Tag: Easter

The True Happiness Found In Easter

You did it! You made it through Lent. You might have failed at some of your Lenten promises, or maybe you kept most of them. Either way, God knows your heart and your intentions. He was building and shaping you in every moment. All of your sacrifices, fasting and penance lead you to a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

We celebrate the great joy of Easter. Christ resurrected!

What peace and joy this brings to our hearts. But it doesn’t have to stop there. This joy is not just a feeling we experience one day a year, but rather a state of life that Jesus wants us to live each and every day of our lives. Joy does not base itself on circumstances, it is endless and everlasting. You can attain this lasting joy by knowing and trusting in the goodness of God. Our joy comes from the Lord. 

 

The Catechism says,

“true happiness is not found in riches or well-being,

in human fame or power, or any human achievement— or indeed in any creature,

but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love” (1723). 

 

So how do we live out the joy of Easter? Jesus! We look to Jesus as our guide. We look to the cross as the ultimate example of love. Easter means that the tomb is empty. Jesus left the tomb and He never went back. He only looked forward at what was to come! 

This is key for our own spiritual growth. We must not turn back to old sins or struggles, or dwell on the past or things in our lives that continuously hurt us. Christ promises us new life and He wants us to experience that to the fullest.

“Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,

we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:3-4

 In order to embrace this new life,  first we must address the struggles and brokenness in our lives, deal with them and work through them, ask God to heal us and embrace the life He longs to give us. No matter what happens to us, we can’t give up, but we must look ahead and keep going! 
 

What are the tombs in our own lives?

Whatever it is that you may be carrying, whatever hurt, brokenness or suffering you have endured, give it to Jesus. Lay it down at the foot of the cross. He wants to comfort you, He wants to heal you and He wants you to live in His everlasting peace and joy! God continuously pours out His love for us. He sent His only son Jesus to die for our sins.

 

He sacrificed His life for us so that we may live. 

This is how much immense love He has for each one of us. It is incomprehensible. Jesus performed countless miracles throughout His life. He healed the sick, cured the blind, and raised the dead. Nothing is impossible for our Lord. He can work miracles in our lives too. But we must trust and believe that He can and He will. He will resurrect you from the tombs in your life! You just have to allow Him to work. He who makes all things new, has a beautiful plan for you. 

 

In order to live a life of joy we must keep Christ at the center. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that you will feel joyful all the time.  Everything will not be rainbows and butterflies. Life is not perfect and it’s certainly not easy. You will experience difficulties, but during these times if you cling to the hope that the Resurrected Christ brings, peace will reside in your heart. The peace of knowing that we have a God who we can trust, who is there for us no matter what. A God who suffered out of love for us, conquered death and brought about great salvation— an all powerful and loving God who gave His life so that we may have life eternal.

Let us pray, Jesus we thank you and praise you for all that you have done for us. We ask that you heal our wounds and that we may come to know and live out the joy of Easter through your Resurrection. Amen! 

 

 

Lauren Costabile is a Catholic speaker, singer and film creator. As a performer in the Array of Hope Concert Event, she actively spreads the gospel to young people and families through music and witness. She creates inclusive films that educate and raise awareness for those with disabilities, promoting the dignity and value of all life. She loves all things gluten free and strives to use her gifts and talents to spread joy and make our world a brighter place. 

What Should I Give Up For Lent?

“Why do we fast, but you do not see?

Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”

Isaiah 58: 3

We abstain from meat on Fridays, have designated days to fast, and offer up our own sacrifices during the Lenten season. Sometimes, it can feel like it all goes unnoticed by God, and maybe we will not be encouraged to take it very seriously. We might think that we have to do something really hard for God to notice and be pleased. I used to approach Lenten fasts as an extremist, pushing to see how much intensity I could handle. Though a lot of good still came out of my fasts, I was missing the point.

 

What is the point? Does God notice? Is He pleased?

At the start of Lent, Ash Wednesday, we receive ashes. We recall the words God spoke to Adam, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return (Genesis 3: 19).” It is a humbling reminder that we have not created ourselves—that we are not in control of the amount of time we have on earth. This should not be confused as a command to lie in the ashes and remain in a pit of despair—as we must also remember the words from the Psalm, “He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap (113: 7).” We have been raised up, and we are to live in the light—His Light. The ashes are a reminder of where we come from, but also that we are now called to mission.

Throughout the Lenten season, we discipline ourselves to remember this calling.

 

Fasting is a concrete action to represent the sacrifice of our personal wills, making room for the acceptance of God’s Most Holy Will.

Abstaining from meat on Fridays and fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday keeps the Church united in our shared mission—to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28: 18-20). As we all have a different role within this mission (1 Corinthians 12: 12-31), we are also called to make personal sacrifices. These will not look the same, because we struggle with different personal sins—different obstacles that prevent us from fulfilling our mission. Lent is a time of purification. Weeds are removed so that the flowers have room to grow. How can you make your fast transform your life beyond Easter Sunday?

 

Looking at the seven deadly sins, I have proposed some ideas to help strengthen your Lenten sacrifices.

