Holy Week Highlights 2008

From the Sacred Triduum to the Triumph of the Cross

Happy Easter! I love that on this blog I will be able to exclaim “Happy Easter” for the next 50 days, and no one will give me—or rather, their computer—a funny look. Happy Easter! Happy Easter!

Here are some of the highlights from the past few days. A warning to those of you in a southern clime: it was cold. And a reassurance to those of you with a strong fashion sense: we did not wear our winter boots on Easter Sunday! Our toes froze, of course, but well, you know. Fashion won out over reason.

Let me begin at the beginning, though, with a photo from our Christian seder. This meal is fast becoming one of the highlights of our Holy Week. Because I had two different appointments on Holy Thursday afternoon, we did not attempt to do Mass that evening…but I will admit that I am looking forward to the day when we can juggle both the meal and the Mass.

A Christian Seder, for those of you who are unfamiliar with this tradition, is a Christian reenactment of the Passover meal. We ate lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs and haroseth. We drank wine from a common cup (small sips for the would-be gulpers) and then switched to the sparkling non-alcoholic version.

Unlike last year, I did not serve a $50.00 vintage.

Here is a photo of the hostess and the lamb. I include it in all humility, having not photo-shopped out my tired eyes or photo-shopped in a better hairstyle. Forgive me. At that point my hubby had been away for two days…and the fact that the meal was on the table period is semi-miraculous.

The lamb made me forget my fatigue, though. All I did was put it into the crock pot on Thursday morning with a little bit of water and some rosemary and it roasted up perfectly. The children smacked it down (although our guest proclaimed it “different”) but were careful to avoid the bitter herbs (i.e. the horseradish) served on the side.

The best part of the meal, I found, was all the readings. I printed them out from the Women for Faith and Family website and it was wonderful to see the connections being made between the Old Covenant and the New…and between the first Passover meal and the Mass. My little First Communicant, especially, kept breaking apart the pitas and raising them high above the table as a priest would…

…which, frankly, started to get on my nerves after a while. Cate had been complaining earlier that day that only boys were allowed to serve Mass at our church and only men were allowed to be a priest. “Ack!” I thought. “A future dissident!” I carefully explained about the beauty and the dignity of a woman’s role within the Church.

“And think of our gift as mothers!” I continued. “Only a woman can have babies.”

“What about sea horses?” she shot back. You can see I’ve got my work cut out for me.

Onto Good Friday.

Good Friday brought snow and lots of it. Here is a photo of our backyard. This meant that we would not be doing that outdoors Easter egg hunt in shorts and a t-shirt.

Here is a photo of our deck. This meant that we would not be doing that outdoors Easter dinner in shorts and a t-shirt.

Here is a photo of the view from my bathroom. This meant…nothing, really, but I did think the shrouded purple curtains looked very Lenten.

Feeling every bit the big fat cowardly widow, (my husband was home from his trip at that point but had to work), I did not attempt the Good Friday liturgy. We prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet and made these stained glass windowpanes, thanks to our dear Dawn’s inspiration.

Nearly there! Onto Holy Saturday.

Holy Saturday brought with it more snow—hooray! 8-year-old Jem took his cue from one of our favorite Wisconsinites and made this bunny. (Daddy helped with the spray painting.)

We colored Easter eggs.

And then we colored the table.

Ellie the Dog found all the Easter prep unnerving. So many sights and smells that were forbidden! (Don’t worry; she would soon be ingesting as many chocolate eggs as the kids could drop, foil and all.)

Speaking of Ellie the Dog, she was in desperate need of a bath on Holy Saturday because she smelled like, well, a dog.

We must not have dried her fur properly because she then spent the remainder of the holiday with an unfortunate case of “bad hair butt.”

Here is a close-up photo. I’m sorry for posting it.

And finally, Easter Sunday.

Here is our annual post-Mass family photo.

And here is one of the kids. Felicity was coming down from a serious sugar high at that point.

I found the girls’ dresses (reasonably priced, to boot) at Burlington Coat Factory. They came complete with a matching doll ensemble.

Is this not just ridiculously cute?

We are nearing the end now, which of course is just the beginning. Easter Sunday was spent with some dear friends. I made a ham. I made mashed potatoes. I made a cheesecake. (I needed to make a cheesecake. I needed to. I know you understand.)

All in all, it was a beautiful day, the start of a beautiful season.

The following photo sums up my feelings perfectly.

Cruising along with a great big smile, eating one’s “eeps” (as Angela calls them) without a care in the world. (At least, not any that really matter.)

He is risen! And we’re renewed.

I must say it again and again, my friend.

Ad majorem Dei gloriam,