Easter Bunny Blues

I had a good Lent. I think I benefitted from this Lent in a few different ways. Why, then, did Easter feel almost like a letdown???

I was at P3 last week (Prayer, Penance, Pub) and the priest giving the talk to all of us young people said something that I could really relate to. He said "It's easier to be holy during Lent." That's it. Pretty simple.

I look forward to Lent every year; it's actually my favorite ecclesiastical season (the hipster in me). The reason I enjoy it so much is that subconsciously I recognize that it brings us back to our roots as human beings.

Something I've mentioned in a couple of posts in the past is how radically the speed of our gratification has increased with the technology boom of the 2000s. Want to watch a show with your friends? You can watch the whole season in a day. Would you like to ask someone a question? Hit a couple buttons and it's sent.

What this power has done in the members of our culture is, in a word, coddle us. Lent is the opposite of that. One of my friends told me he gave up "taking shortcuts" for Lent. My first reaction was "that's kinda silly" (sorry Dom), but the more I thought about it the more I respected it. We exist in a culture of shortcuts. Going out of your way just to, well, go out of your way, cultivates patience and an appreciation for things I think we take advantage of.

So Lent is a time where we slow down a bit and realize life is about more than life. I believe that that's what sacrifice does; it helps us remember what it's all for. That's why it's easier to be holier when it's harder to go about the things we are accustomed to. That's a reason why some of us think of other generations as nobler: they were forced to make sacrifices.

When Easter came, I was really looking forward to celebrating. That's a feeling that's pretty universal. After Easter Day, though, I actually missed the sacrifices. I missed the opportunity to concretely live in a way where I could deny myself a little and refocus on what's important.

But I think Lent is about more than that. It's about...joy. It's to show us that joy doesn't result from gratification. Joy results in celebration of the ultimate goal. Once we get to that Easter joy, we realize it's not about being able to partake in the things we sacrificed again, it's that the Easter joy IS a culmination of sacrifice.

So enjoy your Easter. And start looking forward to Lent next year! :)

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