Easter isn't over yet, contrary to the notion of many of our non-Catholic friends. The Easter season lasts for 50 days, beginning from Easter Sunday and ending on Pentecost Sunday.

There is yet more to be pondered over, more to be reflected upon, more to be said about the Christian experience of the paschal mystery. It's a journey.

These two past Easters have been among the most intense Easters I've ever had. Last Easter was intensely painful. This Easter intensely joyful. I consider the past Easter and this Easter the two landmarks of a singular journey into the mystery of God, like two bookends.

What began as a pain of separation, isolation, and condemnation has now been turned into a joy of discovery, reunion, and communion. What stood in the way of the resurrection of the heart stands in the way no more. The scars remain as witness to the paschal sacrifice, but life glows as witness to the restoration of life.

Many things in our lives stand in the way of truth. The very things sanctified by God - relationships, vocations, marriage, family, work, material goods - may just be those things that keep us from recognising truth in its greater fullness. When these things drive us to a fear of loss, their sanctifying value diminishes; of what good is it if a man gains the whole world but loses his soul?

This is why the season preceding Easter, i.e. Lent, was instituted, so that we might crucify those things we fear to lose together with the fear of loss itself. And when that is brought about, the springtime of the heart truly begins.

And when the springtime of the heart begins, Easter begins with the singing of the excultet summoning all creation to rejoice in the work of the mighty Redeemer to reconcile all creation back to Himself, that He might present creation to the Father. The glory of this Easter evening never ends.

Every Christian baptised into the One Body of Christ Jesus carries with him/her a personal Easter story. What's yours?