It is mid-February as I write this reflection, and I was so surprisingly happy to see robins feasting on the crabapple tree near my patio! I understand that their presence is a sign that warmer weather is coming; otherwise, they wouldn’t have returned to our snowy, cold environment yet. As with other aspects of nature, I’m amazed at how they know to return here.

We have been living the reality of COVID-19 for almost a year and know it has been a time like no other. Amidst all the mayhem and the tsunami of issues, all the suffering and sadness that we are still facing, where was the Prince of Peace to be found or can we find him at all?

To this day, we are told to wear masks, to stay home as much as possible, and to not gather in large groups. Is the Prince of Peace trying to teach us something? Are we supposed to learn something? Well, honestly, yes. The news of great joy that Jesus brings to the whole world is the gift of the Paschal Mystery — the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

As we experience the frustration, isolation, and exhaustion from the issues that have engulfed all of us this past year, I have come to realize the news of great joy is the reality of Jesus’s Paschal Mystery. God’s choice to take on the fullness of our humanity is a gift like no other. As he has shared the human experience with us, he invites us to share the divine experience with him. All the way to the cross, he says to each of us, “Follow Me. If you do that, you will be given a share in my resurrection for all eternity.” That is such “news of great joy!” If we are willing to unite the myriad of emotions we have felt with those of Jesus, we will ultimately experience the joy that Jesus brings. 

Perhaps a good Lenten practice is our decision to stop complaining, stop the negativity and anger about many things, and embrace attitudes of gratitude, recognizing our blessings and the truth of God’s presence with us through everything. A time of thanks to Jesus for giving each of us the gift of experiencing the good and the bad events of our lives in a new way — His Paschal Mystery. That helps me keep everything in my life in perspective, enabling a spirit of joy and faith-filled confidence regarding this precious gift of life. 

Peace and hope for you all!

— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. Msgr. Larry M. Bakke is pastor for St. Clare of Assisi Parish and director of the Apostolate to the Handicapped for the Diocese of Madison.