Living Easter: 50 Days to Practice Resurrection
by Laura Kelly Fanucci
Published by Ave Maria Press
Easter is still a few weeks away, but I am so ready for it! If I live Lent well, Easter tends to be more joyful, more prayerful, and I appreciate the wonder and gift of the Resurrection even more. Growing up, I had no idea that the Easter season is 50 days! So, I have had to learn how exactly to keep the Easter spirit alive for all 50 of those days. This year, a few Easter devotionals have caught eye including this one by Laura Kelly Fanucci. Living Easter: 50 Days to Practice Resurrection is a beautiful Easter devotional that helps Catholics not just celebrate, but also live Easter well.
The Format of the Book
The book begins with an introduction that gives background and tells you how the book can be used for individual or group study. The book is then separated into the 7 weeks of Easter with a theme for each week. Each week is then broken up into daily reflections as well as a “Going Deeper” section to round out the week. The author calls these weekly “essays” and each has a theme that “explores part of Christ’s invitation to joy” (ie. believe, belong, become).
The “Going Deeper” sections include many joyful Easter stories and themes including:
- stories from St. Mary Magdalene, St. Thomas, St. Peter, and the Blessed Mother
- myrrhbearers and grief (I was very interested and intrigued while reading this one!)
- Jesus and the disciples at Pentecost
The Daily Readings
Each day of the Easter season includes (summarized from the Introduction):
- A reading from the Resurrection narrative from the Gospels or Acts
- A Scripture passage reflection from the author (the scripture passage is included in the book, so you do not need a Bible to follow along) Just a note: These do not correspond with the Sunday or Daily Mass readings, in case you were curious.
- A prayer
- A practical action to celebrate Easter (I loved these! They are simple, practical, doable, and joyful. For example, “Rise early to catch the sunrise,” “Wear white,” “Pray for those who don’t believe” or “Buy or pick fresh flowers.”)
Who Would Enjoy This Book
This is a beautiful, practical, and inspirational guide that can be used year after year. The gorgeous hardcover already has me feeling the Easter joy! The pages are nice quality too. The inclusion of various Easter stories and Scripture are perfect.
This book is approachable for converts, families, and any Catholic who wants to celebrate Easter but wants new ideas and ways to do so. You can go through it alone or with others. It would be lovely to do as a family. All of the writings are suitable for all ages, and the daily actions can easily be executed by an entire family with no prep.
I think this would make a wonderful Easter gift for a friend, family member, spouse, teen, adult, OCIA candidates, godparent, or an older (teen and up) godchild. Truly, anyone could pick it up and enjoy it all throughout Easter. It is non-consumable so can be enjoyed year after year.
Free Companion Guide
A helpful feature of this devotional is that you can get a companion guide completely for free.
The guide is an ebook that you will be able to instantly download. The guide is for personal reflection or small groups. The companion guide includes:
- weekly breath prayers that correspond with the Sunday readings
- reflection questions to guide you through the main text
- discussion questions for use in your small group
- portions of Easter homilies from the early Church Fathers (This is my favorite feature! Very inspiring!)
The ebook is 10 pages long, and can be used as a weekly guide for each Sunday of Easter as well as Pentecost. There is also room to write your thoughts and reflections. Again, the guide is totally free and can be found here.
Final Thoughts
The introduction sums up this devotional with the following quote:
“We need a guide through these sacred mysteries. A companion for the journey. A daily invitation to practice resurrection. Reasons and reminders to keep rejoicing for fifty days.”
If you are looking for a practical and prayerful way to live all 50 days of Easter, you should check out Living Easter: 50 Days to Practice Resurrection by Laura Kelly Fanucci. It offers prayerful, joyful, and practical ways to feast for all 50 days!