Easter Triduum: Family, truly living, and what I am grateful for

Rain rain rain... Easter blessings or just soggy? That depends, I guess. My daffies are back up out of the snowbank, so I assume they, at the least, are happier.

Today is Maundy Thursday, for those of us who observe the Easter Triduum. G and I will go to church tonight after supper. I'll likely watch Good Friday Mass on the livestream, and then we are Holly-watching over the Easter weekend. So, tonight is the only in-person service for me this year. Which is fine, really-- as much as I really hate to miss Easter Sunday Mass in person, we are still being really cautious about being in crowds. So, we will make those adjustments. I am hopeful that next year, we can all go and celebrate together. 

That said, there are other, more immediate things to consider, such as taking the ham out of the freezer to thaw, and my Academic Team has a tournament (locally) Saturday morning. Somehow, it all feels so rushed in a way. When I was a kid, we used to have Good Friday off from school. I wish I had that slower, more focused approach to the weekend. It almost seems that we are having to schedule Easter into our busy lives, and that doesn't sit well with me. So, around the other mundane things, I will purposefully slow down as much as I can. Saturday afternoon may be spent baking with Holly, and that could and should be fun. Focusing on family is the most important thing. The family is, after all, the first "church" children learn and live in.

We have a lot to be grateful for this Easter, even more than most years. When thinking about the sacred mystery of how Jesus rose from the dead in the fulfillment of the prophecy, I find myself contemplating the sacredness of new and renewed life this year even more. Tim's heart surgery was a heightened period of emotionally charged time for all of us, most of all for him and Meg, obviously, and his family and us as well. While the recovery period is still ongoing, that 24 hours, and the immediate after-care, really put a sharp focus on life, as in, actually being alive, and what that takes. I am reminded that Tim asked for our blessing over Easter dinner before he officially proposed to Meg. That, too, was the beginning of a new life, for them. And having Holly learn and grow in our midst is to witness life --and the business of living with wonder and exploration-- every day. 

We are blessed. We are alive. And in a few short days, we will all be able to say, truly, He is Risen. 

Amen, and have a good day,

C