Celebrating Beauty: Easter

An ongoing series about how to add a little beauty to our favorite feasts and seasons

Happy Easter friends! This is an incredible season where we celebrate the joy of Jesus' resurrection. At Easter we celebrate that in Christ, we have hope of new and eternal life. At Easter, we celebrate that death does not have the final word, but that Christ has defeated sin and death and gone before us to Heaven. Even nature joins the celebration as we watch winter turn into spring. We rejoice at the promise that all is made new.

Easter is a life-changing celebration because before Jesus, no one has ever come back from the dead under their own power. As Jesus said in John 10: 17-18, "This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father." Jesus dies because in death He becomes most completely one with us. He rises that we might be most completely one with Him. What an incredible mystery!

This is why the Easter season is charged with such joy and beauty. Our Lord is not dead, but living. Life reigns and we who by our sin killed the our loving Savior are invited into eternal life with Him. At Easter, the eternal joy of Heaven is made present to us. Within this season, we highlight this mystery by celebrating Divine Mercy, Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and the Ascension.

We get a closer look at the Easter mystery by contemplating our Good and merciful Shepherd who goes after us, His lost sheep, never worrying about the cost but always ready and willing in His infinite mercy to come after us again and again to prove to us how much He loves us. Then, He goes ahead of us, leading us to the place prepared for us in Heaven!

No matter where you are this year, Jesus is inviting you to find joy in Him. Below we compiled some of our favorite Easter resources. He is risen! Alleluia! Let us rejoice and be glad!

Let's Celebrate!

Books:

33 Days to Merciful Love by Fr. Michael Gaitley
Divine Mercy in My Soul by St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

Movies:

Divine Mercy (Formed)

Poetry:

Easter Wings by George Herbert
Easter by George Herbert
Love by George Herbert
Easter Song by George Herbert
Antiphon(i) by George Herbert
A Dialogue-Anthem by George Herbert
God's Grandeur by Gerald Manley Hopkins
Spring by Gerald Manley Hopkins
Death Be Not Proud by John Donne
Ascension by John Donne
The Exsultet
Victimae Paschali Laudes
The Thread of Life by Christina Rossetti

Playlists:

Here are some Easter- themed playlists celebrating the resurrection and God's mercy and for those of you struggling to find joy this year, check out waiting for spring!