Eastertide extends from Easter morning through Pentecost for a period of 50 days. This is a time of light and joy for the Catholic Church. Christ completed the mission the Father entrusted to Him. He came down from heaven. He delivered us, He healed us, He taught us, and He loved us. He suffered for us. He was crucified, died, and was buried. On the third day, Christ rose from the dead in fulfillment of the scriptures.
The Resurrection of Jesus!
All of our hope and joy as disciples of Christ is in His resurrection from the dead. If God did not raise Him from the dead, then there would be no light in the Church.
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. 1 Corinthians 15:13-14
As Catholics, we believe Christ did rise from the dead. Martyrs throughout the ages have been able to die horrid deaths with joy from their unwavering faith in Christ.
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the firstfruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
7 Special Lights of the Church +
All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change. James 1:17
The mission of this post is to help enlighten Catholic families during the Easter time with 7 special gifts of light God have has given to the Catholic Church. Let’s begin!
1. The Light of our Glorified Bodies
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with His glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to Himself. Philippians 3:20-21
There are things to look forward to on the other side of the veil should we be graced by God to have a glorified body when we pass from this time of testing here on earth.
There will be no suffering in a glorified body, nor can our glorified bodies be harmed by any material thing throughout the cosmos. We will be able to move around just as fast as an angel. And our glorified bodies will shine forth a brilliant light that is given to us from the glory of the Father. What an incredible and immense joy that must be!
The hand that assumed clay to make our flesh deigned to assume a body for our salvation. – St. Peter Chrysologus
2. The Light of the Paschal Candle
I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness. John 12:46
During a period of 50 days, the presence of the lighted paschal candle can be found in Catholic churches throughout the world. The Easter candle is symbolic of Christ’s loving presence with us here on earth. Jesus is with us in the struggle.
The candle is lit during the Easter Vigil, and it generally remains lit at Masses until Pentecost Sunday. The light of the paschal candle gives us hope.
As Catholics, we should experience joy and hope in the lighting of the paschal candle.
Eastertide (Paschal candle is lit)
- Christ has fulfilled all the prophecies concerning Himself in the scriptures.
- Christ has accomplished the work of redemption.
After Pentecost (Paschal candle is extinguished)
- The Easter season (Eastertide) is over after a period of 50 days.
- Christ has returned to the Father in heaven in His body (Ascension Day).
- Christ has given His apostles authority over the Church and sacraments.
- The Holy Spirit is poured out on Christ’s disciples on Pentecost Sunday.
3. The Light of the Holy Sacraments
But one soldier thrust his lance into His side, and immediately blood and water flowed out. John 19:34
There are seven (7) holy sacraments of the Catholic Church. They are the following:
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Holy Eucharist
- Penance
- Matrimony
- Holy Orders
- Extreme Unction
Christ instituted the sacraments for the Church. When a bishop, priest, or deacon administers the sacraments such as baptism, the graces that flow from the sacrament into the human soul are received from the light of Christ working through them.
Sacraments and Grace
| Thing | Outward Sign | Sacrament | Grace Given | Catechism | Verse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Used for cleaning | Baptism | Cleanses the soul | CCC 1213 | 2 Cor 5:17 |
| Bread/Wine | Nourish the body | Eucharist | Nourishes the soul | CCC 1324 | Lk 22:19 |
| Chrism Oil | Gives strength/light | Confirmation | Strengthens the soul | CCC 1289 | Acts 10:38 |
4. The Light of Baptism
You are the light of the world. Matthew 5:14a
What is Baptism? Baptism is the sacrament that gives our souls the new life of sanctifying grace by which we become Christians, children of God, and heirs of heaven. Source: My Catholic Faith
When a person is baptized in the Catholic faith, their life is forever changed in Christ. Their soul is illuminated with the indelible mark of the Holy Spirit upon them as they are sealed in the Holy Spirit by the power of Christ flowing through the sacrament.
When the rite of baptism is complete, there is cause for rejoicing because Christ has taken ownership of the soul, and the baptized soul is now the light of the world.
Characteristics of the People of God
“This People has for its Head Jesus the Christ (the anointed, the Messiah). Because the same anointing, the Holy Spirit, flows from the head into the body, this is “the messianic people.”…The People’s mission is to be salt of the earth and light of the world. This people is “a most sure seed of unity, hope, and salvation for the whole human race.” Source: CCC 782
The giving of the lighted candle to the newly baptized from the Easter (paschal) candle signifies the light of faith and fire of love that should dwell in their souls.
5. The Light of Penance
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” John 20:23
Confession
If you have ever been to a weekend retreat where receiving the sacrament of confession is part of the retreat schedule while you are there, you know it can be life changing for the retreatants who haven’t been to confession for years or decades.
