Holy Week Review

Well, Lent has come and gone and we have now entered into the Easter season.  I feel as if the last week was a bit of a whirl wind.  I made a personal commitment to attend Mass everyday until Easter Sunday.  There are so many distractions in my life and I desired to give my attention to Jesus and His Passion.  Mass helped me to focus each and everyday on what Holy Week is all about.  We began with Palm Sunday.

Gummi and Miss Jessica weaving palm branches after Mass.

Another project during the day was creating this "tomb."  

Monday and Tuesday the kids still had school.  Each day began with Mass, which I had the opportunity to attend.  I love going to the school Masses.  I am always moved by the beautiful faith of our young people.

On Wednesday, the daily Mass was celebrated at our local nursing home.  It was a lovely sunny and "warmer-than-it-has-been" day, so the Love Bugs and I decided to walk.  We gathered in a small room with five of the residents, two volunteers, Father, Grandma and the 7 of us.  The Gospel that day was from Matthew and told of Judas Iscariot.  In his homily, Father shared that we look at Judas as selling out Jesus.  30 pieces of silver would be equivalent to about $800 today.  That is not a huge sum of money, so why did Judas really betray Jesus?  Father asked us to reflect on our own lives.  How do we "sell" Jesus out?  What are we hungry for?  What are we searching for?  Shouldn't Jesus be enough?

The start of the Triduum was Holy Thursday.  When I woke up that morning, this is what I found.

Our tomb had sprouts.  

During the day, the girls made Easter symbols out of salt dough.

Thursday evening we traveled back to the church affiliated with the kids school.  The Liturgy, the music, the symbolism, the Tradition;  I loved it all.

We attended Good Friday Service at Silly's church, where she and her husband sing in the choir (the music was gorgeous!).  It was a two hour service and I was really proud of how well the Love Bugs handled it.  On the way home, the boys rode with Monkey Toes and I had the girls in the van.  Our conversation went as follows:

Gummi:  Did you like church tonight Mom?
Me:  I loved it.  I even cried a few times.
Gummi:  I cried too.
Me:  At what part?
Gummi:  When we kissed the cross.  When did you cry?
Me:  At the very beginning when Father and the Deacon laid prostrate and then again when we venerated the cross.
Cucumber:  I cried when we read the Gospel and Jesus died.
Sweet Pea:  I didn't cry.
Me:  That's O.K.  Sweet Pea.  You don't have to cry at church.
Pumpkin:  Well I cried.
 
At her remark, we all gushed over the thought of Pumpkin being so moved by the service.

Me:  At what part did you cry Pumpkin?
Pumpkin:  When church got too long!

Saturday we celebrated Easter with Monkey's side of the family.  It was a fun get-together with good food and great company.  Grandma and I attended the Easter Vigil that night.  It has been more than a few years since I have attended the Vigil.  I forgot just how rich and layered with meaning it is.  We began in complete darkness, hearing the account of creation.  We heard of Abraham's faith and complete trust in God and continued to hear of Moses and the Israelites escaping from Egypt.  We read from Romans and the promise that we shall be united with Christ in His Resurrection; death has no power over us.  And finally, the Resurrection account was proclaimed from the Gospel of Luke.  We sang Alleluia for the first time in 46 days.

On Easter Sunday, the first thing I did was to check on the "tomb."

Look at that grass!  The kids were completely amazed.

Mass was simply joyful!  The colors, the flowers, the music filled with rejoicing - it was truly a celebration!

Next, we were off to my sisters to spend the day with my side of the family.

Here, Auntie is giving instructions to the Amazing Race scavenger hunt.  The kids had to complete certain tasks/skills in order to get clues to where the treats were hidden.

Our annual Easter Family Picture - always taken on these steps.

I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to immerse myself into the recollections and celebrations of Holy Week.  Each day brought a time of reflection and a renewed sense of hope.  I awaited Easter in great anticipation.  And now, in the Resurrection, we are a changed people.  For me, this Easter Season challenges me to be a witness to those I meet, if not through word, then definitely through action and example.  

Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough?
Clear out the old yeast,
so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, 
inasmuch as you are unleavened.
For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed.
Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, 
not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, 
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.                                                      1 Corinthians 5:6-8