and we can either waste it until this is all finally over… or we can use at least some of it to do a few of those things that we’ve never had the time for.
First on our list should be to work on our faith. In the past maybe we didn’t have time to read Scripture, now we do. Too busy to pray? Now we’re not. Can’t get to Mass because of all of our other activities…now it will come to you, right at home. Of course, this isn’t a good substitute for being there but it is comforting to know that Mass is available is some form and it is important for us to stay connected to our Lord in His sacrifice.
In addition to strengthening our faith, USA Today had a list of 100 Things to do While Stuck Inside Due to a Pandemic. Here are a few of them:
-Complete a puzzle.
-Dust off that old musical instrument and practice.
-Watch all the really long movies you’ve avoided.
-Write actual letters to family and friends. After that? Write thank-you notes to service people who you remember went out of their way for you.
-Play some board games
-Clean out your junk drawer,shelves and closets.
-Take a bubble bath.
-Coloring books: They’re not just for kids.
-Make a list of things for which you are grateful.
-Indoor scavenger hunt.
-Learn a new style of dance via YouTube, from bellydancing to breaking.
-Stretch. Work on your flexibility. Exercise.
-Sleep. Get lots of it.
Learn something new, finish a project you’ve been putting off, add an item to the list…one that is good for you. Let’s use this time well.
You’ve probably heard the saying that something can be both a blessing and a curse. Well, this might very well be one of those times. Time is one of our greatest commodities and, although it might be a curse that our lives have become so restricted...it can also be a blessing because now we can do some of those things that we’ve been putting off for so long…if we choose to.
But before you pull out that puzzle or prepare for that bath…give God and your relationship with him a little more time than usual. There’s no better way to spend our time.
Fr. Bob -
From Fr. Bob 3/20/20
An oxymoron is a figure of speech containing words that seem to contradict each other. Many years ago the comedian George Carlin famously asked about the term “jumbo shrimp” and why we park in driveways and drive on parkways. There are many others, as well, including: deafening silence, alone together, genuine imitation, old news, random order and sweet sorrow, to name just a few.
It seems like we’re now living in a real life oxymoron. We have come together by staying apart. Yes, we’ve all seen the news clips of people fighting over toilet paper (??!!) as well as the stories of those who bought up a lot of sanitizer and tried to resell it at ridiculous prices and the young people disregarding everything because it is “their time to party” during spring break...but there have also been a lot of wonderful stories, as well.
Did you hear about the 9 and 6 year old brother and sister who gave a private cello concert for their elderly neighbor on her front porch? Or how about the construction company that donated all of their N-95 surgical masks to health care workers? Or even the guy in Ohio who left a tip of $2500 for a check of less than $30 to be split among five employees whose names he wrote on the check. The five of them then split it between all 12 employees of the restaurant, instead.
Some might say that these are just nice stories, but I would argue that they are more than that. Yes, some people are panicking and thinking only of themselves… but more are also looking to see what they can do for others, as well. I came across a word that I have never heard before and I think that might because it’s not actually a real word but something that just got started. The word is “caremongering”. If it sounds familiar it might be because it’s a take on the word “fearmongering” which is defined as “the action of deliberately arousing public fear or alarm about a particular issue”. Caremongering is just the opposite. I guess it could be defined as “the action of deliberately arousing care and concern for others during a difficult time”. More commonly we would call it Random Acts of Kindness.
And there are many of them out there. Just google it and you’ll see. Isn’t this exactly what God wants for and from us? He wants us to help one another. He wants us to care for each other. He wants us to be caremongers…not just in the face of trouble…but all the time. We all know that. The problem is that we get so busy with life…that we sometimes forget what’s really important. And now that we’re not so busy…now that we have extra time on our hands…now that the thing that we don’t want to hear any more about is the only thing that we’ve been hearing about…why not take a break from it all...and think about what does really matter.
Why does it take something like this to make us sit up and take notice? I’m not sure. But maybe amidst all of the news reports and statistics and even the scams that have already started we can be grateful for the opportunity to slow down a bit and use that time to think…and re-evaluate… and maybe begin to make some changes.
A friend of mine was in a store last week and he saw a lady with a lot of toilet paper in her cart. He politely asked her why she was buying so much of it and she responded, “Well, everyone else is doing it so I thought that I should, too.” That’s actually not a bad answer and the only one that I can think of that makes any sense. But why not use it as an answer to some different questions?
Why did you share what was in your grocery cart with someone that you don’t even know? Why did you go out of your way to help a neighbor that you don’t know all that well? Why did you look beyond your own needs at a time like this and look to the needs of others? Maybe the answer could be “because I saw someone else going it and thought that I should, too.” Or better yet, maybe our act of kindness could be the beginning of that chain for a lot of other people.
Let’s also use this time to deepen our relationship with God. Unfortunately, because our lives are usually so busy, that’s often one of the things that gets sacrificed first. And it’s really the one that we need the most…all the time… regardless of whether or not there happens to be a global crisis. While we have some time, let’s use it well. Read some Scripture. Spend some of that time that you now have in prayer. Talk to God …but more importantly, listen to Him. Go online. There are many sites that can bring you good spiritual material. I’ve already sent out a number of websites where you can find Mass each day. If you haven’t already done so, sign up for FORMED.org. There’s a lot of good material there. And we will try to add links to other sites on our parish page (stdenischurch.org) and our Facebook page, too.
Another oxymoron is the phrase “alone together”. That sort of describes life these days, doesn’t it? But the truth is that we are never alone…because God is always there…and we are always together because we are connected through Him. We might not be able to gather in the church each day to celebrate the Eucharist or gather for our different parish functions and ministries… but we are always united as the family of St. Denis through our faith and our shared relationship with our Lord.
Lastly, it’s good to laugh. I came across this and thought it was great. If you’re of my generation the original song will be familiar. Check it out and watch it at least twice. First to catch all of the words that are sung and are on the screen and then to watch the women in the background. youtube.com/watch?v=g4...
Fr. Bob