Happy Easter, everyone!
Finally, after all the Holy Week busyness—the processions, prayer vigils, late nights and early mornings—it is at last Easter Sunday.
Better yet, the Church did not reserve only a single day to celebrate, but EIGHT weeks! Easter Sunday begins an entire Easter season.
Every year, in preparation for Easter, our island communities hold annual gatherings and traditions. On Saipan on Good Friday, before it is even light outside, there is a long procession up Mt. Tapochau, with hundreds and even thousands in attendance. Later in the afternoon, traffic is stopped in Chalan Kanoa in honor of the Lukao, when the faithful fill the streets. The islands of Rota and Tinian have their own similar customs and practices.
Perhaps in your own households and families, you have some of your own Easter traditions, besides these Holy Week observances. Maybe it is traditional to spend the day feasting or at the beach, enjoying the natural beauty of the outdoors.
This year could be the perfect time to incorporate a new family tradition: deliver some of your choicest feast-day treats to the needy in your village or neighborhood, or finally clear out that overstuffed closet and give the clothing to someone who doesn’t have enough. Maybe you could read a story to or play soccer with a lonely child.
The Easter message is one of hope. Think of some way that you and your friends or family could help bring hope to someone else.
Remember that there are eight full weeks of the Easter season and that is plenty of time to celebrate and share the joy. And it all starts today!