We are still celebrating Easter. The Church, in her wisdom, gives us fifty days to celebrate and to anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit. I often think about what these days must have been like for the disciples, and especially for Our Blessed Mother. She saw her son brutally beaten and crucified; she stayed at the foot of the cross and witnessed the blood and water flow, felt the earth quake in darkness when he died, and then lived three excruciating days in a world where her son was dead. 

And then, everything changed, forever, and for all of us. Did Mary and the disciples find it difficult to live differently after Jesus returned? I imagine they didn’t. I imagine the “after” was so distinct, and the life-changing reality of Christ’s Resurrection created such a palpable energy and new way of being, that they could never go back. We see this throughout the book of Acts as the disciples fulfill the great commission of Christ to go into all the world and preach the good news, unafraid of suffering and death.

But we also know they were human, and life is full of suffering, and it is in our nature to forget what God has done (just look at the Israelites). The time that Christ spends with them before he leaves, he is constantly reminding them that he will be with them always. He is constantly assuring them that they will not be alone, that the Father is with them, that he is with them, and that he is sending an advocate to console and strengthen them. Jesus understands the human heart. He knows that we forget, that we slip back into the “before,” and that we will be tempted to live as if the Resurrection didn’t happen. 

The Resurrection marks our invitation to live with eternal perspective (to live in the “after”), to live in anticipation of the beatific vision, and to find total peace in Christ’s defeat of death. This great joy and hope are what empower us to pour out our lives every day for our families. Today is a day we’re supposed to feel celebrated and honored, and yet it is often a day of disappointments and unmet expectations. Our families love us, and they try, but the truth is, we give so much, and so much goes unnoticed, that sometimes this day feels like it can’t possibly capture the need we have to be seen for all we do. Not to mention Mother’s Day always falls during the craziest time of the year, the sprint to the end of the school year, the most insane of all the months. We are managing endless email reminders, long Saturdays on baseball fields, spring ballets and musicals, school concerts, awards ceremonies, dances, along with heart-wrenching firsts and lasts. Perhaps it’s the last summer you will have with your baby before he goes to Kindergarten, or it’s your last summer with your senior before she leaves for college, or your last summer with your adult child before he gets married (and if you are a mama to many children, all of these things could be happening to you at once!) Christ is with you, dear mother, and he sees it all, and he delights in your life of sacrifice. 

It can be difficult to keep the Easter joy top of mind, to live with the zeal, gladness, and certainty that life is different because Christ has risen. Thankfully, Jesus is patient and kind and loves us with profound abundance. He promises he will not leave us orphans; he gives us all we need to run the race. 

As the busyness of May threatens to consume you, may you find your peace in the Easter joy, in the great hope of the Resurrection, and in the promise of the consolation and companionship of the Holy Spirit. We are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song!