waiting and celebrating

My friend and I helped our pastor decorate after Good Friday Services.  He has some sense of how he wants things to look, so our function is mostly to carry things, hand him things, and offer suggestions.  This gives you some sense of how it looked when we were finished.

Holy Saturday is supposed to be a day of waiting....of anticipation.  Ideally, I guess.  Of course there were things to do...shopping for a few last minute Easter purchases, household chores, a practice for my altar server sons for the Vigil, the decision on what to wear and making sure all was ready.

My boys have served for the Easter Vigil for the past many years - six, maybe.  It's not like I get a lot of volunteers for a Mass that exceeds an hour and requires a practice.  But I think they don't mind too much.  They dressed nicer than usual without me forcing them to.  They were ready to go on time.  They didn't complain about the practice in the morning.  My older son was in charge of the incense and the younger was in charge of holding the book for Father.  They both did a great job tonight!

Usually I just blend into the crowd, but tonight I was on the schedule to serve as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.  (the technical term for Eucharistic Ministers who are not priests are deacons)  I own exactly one dress, and I thought tonight might be an appropriate time to wear it.  In the end, I went with it, and I was glad I did.  Everyone looked so nice!

The music was wonderful!  The homily was excellent - about seeking Jesus in the Right Places - with the eyes of faith; not with the eyes of the world.  If we seek Him with the eyes of the world, we will be looking for Him where we THINK He should be...not where he is.  So where do we - the lost sheep - look for the Good Shepherd?  In the sacramental life of the church.  In the faith community of people who are humbly and sincerely looking for the truth.  In His Word (dust off that Bible, he said!)  In the depths of our own heart and in prayer that is more about listening and surrendering to change than in talking and trying to tell God how to change.  And in the people around us who "need a good dose of the Lord".

As we left, Jesus was back in the Tabernacle.  There was a sense for me that all was once again right in the world.

Dear hubby and I went to 8:30 Mass Easter morning.  It was standing-room only, but very much "business as usual".  Jesus was in the tabernacle, the music was nice - but not spectacular, the candles were lit like any other Sunday, there was no incense, no Easter Proclamation.  For those who were not able to participate in the celebrations of the Triduum, it appears as if nothing much has really changed.  The empty tabernacle at the beginning of Holy Thursday, the Eucharistic Procession, Jesus being removed from the tabernacle at the end of Adoration on Thursday, the starkness and emptiness of Good Friday, the darkness and the Easter Fire, the new candle, and so much more... all occurred between the Sundays, and were missed by Sunday-only attendees. 

Since one of the themes of the past week was gratitude, I suppose I am oh-so-grateful that I was able to participate in the celebrations and services between the Sundays!  Now....we get to celebrate Easter for 50 days!  Let the party begin!! 

eggs and ipads

Easter Sunday was a day to enjoy with family.  With two families and only one day (unlike the Christmas Eve/Christmas combo), Easter is always a dilemma, but this year it worked out nicely.

Dear hubby and I went to Mass at 8:30 a.m..  He had avoided the Easter Vigil because it is uncomfortable for him to sit that long, but the 8:30 Mass was packed to the rafters.  We were fortunate to find a seat! 

His family celebrated with a crawfish boil.  Many here celebrate Good Friday with all-you-can-eat crawfish boils, but that celebration just doesn't go along with the theme of the day.  Much better on Easter!   Crawfish, carrots, corn and potatoes all boiled in a well-seasoned pot, with strawberry shortcake for dessert.

My family was getting together in the late afternoon at my sister's, about an hour and a half away, so we picked up a few things at the house and headed off.  The menu was simple...sandwiches, jambalaya, chips, veggie tray, and strawberry tunnel cake (yum!). 

We still have littles in our family, but truth be told...even during the years when there were no littles, we still hunted eggs...shamelessly...for  money!

This year, there was an added attraction.  My niece turned 4 on Good Friday, and had her birthday party on Saturday.   The "fun jump" was rented for the weekend, so it got a second use on Easter.  It was enjoyed my young, not so young, and those somewhere in the middle. 

