Tuesday, March 3

Psalm 120 and Romans 5:1-8

Easter is hope
Belen Poltorak

When I was at Purdue during college most of my friends belonged to the big Catholic Church on campus. They made a huge impact on my life as a Christian, particularly during the Easter season. Everyone very ceremoniously "gave up" something during Lent. I never understand the rationale for this practice except that it led to some suffering as they often gave up delicious things like chocolate and ice cream. Their suffering in turn was supposed to bring them closer to Christ.

I always chided them on their practice because the minute Easter was over they went back to their indulgences and I wasn't sure too much had been gained. I decided, as a young and precocious college student, that I would instead give up something I did that I considered a bad habit. At the forefront of these were such items as gossiping, not being nice to someone I didn't like or not turning the other cheek. Each year I would try a different sin to give up-knowing it was something that should be ingrained in me but was always rather hard to maintain. I also knew that whatever I was striving to do- it was something I should try to do all year long. I prayed long and hard and yet found that once lent was over, I quickly or maybe conveniently forgot what it was I was trying to accomplish.

Over the years this college experience has always stayed with me. I found it was really the journey of lent that I remembered and not necessarily the pain or anguish of what I considered bad habits of behavior. It always brought me closer to God and made me realize how human I continue to be throughout my life. The joy of Lent was really the journey.

Through Christ's suffering we know we are able to live a happier, more hopeful life. Yet in our life we too suffer. We suffer the loss of loved ones, we suffer with guilt, we suffer knowing our lives aren't perfect and that we aren't perfect people. Yet as Paul wrote to the Romans: "we rejoice in our suffering because we know suffering produces perseverance; character; and character, hope. Hope does not disappoint us."

I love Paul's letter to the Romans (Paul 5, 1-8). He reminds us that even if we are suffering in some way, it brings us closer to God and reminds us that we have hope. We do not have to give up something we enjoy to discover suffering but rather knowing that even though we lead lives of suffering and often anguish, there is always the hope God gave us through Jesus Christ.

Easter is hope, and if we embark on our own Lenten journey seeking to find ways to enjoy God's hope, it will be a beautiful journey that will lead to the mountaintop. I am told that it is at the mountaintop you get the best view. And if you get rid of a bad habit or two along the way, you'll be so much better for it!!!

Belen is a mother of three girls, works for a publishing company selling college textbooks and loves to sing in choir, race sailboats and read.