Easter Doings!

The beautiful redbud tree that greeted me Easter morning

Happy Easter, dear sisters in Christ!  What a glorious morning greeted me when I awoke yesterday!  Our Easter day was so lovely, as I hope yours was also.  Now, however, I have a lot to tell you and to catch up on with you.

Adding the wooden lamb

So, first I need to finish off the Holy Week tree posts.  On Friday of Holy Week, we added a little wooden lamb to our tree and some homemade popsicle stick crosses to represent the crucifixion.  The reading for Friday was Mark 15:16-39.  In addition to this, we also attended the Stations of the Cross at noon and the Liturgy of Good Friday at 3 p.m.  Since I felt that remaining at church from noon to three was more than my younger children could successfully accomplish,  we went home between these two devotions.  During the time we were at home, we observed a time of silence.  We were nearly silent, with as few reminders of, "This is the time our Lord was on the cross, let's be quiet."  This is a tradition in our home on Good Friday, but the children themselves suggested this year that it is something we ought to do more often, so I am thinking about introducing a period of silence on Fridays throughout the year, maybe pegged to saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3 p.m.?

Covering the lamb with a black cloth

On Saturday of Holy Week, we read Mark 15:42-47 and covered the lamb with a black cloth that  was in the last egg we opened.  The cloth reminds us that Christ "descended into hell", that He lay in the tomb during that day after His death.  I also read this quote from an ancient homily to the children because I think it is so perfect for Holy Saturday.

Decorated for Easter!

Our Holy Week tree was finished.  We had walked with our Lord and remembered the events of His last week, and now we were ready to celebrate His Resurrection!  After the children went to bed on Saturday, I covered our tree with symbols of the Resurrection--eggs, butterflies, and  red hearts, which incorporate the traditional Easter color of red with a representation of God's love for us.  Then the tree served as our Easter centerpiece for Easter Sunday brunch!

We had dyed our eggs:

Set out our baskets (if you are over 18, no basket! so there are only four):

Cleaned like crazy people (many hands make light work):

Dusting the mantel...

A vacuuming blur of activity...

The Happy Sweeper...

wearing her Daddy's shoes!

Dusting the windows!

 Decorated the mantel and laid out the sideboard for Easter brunch:

After Easter, I will plant the bulbs in the garden!

Now we were ready to celebrate!

We hunted for eggs (after Mass on Sunday morning):

The Three Musketeers in various outer wear including a bathrobe!

Hmmm...should I eat my chocolate bunny or look for eggs???

Finding a secret stash!

Off at a run!

Watching from the comfort of the porch, the "Easter bunnies" give tips on where they hid the eggs!

Sisters snuggling!

Marinated shrimp, berries, smoked salmon, muffins, and more!

 We had a big Easter brunch and enjoyed having nearly all of our children and grandchildren with us.  The only one who couldn't be there, although he was in our prayers, was our son who is currently in Afghanistan.  

Don't forget dessert!

At this point, my camera batteries died, which is well for you or you would have to look at a lot more photographs of my whole family!  Maybe another day :).

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

Noli me tangere, Giotto

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Have a blessed Easter!

He Descended Into Hell

The Harrowing of Hell, Chora Museum

Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. . . He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him - He who is both their God and the son of Eve. . . "I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. . . I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead."
 ~Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday, as quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church,  paragraph 635.

More from the Catechism:

632 The frequent New Testament affirmations that Jesus was "raised from the dead" presuppose that the crucified one sojourned in the realm of the dead prior to his resurrection. This was the first meaning given in the apostolic preaching to Christ's descent into hell: that Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead. But he descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there.

633 Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, "hell" - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek - because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God. Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer: which does not mean that their lot is identical, as Jesus shows through the parable of the poor man Lazarus who was received into "Abraham's bosom": "It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior in Abraham's bosom, whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell." Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.

634 "The gospel was preached even to the dead."The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfilment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.

