Saturday, April 7, 2007

I'm dreaming...

of a white Easter?!?
I guess it is only fair that after a "green" Christmas there be a foot or so of snow (and falling) outside right now. Unless there is a last minute heat wave, there will be quite a bit of snow on the ground for Easter.

The lady a few houses down from us still plans on having an Easter Egg Hunt this afternoon. She said that if kids can go tobogganing and sledding they can hunt Easter Eggs. That, and she already had the eggs made up and didn't want that effort to go to waste. She's "hidden" some of them by hanging them on a tree where they might actually be found.

I've been out shoveling twice this morning, and will have to go out again. Apparently, some of the highways were closed this morning because of traffic. I know my street didn't look very well-plowed this morning (I live on a "main road" that is plowed... or at least should be).

Today therefore should be interesting. I'm planning on going to the Easter Basket Blessing at my parish this afternoon. Then we're all going to the Vigil Mass this evening. Mary is singing in the choir and I have the 3rd reading about the parting of the red sea. At least this way we won't have to worry about shoveling tomorrow morning to get to Mass. Those are the crowded Masses (there is an overflow Mass in the gym that starts 15 min after the one in the church) because they are more normal length. The Vigil is considerably longer but, in my opinion, it doesn't feel as long as it is.

A Happy and Blessed Easter to you all!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow Kathy, that is a lot of snow. We have 1/4 inch. I bet some of the eggs won't be found for a week: unless the kids follow the tracks in the snow to each egg.

Just out of curiosity, what is an easter basket blessing?

Kathy said...

It got a little warmer in the early afternoon and so it didn't look like as much snow. So the driveway looked fairly clear. But now I look outside and it is sIt got a little warmer in the early afternoon and so it didn't look like as much snow. So the driveway looked fairly clear. But now I look outside and it is snowing again.

For the easter basket blessing we take a basket with a sample of the food that we will eat for dinner tomorrow. At my parish the deacon runs the service, though at some churches one of the priests does. One of several readings are read (today we heard from John's gospel about the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes). Then there is a blessing over the food and the people bringing the food. Then the deacon goes around with the holy water and sprinkles the baskets and the people. The does the same thing with the incense. At our parish this is a rather laid-back service -- the deacon jokes with people as he is going around with the holy water and incense. The purpose of the service is to take time to give thanks to God for giving us the food to eat this Easter season and everyday.

The wonder that is the internet tells me that since in the Middle Ages, there were strict dietary restrictions during Lent, the food blessing was to thank God and celebrate the end of the Lenten fast.

http://catholicculture.org/lit/prayers/view.cfm?id=736