Easter Thankfulness Lent – Thankful Runner Girl

Seems to me at some point during Holy Week there’s a gray day…

This is the holiest of weeks in the church calendar. The week when we commemorate the great sacrifice of Christ our King. It’s meant to be a week of reflection on that sacrifice and the gift of grace and mercy received as a result of the gift Jesus gave us on Easter Sunday.

Funny Christmas is known for presents but the real gift was given to us at Easter.

Things aren’t great right now. My sister is now on dialysis, facing an uncertain future. My niece is battling fears and sadness of her own, complete with taking her frustrations out on whoever is near. Yesterday, that was me. While I can’t say I enjoyed getting screamed at by my niece, a litany of untrue and mean things, things you don’t really say to an Aunt who has loved you since you were born. I can be thankful for the compassion God gave me in that moment. The ability to see it for what it was, the anguished cries of a scared teenager who was missing her Mama. I can be thankful that God gave me His eyes to see for just long enough that my heart wasn’t hardened. I can be thankful that in those moments as she ranted and raved about nonsensical things He reminded me Sunday is Easter, and in the grand scheme of life, it’s the only thing that matters.

Because of Easter one day, maybe not here, but one day there will be joy unutterable and these things won’t matter.

I love Easter and I love Holy Week, the sacred Triduum and everything that leads up to celebrating the greatest ever given, New Life through Jesus.

Today is a gray day but as they say Sunday is coming …

Praised be Jesus Christ…

Now and Forever

Today…for the only thing that matters…Jesus…I Give Thanks!

Easter is my favorite celebration of the year. It starts with Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the call to repentance and the beginning of Lent. Lent last 40 days if you don’t count the Sundays, which are considered Feast Days. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. Holy Week includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil 🙂 If we can we attend all three services, most years we attend at least two, Good Friday for sure and the Easter Vigil. The Easter Vigil is the Mass of the year. During the Easter Vigil we read about all the ways God pointed to Jesus throughout the Old Testament. We sing Psalms of sorrow, waiting and prophecy. We begin in total darkness and slowly the light emerges, first by candlelight, then as the churches own lights are gradually turned on until at last we celebrate Jesus crushing death by His resurrection and a chorus of Alleluias arise, the church bells ring and Lent is over. Easter has arrived!

Easter lasts for 50 days until Pentecost. Pentecost marks the arrival of the Holy Spirit to the apostles.

I love Easter and all it’s seasons. I love getting together with family and celebrating a happy day together, eating good food, finding eggs, enjoying copious amounts of chocolate and sweets. Mostly I love celebrating that one day Jesus will raise from the dead my family and friends who’ve gone before me. I look forward to meeting my sister. I look forward to seeing our Lauren Rose again. I look forward to seeing my Dad, Aunts, Uncles, pets.

The promise of Easter starts with Christmas, John 3:16. You can’t have one without the other.

Father Mike, C.S. Lewis and others have said either Jesus is who he says he is or Christianity is one of the biggest frauds ever.

How do you not believe in Jesus? Everything in the Old Testament points to Him. Jesus himself tells us who He is. He tells us He will be crucified and that He will rise after three days. Either you believe Him or you don’t. There’s not a whole lot of in between. I hope one day everyone meets Jesus and chooses to follow Him. I have met Him and I have chosen to follow Him and so today….

For Easter…I Give Thanks!

Running still going strong…getting better every run…not faster yet, but better…