How do you celebrate Easter?

Interviews with: Jack Zerr, Denise Montgomery, and Mary Meirink

As long as I’ve known Jack, Denise, and Mary, they have inspired me as ardent disciples of Our Lord. When I asked them to be interviewed about how they celebrate Easter, they readily agreed.

Here’s a bit about how I became acquainted with them. Jack and I have belonged to the same critique group for almost twenty years. He is a talented writer who has published almost a dozen books. A few reflect his experiences as a combat pilot during the Vietnam War. I met Denise when she first began Catholic Writers of St. Louis. The group has flourished because of her devotion and leadership. I believe the Holy Spirit had a hand guiding Mary and me to meet. Many years ago, we kept running into each other in the parking lot on our way into a writing group meeting. Later, we met for coffee and talked about our families and our faith. Recently, Mary invited me to join a faith-based critique group.

Now, the interviews:

How does Jack Zerr celebrate Easter?

John, Jack, Zerr was born August 12, 1941, and grew up in St. Peters, Missouri. After high school, Jack enlisted in the US Navy, served thirty-six years, and retired as a one-star admiral.

Jack and his wife, high school sweetheart, Karen (Wilke) reside in St. Charles MO and thank God every night for their children, grandchildren, and great grands.

In early February this year, our priest told us we should be preparing for Lent. At first, I thought: Lent just happens. It don’t need no getting ready for!

But father’s message wouldn’t leave me alone, and finally I saw that since I was five years old, I looked at Easter as one of the year’s two great days of loot and candy. And abstaining from something during Lent was driven more by, “Think of how much better your Dove bars will taste when Lent is over than to accomplish some small sacrifice for Jesus to show I appreciated His sacrifices for me.

I resolved to do Lent better this year. First it would start early, on Fat Tuesday, and it was not transferable to Monday. And Easter would be the forty-second day of Lent, not a day of loot and candy. 

Another thing I realized was that my small Lenten sacrifices joined with hundreds of other small sacrifices on the part of my fellow parishioners, with thousands of others in my diocese, with millions in our nation, with billions on the earth, and suddenly, my tiny sacrifice multiplied like the loaves and fishes.

Hurry, Lent.

How does Denise Y. Montgomery celebrate Easter?

Denise Y. Montgomery is a Catholic wife, mother of six, homeschooler, writer, and the founder and director of the Catholic Writers of St. Louis. She loves her Faith, family, and friends. She is enthusiastic about the English language and creativity and believes in venerating beauty, exploring imagination, working hard, and encouraging thought.  

Denise and her husband Michael.

Holy Week, from Passion (Palm) Sunday through the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday) and culminating with the Solemnity of Solemnities, Easter, has always been a special time of year for my family. 

The ways in which we prepare for Easter, pray, and live our daily lives has changed throughout the years. We’ve grown from a houseful of six littles (lots of homemade prayer cards and bookmarks, baking pretzels, purple construction paper chains with prayer and fasting reminders carefully printed on them in little handwriting) to an almost empty nest; we are now a different looking domestic church.

What has remained, though, in our Easter is attending Easter Vigil Mass…the Easter fire, flickering white candles, smoke from incense (I love an incense-filled church), all the many readings, the Eucharist, the welcome of new Catholics into the church family, echoing music, and the intensity of the joy. He is risen!

On Easter morning at home, we still dig through Easter baskets overflowing with chocolates and little goodies (holy cards, jelly beans, holy-themed socks, bookmarks), have an Easter egg hunt throughout the house, bake huge hot cross buns (we’ve starting sharing them with neighbors), and enjoy a festive Easter Sunday feast.

The beauty and wonder don't stop there, though. Just as the darkness of winter continues to taper off and the grass, trees, and colorful flowers begin to emerge, we continue to celebrate the joy, beauty, wonder, and light for a full fifty days! 

 Mary Meirink’s thoughts on the meaning of Easter.

Mary earned a MA in Counseling from Saint Louis University and a Certificate in Spiritual Formation from The Soul Shepherding Institute. She serves as an Associate Chaplain in Senior Living and is Founder of Selah Journeys, a non-profit Christ centered ministry that facilitates women's retreats. Mary is an Ordained Minister with Open Bible Churches.

Mary and Jack have two adult children, Jesse and Rachel, along with an adorable bernedoodle named Rosie. Mary enjoys music, amateur photography, and celebrating the beauty of ordinary life. You can find out more by visiting her site: HopeConversations.org  

As much as I love Easter, there is part of me that draws back. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy Sunrise services, Easter hats, and baskets filled with chocolate bunnies and jelly beans. The part I wrestle with is the sorrowful suffering that precedes Resurrection.

I encountered this suffering years ago shortly before Easter when I answered a call on the prayer request line. Her wailing cries pieced my heart. I was helpless though I desperately wanted to do something to ease her pain. She eventually got out a few words between the sobs. Her son had been arrested and thrown into prison for a crime she was certain he had not committed. She reiterated the horrid fate he would likely endure at the hands of fellow prisoners and guards. “And I can’t get to him. I can’t talk to him. I can’t protect him.”

I silently pleaded with God to help me help her. I was stumped. Normally I could refer to Jesus Who understands our humanity as a point of connection with The One Who Cares. Jesus never sinned though, so how could he relate to the cries of this heartbroken woman whose son was locked away?

That’s when the Holy Spirit reminded me of the whole Easter story. Jesus, too, had been arrested in chains, stood at trial, and was sentenced with the death penalty even though He had done no wrong. We talked about what He endured because of love for us. Her sobs began to slow as her tears released hope into the pain. Jesus’ suffering met her suffering in the darkest night of her soul. Mother Mary knew what it was like to be separated from Jesus in prison, and Jesus knew what it was like to desperately need the kindness of His mother while enduring a brutal death. Our Lord understood, first hand, the pain of the lady who called. His compassionate presence helped.

This cry for help on the prayer line reminds me that Easter is more than one day on the calendar. Easter shines each time hope strengthens a despairing soul. Easter is when God comforts us and we comfort others with that same comfort. Easter is when God’s plans don’t make sense but we trust Him anyway. Easter is being revived in daily life through knowing Christ, the Resurrection, and the Life.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the inspiring and prayerful words of these good and faithful Christians as much as I have.

Your sister in Christ,

Donna Volkenannt