“We are an Easter People, and Alleluia is our song!” – St. Pope John Paul II
Forty days of fasting, praying, and deepening our faith during Lent prepares us for the Easter celebration. Triduum helps us reflect on the ultimate sacrifice. We remember Jesus’ last supper surrounded by the twelve Apostles as He broke bread, giving us the Eucharist and beginning the priesthood. Anxiety filled Him in the garden of Gethsemane as he prayed before the inevitable.
We think of Him carrying his cross to Golgotha, the place of the skull, as He died to spare us from our sins. As the world dwells in darkness on Good Friday, we mourn the loss of our Savior who died for us, a sinful people. Holy Saturday feels long and makes us lonesome as we miss Jesus. But then, on Easter Sunday, we rejoice: Jesus is risen! He is triumphant over death.
Death was imminent, and great suffering awaited Him. Yet, Jesus did not waiver. He told the Lord, “Thy will be done.” That is the example we should follow. We are to imitate our Savior and live our lives to honor and serve the Father. Lent and Easter are excellent times to start this journey of deep reflection and imitation of Jesus. Think of the legacy Jesus left. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are given a chance at eternal life and a chance to share the Son of God with all we meet. We must leave a legacy where we too share Jesus and His love.
The Legacy of an Easter People
Through this gift, we are called to imitate Him. St. Pope John Paul II declared, “We are an Easter People.” We are called to rejoice in Jesus’ sacrifice and deep love for us. Not only should we rejoice, but also, we should live as Jesus lived: to share the Father’s love and message with everyone we encounter. Lent is the warmup for us to integrate this calling into our lives. Easter is the transformation that renews us to be crusaders for Christ.
Together in faith, we can leave a legacy that shares Jesus with the world. The Catholic Foundation can work with you to establish your legacy. The Foundation has been blessed to work with hundreds of families—hundreds of Easter People—ready to bring Jesus to others by supporting their parish, Catholic school, diocesan ministries, or other Catholic organizations through an endowment, fund, or donor-advised fund.
With more than 350 funds and endowments, many families have trusted the Foundation with their legacy. The process of leaving your own legacy is simple. Easter is the perfect time to see what impact you’ll make as you share Jesus with others. So many people in our Diocese are celebrating our risen Lord and are sharing His love with all they encounter. This is how we begin the legacy we leave as Easter People.
What legacy will YOU leave? The Catholic Foundation will help you on this mission. Together in faith, let us answer our call to be Easter People.
To start your legacy, contact Josh Diedrich at (920) 272-8197, or email [email protected].