Dear sisters,

We can all agree that the last month has been incredibly challenging as we collectively experience the effects of COVID-19. The penitential season of Lent seemed extremely appropriate these last few weeks, but as we experienced the Lord’s resurrection this past Sunday, we were reminded of a new reality. As Christians, this reality directs our entire being: the truth that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God and has risen from the dead.

Many of us usually spend Easter surrounded by family and friends, attending Mass, and feasting. This year looked different as we all gathered around our screens to view liturgical services and Easter Mass, made the most of the groceries we could purchase, and missed loved ones serving on the frontlines. I spoke with many women who struggled to feel joy and peace this Easter. Instead, many of us were filled with worry and pain. The happiness of the holiday seemed to fade into the background.

So, how do we appropriate the good news of Easter into the current state of suffering? How do we experience the joy of Easter while there is so much adversity? Our answer is found in hope. In his Easter homily, Pope Francis called the Easter proclamation, “Christ is risen,” “our contagion of hope.” Although we are restricted from being together physically, we “spread” the good news of the resurrected Jesus through prayer and virtual community.

To have hope means to have an eternal perspective. No matter what happens, even if our worst fears come to pass, we can trust that death does not have the final say. Like most of the Catholic faith, hope is a mysterious seeming contradiction: We cannot have the resurrection without the cross. However, we cannot remain at the tomb of our Lord. As we heard in last weekend’s Gospel, Jesus commanded Mary Magdalene not to hold onto him. Christ had a perspective that Mary was struggling to grasp: His death was not the end of the story. Eventually, Mary embraced the reality of Christ’s resurrection and ran to tell her brothers the good news.

Like Mary Magdalene, we cannot hold onto what we think Easter is supposed to be. We cannot remain blind to our Lord, even in the midst of a pandemic. In order to move forward as Catholics, we must have a perspective of hope. We must allow the knowledge of the living God’s love strengthen us. It is through adversity that our hope can be sharpened, strengthened, and reinvigorated.

Our CWIB leadership team is keeping each of you in our thoughts and prayers during this Easter season. We pray that no matter what hardship you are facing right now, you may cling to hope and let it be your guide.

Sincerely,

Elise

Elise Crawford Gallagher , co-founder and co-president of Catholic Women in Business, is the founder and CEO of RINGLET, a digital marketing and brand management agency that works with women business owners in the Washington DC area. Elise graduated with a Masters in Communication from Johns Hopkins University. She worked in the Catholic non-profit world before starting RINGLET. Her concentrations were in Public & Media Relations and Digital Communications. She currently lives in Maryland with her college-sweetheart-turned-husband who is a high school theology teacher and law student.