The Significants of Easter?

Easter is one of my favorite holidays...the gift of God giving his Son to us and the forgiveness of our sins and the fresh start that we have been given is just amazing to me and such a beautiful gift. Yet, Easter is a time of reflection for me as it's the anniversary of 2 deaths of very important people in my life. My Mom died on April 15 in 1985 and that was either right before or right after Easter...I want to say it was right after Easter though as I do remember getting an Easter basket. I don't honestly remember though seeing how I was only 8 at the time. Anyway, I know it was awfully close to Easter. Then, we lost my Grandma 5 years ago right at Easter time on March 20, 2002. Easter came early that year.

I offered up my Holy Communion today at mass for them both and I got very choked up when I came back to my seat and fought back tears. They were tears of joy though...it was like I could feel the love in my heart from the Holy Spirit and all I could do was cry. When I came home from mass, I felt the need to check my e-mail and there I found the news from our friends of the family that the 2 boys had passed away on Good Friday. We were going over to my Mom's for Easter dinner so I printed the e-mail for her since I thought she'd want to know as well. On the way to my Mom's all I could think about was "what is the significants of Easter time that all these deaths seem to occur?" I know it such a holy time of the year, but that doesn't seem to make it any easier when you think about it.

I'd like to lift up V and her family in prayer as they deal with the one year anniversary of her sister's death and I'd like to lift up the Konetzka family as they deal with the death of the 2 boys during this time and I'd like to remember my own family as we remember the deaths of my Mom and my Grandma at Easter as well. And above all, I want to say thank you for the beautiful gift of the cross and sacrificing your own Son to save us and give us the gift of eternal life so that we do have a place that we can spend all of eternity with You and have the opportunity to see our loved ones again.