Holy Week - 2012

For the sake of consistency, I want to make sure I document what I have of our Holy Week this year... even though 3 weeks have already passed!

One of the boys had soccer practice on the evening of Holy Thursday, which was the final straw against going to Mass as a family.  Truthfully though, it's such a late Mass that it's always been difficult with the little ones.  Blake and Owen wanted to go though, so they walked down to the church by themselves.  We waited for everyone to be home again before having our special dinner, hence the darkness of these pictures.  The little guys barely made it through dinner and were whisked away to their beds.  We followed the same menu and scripture readings as last year.

Holy Thursday 2012

Good Friday 2012

I have only one set of images from Good Friday, which is not to distract from the main event of the day, which was attending the Living Stations of the Cross at our church.  Such a beautiful job our youth group does every year on this.  We all attended together and the babies were even well behaved.  By the end, Sebastian was sleeping peacefully on my lap and I felt like I could just sit in that church all day long and think on that Gift we've been given.

Now about these hot cross buns.  At the last minute, I was looking at my usual recipe and decided I didn't like it.  I did one internet search, and guess what was the first thing to come up.  Pioneer Woman's hot cross bun recipe.  I really don't mean to be so much on one bandwagon, but the woman is awesome!  They turned out delicious, and we have ourselves a new HCB recipe.  We ate them for lunch when we returned from Stations.

That may have been too many pictures.  I find myself considering what ingredients I have on hand for baking right now...

By Holy Saturday, we were on our way to my sister's house and all of our usual traditions were abandoned or adjusted for this unique year of celebrating my brother-in-law's conversion.

It was a lovely week, to be sure.

Holy Week

The secular part of our world is tugging at us today, wanting to pull us in different directions, but it can't distract us or make us forget.

We're still focused-

Cleaning up, outside and in, our closets and our hearts...

Carrying each other along when necessary...

Preparing our hearts for this tonight...

 

And this tomorrow...

Praying we're ready to welcome the Light at the Vigil, and the Glory of the Gift...

May your Triduum be quiet and holy, and may the Alleluia bring you peace and joy.

Until Easter, my friends!

Good Friday - 2011

Once again, we were sick on Good Friday.  In fact, what had been a pretty classic flu for the rest of us, has developed into pneumonia for Isaac.  No wonder he spent Easter weekend in a lifeless little heap.  He's on antibiotics now, and hopefully the road to recovery too.  Prayers for my little sweetness are appreciated!

So on Good Friday Mr. Smith just worked in the morning, since we were all planning on going to the Stations of the Cross at church.  Once it became clear that we wouldn't all be going, Mr. Smith insisted that I go alone.  He knew how much I had been looking forward to it.  As I was walking out the door, Oliver decided he wanted to go with me, and I was so glad!

Our parish does a beautiful service of the Stations at noon on Good Friday, with reflections and music, and the kids from the youth group act out the Stations as we pray through them.  It's quite beautiful and moving, and I can't help but tear up every year.

We had Hot Cross buns, for lunch rather than breakfast, since I didn't start making the dough until 10:00 am or so :o).  They were delicious either way.  I'm still conflicted about having such a treat on a day of fasting and abstinence, but a tradition is a tradition.  The children enjoy them, and they're exempt from fasting anyway, and it's a good lesson for us grown-ups to only eat one instead of the three or four I would have liked to have eaten ;o).

We had a simple lentil soup and bread for dinner.

We also started the Divine Mercy Novena as a family.

Mr. Smith and I always watch The Passion on Good Friday evening, and this year was no exception.  However, with all the ups and downs of The-Week-of-Illness, I was wiped out, and am sorry to say I didn't even make it to the scourging.  Sleep was calling, and I gave in.