635 Christ went down into the depths of death so that "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."Jesus, "the Author of life", by dying destroyed "him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage." Henceforth the risen Christ holds "the keys of Death and Hades", so that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."

The Crucifixion

I Saw the Sun at Midnight Rising Red

I saw the Sun at midnight, rising red,

Deep-hued yet glowing, heavy with the stain

Of blood-compassion, and I saw It gain

Swiftly in size and growing till It spread

Over the stars; the heavens bowed their head

As from Its heart slow dripped a crimson rain,

Then a great tremor shook It, as of pain—

The night fell, moaning, as It hung there dead.

O Sun, O Christ, O bleeding Heart of flame!

Thou giv’st Thine agony as our life’s worth,

And mak’st it infinite, lest we have dearth

Of rights wherewith to call upon thy Name;

Thou pawnest Heaven as a pledge for Earth,

And for our glory sufferest all shame.

                                                                     ~Joseph Mary Plunkett

Thursday of Holy Week: The Holy Eucharist

Our wooden bunch of grapes

Today, Holy Church celebrates the Institution of the Holy Eucharist with the Mass of the Lord's Supper, so today we hang symbols which remind us of the Last Supper on our tree.  We found the wooden grapes years ago, and we used to also hang up a small bundle of small dried grass stalks that looked rather like wheat--until they were eaten by some mice!  So, we just use the wooden grapes now.
  

Our Scripture passage for today is Mark 14:12-26.  This passage recounts some of the events of the Last Supper.  The children recognize the words of the Holy Mass and so can easily begin to understand that our Church was founded by Christ Himself.  We discuss the betrayal of Judas--how he had already arranged to betray Jesus for money and how he left the first Mass, intending to go get the soldiers to arrest Jesus.  This year we included the following passage which tells of Jesus's prophecy that Peter would betray Him.  We compare Judas's betrayal and lack of repentance with Peter's betrayal that was forgiven because he repented and professed his love of Jesus (see John 21:15-19) 

As you and your family begin this holy Paschal Triduum, I pray for each of you reading this blog. 

The Last Supper, Juan de Juanes

...and may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great pastor of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the blood of the everlasting testament,  Fit you in all goodness, that you may do his will; doing in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom is glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~Hebrews 13:20-22

Wednesday of Holy Week: Anointing at Bethany

Mad Muncher hanging a perfume bottle

On Wednesday of Holy Week, Jesus went to dinner at the house of Simon the Leper.  When we open our egg for today, inside we find some small bottles of perfume tied with ribbons for hanging.  You can usually buy a box of tiny perfume bottles around Christmas time, and sometimes stores give these out for free as samples.  (There are other options here at the Amazon search page.  I'm sure there are other possibilities as well online or at craft stores.)

Anointing at Bethany,  Francois Maitre

Our Gospel reading today is Mark 14:1-11, the story of the woman anointing our Lord's head with oil before His death.
In the Old Testament, prophets, priests, and kings were all anointed before assuming their roles.  The anointing oil symbolized the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on them.  Our Lord is the true prophet--the Word of God Himself.  He is the High Priest forever.  He is the King of Kings.  He is the One Who will send the Holy Spirit down to us.  His anointing thus points forward to His Passion and death, and, beyond that, to His Resurrection, His power, and His glory.

Tuesday of Holy Week: The Widow's Mite

The Widow's Mite, Rembrandt, drawing

Today we open egg number three.  Inside there are some small cloth bags, each one having two copper pennies inside.  These coins represent the "widow's mite"--her very small offering to God.  We read of the widow's generosity and trust today in Mark 12: 41-44.  We are humbled by the faith of this poor, nameless woman.  How she must have consoled the heart of Jesus without ever even knowing He was watching!  I love this particular passage, because I often feel I am giving out of my poverty--my poverty of charity, my poverty of time, my poverty of cheerfulness of duty.  My heart is comforted to know that my Lord sees my poverty and that it is my very weaknesses that make my gifts to Him and to my family so precious in His eyes.