Lust 

    • Give up social media after 10 PM. Color a picture, pray a rosary, or read instead.
    • Give up chocolate. Pray for self-control in desires of the flesh every time you crave it.

Gluttony

    • Give up snacking in-between meals. Write a meal plan, and stick to it.
    • Give up chocolate. Offer up a prayer of thanks for what you have every time you crave it.

Greed 

    • Give up Netflix. Donate the money to your parish or a non-profit organization.
    • Give up chocolate. Make a fun treat to share with a friend or family member.

Sloth

    • Give up the snooze button. Get on your knees and offer your day up to the Lord.
    • Give up chocolate. Get through your to-do list without focusing on rewards.

Wrath 

    • Give up breaking the speed limit. Choose to be patient, and offer up frustrations.
    • Give up chocolate. Pray for someone who annoys you every time you crave it.

Envy 

    • Give up comparing yourself to others. Write a letter to someone who has inspired you.
    • Give up chocolate. Use the money to give a gift to someone you do not think deserves it.

Pride

    • Give up doing what you want. Set aside time to discern what the Lord asks of you.
    • Give up chocolate. Eat something you do not prefer.

 

Regardless of what you gave up, the Lord can transform you through it.

My point is not that you have to give up chocolate—I did not, myself—but God can transform you through the littlest sacrifice if your heart is in the right place. Will you let Him change you, or will you just wait anxiously for Easter to arrive? The point of fasting is not to sacrifice now and indulge later. It is also not supposed to make us intolerable to others as we are burdened by what we cannot have. Make a joyful sacrifice. Be renewed.

 

Give the Lord your chocolate, but do not keep from Him your heart.

 

 

Mikayla Ruth Koble is a Catholic writer and speaker for COR – Cats on Rockets, a non-profit ministry she co-founded in 2016. Originally from North Dakota, Mikayla has moved around the country and landed in Michigan. Wherever she goes, she seeks to lead others to an encounter with God’s Love and Power. To learn more about COR or get in touch with Mikayla, please check out www.catsonrockets.org!  – See more at: https://arrayofhope.net/strong-in-him/#sthash.pjzcqJSp.dpuf

The Beauty and Importance of Detachment

For the common, average Catholic, Lent calls to mind 40 days of “not being able to do something.”  This sounds like such a drag.  To the non-Catholic, Lent can be seen as yet another big “NO” from the Church.  However, this mindset is one of the most common misunderstandings about the beauty of the Church’s teachings.  The world would have us think that this practice ties us down when in reality it breaks us free. 

 

This breaking free is known as “detachment.”

St. John of the Cross speaks a great deal about detachment in the spiritual life.  In one of his writings, Ascent of Mt. Carmel, he writes:

As long as this attachment remains, it is impossible to make progress in perfection,

even though the imperfect be very small.  It makes little difference whether a bird

is tied by a thin thread or by a cord.  Even if it is tied by a thread, the bird will be held bound…

it will be impeded from flying as long as it does not break the thread.

(St John of The Cross, Ascent of Mt. Carmel, Book One, 11.4)

St. John of the Cross illuminates a commonly overlooked part of anyone’s spiritual life.  When someone makes the decision to follow God, and ultimately surrender to His will, that person must be willing to truly surrender ALL to the will of God.  As human beings, this frightens us a little bit.  The fear creeps in as to make the Christian believe that giving everything up will lead to unhappiness, much like the idea of making a big Lenten sacrifice leaving us miserable and bitter.  However, if we look at the above quote, those fears can be put to rest. 

 

Is a bird more free and happy when he is able to fly or when he is stuck tied to a thread? 

There are things that tie us down in our lives and the first step to becoming detached is to identify those threads and cords that keep us from flying.  Some are obvious while others are a little tricky to put a finger on.  It will take some time to identify and let go of these burdens, obstacles, and hurdles, however, it can be done. Lent is a perfect time to look at ourselves and find out what are the things that keep us tied down. 

Lent is a great time to look at the vices and “little gods” in our lives.  When we become attached to something through a human desire—food, chocolate, coffee, internet, alcohol, working out, shopping— it is easy for other things to creep in and take the place of God in our lives.  Detachment and sacrifice go hand in hand. By sacrificing these little things and detaching ourselves from them, we learn to not become slaves to our desires and when we are not slaves to our desires, we can allow our desire for God, our desire for Heaven to grow.

 

The Lord calls each and every one of us to sainthood.

 He calls each of us to strive for holiness, to be all that He created us to be, and to ultimately be with Him forever in eternity.  He created birds to fly.  He created you for greatness, for holiness, for Heaven.  However, we know that there would be no Easter Sunday without a Good Friday. There would be no resurrection without the crucifixion.

 

 

Matthew Higgins is the Assistant to the Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Newark. He received his Master’s degree in Systematic Theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University. His 10+ year ministry experience includes Junior High Faith Formation & Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, and Campus Ministry. He has also spoken at various youth retreats, parish events, and conferences for college/graduate students at both Catholic and secular institutions. Above all, Matthew is proud to be a husband and father.