During the Easter Season, anything seems possible. The triumph of life over death and heaven over hell seems to resound throughout a world poised on the cusp of spring. But it is hard to hold on to the euphoria of resurrection for fifty days. White lilies fade and are discreetly removed from the altar while the rush of baseball and soccer starts. As the planet spins from one day to the next, we get caught up in ordinary life until one day that newness of purpose is gone altogether.

Faith is like a muscle. It is healthier when exercised. In the years after the resurrection, the Church flourished because Christianity was not just something you did on Sundays and holidays. It was something radical — something so powerful, so threatening to the establishment that claiming it could get you fed to wild animals. That kind of commitment changes what you do and think and say every day.

You and I will probably never face execution for our beliefs, but the reality of the resurrection should still impact the way we live, not just on the holy day itself, but throughout the Easter Season and beyond. It should illuminate what endeavors are worthwhile and which are not. It should challenge us to temper our anger and expand our willingness to sacrifice for others.

Nobody needs a longer to-do list. But living the faith does not require commitments of epic proportions. Imagine what could happen if every one of us celebrated the fifty days of Easter by doing one thing each day to grow, demonstrate, or share our faith. It does not have to be earth shattering in importance. It just needs to be real.

Set aside five minutes for quiet, contemplative prayer. Count to ten before reacting to that inflammatory tweet. Dig into the mystery of death and resurrection with your children (or grandchildren). Read the Acts of the Apostles and figure out one concrete way that you can imitate their fervor in the context of your life. Read a book about the saints. Pick up that fast-food bag blowing around the mall parking lot. Send a donation to a crisis pregnancy center. Buy a can of coffee and deliver it to a homeless shelter.

Doing one small thing every day may not change the world, but it will change us. Our souls and bodies are made to work in harmony to reflect God’s image. Our actions shape our inner reality. The more we act as Christ would have us act, the more our view of the world reflects him. In short, by doing as God does, we become more like God. And that can change the world!

About the Author: Kathleen M. Basi is a composer, essayist, musician, and disability rights activist. She is also a wife and mother of four children, one of whom lives with Down Syndrome. Kathleen is a regular contributor to Brining Home the Word, a weekly e-newsletter that features suggestions for prayer and reflection at home.

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (4-16-23)
Bringing Home the Word (4-16-23)
The Kids Bulletin (4-16-23)

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In 2000, Saint John Paul II canonized Sister Faustina Kowalska and designated the Second Sunday of Easter as the Feast of Divine Mercy. This devotion reflects a message from Jesus that Sain Faustina shared with the world: “Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy. This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the Risen Christ and offers to all people.”

In this spirit, all are invited to join Father Jim and the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport for Divine Mercy Sunday on April 16th from 2:00pm until 4:00pm in Saint Ann Church. Here’s our schedule: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 2:00pm; Holy Rosary at 2:15pm; Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00pm; and Daytime Prayer & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 3:30pm.

A Divine Mercy Prayer