The light of Christ shines within them through the sacrament, restoring their souls as baptized Catholics and children of God. They are liberated from their sins, and their tears illuminate the light of of God’s grace flowing through the holy sacrament.
Preparing for Confession
It says in the Catechism we should pray to the Holy Spirit to give us the following:
- Christ’s light to know our sins.
- Understand their guilt.
- The grace to detest them.
- The courage to confess them.
- Strength to keep our resolutions.
Examination of Conscience
As mentioned above, we should pray to the Holy Spirit to give us light to know and understand the gravity of our sins, the grace to detest them, the courage to confess them to Christ in the holy sacrament, and the strength to keep our resolutions.
Confession is the soul’s bath. Even a clean and unoccupied room gathers dust; return after a week and you will see that it needs dusting again! – St. Padre Pio
Daily Examination of Conscience
Before beginning a daily examination of conscience, we should pray to the Holy Spirit to give us light to know our sins and the grace to detest them.
We can pray the Act of Contrition or Psalm 51 every morning or evening to help keep us out of the darkness of sin. May Christ’s light be with us to guide us every day.
6. The Light of Sanctifying Grace
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
We receive the light of sanctifying grace at our baptism. Sanctifying grace can only be lost through mortal sin. The only way we can restore God’s sanctifying grace in our souls is to go to confession and receive absolution of our sins from the Catholic priest.
The other sacraments, such as the Eucharist, give us an increase in sanctifying grace.
Sanctifying Grace
| Catechism | Reference | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CCC 1266 | Grace of baptism | The most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace… |
| CCC 1861 | Mortal sin | The privation of sanctifying grace (the state of grace)… |
| CCC 1863 | Venial sin | Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace… |
| CCC 2000 | Sanctifying grace | Supernatural disposition / enables the soul to live with God… |
| CCC 2003 | Grace / charisms | Charisms are oriented towards sanctifying grace… |
| CCC 2023 | Sanctifying grace | Gratuitous gift of His life that God makes to us… |
| CCC 2024 | Sanctifying grace | Sanctifying grace makes us pleasing to God… |
| CCC 2024 | Holy Spirit | Graces of the Holy Spirit are oriented to sanctifying grace… |
When our souls have sanctifying grace, it allows the light of Christ to shine within us and keeps us in friendship with God and heirs of heaven. A soul that has sanctifying grace is pleasing to God. The soul is clean, has love for God, and is with God.
“It is impossible for any of our mortal sins to be forgiven unless they are all forgiven, because as light and darkness cannot be together in the same place, so sanctifying grace and mortal sin cannot dwell together. If there be grace in the soul, there can be no mortal sin, and if there be mortal sin, there can be no grace, for one mortal sin expels all grace.” Source: The Baltimore Catechism
7. The Light of our Vocation
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:37-39
The light of our vocation may depend on how much time we spend with God in prayer about the vocation He has called us to live during our journey of discipleship.
One of the most profound statements I have ever heard about vocations is from one of the leading experts in Catholic spiritual warfare today:
“We don’t order prayer in our lives. We order our lives to prayer.” – Kyle Clement
Consider the teachings of St. Paul in the New Testament Letters about prayer.
Prayer
| Verse | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 Thes 5:17 | Pray without ceasing… |
| Eph 6:18 | Praying at all times in the Spirit… |
| Col 4:2 | Persevere in prayer… |
| Phil 4:6 | In everything by prayer and petition… |
According to the Book of Daniel, we should set aside 3 times a day to pray to God:
Daniel continued his custom of going home to kneel in prayer and give thanks to his God in the upper chamber three times a day. Daniel 6:11
It says in the Didache, the ancient teaching of the twelve apostles, for disciples of Jesus Christ to faithfully pray the Lord’s Prayer three times a day.
In addition, we can live out the call to pray by praying the Angelus (Angel) prayer in solidarity with the Church at the traditional times of 6am, noon, and 6pm.
Guardian Angel
Anyone unsure of what their vocation is in life should continue to pray to Holy Spirit for light on the subject and consider making daily petitions to their guardian angel:
“Guardian angel my angel dear, to whom the love of God commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide, Amen.” – Guardian Angel Prayer
Regardless of what our calling is in life, the Church teaches us that we are called as Christ’s chosen disciples to live holy lives. Should we sin, we must seek the light of sanctifying grace in the sacrament of penance and strive to live a life of penance.
RECAP
I hope you have enjoyed this post about these special lights the Church offers us. I would like to please share with you a prayer I recently learned from Mr. Clement:
The Light of Christ Prayer
“May the light of Christ be on (name), so that they see themselves as the Heavenly Father sees them; and that I see them as the Heavenly Father sees them, Amen.”
