Thursday, April 25, 2019

An Easter full of blessings...

My mini-me!
Happy Easter everyone!

🐇

I had my usual exciting Triduum plans this year, with my children along for the ride, and thought I would report in on that! 😃

So, Holy Thursday and Good Friday came round and...neither child wanted to come with me. 😂 I wasn't exactly surprised, and it *is* a lot of church in a 3 day period, so I didn't twist their arms. So I attended those liturgies by myself, and as ever, they are SO WORTH the trip. Holy Thursday is the one that is newest to my repertoire, and it has quickly become a favorite. This year, our pastor created an altar of repose in our new parish center, and we all processed in there at the conclusion of the liturgy behind the Blessed Sacrament. SO LOVELY. And hearing the bells rung during the Gloria, the first time we've heard either since Lent began, never fails to touch me. This liturgy also had very good attendance for our smaller parish!

Good Friday packs a wallop for me every single year. Our parish always holds a 3 pm scripture service with communion, and attending this has become my tradition. The bare altar and absence of the Eucharist makes quite an impression, to be sure. The veneration of the cross makes me tear up every time. And then came the Easter vigil.

Happily, for this liturgy I had 2 captives with me. ;-) Henry volunteered to serve at this mass, and Anne attended for the very first time. I let her bring some coloring along because I knew we would be there for awhile, especially since we had to arrive early in order for Henry to help set up. And it went marvelously.

I find the beginning of this liturgy, the Lucernarium, to be most poignant. After Father started and blessed the fire, and the church became totally dark...I could tell Anne was hooked. She even asked if she could volunteer to serve at this mass when she's old enough to be an altar server! As everyone lit their taper candle and the Exultet was sung, I marveled at this, my favorite liturgical moment of the entire year. I always cry, even I don't know anybody who is entering the Church that year! The darkness, the chanting, the palpable sense of communion with the global Church...it's just magnificent. Anne loved it so much that she didn't want to blow out her candle when it was time for the readings. 😂 She did GREAT. Stayed awake and alert for the duration, though granted our Easter vigil is shorter than most. We didn't have anybody receiving the sacraments this year, plus our pastor chooses less than the 7 possible Old Testament readings, so our mass was just over 90 minutes. The contemporary ensemble did an amazing job with the responsorial Psalms, and the great Alleluia was particularly spectacular.

It's a special liturgy, and I would never miss it. Easter Sunday was relaxing and lovely, and concluded with a delicious family dinner and great fellowship and conversation. Life just doesn't get any better than this. 😊

How was your Easter weekend, friends?

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Holy Week musings...

"Easter Vigil Mass" by Prayitno licensed under CC by 2.0
Every Holy Week is different, just as every Lent is unique from one to the next. Last year Lent was quite terrible for me, by which I mean it was full of sadness and pain. I suppose that could be looked at as a good Lent. ;-) I have also had Lents that don't feel like Lent at all, that fly by to Easter with only fish fry on Fridays to mark that the season is different in any way. I have had spiritually dry Lents that eek themselves out, I have had confusing Lents, and I have had Lents that bring a lot of spiritual consolation and clarity. This Lent has felt like it has righted my path, like I have found a piece of myself that that I have been looking for since last year. It's a good feeling.

I have to admit, though, that the fire on Monday of this Holy Week at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris really shook me up. I have no connection to France: I have never been there, nor did I study French in school (I'm a Spanish gal ;-)). I don't anticipate that I'll ever travel there, to be honest. But I feel a connection to all houses of worship that are a part of our global Church. These places house the body of Christ, both literally and figuratively, in the Eucharist and in the community that worships there. This particular cathedral also housed relics that physically connect us to our brothers and sisters in the faith who have gone before us into the great cloud of witnesses, as well as beautiful and historic works of art that raise our hearts and minds to the Almighty. These things cannot be replaced.

And so since Monday afternoon, I have been riveted to the news awaiting new word of what was happening. The timing seemed surreal, that a devastating fire in a church with this magnitude of historical significance would occur during Holy Week. It occurred to me that something good would come out of this, but the initial scene was excruciating to behold. I have been heartened by the news of the stricken crowd praying and singing together, honoring their Lady of France. And although the damage will obviously take many, many years to fully repair, the fact that the structure, and a least a majority of the relics and artwork, survived the blaze is nothing short of remarkable.

