“Please, take it and hide it!” our 12-year-old daughter begged us as she handed over her half-full Easter basket yesterday morning. A number of candy wrappers littered her bedroom, and it was only 10 a.m.
 
In nearly 20 years of parenting, that was a first! We admired her humble acceptance of her lack of self-control. She needed a little help from Mom and Dad. But come to think of it, aren’t we all somewhat like this on Easter Monday?
 
After the explosive celebration of our Lord’s resurrection; after the joy of seeing new believers baptized at the Easter vigil; after the newness we experienced in our Lenten confession; after all our striving to be vigilant with our Lord in His 40 days of temptation in the desert; after all of this, we still awake on Easter Monday with the awareness of our limitations.
 
‘Please, Lord take it and hide it!” we might say. Our kids’ Easter baskets were filled with good things, but we know too much of a good thing can lead us down the wrong path. So along with moderation of good things, we also call on the Lord to take away all our old temptations, weaknesses, patterns, and wounds that He gave His life for on Good Friday.

Lord, take away our fear and anxiety, all the comforts and routines that keep us from following you out of the tomb. Take and hide everything that keeps the newness of the Resurrection from transforming our lives going forward.
 
With our daughter’s plea—and our awareness of our own weaknesses—we turned to morning prayer yesterday and were both struck by these words: “O God, you have clothed us in Christ. May His peace control our hearts.” 

That’s it! we realized. As we take our first steps this week into the newness of life to which our Risen Lord is inviting us, we must allow His peace to control our hearts!

In the fresh newness of this Easter Octave and the first weeks of Easter, so many voices will once again vie for control of our hearts. And we’re not alone in this. One glance at the Gospel accounts—and we see that the followers of Jesus quickly experienced fear and confusion.
 
But the Risen Jesus enters each of our Easter Weeks—whatever struggle you might be experiencing for control of your heart—with one word: peace. “Jesus came and stood among them,” John records of that first week after the Resurrection, “and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’” (Jn. 20:19).
 
So that’s our little Easter Octave testimony to you—to your Trinity House, the home in which you live out the reality of the Resurrection: invite the peace of our Risen Jesus to control your heart. Yes, expect very real challenges to this peace. Expect old habits to show up on your doorstep, asking for entrance. Expect moments of frustration like our 12-year-old, who begged us to “Take it!”
 
And yes, expect our Risen Savior to be with you in every one of these moments, speaking the words, “Peace be with you.” May we hear His invitation to peace with newness of heart, and carry the joy of the Resurrection into our 50-day journey to Pentecost! Alleluia!