Holy Saturday / Easter Sunday

Good Friday's Stations of the cross were compelling in both the drama and the reflections. The text we used is a recently released version of the stations from LifeTeen.  There are 3 lines that struck me:
Station 2: Jesus Carries the Cross - in reflecting on how each of us have crosses that we carry - and the realization that Jesus carries each of ours too - if we but ask Him "... prayer is where the cross changes shoulders..."
Station 6: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus - Imagine this woman breaking through the mob and soldiers to wipe the blood stained, sweat soaked face of Jesus. Her courage and grace. "... in the same way that selfishness alienates us, acts of selflessness bring us into community and offer us hope..."
Station 11: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross - and Jesus stays on the cross... and in doing so he sends us a message "...God would rather die than risk spending eternity without you."  WOW.  Do we really get how valuable we are to God?

As we gather at 12 noon today to anoint our Elect - Matthew, David and Andrew, who will share in the Sacraments tonight at the Great Easter Vigil. We will also bless our Easter Baskets - Baskets of food for the first meal of Easter. Chocolates, decorated Easter Eggs, Easter Bread, Kolbassa, and other fine foods are in these baskets - which are traditionally blessed on Holy Saturday in European countries.

Tonight at 9:00 p.m. we celebrate the Great Easter Vigil.  St. Augustine called this the Mother of all Vigils. We begin with the blessing of the Easter Fire - and the new Paschal Candle (Easter Candle) is lit for the first time.  After the procession into the Church, and the singing of the Exsultet we listen to God's Word (7 Old Testament readings, an Epistle from Paul, and the Gospel) hearing of God's magnificent deeds throughout all of history.
Then we celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism with our 3 elect (plus one younger sibling), and Confirmation of these 3 Elect plus 2 adults who have been preparing for months. In Water and Oil we realize that God claims us as we are immersed in Christ's Death and Resurrection, to be witnesses for our world.
After we have prayed for the needs of the Church and the World, we offer our most perfect prayer - the Eucharistic prayer - where God transforms our gift of bread and wine (our lives) into the Body and Blood of Christ, given for the forgiveness of sins and the life of the world.  This is the Final Sacrament of Initiation. The repeatable Sacrament of Initiation.  We are Baptized and Confirmed only once - yet we come to the table, to the Eucharist, each Sunday.


Easter Sunday we celebrate at 8:15, 10:00 and 12:00 noon
At the 10:00 am Mass we will welcome a woman and her daughter into Full Communion with the Catholic Church.  They were Baptized in another Christian church - and so share partial union with us. 
May our participation in the Paschal Mystery shape us as an Easter People who proclaim the new life of the that kingdom where Christ is Lord!
Don't Know when I will post next...Peace