Liturgy means "service;" it is first of all God's service of us in Word and in Sacrament. All that we do in the Liturgy, our prayer, thanksgiving, petition and contrition, is ultimately our response to God's initiative. All during the Easter season our response is joy-filled gratitude, expressed in our chants and psalmody and prayers. As the Preface for Easter in the new Missal puts it, we are "overcome with Paschal joy.'' Indeed, the springtime landscape mirrors our joy and expands our hearts in gratitude.