Our tree on Tuesday of Holy Week

P.S.  The change of location of the tree was because of the brilliant sunlight streaming through my kitchen windows, making a photograph impossible!  This year, we are keeping the tree in the kitchen because that is where we eat when my hubby is working away.  Other years, we put it on the dining room table you see above.  We do whatever works...and I hope you do, too!

Monday of Holy Week: Cleansing the Temple

My little African Lion opening the second egg.

On the Monday of Holy Week, we open the second egg.  Inside my son finds a small plastic dove (you can often find these on the wedding aisles in craft stores).  I ask:  Who remembers a Bible story about a dove?  And everyone answers all at once:  Oh, when Jesus turned over all the tables!!!  I remember when Jesus was baptized by John the Holy Spirit was a dove!!! The cages...there were lots of cages!!  

We read aloud Mark 11:15-18, and because my children are a bit older we also read the parallel passages:  Matthew 21:12-16, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-16 (which appears to occur earlier in Jesus's ministry, but wondering about this I make a mental note to do some research into the question later....this is how I learn!).

Each child receives their own dove, and attaches it to the tree.  One is even in a cage that my oldest son made when he was 6.  You can see in the picture that he really tried to engineer a fancy cage...and he grew up to become an engineer, no surprise!  He's happily married now with three children, so you can see how long we have been doing our Holy Week tree.  Quite a while!

I want to call attention to the fact that this is World Autism Awareness Day.  Please support families who are loving an autistic child by accepting and affirming their unique children.  I love this quote:

"Autism (with a capital “A”) to me, says that I accept my child wholly. I celebrate his differences and his quirky-ness. I advocate diversity. I try to empower him. I am proud of his successes, no matter how small they seem. I hope he holds onto the compassion he has in his heart into adulthood. I do not think he needs “fixing”. I am proud that he is my son, and sometimes I am humbled by that very same thought."~ mommy-dearest at The Quirk Factory:  Resistance is Futile.

Entry Into Jerusalem

Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, Benjamin Robert Haydon

Note on Mr. Haydon's picture from the Web Gallery of Art: Haydon was impelled by strong personal faith to undertake his uncommissioned religious canvases. The years of labour he expended on them helped to ruin him. It was his aim to cast out doubt as well as win fame, and in Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, he addressed the issue of doubt directly, assembling past rationalists and sceptics like Voltaire and his own more devout friends like Wordsworth among the watching crowd. Their varied reactions to Christ's appearance amount to a debate on faith.

 

The Entry Into Jerusalem (Mr. Haydon's great picture)

The air is fill'd with shouts, and trumpets' sounding--

A host are at thy gates, Jerusalem.

Now is their van the Mount of Olives rounding;

Above them Judah's lion-banners gleam,

Twined with the palm and olives' peaceful stem:

Now swell the nearer sounds of voice and string,

As down the hillside pours the living stream;

And to the cloudless heaven Hosannas ring,

"He comes, the Son of David comes--the mighty King!"

The cuirass'd Roman heard; and grasp'd his shield,

And rushed in fiery haste to gate and tower;

The Pontiff from his battlement beheld

The host, and knew the falling of his power--

That shout gave sign of Sion's final hour.

Still down the marble road the myriads come,

Spreading the way with garment, branch, and flower,

And deeper sounds are mingling, "woe to Rome!

The day of freedom dawns--rise Israel from thy tomb!"

Temple of beauty--long that day is done;

Thy ark is dust, thy golden cherubim

In the fierce triumphs of the foe are gone:

The shades of ages on thy altars swim,

Yet still a light is there, tho' wavering dim,

And has its holy lamp been watch'd in vain?

Or lives it not until the finish'd time,

When he who fixed, shall break his people's chain;

And Sion be the lov'd, the crown'd of God again?

But then thou wast of earth the splendid wonder,

And matchless beauty sat upon thy walls.

