"This is the Day the Lord has made"

An Easter Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

"This is the Day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!" We can use some joy and gladness in our lives as we are shut off from the Holy Eucharist and Holy Mass. Never knew it would be so difficult, so painful not to have Jesus with us in person. Especially on Easter Sunday.

In the background I’m listening to a Sacred Chant of the Melchites (Catholic) sung by Sœur (Sr.) Marie Keyrouz-SBC. A perfect CD to write by. It is beautiful chant. Most of all it is chant in honor of our Blessed Mother. It is one of the Eastern Catholic groups and its chant puts one somewhat in the day of the Lord.

This year, 2020, is a most unusual year, where for the last month, people were not able to visit their churches. They were all closed due to COVID-19, not open to public participation. How did this Pandemic begin and why did it happen? I think it is Satan’s way to stop us from worshipping from honoring the Lord. But he will not win this game. Because, Christ is with us. We are the Church, and we are in Him and He is in us. “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Ps. 118:24

My parish, St. Helen Church in Vero Beach, Florida, has been “streaming” the Mass to us via Facebook, and youTube, really a wonderful invention when you think about it. But the element that is missing, of course, is the personal presence. Jesus is present to us, no matter where we are, and as long as we are in the state of grace we are present to Him, It is difficult to have to abstain from the Bread of Life, Holy Communion, especially during Lent and Easter, times so central to Catholicism. While the devil is trying to tear us down, the Lord Jesus is healing us.

We continue to pray for forgiveness for the sins of the world, “Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.” (see: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet ) That prayer was given to Sr. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, to whom Jesus spoke. Her apparitions of Jesus Christ inspired the Roman Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy (celebrated the Sunday after Easter) and earned her the title of "Secretary of Divine Mercy". She wrote all this in a Diary which can be purchased. I have a copy and what is in there is beautiful. Clearly a work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus inspired her to pray for the atonement of our sins and those of the whole world. That’s what we should do now and in the future. ”…when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:12). That single sacrifice was His Death on the Cross. We should kneel and thank Him for making Heaven available to us despite our sins. He saved us from eternal damnation. He gave his life for his sisters and brothers, as He told us to do. Start today, a day the Lord has made. And in Mt. 20:28, “even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

It is Easter Sunday as I write this. I suppose I should not do any work on Sundays, especially Easter, but the alternative was watching TV and that could give rise to temptations so that's not a good idea either. I suggest people do not sin, for years I've said and written that; that means I have to stop sin first, before asking others to do the same. It is not easy but you do what you've got to do, right! Right!

Happy Day and God bless you! Stay healthy, practice distancing and wash your hands a lot!
Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Home