Stressful day today as I am frantically trying to keep myself on the task ahead of me... it should be cleaning this place in preparation of family arriving later today - I am also distracted by the fact that it is my second daughter's birthday today - about the 3rd time that it has been on Good Friday for the last 28 years! It is hard to keep my eyes on the cross and keep it low key, but as usual the photos for the occassion are getting me a little bit unhinged. Nancy will be arriving with her boyfriend, Bill, and we will celelbrate her special day with homemade tomato soup and crackers... our Friday lenten meal... and then we will all go as a family to the 6p service... I will resist making her a birthday cake... maybe a special breakfast on the following morning with a butter braid or some such treat with candles in it... I am sure that I will be looking around to find something to put a few candles in tonight... Maybe a slice of apple or something like that.
Last night was powerful as we gathered at the Holy Thursday mass of the Lord's supper. Pat, I and John shared the time with our oldest daughter, Ruth, and her family of husband and three kids along with Pat's mom. It started with John, his grandma and dad carrying up the oil used for the annointing of the sick... John has had it done to him 3 times in the last 9 months! This is the prayer used to bless the oil by the Bishop which happened a week before:
"God of all consolation,
you chose and sent your Son to heal the world.
Graciously listen to our prayer of faith:
Send the power of your Holy Spirit, the Counselor,
into this precious oil, this soothing ointment,
this rich gift, this fruit of the earth.
Bless this oil and sanctify it for our use.
Make this oil a remedy for all who are annointed with it,
heal them in body, in soul, in spirit,
and deliver them from every affliction.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen"
I embraced a friend sitting behind me and she said: "You have a miracle!" I think so many that have been following our journey with John over the last nine months look at him with wonder at how he is getting stronger and healthier every time that they see him. And people at church see him more than others... it is a place that we frequent at least weekly...usually more! How my kids love to have the tridium here! All the years of attending the services as a family and have the pain and suffering lead us into true Joy! Pat was saying this morning that it would be so strange to go on a spring break for Easter and not have all the drama and deep places that we all go to share with our saviour... the sacrificial Lamb that is slaughtered for our sins! We now go to The Vigil on Saturday night since Pat and I started working with RCIA... so for many years now we go to the gorgeous vigil with all the scripture, fire and light of the world coming in and taking away the darkness and the thrill of water coming to cleanse us and give us life! I will never forget when we had a foreign exchange student from Brazil in 2001 and Fr Jerry told us to go up and "play" in the water of the font at one point in the service... Breno and John had a huge wet water fight and I think some of the girls were in on it too! Joy!
I snapped some special pictures last night to round off the amazing parts that make up the Lord's Supper... Fr washing the feet and John as a Eucharistic Minister giving a young girl the cup of wine... that washes away the sins of the world. Ruth was holding David as he watched grandpa very closely... ever since he has now helped grandpa feed cattle with the tractor... he doesn't want to let grandpa out of his sight for any length of time! We went down the church basement then and adored Christ in his gift to us in the bread of Life!
Jesus on this solemn day... we remember the agony you endured for us... help us to embrace the crosses in our lives and know that without them we would not have the Easter Joy in our hearts! Jesus we trust in You! Bless-bless, Barb
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