Dear Saints,

Happy Easter! This is our second of seven weeks in the Season of Easter, so I figured I’d take that as my jumping-in point.

We’re all familiar with the season of Lent and its various disciplines, but I don’t think we connect our penances, mortifications, and the like to our celebration of Easter. We should.

Our Lenten observances and practices should enable us to celebrate Easter with more devotion and joy than we’d otherwise experience. This is the case for at least two reasons: 1. We are, as a result of Lent, more focused on God and his purposes, and 2. Our appetites (our desire for satisfaction of all sorts) being better ordered, we are free to enjoy God’s good creation as he intends.

Has this been your experience? My Easter has been a bit uneven in this regard, but I’m definitely experiencing improvements over recent years.

During the Easter Season the Church has us meditate on the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus and on the Acts of the Apostles. This makes a lot of sense: Jesus is risen, and the Church witnesses to his Lordship in the world.

There’s a lot to be said about this, but let me just offer one point:

This week in our reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard Saint Peter say, “We must obey God rather than men.” By raising Jesus from the dead, God has marked him out as his people's Messiah and the Lord of all Nations. This makes Jesus the rightful ruler of every human heart, and it is ours to entrust our hearts and lives to him (faith) and follow him where – and how – he leads (obedience).

In the Peace of the Risen Christ,

Father Daniel

δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