“Tell us, Mary: say what thou didst see upon the way. 

The tomb the Living did enclose; I saw Christ’s glory as He rose!”

Victimae Paschali, Sequence for Easter Sunday

Victimae Paschali Laudes, the medieval sequence chanted before the proclamation of the Gospel on Easter Sunday, tries to express in beautifully inadequate words the reality of what we celebrate during the Easter liturgy. 

For most Catholics, Lent 2020 has been a Lent like no other. We have found ourselves giving up things we never thought of giving up, due to forced quarantines, lock-downs, lay-offs, and perhaps for many of our Catholic Marriage Prep couples, even wedding dates and receptions. The global pandemic, and our response to it, has made us reflect on our own mortality, our faith, and our priorities in life.

Henry Ossawa Tanner's The Annunciation

Every year on March 25^th, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the mystery wherein God takes on flesh and comes to dwell in the womb of Mary. This mystery has always had a special place in Catholic devotion and piety. For one, we remember Jesus’ incarnation, the truth that God put on flesh and became man in Jesus Christ. In addition to this life-altering event, we honor Mary’s role in this whole drama we call Salvation History. That despite her confusion and the plans she may have had for her life, Mary gave her fiat, her total and complete yes, to her role in God’s plan of salvation. 

Image by Karin Henseler from Pixabay

Great question, right?
You can google this question or google Near Death Experiences and you will find hundreds, if not thousands, of stories of people who have seen that there is something waiting for us beyond death.

Here are two examples of stories that touched me personally.

card by Olivier Heitz

Tis the season we all come together around a beautifully lit tree to pray before a nativity scene. Some of us even have a family Advent wreath, sing Christmas carols and more. But it is our unique family traditions that truly imprint the magic and beauty of the sesaon on our hearts. Our instructors share some of their treasures: live nativities, ornament exchanges, old fashiioned pictures, Jesus'stocking, Christmas book a day, and more. All of these make their Christmas season a time apart from time, a moment that will remain with them forever. They invite you to start your own traditions too!

Christ Crucified (c. 1632) by Diego Velázquez. Museo del Prado, Madrid

“In light of heaven, the worst suffering on earth will be seen as no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel.” ~St. Teresa of Avila.

Whenever I hear or read this quote, I am reminded of one of the most “inconvenient” nights of suffering I had in a hotel many years ago. My husband and I were living in Italy at the time, and we were driving home from a vacation to the north of Italy. We decided to stop for the night at a place that sounded nice: “The Romantic Hotel.” The night was anything but romantic. The Italians didn’t put screens on their windows, there was no air conditioning, it was summertime, and the mosquitoes were hungry. It was a night from hell. But we were tired, so we took refuge under the sheets and tried to sleep.

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives from Pexels

When you’re looking for ways to spice up your love life, you probably don’t think of consulting the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You might be surprised.