Easter Hangover

I feel an Easter hangover coming on. No, I did not overindulge in alcohol this Easter. What I mean is that, typically after an intense Lent and Holy Week, I go backwards spiritually. During Lent and Holy Week, I tend to cultivate pretty good habits regarding prayer and Scripture. This year was no different, except for one thing: I am going to try not to succumb to the yearly Easter Hangover.   

Last year, I fell completely off the wagon right after Easter, not picking up my Bible for weeks and filling up my free time with unworthy causes like sitcom watching and internet surfing. (It would be more honest to say I filled up my free time with more sitcom watching and internet surfing). Seems harmless enough, right? You can't read the Bible all the time, and we all need mindless time with Ray Romano. But each year I notice that, during an extended time during which I am neither praying nor reading Scripture, my behavior suffers too. I am grumpier and less productive. I don't exercise. I feel generally lazy.

We are supposed to be "serious and sober for prayers." (1 Peter 4:7). That sounds severe and off-putting, but I think it means we are supposed to be focused on what we are praying about and what we are reading in Scripture (which of course is a form of prayer). We are supposed to mean it. We are supposed to be authentic with God during this time with Him in His Word.

If I am reciting a long-memorized prayer without a thought in the world about what it means, then it means nothing. If I am reading Scripture in a race to finish a chapter or book of the Bible (yes, I've done this) without being in the moment, I'm reading nothing. Example: I used to say the rosary in my car when I would commute to DC on Fridays for court conferences. I had a CD to help me. I got really good at it (that's the goal, right?) One day, in the middle of the Hail Mary, another car cut me off on I-95. I completed "full of grace" before I let a number of expletives rip from my mouth. I was shocked by my behavior. But why? I wasn't really praying. Turns out that the rosary, a beautiful, meditative prayer, doesn't work for me. No doubt that is my own failing and not the prayer's. Nevertheless, with such a lack of focus, it was meaningless to me and, I'm sure, to God.

So, what's my plan? To give myself the first week after Easter to read less Scripture and even pray a bit less. It feels wrong to type that, but I think it will help. Because right now I'm drained, and to keep up my pre-Easter prayer and Bible reading regimen would be form over substance.  

But I get just one week. And then I will begin again with a nice, moderate schedule for Scripture and prayer. 

This might not be the optimal post-Easter regimen, but having a plan is an improvement. And maybe a reader will call me out on it next week to give me a little accountability.