The Paradox of Pascha during Quarantine (formatting is fixed now I hope)

It seems like Pascha (Easter) has come too soon. Near-empty churches are decked in white; we sing that God has trampled death.  But the death toll is still great, and we continue to make sacrifices to protect the vulnerable.

So what happens when the Paschal season begins in the middle of the world’s suffering? What happens when Easter is celebrated at home, without the physical sacrament of Communion or the comfort of family members’ hugs? What happens when Easter is celebrated with a very calculated budget because of job loss? What happens when Easter is celebrated after the death of a loved one that cannot even be commemorated with a funeral? What happens when Easter is celebrated in a hospital room, grappling with new disabilities and unbearable pain, alone because visitors are not allowed?




This Pascha is especially important. This Pascha reminds us that death is not the end of the story. Suffering is not all there is. Because God has given us a promise: nothing, not death, not quarantine, not job loss or anxiety, none of our many personal issues can keep His love away from us. (Romans 8:38-39)

Katherine Wolf often refers to the "upside down kingdom", where being brought down by suffering actually elevates us to experience God's love in a more profound way. As a stroke survivor, she has experienced suffering and graces in a way I cannot even imagine. I love her mantra "Don't wait to celebrate!" Even in times of terrible suffering, God is with us--and isn't that a pretty good reason to celebrate?  Ann Voskamp writes about giving thanks for little gifts from God each day, and finding ways to bring God's love to others. What a beautiful way to celebrate, even amidst great pain.

Thérèse of Lisieux encourages us to offer our suffering and sacrifices as a bouquet of flowers for Jesus. Using this sort of imagery really helps me to feel more positive about moments of frustration, sadness, or anxiety. And Brené Brown makes a clear distinction between happiness, which is dependent on circumstances, and joy, which comes from having a resilient heart that can weather the ups and downs. By changing the way we think about happiness, joy, and suffering, we can celebrate Pascha even when the world is in chaos.

Suffering, whether big or small, does not preclude joy. Sometimes great joy comes in the middle of great suffering. Jesus's first Eucharist with his disciples was celebrated on the same day He was betrayed and put on trial. The Western churches refer to that meal as the Last Supper, emphasizing His sacrifice and suffering. The Eastern churches refer to it as the First Eucharist, emphasizing the beginning of an intimate communion between God and man. Which title is more accurate? Or are they perhaps inseparable?

When one of my patients shares a phone call with a loved one who cannot visit them because of the hospital quarantine, is that moment joyful or sad--or a combination of the two?

Our experiences don't have to be segregated into good/bad binary categories. We can celebrate and acknowledge true suffering both at once.

The Paschal season lasts far beyond Easter Sunday--there is a whole season of feasting just beginning. So even though we are making sacrifices and praying for those who are suffering terribly in this time, let's be intentional about celebrating too. Find little joys and relish in them. Count our blessings. Find little ways to share blessings with others.  Even in grief or anxiety, we can find little luxuries like fragrant tea, extra fuzzy socks, soothing music.

So if you are having trouble celebrating because of the fear and loss caused by the coronavirus, maybe Easter has come at the perfect time after all.

*****

For my fellow medical SLPs, be sure to check out the Speech Therapy tab for handouts you can use with patients.  I've recently posted a pillbox simulation worksheet, so we can work on medication management without having to worry about cross contamination from a pillbox simulation kit.

Click here for the Pillbox worksheet in English

Click here for the Pillbox worksheet in Spanish