The Easter Mystery

“The fourth step of humility is that in this obedience under difficult, unfavorable, or even unjust conditions, his heart quietly embraces suffering and endures it without weakening or seeking escape.”

—The Rule of Saint Benedict, Ch. 6

We are right in the middle of what is (or at least what SHOULD be) the strangest Easter season in our memories. Instead of spending these past few weeks outside or with friends and family, we’ve instead spent them sheltering in our homes, with no sign of things letting up soon. 

Life here in the monastery hasn’t changed much. We still pray the divine office and share our meals together, but with more physical distance in-between us. Interestingly, as the “physical” distance has increased between the members of this community, I’ve felt the “social” distance between us shrink. Over the past few weeks I’ve felt more a part of this monastery than I ever have before, and I think the monks are finally being won over by my roguish charm and sense of humor. I think. 

Over the past few weeks I’ve also had the opportunity to work some new jobs in the monastery with the other volunteers. I’ve been a chef, gardener, plant caretaker (they died), and amateur archivist on top of my regular duties of being an online teacher and full-time burden on my parents. 

Living in this new phase of my volunteer experience has certainly made it easier to view what is going on in the world in a new light. While the past few weeks certainly haven’t been easy on anyone (and much harder on some than others) it’s impossible to not look around as see the presence of the risen Christ in our everyday lives. The selflessness of those willing to expose themselves to risk just to help a neighbor, the resolute strength of healthcare workers and first responders, and even the average person who has taken the time to be more acutely aware of the suffering around him. 

I have drawn a lot of inspiration from a homily that one of the monks gave at our Easter Vigil mass. I’ve included a passage:

When we train our eyes of faith on the coronavirus pandemic, we see so much more than frightening statistics, and photos of  refrigerated trucks full of corpses. As women and men of faith, we can see the Risen Lord in the midst of all this suffering and confusion on this Easter [Season] . . .  [This is] meant to remind us that just as in our own lives, Good Friday and Easter are not two independent realities, the suffering and pain of our own Good Fridays make sense only when we see them as part of the MYSTERY of Easter Sunday. And our Easter celebration this evening will make no sense at all unless we see it as part of the world’s Good Friday, as our brothers and sisters this evening are sharing in the suffering of Jesus on the cross.” 

-Fr. Albert Holtz

While this mystery can often be difficult for us to see in our times of suffering, I hope you all have been able to take some time to reflect on what is really important in our lives, as well as share in the burden of the Cross– both with Jesus and with others.

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Also, for those of you that haven’t heard, Hallie accepted a full-time position in ministry at Albertus Magnus College, and I submitted my deposits for a joint-degree at Yale School of Public Health and Yale Divinity School. While never in my life had I thought that I would be living in the state of Connecticut, I’m pretty jazzed to be living in the same time zone as Hallie for the first time in over two years.