I think that God is speaking to us this Holy Week, and that there are people deeply feeling the message this year who may not normally be paying attention to the ebbs and flows of the liturgical calendar. I really feel God's hand over us this year, and that everything will be all right.

I wish you all a very blessed and beautiful Triduum, and Easter morning. May the joy of Easter follow us through the rest of this year and beyond! *heart* I will be attending the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, my parish's Good Friday service at 3 pm on that holy day, and the Easter vigil Mass with both of my kids for the very first time this year. I'm really looking forward to it, and I feel humbled by all of my blessings this year. God bless you all, and talk to you next week!

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Final push for Easter basket preparations!

As we head towards Holy Week, I am SO EXCITED for all of the upcoming liturgies! My CatholicMom piece for this month touches on this issue, and it has me all re-inspired and re-invigorated for the Triduum. 🤗

The other thing that gets on my mind at this time of the season is Easter baskets. I have always used Easter baskets as an opportunity for (in addition to the inevitable onslaught of chocolate) small, thoughtful gifts, often of a religious nature. That's getting harder with Henry, who is 13, and requested a new skin and screen protector for his Nintendo Switch for his Easter basket. 🙄 But I'll think of something!

Anne is still into cute Easter basket ideas (although, at nearly 8, I'm certain she's going to know that there's no way the Easter bunny came up with these ideas that sound *just like* the things she and mom like to look at together) and I thought I'd share them with you if you're still needing basket ideas with enough time for things to ship and arrive before Easter morning!

(1) Shining Light Dolls - I just love these things, AND they're having a sale from today through Friday April 12th. Use code EASTERJOY19 for 20% off your order! In addition to the dolls, they now have saint charms to clip onto bags or backpacks, Easter egg wraps, and flower seeds for your garden based on a Marian theme!

#forthewin

(2) Tiny Hands Food Jewelry - One of my favorite handmade sellers is Mei from Tiny Hands. She makes scented food necklaces and earrings, and they are DARLING! She has a scented chocolate bunny necklace that is PERFECT FOR EASTER. I ordered one for Anne! You need to get your order in by Saturday April 13th in order for it to arrive in time for Easter! I've tried her Necklace of the Month club in the past, and I absolutely loved it, I'm tempted to re-subscribe.

(3) Rosaries by Allison - My kids both love rosaries, and like their mom, never think that you can have too many. ;-) Allison is having a sale this month, 20% off, and her rosaries are perfect for Easter, First Communion OR Mother's Day! My current 2 favorites are the crystal copper cube bead rosary, and the light golden glow Holy Face rosary!

(4) Sweet Clementine Soaps - This is another favorite of mine in terms of homemade products, I order from her all the time. The Lush Succulent Soap Bar is perfect for Easter, and she had a bunny one that appears to be temporarily sold out. She always features seasonal scents, and makes bar soap, whipped soap, other bath and shower products, lotion, fragrance spray, lip balm, you name it. I ordered some soap for my kids, and a fragrance spray for Anne.

(5) Lenny the Lamb Scentsy Buddy - You all know how I am about Scentsy. ;-) And Lenny the Lamb is a perfect Easter basket addition if you're looking for a stuffed toy. He comes with a Scent Pak that you zip inside of him, in your choice of scent! I do have one tucked away for Anne. 😎

Those are my ideas! What do you usually do for Easter baskets! Any Easter morning traditions you'd like to share? I'd love to hear from you!

Thursday, April 4, 2019

Throwback Thursday: Holy Week prep edition...

As we near Holy Week, I was looking back through some old posts for ideas for my upcoming April piece for CatholicMom.com. I found a post that I had written just after I took Henry to an Easter vigil Mass for the very first time, the same year that he received his First Communion. It was so endearing, that I keep thinking about it, even several days later. I thought it would make a cute re-post as we inch closer to Holy Week 2019. And so here we have it, originally posted April 22, 2014...

__________________________


Hello all! I'm very glad to be back and blogging with you. It's kind of rainy and dreary here today, but Easter weekend was sublime. Let us chronicle...

*makes tea*

I had a super long day last Thursday, working the evening reference shift, and thus was extra thankful that I had taken Good Friday off. I got to sleep in and relax in the morning, and pray with my Magnificat magazine. Despite my resolution to pray Morning and Evening prayer for all of Lent, that hadn't gone very well :0 until Holy Week. Everything just really gelled for me Holy Week, and that continued during the Triduum. My Magnificat had absolutely fascinating details about all of the Triduum liturgies that I pored over. How could I have been a Catholic my whole life without knowing all of this *fantastic* information?!

