Hallelujah is Our Song

We are the Easter people and Hallelujah is our song.

-St. Pope John Paul II-

Christ is risen, Hallelujah!

I have been so blessed this Holy Week and Easter. Now that I'm living elsewhere because of school, I am happy to find myself close to two different parishes that offer the traditional Mass. Every Sunday that I go, I find myself falling more and more in love with this beautifully reverent, timeless Mass. And this Easter, particularly the Vigil... was wonderful beyond words.

I joined our choir to prepare some polyphony for Holy Week. Nothing makes me feel like I'm flying more than singing four-part sacred music with a talented choir. It's the most iridescent feeling, the most angelic sound. I am certain that heaven must sound like it.

I thought I'd share the sequence from Easter Sunday. It's just such a beautiful text.

Christians! to the Paschal Victim offer your thankful praises.

The Lamb the sheep redeemeth: Christ, who only is sinless, reconcileth sinners to the Father.

Death and life have contended in that conflict stupendous: the Prince of Life, who died, deathless reigneth.

Speak, Mary, declaring what thou sawest wayfaring.

"The tomb of Christ who now liveth: and likewise the glory of the Risen.

Bright Angels attesting, the shroud and napkin resting.

Yea, Christ my hope is arisen: to Galilee He goeth before you."

We know that Christ is risen, henceforth ever living: Have mercy, Victor King, pardon given.

Amen. Alleluia.

Freedom & Fun

I went for a hike with two Catholic friends the other day. We laughed a lot and had a great time. At one point, one of them remarked, "It's great being Catholic because we always have the most fun." I couldn't help but agree.

This got me thinking. Why is this? Why is it that Catholics always seem to have the most fun?

I think it's because we try to stay steadfast to true freedom. What does it mean to be free? Well, Saint JPII once put it splendidly in his message to the UN (1995): 

"Freedom is the measure of man's dignity and greatness. Living the freedom sought by individuals and peoples is a great challenge to man's spiritual growth and to the moral vitality of nations. The basic question which we must all face today is the responsible use of freedom, in both its personal and social dimensions. Our reflection must turn then to the question of the moral structure of freedom, which is the inner architecture of the culture of freedom. 

Freedom is not simply the absence of tyranny or oppression. Nor is freedom a licence to do whatever we like. Freedom has an inner "logic" which distinguishes it and ennobles it: freedom is ordered to the truth, and is fulfilled in man's quest for truth and in man's living in the truth. Detached from the truth about the human person, freedom deteriorates into license in the lives of individuals, and, in political life, it becomes the caprice of the most powerful and the arrogance of power. Far from being a limitation upon freedom or a threat to it, reference to the truth about the human person — a truth universally knowable through the moral law written on the hearts of all — is, in fact, the guarantor of freedom's future."

When freedom is used responsibly, when it is ordered to truth and logic, one is happy. Adhering to this kind of true freedom that we are called to is difficult, for our secular society's definition of freedom can be quite different. Their freedom has limitations, and its expressions of fun can therefore be short lived. Many would scoff at me for saying that practicing Catholics have more fun than most, because we believe in sin and have to follow all those "strict rules." No, we aren't supposed to get wasted, sleep around, do whatever we want, but this is because participating in these actions ends up taking away our freedom: we become slaves to our disordered habits. Therefore, true freedom of self comes not from doing what we want, but remaining steadfast to goodness; only in goodness and truth will we be happy. If Catholics follow their calling to lead better lives, to follow the freedom of truth, then they will be awash with God's grace. And through this grace, they will experience a happiness beyond anything they can hope for.

Because of this, when happy Catholics get together with like-minded people, they know how to have true, pure FUN.

Image via Pinterest

(P.S. I do know that all Catholics, including myself, can fall to habits and vices which can put a damper on their fun. Generally, though, I think it's safe to say that Catholics who are striving to follow the teachings of the Church as well as those people outside the visible Church who try to follow their consciences and natural law, are able to have authentic fun and happiness!)