Easter then....and now....
When I was a little girl, growing up in the "city" of Staten Island, with FIVE siblings, Easter was not a day of celebration. It was a day to receive baskets of easter candy, colorful hard boiled eggs, and a stuffed rabbit. We had baked ham for dinner, and sat around the table pretending to converse. That's how I remember it anyway.
We didn't go to church, we didn't pray, we weren't aware of "The Cross," and of Christ's sacrifice for us.
Pretty sad actually. And this is how easter was for us for the rest of my childhood.
I do remember going to catechism and learning about the stations of the cross. I don't think it registered in my tween brain at that point what Easter was all about. However, I did get an "A" on my project, for whatever that was worth!
This Easter "tradition" of colorful eggs, candy and such, continued well into my 20's. I then got away from celebrating that day at all.
That is until I came to know my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Then Easter sunday took on a whole new meaning in my life. To look upon that cross was such a challenge for me. A challenge in my soul to believe that Jesus Christ could possibly have loved ME so much as to DIE FOR ME! Well, it's just indescribable! It's an awsome feeling. A feeling that is insurpassed by any other...even loving my children!
And to know that Jesus Christ has prepared the way for us through His RESURRECTION, well now, that just makes me speechless!
The Cross, the Signature of Jesus...the empty tomb on Easter morning...tells me my soul is saved. Even though I don't deserve it; even though I am a sinner; even though I could NEVER DO ANYTHING to redeem myself; I KNOW with all my heart, my soul and my mind that Jesus died for me AND YOU, and I am forgiven! My sins are WIPED CLEAN by HIS BLOOD! Amen!
And THAT, my friend, is what EASTER is all about!
We didn't go to church, we didn't pray, we weren't aware of "The Cross," and of Christ's sacrifice for us.
Pretty sad actually. And this is how easter was for us for the rest of my childhood.
I do remember going to catechism and learning about the stations of the cross. I don't think it registered in my tween brain at that point what Easter was all about. However, I did get an "A" on my project, for whatever that was worth!
This Easter "tradition" of colorful eggs, candy and such, continued well into my 20's. I then got away from celebrating that day at all.
That is until I came to know my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Then Easter sunday took on a whole new meaning in my life. To look upon that cross was such a challenge for me. A challenge in my soul to believe that Jesus Christ could possibly have loved ME so much as to DIE FOR ME! Well, it's just indescribable! It's an awsome feeling. A feeling that is insurpassed by any other...even loving my children!
And to know that Jesus Christ has prepared the way for us through His RESURRECTION, well now, that just makes me speechless!
The Cross, the Signature of Jesus...the empty tomb on Easter morning...tells me my soul is saved. Even though I don't deserve it; even though I am a sinner; even though I could NEVER DO ANYTHING to redeem myself; I KNOW with all my heart, my soul and my mind that Jesus died for me AND YOU, and I am forgiven! My sins are WIPED CLEAN by HIS BLOOD! Amen!
And THAT, my friend, is what EASTER is all about!
This is a great post. Thank you for sharing your then and now with us. I grew up in church and it was still all about the eggs, candy and such. I don't remember aside from going to church that Sunday anything about Christ.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is sad.
So well-said, Mare!! AMEN!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this- I was glad to read it when the flood of chocolate in the media swamps me every day. But this is louder. :)
ReplyDelete