Happy Easter

Maundy Thursday
Beautiful Mass. It's my favourite day of the year. I just love everything about it. The Eucharist is so precious to me. And I had my feet washed, which I find such a humbling experience. Drove home thinking I was in love with all the world.
Good Friday
I always find this a bit harrowing. My least favourite service of the year. It's so stark. Sad readings. Departing in silence at the end. This year our priest led the service at our sister church, so a parishioner led us. He did it beautifully and solemnly.
Easter Vigil
Couldn't go to our morning Mass as we are to travel to Scotland soon for a few days break, so went to the Vigil at the sister church last night. Big mistake. It took place at 7pm and the fire and paschal candle were lit outside in brilliant sunshine. The prayers about Christ dispelling our darkness lost their impact. Before Mass I noticed all the candles were lit in the church, so just before the start I went to the sacristy and told the priest. He went rushing out and blew out the two on the main altar, but left the six at the back alight. Oh well. Then a woman screeched through the Exultet, and the organist seemed all over the place. After Thursday's euphoria I was trying to be reverent and get what I could out of the service. I decided the singer and organist were probably very lovely people. They might have known their inadequacies, but they were the only musicians available, and were humbly doing their best. I'll never know the truth, but it helped me accept our human condition, and how much God loves us.
It's funny how moods can change. Liturgy plays a big part in it. We are so fortunate at our church that we have a musical family who prepare the music and lead us in it.
we are not a particularly 'reverent' parish, in that we are so friendly and chat chat chat before and after the services. This is so unlike the retreat place we went to where people arrived for Mass a good ten minutes early and prayed in stillness and silence (then a little soft music) until the service started. Both models of church are good. I just love our church, and it's not really possible to have both models at once, I suppose.
Anyway, Happy Easter one and all. Christ is alive, and we are alive in him.

Stations of the Cross

What I got most out of the retreat was a renewed exciting relationship with Christ. But I'm not ready to talk about that, anonymous though this blog be. Another thing was, I thought I ought to be more alert to what God wants me to do, and not shy away from 'doing' things for God.
Well, back in my parish I got a challenge.Our priest is still recuperating from two big operations, and the visiting priest said surely someone could organise Stations. So I did! So did another person, so Paul does Tuesdays and I do Fridays. I created my own prayers. They really relate to everyday life, so are quite a change from the traditional ones that Paul uses. But as the people attending are all older members of the church I made sure we sang, 'At the Cross' and 'All ye who seek a comfort sure' as well, to make sure they didn't feel too disoriented. The first two times I did it there were 8 people present, but last night there were twelve. Paul is only getting two people. I think this is partly because Friday is more traditionally a day of penance, and also, Paul is ultra-traditional, hankering after the Latin Mass, and refusing to exchange the Sign of Peace at Mass. I'm not crowing. Popularity means nothing. Jesus wasn't very popular at the end.
Actually, this was the parting shot from my spiritual guide at the retreat - if we start doing God's work we will not be popular.