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Happy Easter my friends!

Over the past couple of decades, I have asked a lot of people what their favorite season of the year is. Obviously, when you ask enough people, you are bound to find people who say winter, spring, summer and fall. There is no doubt that each of the seasons has a bunch of fantastic qualities. One could make the case for any of the four being the best of all.

My research has been highly unscientific and very possibly filled with situational bias and leading conversation. Having said that, it still seems to me that most of the people who I have talked to about this have answered that one of the shoulder seasons is their favorite. Most have claimed either spring or fall as the season they are most fond of. Personally, I’m on Team Spring. I am not exactly sure why I am partial to spring. Perhaps it’s the increasing temperatures or maybe it’s the budding of flowers. I know I love the return of
baseball and I always appreciated the end of the school year. Is this reason enough to choose spring over any of the other seasons? I don’t know but it’s the best that I can
come up with.

This question becomes even more interesting when the question becomes “what is your favorite season on the Church calendar”? Again, there is a case to be made for any of the seasons of the Church year. I would argue, that there is no season that defines us as a people or brings us more happiness than Easter. Consider just the length of the season. Of all of the “specials”, Easter is the longest season, lasting 50 days! Often, Catholics are referred to as “Easter People”. This brings us much closer to why I believe that this is the defining season of the year. During Easter Jesus emerges from the tomb. He gives His disciples many signs and miracles so that they (and we) can more fully understand and believe in God’s love, power and might. And then, He ascends into Heaven and sends the Holy Spirit to be with us throughout our lives. All of this, ALL OF THIS, is done so that we may come to fully understand God’s great love for us and to teach us to live lives without fear and despair. We, as Easter People, have been promised the glory of Heaven
and the hope and joy of eternal life in the splendor of God’s company.

This Easter, once again, we are reminded that we have something greater waiting for us. We have been washed in the blood of the lamb. Our Lord has died so that we may live forever. It is with this hope that we are invited to live our lives. This is the hope that will bring joy to the world and peace to all folks we meet along the way. Are there challenges and trials in life? Absolutely! But, when we use the proper lens to view life’s darker moments, we will prosper.

No longer is the question whether the glass is half-full or half-empty. The more useful question is “is the tomb full or empty?” We know the answer, so let us go into the world
believing it! HAPPY EASTER – indeed!

Bill Gerl