From the Desk of the Director of Pastoral Care
One of the most profound experiences of Easter that I had was in the Spring of 2002 when I attended Paschal Vespers at the University of Notre Dame. This was my first experience completing the cycle of Easter prayer and it changed the way I thought about life (and the afterlife) forever. The best way to explain it is through the following quote from St. Augustine’s Easter homily (411) that was read as a part of the service.
“Our thoughts in this present life should turn on the praise of God for it is in praising God that we shall rejoice forever in the life to come; and no one can be ready for the next life unless he trains himself for it now. So we praise God during our earthly life, and at the same time we make our petitions to him. Our praise is expressed with joy, our petitions with yearning. We have been promised something we do not yet possess, and because the promise was made by one who keeps his word, we trust him and are glad; but insofar that possession is delayed, we can only long and yearn for it. It is good for us to persevere in longing until we receive what was promised, and yearning is over; then praise alone will remain.”
May you know the joy of Easter. Alleluia!