One of the neatest things, though, was sitting with my grandfather.  He will be 95 this week!  One of my cousins in North Carolina had a baby recently (that makes the 10th great-grandchild), but he said he hadn't seen any pictures.  So I pulled out my iPad, went to Facebook, and just like that had pictures of #10.  Pretty cool. 

Then my dad suggested that I see if I could find Ringing Rocks on the map app.  Ringing Rocks is the coolest place.  Located in Bucks County, PA, it is a pile of rocks...well more than a pile... a deposit of rocks, maybe...and when some of them are tapped in just the right place, they ring.  Hence the name.   

My grandfather grew up in that area, and Ringing Rocks used to be one of their party spots, when he was a teen.  He says they'd build a fire, roast hot dogs, and just have fun on Friday evenings.  Things were different, then, he says.  We went there as kids, when we would visit, and it was very impressive to kids from Lousisiana who rarely see a rock bigger than a basketball.  My own kids have been there, as well.  (See how cute and sweet they look here on our last visit?  Sniff.) 

Then we expanded the search to include nearby Milford, NJ,  (right across the river) where my dad was born.  We were able to zoom enough for them to show me the first house they lived in, the fire station, the Church (I've been there), the paper mill, etc.  It was like he was sitting in Louisiana driving down roads in New Jersey that he's known all of his life.  A cool little virtual field trip back in time about 70 - 75 years.

And so we just slowed down long enough to spend time with each other.  Maybe back in time that's how all Sundays were?  It was good!

empty tomb

Running a bit behind on this post, but life has been hectic the past few days!

A friend and I stayed after the Good Friday Service and assisted the good Monsignor with decorating.  He likes simple, and it was a matter of carrying in and placing 16 Easter Lilies.  It is fun to watch the wheels turn, as he generally knows what he wants.  We moved things here and there and offered suggestions along the way.  An hour later we were done.  It is divine humor that I do any kind of decorating, because it is not one of my "gifts".

The holder for the Easter Candle...ready and waiting.  Notice the "spiral effect."  The plant to the right is lowest, and then the one to the left, a little higher, etc.  I think we ended up with 4 plants there....unless he moved one after we left...  I only really see three, here.

Empty tabernacle...ready and waiting.  There are six plants there.  Then two near the crucifix.

My boys served for the Easter Vigil. They had practice on Saturday morning.  Our parish is rather informal.  Serving in jeans and sneakers is the norm, and no one bats an eye. For a while, when they were younger, I enforced the "no jeans" statute, but as they grew older and faster, they owned no dress pants or shoes.  My 15 year old has a nice pair of pants and a shirt from 8th grade graduation last year.  I told him that he should wear it to serve in Saturday evening.  And then, had the wild thought to buy my current 8th grader what he would need for graduation (in a month) so that he could also look nice.  Amazingly, we found what we needed.  JCPenneys had ONE pair of pants that fit him.  We bought it, and a shirt from the men's department.  A little big...but he'll grow.  They had NO shoes that fit him, so a quick trip to Pay-Less paid off.

 

I think they are handsome.  I'm not biased or anything!

They served with my niece, who serves at her parish.  We "borrowed" her, because my SIL volunteered her, and because we are not blessed with an abundance of servers at our parish.  Not really blessed with an abundance of youth.   Only seven little ones made their First Communion this year.  And the youth that we do have...no one really volunteers for a Mass that is over an hour and requires practice in the morning.  I think this is the fifth year for my older son.  But the Mass was lovely, and I enjoyed being there with my in-laws!

We didn't have 8 readings.  Only one extra, Father said.  I know there are some who think that they are cheated if they don't have all 8 readings and if the Easter Vigil doesn't last three hours.  But our priest is wise, I think.  As my mother-in-law simply put it, "I didn't need to hear all 8 readings."  Our priest is wise, he is sensitive to the needs of his people, and he has to be up early the next morning for Easter Sunday Mass!  The homily was brief and meaningful (always a good combo!). Don't look for Jesus in the empty tomb.  Because he "ain't" there.  But, if you are alert...if you have faith...if you seek...you will find Him in the Word...in the Scriptures.  You will find Him in the sacraments of the church..."most supremely" in the Eucharist, but also in the others.  You will find Him in the community...in others.  There was an adult baptized, and another who was confirmed along with the young lady who was baptized.  

