It is kind of hard to put these pictures in categories without mixing up the chronology, and this is a bit of a photo dump, but I assure you that there is plenty of prettiness, happiness, humor, and realness throughout. So I am linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter anyway.
Holy Thursday
Buddy volunteered to have his feet washed on Holy Thursday. He was so excited, he didn't even complain about having to wear dress clothes multiple times that week and voluntarily put on a tie.
It was a little hard to photograph, even in the front pew, but I did my best. Despite the good natured jeering of Father J that I am "such a mom" for photographing his feet being washed. I don't know what St Peter would have thought, but my heart was in the right place. We are going to include the photos in Buddy's First Communion notebook, seems very appropriate.
So, the end of Holy Thursday Mass is something I have always wanted to photograph. However I am actually very timid to take pictures in church and am not a stellar photographer. So, these photos do it no justice. At the end of Mass, Father, accompanied by the associate priests, deacons, and altar boys, processes the Blessed Sacrament throughout the entire church as the Benediction is sung. At the end of Benediction, the procession continues to the atrium of the church where an altar of repose is set up. The priests, deacons, and altar boys kneel around the repository and pray for a short time. They then depart in silence. What a beautiful sight to behold three priests, three deacons, and six altar boys all kneeling in adoration. I wasn't brave enough to catch that on film. Maybe next year. Once the clergy have left, parishioners take turns, silently, going to the kneelers to pray and then depart. The church remains open until 10:30 for silent prayer. It is one of my favorite experiences of the year.
Good Friday
I always joke on Good Friday that I should have just pitched a tent on the parish lawn and slept over. It seems we hardly get home and we are heading back up. Good Friday morning, Buddy and I assisted Tenebrae and then began preparations for the Children's Stations of the Cross. I totally forgot about taking pictures of Tenebrae. It was truly beautiful. The large candles, the priests and deacons dressed in white with red stoles. However, I forgot--must be the lack of sleep from a certain little man, who shall remain nameless, that has taken to waking frequently in the night to cry for hours. sigh...
Anyway, once Tenebrae was over, one of my other favorite experiences of the liturgical year, Buddy and I began sorting costumes, setting out props and readying the church for the living stations. We have been a part of Children's Station since Cowgirl was three. I have been running the program for the past six years. It is a lot of work, but always worth it in the end. I plan on posting a Children's Stations how-to tomorrow.
One of the most striking parts of Good Friday for me, though, is the empty tabernacle, the missing lamp, the open repository. "My LORD is gone and I do not know where to find Him!"
It always gets me thinking of what if that were the end. What if there were no Easter? How desolate a life it would become.
Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday was a work day, trying to catch up on everything that hadn't gotten done during the week of practices and church services. I had planned to go up to Tenebrae that morning and usually do, but I was just too tired after another rough night to make it. Instead, we worked on the garden, cleaned up the house and made some special foods to bring to Easter dinner.
Here are some photos from my preparations, before I headed to bed that night. Thankfully the kids only peeked in our room fifty times to wake us up let us sleep until 7:15. The baskets were enjoyed. I will post soon about what was in there. I am being paged right now from the shower, so I have to run.
How was your Holy Week?
What a good looking boy! Your Easter table and decor look so pretty, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jenny. He is quite adorable. You didn't get to see him smiling with his dimples--I'm a puddle on the floor every time he smiles at me. Buddy actually decorated the mantle for me. I have always decorated while they were in bed Holy Saturday night, but he wanted to do it. He did a good job. He even included the lectionary that he bought at the church tag sale because "it could be useful and looks great." lol. Thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDelete