Thursday, April 13, 2006

The Triduum Begins!

The great Three Days start today. The preparation for Easter is in its final stage, and it's time to prepare our home now as well as our hearts.

Time to think about the Lenten Crown we made several weeks ago. Candles have been lit every week, prayers have been shared and we've asked the Lord to carry us through the desert of Lent, in anticipation of the joy and rebirth of Easter.

Did I remember to buy the gold spray paint so that we can transform our crown into a crown of the Resurrection? No, of course I didn't. So, Atticus has instructions to pick it up on his way home. I'll spray paint tonight and we'll complete the transformation on Holy Saturday.

Today, we'll also make butterflies from Fun Foam, and decorate them with sequins and jewels. On Holy Saturday night, the kids will wrap their caterpillars in cocoons. Easter morning will find the butterflies, having magically broken free of their cocoons, residing in the children's baskets.

If we are not able to make it to Holy Thursday Mass tonight (we seem to have a couple of sick tummies around here) we will, over dinner, share the reading of Scripture and talk about the Last Supper with the children. See this link from Women for Faith and Family for beautiful ideas.

These three days are my favorite time of year. I love the way the Church doesn't consider what happens on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday to be "separate services" ... it's treated as one extended service, one narrative, one living out of The Story. It's a sublime way to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.

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