Posted by Anne on April 18, 2009
Erin has posted her thoughts on her entry into the Church and experience of the Triduum on her blog Kicking and Screaming. Excellent reading.
Just a teaser quote… She said, “My reaction? I wanted to worship. Just worship. Give me a place to kneel and pray for a week or two, and let me worship. That was the reaction that the Triduum produced in me.”
Yeah. I remember that feeling. Nothing like it in the world.
Welcome home Erin!
Posted in Converts to Catholicism, Easter, Worship | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Anne on April 12, 2007
I flew up to be with Shellie’s family for Easter and to stand in as sponsor for one of her daughters. Another dear (and mutual) friend of mine flew up to stand as godmother to her eldest daughter. Yet another friend whom we had known for a couple years but not had the pleasure of meeting came over from Montana. So we had quite the gaggle of ladies together for the weekend.
The Church was beautiful. They had the most beautiful Stations of the Cross that I have ever seen. Beautiful stained glass windows and an altar with the Last supper carved from marble inset in the front. The girls were beautiful wearing dresses in varying shades of white. Her son and husband looked so nice in their slacks and jackets. Shellie was radiant in an ice blue dress… Yet all these things are incidentals. Watching her youngest daughter receive the Sacrament of Baptism, standing with my dear friend behind the entire family with the other sponsors as Father Crowley celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation, and coming to the table to receive our Lord in the Eucharist together for the first time… These are the things which stay in my mind.
As Father got to her teenage son and annointed him with Chrism, the tears began to flow. ‘For these we have prayed’ kept coming to my mind. The sure confidence in their voices, the peace in their faces, the deep joy shared by all was so precious. I thought also of all those others from the Spitfire Grill who were received into the Church this Easter, and all those who longed to be. Treasures, each and every one.
As I knelt in prayer after receiving the Eucharist, I saw through my tears that our friend from Montana had been brought up to receive her first blessing. While not yet officially Catholic, she is Catholic in her heart and is actively working on her own conversion journey so this was a special moment and made the joy of the evening complete.
Over the course of the weekend we laughed enough to make our sides sore for a week, shared many a meal, and a few moments of companionable silence. The discussions of faith were present, but not predominate as they’ve been all year. In general it was a time of shared love and laughter, a time of celebration. No words can do it justice. God be praised for friends and family, for unity in faith.
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Posted by Anne on April 18, 2006
We attended Easter services on Thursday evening where Joe and Sunshine (dd 7 yrs) sat for two of the foot washing positions. It was a beautiful mass with people coming up from the congregation to remove the sock and shoe of each person, then Father Joe and Charmaine washed the feet and bestowed signs of affection followed by congregants coming to redress the washed feet. The gifts were danced in which was an unusual but truly beautiful display. While the Mass always takes us ‘out of time’ to the perpetual in heaven, there are occasions when something in the Mass makes this especially felt and the dancing presentation of the gifts was one of those. The urge to go Home was strong within me… How Enoch must have rejoiced the day that he walked with God and God said this is good, let’s keep it going at my place…
Our primary celebration of Easter was last night at Easter Vigil. It lasted around two hours and fifteen minutes… but what a beautiful Mass. I am so grateful that we had already come into the church as we were able to sit and fully appreciate the Mass without the stress that Initiation brings. Precious (dd 10 yrs) served at the altar and other than one or two small mistakes did exceedingly well. She was so thrilled at the opportunity to serve and enjoyed it so much.
Throughout the Vigil, I kept thinking of two friends who are coming into the church this Easter… I’m so excited for them… I can’t wait to read their reports on their respective receptions… May God richly bless them as they follow His leading…
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