Easter in LA

Studying. Starbucks. Singing.

I spent my first Easter, and first major holiday, away from my family at my home away from home. The past few days, my life has filled with hours of studying, walking to the off campus Starbucks to get food, and singing my heart out at the services for Easter Triduum.

Before this weekend, I had never participated in any of the celebrations of the Easter Triduum besides Easter Sunday Mass. When I sang with my choir at the Holy Thursday Mass, I was so touched by the washing of the feet. As the priest and community members tenderly cared for each other's feet in the likeness of Jesus, tears came to my eyes. In a society that is so materially focused and distracted, the simple act of washing feet formed a stark contrast to the advertisements about physicality that I regularly see every day, especially in Los Angeles.

That night, I watched Moonlight with friends, the recent Best Motion Picture winner at the Golden Globes. A touching depiction of the struggles of addiction, discovering oneself, and the painful process of leaving behind adolescence, the movie was magnified by the friendship I have found on this break. Even though I experienced the tough times of middle and high school, I am eternally grateful that I have always had friends and family who supported me to be myself. In college, this network of support through friendship is vital to survival, and the quality of the people around me amazes me every single day. In a city known for its superficiality, I somehow managed to find the kindest and most authentic people I have ever met.

Buttressed by the support of my friends, both the new in LA and the old in Colorado, I experience a metaphorical washing of the feet as these people give me love. In return, I have developed relationships that will span time, distance, and the struggles of being genuine in an age that worships inauthenticity.

Between helping a friend with a film, doing homework at all hours of the day, and celebrating Easter with midnight dessert and five hour Masses, I have fallen in love with LA and LMU all over again.

 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 

(John 15:15)