As we’re reaching the final stretch to Easter, I find myself wanting a reboot for Lent, or better said, some extra momentum to really experience those graces during Passion Week and Holy Week. In scrounging up some last minute ideas, I recalled an activity I created for my children when they were little ones, trying to understand sacrifice for the first time. I realized this activity could work well for anyone at any age, and might just be the perfect addition for these last days before Easter.
A childhood tradition born of love
Traditionally during liturgical seasons like Lent and Advent, we prepare the home for the great feast days of Easter and Christmas. Oftentimes, families spend extra time “spring cleaning” during Lent to make sure the home welcomes the King (like the people in Jerusalem did with their palms when Jesus rode in on the donkey, now celebrated on Palm Sunday).
When my children were younger, I decorated one large, beautiful white basket with all the Easter trimmings and filled it with plastic eggs. I placed the basket in the middle of our dining table and displayed smaller, empty baskets around it, one for each child. The children’s eyes gleamed with delight as I pulled out a pretty colored egg to show them; however, the eggs were not filled with candy but rather little age-appropriate sacrifices I had written.
One sacrifice read “play what your sibling wants to play.” Another “pray an extra Hail Mary today.” Another said “read a book to your sibling.” Another “do an extra chore for mommy today.” I showed the children, their excitement palpable, and explained they could take one egg a day and once they completed the sacrifice, they could put the egg into their own personal baskets. Once Easter came, those “sacrifice eggs,” as we called them, would be filled with surprises like candy or religious items.
My hope was to teach my children that sacrifice can also bring joy -- so I chose sacrifices that pulled the child away from selfish time, from personal wants and self-serving actions and instead brought a focus to others and to God. These little sacrifices for the children helped to echo the self-emptying love of Christ during His Passion – small acts that mirror the great Sacrifice we’re preparing to celebrate.
The surprise the sacrifices brought
What happened next surprised me. Not only were the children so excited to pick sacrifices, they asked for more. They opened the eggs with anticipation, then usually a sigh of, “oh, okay, yes, I have to do that today,” and then a race off to accomplish the task at hand. I found the home so much happier, because they could visibly see the little sacrifice had made someone else happier, and in turn, made them happy as well.
When Easter arrived and they found their Easter baskets full from the sacrifices they had made themselves, the children felt such joy, because they could visibly see they had brought love into our home, and so the next Lent they wanted even more sacrifices (and of course, I made them a bit more challenging each year).
Adults too
I realized this little tradition I’d made in my home would be something even adults could benefit from, because sacrifice does not have to be complicated or so burdening. A gift of time is a real sacrifice, especially in these last days before Easter as we busy ourselves for the holy day -- yet that sacrifice brings real grace.
What if as adults the sacrifices we stash in the eggs are something like this:
"Call a family member or elder and just be present with them,”
“Hug a family member today and tell them what you believe makes them special,”
“Spend 15 minutes reading your favorite Bible passage,”
“Spend 15 minutes quietly speaking with God about your Easter plans and He’s a part of them,” or
“Introduce yourself to one of the candidates preparing to join the Church this Easter.”
You might be surprised how much joy awaits when you take an egg from that Easter basket and see how it changes your day. I know I would, and I plan to bring back this tradition again, to remind my family that sacrifice of time and love of others can bring us wonderful graces, and bring us closer to God and to each other. I invite you to try it, and if you want, to share in the comments. In these final days, let’s fill our ‘eggs’ not just with tasks, but with love – preparing hearts to fully receive the Risen Lord.