We had fire, water, smoke (incense). The music was beautiful...especially the Litany of the Saints before the baptism.  All in all, our celebration concluded in 90 minutes.  Beautiful in its simplicity. 

I could go on, detailing celebrations with family...but that will have to wait....

He is Risen!  Definitely a reason to rejoice!

senseless

Just senseless.

While I was out in the woods with my 13 and 15 year olds this weekend, one of our 8th graders from school - a 14 year old - was murdered.  Stabbed in the chest by another teen and left lying in the street after dark.  For a watch. 

There just really aren't any words.

We flew the flag at half-mast.

Possibly sadder - we found out this morning that another of our students had attempted suicide over the weekend.  Due in part to bullying.  But they can't tell us who it was or what grade he or she was in. 

And that was the incentive I needed to email my older child's guidance counselor to let her know about a child that I hear about on nearly a daily basis.  Someone he just wants to beat up so he'll leave him alone.

Today in our public school, God was mentioned.  How we don't understand His plans.  How we never know when it is "our time" and so we need to be "right".

fire

Last night at the Easter Vigil, in a dark church, the Easter fire was lit, and the Easter candle was lit and blessed.  The symbol of Jesus' light in our world.  

This liturgy is beautiful in its uniqueness.  Different years, different things touch me.  Last night it was the Litany of the Saints which was sung by the choir.  All those holy men and women praying for us. 

The homily also caught my attention.  Father referenced a book called The Road.  It is post-apocalyptic fiction in which a father and son make their way through a nuclear winter towards what they hope is a better place.  The father is always reminding the boy that they are the "good guys" and that they have "the fire". 

To make a long story short:  We have the fire within us.  We must allow others to sense the fire within us, that is God's love.

Mass was about an hour and 40 minutes.  My boys did a great job altar serving.  The choir was awesome.  Two people were received into the church and two others were confirmed.  One little girl - it appeared - was making her First Communion.  No mention was made of it, but she and her parents (whom I see often at church) brought up the gifts and she had a white dress.

This morning, I went with my dear hubby to the early Mass.  It was almost standing room only.  We found seats, fortunately, because he can not stand for long with his knee issues.  The homily was related to yesterday's.  Shorter.  And Father spoke about how this Lent had been one of the best ever for him.   But that it involved a painful letting go.  A dying to self. 

A bummer for me, because this Lent was not one of my better ones, in my judgment.  But it didn't involve a lot of pain, either.  Except maybe for the pain of not going anywhere.  And then again, perhaps God has done things which I do not understand and do not see at this time, but will understand later. 

Alleluia!  He has risen!

the gospel according to...

It has been a long day!

Our first "appointment" of the day was to meet the Good Monsignor at church at 10:00 for a practice for the Vigil Mass tonight.  Neither of our other servers showed up, but Father said he could work things with 2, so we went with that.

After that, we went shopping.  A few weeks ago, when my child had detention, he saw a set of "Resurrection Eggs" when he was cleaning one of the classrooms.  This sparked his memory and took him back to third grade.  Apparently it made an impression on him, because he determined that I needed to get it for my 2-year old Godchild.

While we were at the Catholic bookstore, we looked at the books on the clearance table.  On the end, was a Lectionary and a Book of the Gospels.  He is now the proud owner of The Book of Gospels - an $80 value that he was thrilled to get for $17 (and he offered to pay for it!)  He is a collector of sorts, but he was drawn to this.  Others have told me that they can picture him as a priest, and I see that sometimes, too.  I do my best not to push, but to keep it out there as a possible option.  So today, I said, "No chance of being a priest?"  And he says, "Don't talk about that, Mom. Not now.  God might get ideas."  I assured him that if God had ideas, He had them from the time dear son was created.  That God created him for a purpose - that he would need to discover.

A little while later, he says, "You know what my favorite Gospel is?"  Uhhh, I'm not even sure if I know what MY favorite gospel is.  "It's the one about the weeds and the wheat.  Because I get it!"  So even when you think they're not paying any attention at all, maybe they are!

Our evening and nighttime were taken up by the Easter Vigil.  And another server did show up.  We had to be there at 7:30, and it was not over until after 9:30.  Beautiful, but long.  More on that tomorrow!