This weekend our Holy Father, Pope Francis, will celebrate the first World Children’s Day at Vatican City. In his message to the children of the world he wrote, in part, “… all children, everywhere, are a sign of every person’s desire to grow and flourish. You remind us that we are all children, brothers and sisters … Dear young friends, in order for us and our world to grow and flourish, it is not enough to be united with one another; we need, above all else, to be united with Jesus.”
The month of May is dedicated to our Blessed Mother. She was a woman who gave herself over completely to God and His will. Her “yes” provided a home for the Son of God. She gave God flesh. Because of Mary, Jesus had a heart of love formed by her example which allowed him to heal and bless.
As we move toward the end of the Easter season, I invite you to find a way to live the joy of Easter beyond the 50 days of this glorious season. How will you continue to bring this joy into our world? How will you spread the Good News as a Christian? Let me offer a few suggestions for your consideration.
As we enter these last weeks of the Easter season it’d be good to spend some time reflecting on our call to holiness. Each one of us is invited to strive for holiness. That is, to spend the entirety of our Christian lives turning away from sin and choosing a life in Christ. There is nothing easy about this spiritual endeavor. We find ourselves tempted by sin each day. At times we’ve become so comfortable with a particular sin (e.g., gossip) that we no longer notice it or acknowledge it. The sin has become a regular and natural part of our life. Other times we fall into a sin unexpectedly (e.g., stealing) and are so taken aback by what we’ve done that we immediately work to correct our fault.