At the conclusion of each cross country season, the head coach advises all of our runners to take a week or two off of running. It’s good for the body and the mind to take a break from this physical discipline that has become both a requirement and practice for the past three to four months. I understand what she means.

She says this at our final team meeting. I can’t help but notice that many girls smile to themselves and to one another. Taking a break from running is something they want to do. Others listen with intention and concern. She is asking them to refrain from an activity that is more than a routine.

A small part of me smiles when I see those girls running the Boulevard the next day. They might not be pounding the pavement Monday through Friday as they once did. But, running has become an extension of who they are. It’s what they do. I like to think of our Lenten disciplines and commitments no differently.

Lent is a holy season. Many of us lead a more conscious and well-nourished spiritual life during Lent and it can fizzle out if we don't take steps to keep it intact and lively. My hope is that this post will give you some ideas on how to “continue running” during Eastertide.

Living an Intentional Eastertide

Eastertide? Eastertide is the Easter Season—the 50 days of celebration of the Lord's resurrection that concludes with Pentecost. And I think it's important to note that this liturgical season of 50 days trumps the sacrifice and discipline of the 40 days of Lent. A victory in Christ Jesus!

I have always thought one reason for the success of our Lenten commitments they are marked by a clear beginning and end. Ash Wednesday is a striking and symbolic way to commence the journey, one that we know will last for 40 days. In order to “live Lent” it might be helpful to think of the parallel timeframe set by the universal church: Eastertide.

Every goal clinic seminar will tell you how important it is to set goals that are specific, measurable, authentic, realistic and timely. Eastertide measures the “T” in S.M.A.R.T. goals: timely. Most of us do better with deadlines; they propel us to action and keep us focused. Allow the time from Easter Sunday to Pentecost to serve as another benchmark for measuring your spiritual life.

But what might you be measuring?

Lent asks us to be intentional about how we live our lives but so does the Easter season. We are people of the resurrection. We have been transformed in Christ Jesus. There ought to be something different about who we are and how we love because of our belief in the Lord. Perhaps you can conclude each day with these Easter questions: How was I different today? Was I? Was there an opportunity to be and I missed it? Did I witness an act of transformation? Did I contribute to one?

If you are like me, you also might want to continue to live your Lenten promises. I know that a realistic way for me to do this is to modify what I did during Lent.

This year, I chose to focus on prayer, one of the three pillars of Lent with a commitment to 15 minutes of it in the morning. I got out of bed each day, went to my designated place for prayer and even set a timer. Thomas Merton said that prayer is “wasting time with God.” However, it’s difficult to “waste time” unless you make time in the first place!

I knew I was in need of discipline and structure for my prayer time. I realized how easily my day would fly by without opening my heart and listening to God. Sure, I pray throughout the day, but I thought a specific time for prayer, especially in the morning could kick start my day. I was right.

But I was also surprised that my commitment to prayer in the morning could also be a source of anxiety. Too often the demands of teaching full time, meeting deadlines and trying to get up and out the door challenged my ability to stay focused or keep quiet. I know that God always meets us where we are at, but I also know that God doesn’t want to waste time with me, just so I can check the box.

By working with the “R” in S.M.A.R.T. goals, “realistic,” I determined what days I could and would pray in my prayer place for 15 minutes. I don’t teach the first period of the morning on Mondays and Fridays. Even though every morning is a busy one, these two days are the most realistic for Morning Prayer in this way.

I thought to myself, if I can continue to pray twice a week in the mornings leading up to Pentecost—a measurable goal—my spiritual life will be in good shape.

I would like to also attend daily Mass one day a week as a differentiated form of morning prayer. It’s an authentic desire and goal. It’s very specific. Let’s see what Eastertide brings.

Some of us might not need to modify our Lenten practice. Maybe you wanted to rid yourself of a bad habit. Perhaps you needed to let go of an unhealthy attachment and you feel freer. Easter may have brought success in the form of detachment or the integration of a new way of living. Give thanks to God for this grace.

But perhaps you are like those runners who are glad you took part in cross country, but would rather not continue running. Maybe you did something for Lent that was personally challenging. Perhaps you fasted from alcohol or meat. Maybe you created more time for silence in your life, but you would prefer to live with the freedom to do what you want and when you want.

Our Lenten obligations aren’t supposed to be easy or trial free. Lent ought to be a time to plant seeds and cultivate at call toward holiness. The work that you did will bear fruit regardless, we just need the eyes to see it. Perhaps you will find yourself in a new place of solidarity with others. Maybe you have grown in appreciation for certain people or practices. In his letter to St. Timothy, Paul writes, “I have competed well. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”

Keeping faith is what Lent and the Easter season is truly about.

Preparing for Pentecost 

A wonderful way to conclude Eastertide is with the novena to the Holy Spirit. As written on the EWTN website, “The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by the Church. Addressed to the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, it is a powerful plea for the light and strength and love so sorely needed by every Christian.”

I first learned about this novena when I was living and teaching in South Louisiana. The pastor at Our Lady of Prompt Succor invited me to pray this novena as I was discerning where to live and what to do. I have always sought to be a “pencil in God’s hands” as Mother Teresa has said, but in order to write for the Lord, I was in need of direction. The Holy Spirit abided.

It begins on Ascension Thursday and concludes on the Feast of Pentecost—a time that is rich for prayer. Christ fulfilled His promise. He made witnesses of His disciples and not only did they see the Risen Lord, they too were transformed in their encounter.

We are called to nothing different. I hope you look for signs of transformation in your own life and in your heart. Keep running….