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Eastertide: Day 7
Let's just sit for a few moments today and reflect on this as a way of life. . . How would you act if you lived like an Easter person, exuding and embodying Alleluia? What would change? What would stay the same? Eastertide: Day 6
One of the most important and significant symbols of Easter is the Paschal candle. Each Catholic church uses a new, specially-made Paschal candle at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday. The Pashal candle is first lit from the sacred fire at the very beginning of Mass and the priest solemly processess with it, lit, into the darkened church, chanting. In a typical year, the congregation walks inside with the priest, usually holding individual candles that are lit from the great Paschal candle. Because of COVID-19, this year we did not have our own candles at church, as we would have to get too close to each other to light them, but we will hope for that next year! The Paschal candle symbolizes THE light of the world, Jesus Christ. Because it is lit from the sacred fire, we believe in faith that it's light is different than the light given off by other candles. This is why the priest chants "Lumen Christi" (Light of Christ) and we respond "Deo gratias" (Thanks be to God) as he enters the church. This action is literally proclaiming the entrance of the light of the Christ into the world. God shared his light with us, which is why we light our own smaller candles from the one great Paschal candle. Before the priest enters with the Paschal candle, however, he prepares it outside by piercing it with 5 bits of incense, representing the 5 wounds of Christ and the spices used to bury him. As he says each line, the priest inserts the incense into the candle, in the form of a cross: 1. By his holy 2. and glorious wounds, 3. may Christ the Lord 4. guard us 5. and protect us. Amen. The priest then lights the candle from the new fire, saying: May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. The Paschal candle will stay on the altar of the church for the duration of the Easter season. After that, it is moved near the Baptismal font where it will stay for the rest of the year. It will be lit again during Baptisms and funerals, signfying our dying and rising with the Lord, but not at daily or weekly Masses. As you can see from the photo above, each Paschal candle bears the signs of the Alpha and the Omega, as well as the year of use. There are all kinds of designs for Paschal candles, from very colorful to very simple. Our candle last year was quite Celtic looking. This year, we've changed to a simple red and gold candle. They are always beautiful though. In fact, I think I may start a photo album of the Paschal candles I see at different churches. I am always amazed at the ability of artists to create new designs that remain inspiring and uplifing each year. One of the crafts that we like to do with our families at church is to give them a chance to create a similar candle that they can take and use all year in their homes. Obviously, these candles are not the Paschal candle, but they are good reminders that we are an "Easter people and Alleluia is our song", as St. John Paul II told us. This is a simple, visible way to make the connection between the universal church and the domestic church. We begin with a plain white pillar candle. These are the safest and longest burning candles. Then, we print out many different Easter symbols and the families have a conversation picking out which symbols they want to use. The photos below show 2 of the symbols - the Easter crosses and an Easter lily. We've also used an empty tomb, Easter eggs, the sunrise, etc. We typically have about 10 different symbols to choose from. In the center of the candle, the families place the annual Easter sticker - the Alpha and the Omega, with the year. Using glue dots and whole cloves, the families place 5 pieces of incense around the Easter cross, praying while they do it. Then, they can add ribbons or other stickers to finish their candles. We ask them to put the candles in a place where they will use it during the year, like on the family dinner table or in their prayer space. This is one of the most popular activities we do and is a good reminder of walking with the Light through the year. So, what does the Paschal candle in your church look like? Do you know where it is? Eastertide: Day 5
When I was growing up in the South, it was a common practice for women and girls to wear an Easter corsage to church on Easter Sunday. This was also the one Sunday a year that it was normal to see hats, too. Easter Sunday was special, therefore, it was assumed and appropriate that we dressed differently. These beautiful corsages were usually made out of lilies with some ribbon attached. They were made for either the wrist or to be pinned on, and they appeared in the grocery stores during Holy Week. (That's how common they were.) They came boxed and ready to wear, and they were one of my very favorite aspects of Easter. My father brought them home for us each year. When I moved up to the Midwest, however, I didn't find this custom there most likely because of the big difference in temperature on Easter morning. It was usually still quite cold, and not really sunny, hat-wearing, flower-donning weather. So, when my daughter was old enough to appreciate flowers and such, I decided to make my own corsage but one more appropriate for toddlers. And I threw in a blue corsage for my son, as well, for good measure. As you can see from the photo above, they were fairly simple- just made out of different colored foam pieces, a little fake grass and gingham ribbon. I used some straight pins to attach them to my kids' clothes and they looked super cute! One good thing about using foam instead of real flowers is that these foam corsages last for years. My kids have long since outgrown these cute corsages, so I've put them away for the next generation. In the meantime, they remind me of my own days of childhood and my father, who passed away several years ago. The longevity of these corsages speaks to me. They remind me that Easter is a promise kept, and that if we follow Jesus, God will do for us what He did for Jesus. The promise kept on that original Easter still holds true today, thousands of years later, long after the Easter lilies have faded.
Eastertide: Day 3
Here is our beautiful butterfly, Luna, looking colorful in her scarf and butterfly headband, while her big buddy, Rocco, sports his blue bunny ears. These two dogs love Easter. Although they obviously don't understand the meaning of Easter, they are part of "creation that groans" (Romans 8:23) waiting for the entire universe to be reconciled back to God. Like all of creation, they will experience the passage of time, leading to old age and possibly, unfortunately, illness, until this world is swept away and the realm of God fully arrives. But these two lovely creatures aren't aware of any of that. On Easter, they are thrilled with the guests and friends who wave from afar. They delight in the extra company, the hidden Easter eggs they can sniff out, the warm sun signaling the end of winter and some extra tidbits of leftovers from our special Easter dinner. Even though they don't know what Easter is, they participate in it, in their own way. They do know that it is a special day, that things happen on this day that don't usually take place on other days. They know the humans they love are more relaxed and content. They know it's a day of celebration. And their joy only adds to our own, as we place our faith in the resurrection of Jesus and look forward to the coming of his kingdom. Eastertide: Day 2 Good News, Great Joy! CTA Ornament of Faith Be Glad in the Lord and Rejoice! Psalm 32:11 This ornament is a perfect tribute to Easter, or any workshop exploring the call to continual conversion, for the turning from sin to redemption in the Lord. To understand that more deeply, let's first start by reading Psalm 32 in its entirety: Eastertide: Day 1 Happy, happy Easter! On this day, Christ was resurrected. Although no one saw it, most Christians believe that Christ simple burst out of the tomb, fully alive, awake, empowered. On this day, the final enemy, death, was defeated. This is the day when Christ definitively showed his Lordship, over creation and over time. This is the day he fulfilled his prophesy "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19-21) In short, this is the day that gives us a reason to hope. Christ the Lord is Risen Today!
Music: Anon., Lyra Davidica, 1708 |
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