At once, as with a peal of midnight thunder,

Startled the crowd within thy ivory halls;

The priests, with turban'd brows, and purple palls,

The son of Mammon, the pale usurer,

Like men that see the lightening ere it falls,

From their polluted seats sprang smote with fear--

That shout, like Judgement's Trumpet, burst upon their ear.

He comes, yet with the burning bolt unarmed;

Pale, pure, prophetic, God of Majesty!

Tho' thousands, tens of thousands, round him swarm'd,

None durst abide that depth divine of eye;

None durst his waving garments' hem draw nigh.

But at his feet was laid the Roman's sword:

There Lazarus bowed to see his King pass by;

There Jairus, with his age's child, adored.

"He comes, the King of Kings, Hosanna to the Lord!"

                                                             ~Reverend George Croly

Holy Week Tree

Our Holy Week Tree

During Holy Week, my family meditates on our Lord's last week before His crucifixion using another interactive tool--a Holy Week Tree.  This idea is not my own; I came across it nearly twenty years ago, before I converted to the Catholic Church.  It was originally presented in a small booklet written by Pam Lancaster, a homeschooling acquaintance of mine.  Over the course of the years, I have lost the booklet and forgotten the title, but the "Resurrection Tree" (as she called it) continues to bless our family.  If any one finds this resource still available for purchase anywhere, please let me know so I can give Pam full credit.  I know her text was copyrighted,  but I think I can share what we do, which is similar but not exactly the same.  It was her idea, though, not mine!

On Palm Sunday, we place our "Holy Week Tree" in the center of the dining room table.  For many years, our tree was just a nice, multi-pronged branch stuck into Plaster of Paris in a coffee tin which the children painted.  It worked great, until someone knocked it off the shelf in the storage room and that was that!  So, I found another one which I purchased.  Point is, you can make it for basically free, so don't let the lack of a fancy, store-bought tree keep you from starting this devotion.

To set up the tree, I put the objects in plastic colored eggs which are numbered 1 through 7 (or you could write the day on them).  Then each day during Holy Week, we open the egg for that day, take out the object, and read the Scripture.  I might then make a few brief comments about the event.  We take turns hanging the objects on the tree and opening the eggs.  For some of the objects, like the felt palm fronds, I made enough for each child to hang their own.  Other items, such as the wooden lamb, are hung by only one child. Very simple, but perfect for elementary aged children and even older! (My older children still enjoy participating in this tradition).  The children love the yearly repetition and it really helps them think about our Lord during His last week.

Here is a brief synopsis of the days, events, and objects:

Palm Sunday    Entry into Jerusalem       felt palms, rocks
Monday            Cleansing the Temple     plastic doves
Tuesday            Widow's Mite                  bags with pennies
Wednesday       Mary anoints Jesus          perfume bottles                  Thursday          Last Supper                     grapes/wheat
Friday              Crucifixion*                     lamb, crosses
Saturday           In the Tomb*                   black shroud
Sunday             Resurrection!*                 butterflies, eggs, hearts

*(The last three days all are linked to the same Easter Sunday post, since I was too busy to post separate blog entries just before Easter.)

I love the way this simple tradition helps us spend a few minutes together as a family focusing on our Lord's final days.  

Here's the first day:

Open egg number one.  Inside are felt palm branches and small rocks.  Read Luke 19:28-40 (you may want to read through verse 44 with older children).  Hang the palms and scatter the rocks underneath the tree.

Some comments about this reading:  A king riding on a donkey was a sign of his coming in peace. In wartime, a conquering king would ride in on a horse.  Palms represent victory and are also a sign for the people of Israel of God's final dwelling among His people.  Jesus wept because He knew the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans.  In the Gospel reading, He explains that this was the result of His people failing to recognize and accept Him as their Messiah.  God's creation will praise Him, even if we fail to do what we were created to do, that is, know, love, and serve God.