Due to work, I missed the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, but I was rearing to go on Good Friday afternoon. I almost didn't make it to the Celebration of the Passion liturgy, held at 3 pm at my parish, because Anne had a bad nap wake up and pitched a fit that could be heard for miles before we left the house, but I persevered. She had thankfully calmed down by the time we arrived, and was an excellent girl for the entire service. The only thing is (a) we were a few minutes late due to aforementioned fit pitching, and (b) the instant our butts touch the pew, she announces that she has to go to the bathroom. But we made it, and so I'll take it.

The entire liturgy lasted just over an hour. During the veneration of the cross, Anne was wide eyed as she watched everyone take their turn going forward, from little kids to elderly people needing help walking up. I could tell that that made quite an impression on her. I plan to make the Good Friday service an absolute must attend event each year, WOW does it pack a wallop. From the reading of the Passion in St. John's gospel, to the bare altar & empty tabernacle, I leave in tears every time.

As soon as Anne and I were heading out to the car, I was thinking about completing the Triduum with the Easter Vigil. We usually attend Mass on Easter morning, I'd only been to the Easter vigil twice in my entire life. Once before I realized how different the liturgy was on that day from every other vigil of the year, and once in 2011 when one of my best friends was baptized and confirmed and I was her Godmother.

*beams*

That was a very special Easter, obviously. After a spiritually dry year so far this year, I was loving my fruitful Holy Week and felt very inspired for the vigil Mass. So I made plans. This involved:

(a) staying awake, since the vigil starts at 8 pm and I'm usually ready for bed by 9:30. *snorts*

and,

(b) talking Henry into going with me. I thought it would be a special thing given that his First Communion is coming up in two weeks.

"It involves FIRE, Hank! But it *is* longer, so you have to be patient."

"Longer?! I don't think so, Mommy."

"But...FIRE!"

Let's just say that I prevailed.

At 8 pm Saturday evening, Henry and I were sitting in the darkened church, craning our necks to see the fire getting started outside. As our deacon processed into the dark church with the lit Easter candle, intoning "Behold, the light of Christ!" I thought to myself how very grateful I am to be Catholic. Our faith is truly a treasure.

I was teary as Hank and I had our candles lit, feeling so thankful that God is always there, even in our spiritual darkness. When the lights were flipped on dramatically as the cantor sang the Easter Proclamation, I could tell Hank was impressed. This indeed was different than any Mass he had ever seen.

Following the Blessing of Fire and Procession of the Candle, we moved to the Liturgy of the Word. This is the tough part with the Easter Vigil. :) There are 7 readings at this liturgy, each with their own Psalm and prayer, and Henry's agonized face as he flipped through his missal said it all. If I have a missal with which to follow along, *I'm* fine with that many readings, but feeling Henry's misery oozing from every pore was raining on my Easter parade a bit.

Well, at the pastor's discretion, the initial 7 readings can be pared down, and our parish ended up reading 3 of those, plus then the Pauline epistle and the Gospel, so 5 readings in total rather than 9. I thought that was an excellent compromise, and it soothed Henry quite a bit to see the readings dwindling. 

Following the homily comes the third part of this Mass, which is the baptismal liturgy. Sublime! The litany of the saints, oh!

*ANGELS WERE LITERALLY SINGING*

It was so beautiful. We had 2 catechumens (receiving baptism, confirmation and Eucharist) and 2 candidates (receiving confirmation and Eucharist). One of the catechumens was a much older man, probably approaching 90 years old! I teared up during the baptisms, and then when the congregation renewed our own baptismal promises, it was just... Only when my good friend Irena was baptized, and when I got married, have I ever been that emotional at a Mass before. 

When we moved on to the final part of the Mass, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, I could feel Hank relax. He knew exactly how long we now had to go, and so he was cool with that. I think he just likes to know what to expect, and we just didn't know exactly how long we would be there. In total, our Easter Vigil was just under 2 hours, to my mind, an ideal length. When I returned from receiving communion, he leaned over to remind me that there was only one more Mass to go before *he* could receive communion, which made me smile.

When we got home, it was just after 10 pm. Although he was impatient at the beginning of Mass, I thought Henry did a great job overall, and I'm so glad he came with me. Next year, my goal is the entire Triduum, I don't want to miss Holy Thursday again!

I'm still smiling, two days into the Easter Octave. He is truly risen! How was your Easter? Leave me a comment!