Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen! If you’re thinking this greeting comes a little late, since Easter Sunday was April 17, think again. As Catholic Christians, we celebrate the Easter season for seven weeks, until the fires of Pentecost once again inflame our hearts on June 5. Indeed, how could we not continue to celebrate this event that has changed everything for us? It’s easy to slip into a cultural way of thinking about our great feasts. Many people have the Christmas tree taken down at the end of New Year’s Day, rather than waiting for Epiphany. Likewise, most of us have long ago put the Easter decorations away. But the Christian steward is aware of the beauty and meaning of the seasons in the liturgical calendar. The Easter season remains a special time for recommitment to the Lord. One word for this period is “mystagogia,” and those who were newly baptized at the Great Easter Vigil are especially familiar with this term. It literally means that we delve more deeply into the mystery of our faith. But exploring this mystery is not just an endeavor for new Christians. As we prepare for Pentecost, we prayerfully examine what the Resurrection means in our own lives. For Christian stewards, it’s a time to reevaluate how faith in the Risen Lord informs every aspect of our lives – how we labor, how we play, the way we pray, how we allocate our resources, where we spend our time, how we love, how we extend our compassion to others. If Christ is truly risen – an astounding and life-altering belief – then this Easter time brings immense joy and a continuing desire to know the Risen Lord. The Scripture readings of the season are especially helpful. We hear once again the stories of the appearances of Jesus to his friends; how often they failed, initially, to recognize him in his glory. The Acts of the Apostles tell us of the struggles and the excitement of the new community of believers. We spent forty days in the penitential season of Lent. Now, we are embarked on fifty days of joyous celebration. Let us experience this joy throughout the Easter season, so that when we celebrate Pentecost, we may truly find our hearts on fire with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, the “Good Shepherd,” makes a promise in today’s Gospel to those who hear his voice and follow him. He promises them eternal life. Amidst all the other voices that clamor for attention in their daily lives, the voices that make demands, give advice, seek to persuade or like to gossip, Good stewards listen for the Good Shepherd’s voice. The other voices are legion and we do not always recognize how contrary they are to the voice of the Good Shepherd. Good stewards know that it takes a compassionate heart, a habit of prayer, a hunger for the Eucharist and a love of neighbor for them to truly hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. What might we do in our daily lives to prepare us to more authentically hear the voice of the Good Shepherd?

I remember as a young girl being asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  Without hesitation, I answered that I wanted to be a wife and a mother.

I think part of that came from the vibe of the 50’s and 60’s with stay-at-home moms who vacuumed wearing pearls (just kidding!), sewed kitchen curtains, cooked all meals from scratch (except the once-a-month tv dinner).

And part of it came from my mom personally who, by her actions, showed me how valuable a mother could be in a child’s life.

As I grew older, I aspired to being a culinary scientist or a math teacher.  But at the same time, I still had the burning desire/need to be a mom.

After I got married—quite young—we decided to spend some time getting to know each other.  One year turned into two, into five, into ten.  Finally I couldn’t deny the calling to be a mother, and we started our family.

I remember being asked how I could bring another human being into the mess of today’s world.  (Little did they know that it was going to get a lot messier.)

My heartfelt response was that I thought the world would always have its issues, and I wanted to add one more human being who could be part of the solution.

I set about to raise people of faith and good moral standing who could think for themselves and have a desire to make their lives and those around them better.

I will borrow the words my mother said to me once, because they are true for me as well:  “I did the best I could and I prayed a lot.”  There’s a good chance that you would agree.

Both of my children had meandering paths (I’ve talked about it before), but they always came back around to what is right and what is good.  And they never lost track of the value of family.

I love being a mom.  I would do anything for my children.  They are both adults with spouses (who are wonderful people), careers, real lives.   I wasn’t sure how much better it could get.

Until. I. Became. A. Grandparent!

Neal Finnegan McGrane entered my life 10 months ago and I have cherished every moment I share with him.   He has brought me such joy and a fullness that I could have never imagined.

My daughter would like a sibling for Neal and asked me if it was hard to juggle two children!  Oh yeah!  My children were 17.5 month apart.  Two in diapers, two with bottles, two in a stroller.  And yet, I couldn’t have been happier.

I was told a long time ago that our children are on loan to us.  They belong to God and He has entrusted their care to us.  I want to wish every mother, grandmother, mother-to-be a Blessed Mother’s Day.   As women, we have a special role to be part of the miracle of life.  I pray that moms value what a gift it is to be blessed with such a miracle.

This weekend’s Gospel reading from John enjoys a number of themes not least of which has to do with hearing Christ’s call to live differently but returning to our “comfort zones.” Even after seeing the risen Lord and receiving his blessing and missionary charge, his disciples go back to what they were doing before Jesus first called them. Instead of continuing Jesus’ ministry, they return to the life they knew. When faced with the choice between embarking on a new way of life or staying where life is familiar and comfortable, they chose the latter. Good stewards know that Christ has called them to open their hearts and live in a different way. How often do we retreat from the Lord’s call so that we may remain with what is comfortable and familiar?

In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear it proclaimed that many “signs and wonders” were performed in public by Christ’s followers, a demonstration that produced two results. First, the people of Jerusalem outside the Christian community were awed by what the disciples were performing. And in the midst of all this amazement, many were being converted. Good stewards know of the evangelizing power emanating from their daily acts of love, compassion, kindness and generosity. They believe that if they stay focused on Christ each day, every act has the power to transform a broken world. What “signs and wonders” will we perform today?