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Here are this week’s must-reads:
+ Happy Easter! 💜🙏 “Death, solitude and fear are not the last word. There is a word that transcends them, a word that only God can speak: it is the word of the Resurrection” — Pope Francis
+ “If Pope John Paul II’s words are true—“we are the Easter people, and ‘Alleluia!’ is our song”—then being Easter people means we are Good Friday people, too. To know resurrection, we must know a prerequisite death.When we have the courage to name our suffering as a type of death—literal or figurative—we step into the Easter story and create an opportunity for resurrection in our own lives. I believe God intended the narrative of Jesus’ death and second-chance life to be extrapolated to your life and mine. We can find hope in Jesus’ Easter story and we can find healing in our own Easter stories as we embrace the resurrection to be found where one life ends and a new one begins.” — Hope Heals
+ Hang in there: I shared a picture here about five years ago — I was sitting in the waiting room at a doctor’s office, desperate and in pain. Someone commented on the post and said, “Hang in there. If He allows it, there must be an Easter so beautiful coming that you could never imagine.” 
Those words really meant the world to me at the time so I wanted to share that same message with you in case no one else has:
If you’re carrying a particularly heavy cross right now, hang in there. There must be an Easter so beautiful coming that you could never imagine. The Lord redeemed all of our suffering — all of our sin and its effects, and all of the imperfections and sufferings in this life — and He gives us hope. Our cross is not the end, just like the Cross Jesus carried for us was not the end either. Easter is coming…and while you’re praying, the Lord is with you. He is not falling asleep while you’re in agony. Hang in there. 
— I shared more about this here.
“Unless there is a Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday.” (Fulton Sheen)
+ “I was listening to something the other day that said humans are extremely loss-averse. Meaning we hate losing something even more than we like gaining something. Just think of how far you’ll go to find something you’ve lost or how you’ll obsess over a lost object or person. In our lives, there will come a point where we will have a catastrophic devastation. Something horrific will happen and we will literally feel like we won’t be able to live through the experience and aftermath. Every single one of these devastations will center on losing someone or something. Loss of a spouse, child, parent, or sibling.Loss of a marriage.Loss of innocence through an abuser’s hands.Loss of home due to a disaster…
“Whatever the loss is in our lives, there comes a point where we will have to look up and see Christ right in our midst in order to find healing. The Resurrection of Christ shows us that catastrophe can be conquered with His help. It won’t be easy or painless. We won’t forget what happened. But, when we grip to tightly to what was lost, we can become equally lost in our despair.” — Amy, Catholic Pilgrim
+ Easter and the Pains of Life:
“We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery – the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!” (St. John Paul II)
“We live in the light of His Paschal Mystery.” I love that. That light touches everything in our lives, and I hope we can feel the hope that it brings today.
+ “None of us are going to get full security from either the Church or from our parents, we have to go through Jesus to get that security from the Father.” — Dr. Bob Schuchts
+ “If you are carrying a heavy Cross, know that you do not carry it alone. Christ carries it with you. You might be exhausted, you might fall down, you might need help, you might just want to lean on your mama in the midst of your pain. Christ was exhausted too. Christ fell down too. Christ needed help too. Christ leaned on his mama too. Maybe you are in a time of darkness, of desolation. You feel lost and alone. But you’re not lost. And you’re not alone. Christ is right there with you. Christ has a plan for your life.
“It’s okay to feel hurt. Confused. Betrayed. Abandoned. You are human, after all. And pain is a part of our fallen human nature. But God entered into that pain in the flesh. And he enters into it again in your grieving heart. God only allows this suffering to happen because he will to bring great good out of it. He will. You don’t have to understand. You just have to trust. Keep your eyes on the Cross, on the unbearable wounds of your Savior, suffering with and for you. Follow him, follow him. He will lead you to the Resurrection. Maybe not in three days time. Maybe not until the end of time. But God has his own plan for you. He has his own timing.And his promise is the promise of eternal life for those who take up their cross and follow him.” — Sara, to Jesus Sincerely
+ “Let Holy Saturday be a comfort to those who suffer. Let it be a reminder that, though we may feel abandoned or feel that our hearts will never stop hurting, there is always hope. God has not abandoned you. You are not alone. He is near. Though it feels like the darkness will never break, dawn is coming. He is faithful.” — Chris Mueller
+ “Why is Divine Mercy such a big deal?”
+ “He didn’t lose his life on Good Friday, since he had already given it-in loving sacrifice-on Holy Thursday. Jesus was not the hapless victim of Roman injustice and violence, but rather the willing victim of divine love and mercy.” — Scott Hahn
+ The Bride (You — the Church) and the Bridegroom (Jesus) at the Supper of the Lamb
+ “Every morning, say a quick prayer — “Helo me, Jesus, to draw closer to you today and have your heart for others.” — Angela Burrin
+ “He will provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it all to Him, let go of yourself, lose yourself on the Cross, and you will find yourself entirely.” — St. Catherine of Siena
+ Lastly, here’s what’s featured in this week’s Catholic Wife, Catholic Life Newsletter. I share these every Monday and they always include: two gluten-free recipes, a reflection & prayer based on Sunday’s Mass readings, and links to budget-friendly fashion & Catholic home decor.
+ Those who sign up for the newsletter now also get
a 25% off promo code to use with The Catholic Company! +
You can sign up for the newsletter here.
