Not my personal writing, but I wanted to start this post off with an ancient homily on Holy Saturday that I loved reading and reflecting on this year while I [and the whole earth!] waited in silence and stillness for Easter Sunday:
“Something
strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great
silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King
is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep
in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the
world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
He
has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly
desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death,
he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is
both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross,
the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him, Adam, the
first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to
everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your
spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying:
“Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.
“I
am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for
you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who
are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be
enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise.
“I order you, O
sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell.
Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my
hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place,
for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and
we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I,
the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens,
descended to the earth and beneath the earth.
“For your sake, for
the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead.
For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a
garden, and I was crucified in a garden.
“See on my face the
spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed
into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to
refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of
the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon
your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once
wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
“I slept on the cross
and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought
forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep
will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has
sheathed the sword that was turned against you.
“Rise, let us
leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will
not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I
forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am
life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as
slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God.
“The
throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The
bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling
places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open.
The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.”
From the second reading in the Office of Readings for Holy Saturday, in the Breviary (citing Migne PG 43, 439, 451, 462-463).
Awake, O sleeper... Gooooodness, what an unfathomable blessing it is to love and be loved by our Lord, the new Adam! Could go on and on forever about this, but I'll spare you all today. ;) :)
On Holy Saturday, we celebrated Easter with Brian's family! There is really no place our girls would rather be than with all their cousins, so it goes without saying that cousins + chocolate on a nice, sunshiny day was a real treat!
And then, at some point while the children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads, the Easter Bunny came!!! We realized that morning that we forgot to leave carrots out, so the kids were very relieved that he still came anyway! Hopefully he forgives us! ;) :)
Arabella loved her first Easter and was not mad about her basket full of goodies from E.B.!
Juliette realized this year that her eggs were full of chocolate and other sugary treats, and no Easter will ever be the same again................
Since the first child popped out of bed at 6:23am [*cough Scarlett*] and proceeded to wake up the rest of the sisters ^^, there was PLENTY of time to go through the Easter baskets, do the egg hunt, open each Easter egg and marvel over the contents, cook/devour a gourmet breakfast, and still make it to 10:15am Mass with plenty of time to spare!
Because...what what??! He
is risen, just as He said!!! I'm not a crier, but I embarrassingly blinked back a few tears during the gathering song as I looked around the church and acknowledged how privileged we are celebrate the greatest love story of all time alongside friends,
classmates, and parishioners who have become family!
A beautiful Mass in a beautiful church with beautiful friends worshipping alongside us. Surely God gave us a tiny glimpse of the kingdom to come today!
Then! After Mass, we were off to celebrate Easter with my side of the fam. Had to stop by home and grab Bella Boo, of course! :)
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This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Happy Easter, friends! We are praying for you; please pray for us, too!
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