Dear THP Community,
When I heard that Mass had been canceled by Seán Cardinal O'Malley (Archbishop of Boston) to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, I understood, but was immediately sad. It is true that I did cause a lot of trouble in Mass as a child—enough to get my mom to send her eighth child out of church on a number of occasions. However, as an adult, I go as often as opportunity allows. Since I am a deacon, I may even have reason to go more than once a day.
In that moment, it also occurred to me that Easter is canceled—at least, as a public liturgy.
What is a year without Easter?
Left without the opportunity to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord as a community, we may feel we are indeed in a Easter-less year. However, the Lord has risen!
Entombed in our homes, we must work extra hard this year to have Easter bloom within us.
The gift gained for all humanity in the resurrection of the Lord is not reliant on the Easter Liturgy, no matter how important this Mass is to the community, especially our brothers and sisters who have prepared to join the Faith.
However, it may be difficult to really be joyful with a pandemic blackening the sky. This is especially true for those who have lost family and friends.
But, Easter will bloom in our hearts nonetheless.
Because Easter is not simply an annual liturgy—it is a people! We are the Easter people. We shall soon emerge from our homes—hopefully with an even greater commitment to the Light, to life, and to others.
Deacon Patrick Moynihan is President Emeritus of The Haitian Project.
A Note from The Haitian Project
We understand that these are challenging times and that many people are confronted with significant hardships.
But this is precisely why we still have to ask and pray that those who can give, will. Our teachers and staff in Haiti rely on our support; and we are going to be there for our 360 students whenever schools re-open. Please give today if you can.