The Lenten and Easter Seasons Bring Opportunities for Renewal

In two months, the Church will celebrate the greatest solemnity of the liturgical year — the Paschal Triduum, which begins with Holy Thursday and concludes with the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. And just as our world is beginning to emerge from a global pandemic that kept many of the faithful in their homes this past year, the rebirth and renewal that we celebrate every Easter take on even greater meaning as we prepare to return to a life of active discipleship.

“We’re taking the Easter season to reboot and renew everything,” says Fr. Tom Donovan. “Vaccines are rolling out, and hopefully by April, we’ll be able to pack our church full again. This is the time to make some good resolutions — to stand up and say, ‘We’ve made it through, thanks be to God — now let’s get back to the business of church!’”

Taking advantage of this unique opportunity to “reset,” our parish decided to move its annual stewardship renewal from last fall to this Easter season. As always, the commitment cards parishioners use to indicate how they plan to share their time, talent and treasure remind us all to take a moment and prayerfully consider the best way to use our gifts as disciples of Christ. In contrast to previous years, when we may have simply opted to continue in our regular ministries and activities out of a sense of habit, this last year has disrupted our normal routines and ways of serving. As a result, the Lord is now asking us to reflect and pray on our commitments on a deeper level.

“When you get the card, try not to mark it and just stick it back in the mail,” Fr. Tom says. “Make it a prayerful commitment. Don’t short circuit the process. Take it to your prayer and really think about it. This year, it’s not just a continuation of how you have always done things. It’s an opportunity to start from being turned off to completely starting fresh again.”

Throughout the Lenten season, a daily Holy Hour will be held at St. Anthony. Prayers will be offered for those sick with COVID-19, for those who have passed away, and for the return of the faithful to the Church. This quiet time spent with the Lord is also a wonderful opportunity for personal prayers of renewal and for reflection on the ways God may be calling us to more active discipleship.

“Lent will be a preparatory period for those willing to come to church, but the key is really going to be renewing our discipleship in the Risen Christ during the Easter season,” Fr. Tom says. “For people who have been away, this is an opportunity to celebrate the grace of God that has brought us through. It’s time to mourn those who have passed, but also a time to give thanks and go forward in confidence that God has plans for us, and to know that we will never again take for granted the opportunity to gather for Mass every Sunday.”

Fr. Tom invites all the faithful to join him in opening their hearts and minds during this time of transformation. Coming on the heels of a lifechanging pandemic, this celebration of renewal during the Easter season is an unprecedented opportunity for spiritual reflection and growth for all of us.

“I look at my own stewardship as a pastor here, and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really freshen things up, really embrace things in a conscious and intentional way,” Fr. Tom says. “I’ve been a priest for almost 16 years now, and it’s so easy to fall into a pattern of doing things the way we always have. But the last year changed all that.

“Now that we’re going back to a little bit of normalcy, let’s not work too hard and pray too little, and let’s not take things for granted,” he adds. “Let’s take advantage of this opportunity to not only renew the parish but to renew ourselves. I need that, too. This time to reboot and be more intentional has been a tremendous gift to me, and I’d like that to take root in the parish as well.”