Patrick and Christine decided that they (and Peg & I) would prefer empty Easter baskets this year: No Reese’s Eggs, no malted chocolate, no coin-filled plastic eggs, no solid chocolate bunnies, no marshmallow peeps. INSTEAD, we will take the money we might otherwise have spent on candy that we don’t need and buy a ”Hatch Hope Easter Basket”, with its chickens and rabbits that Heifer International provides together with training to deserving families. What can be more hopeful to a struggling farmer than a gift of fast-multiplying livestock? Rabbits are easy to care for and reproduce quickly, allowing their owners to sell the offspring for extra income once they’ve fulfilled Heifer’s “Passing on the Gift” promise; and chickens lay eggs and provide manure for vegetable gardens. That’s why this gift of Hope goes on and on, lasting much longer and helping more families than the usual gift basket filled with marshmallow chicks or chocolate bunnies ever could.
The Easter Vigil liturgy is the most beautiful liturgy in the Roman Catholic Church. The Vigil Mass is both dramatic and literal. It IS what we believe. From the Service of the Light, through the many well-chosen readings which so compellingly convince us of God’s loving plan for our salvation, onto witnessing those being baptized and fully initiated and concluding with the celebration of the Eucharist, it is the perfect celebration.
Although celebrated Holy Saturday evening, it is the dramatic Easter vigil liturgy that marks the beginning of Easter. We are awaiting our master’s return with our lamps full and burning, so that he will find us awake and seat us at his table (cf. Luke 12:35ff). All Catholics should try to attend this beautiful service. The vigil is divided into four parts: 1) service of light, 2) liturgy of the Word, 3) liturgy of Baptism, and 4) liturgy of the Eucharist.
1) Service of LightThe atmosphere in the church is different: the holy water fonts are drained, all the lights are out, the tabernacle is empty. The service begins outside the church. A new fire is lit and blessed.
A Paschal Candle is prepared with these words while the priest marks the candle:
Christ yesterday and today (vertical arm of the cross) the Beginning and the end(horizontal arm of the cross) Alpha (alpha above the cross) and Omega (omega below the cross) all time belongs to him (numeral 2 in upper left corner of cross) and all the ages (numeral 0 in upper right corner of cross) to him be glory and power (numeral 0 in lower left corner) through every age for ever. Amen (numeral 0 in lower right corner)
The priest lights the candle from the new fire, saying:
May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
The candle is then processed through the church, with the deacon lifting the candle at three different times, singing: Christ our light (Lumen Christi) and the congregation sings in reply: Thanks be to God (Deo gratias). Everyone lights their candle from the Easter candle and continue in procession until the whole church is alight. The Paschal candle symbolizes Christ, the Light of the World.
Next follows the glorious Easter song of the Catholic Church: the Exsultet (Easter proclamation). “This magnificent hymn, which is remarkable for its lyric beauty and profound symbolism, announces the dignity and meaning of the mystery of Easter; it tells of man’s sin, of God’s mercy, and of the great love of the Redeemer for mankind, admonishing us in turn to thank the Trinity for all the graces that have been lavished upon us”. Our pastor, Fr. Michael was in great voice this evening for this moving song.
Exsultet (excerpts) Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God’s throne! Jesus Christ, our King is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor, radiant in the brightness of your King! Christ has conquered! Glory fills you! Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory! The risen Savior shines upon you! Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood, and paid for us the price of Adam’s sin to our eternal Father!
This is night, when Christians everywhere, washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement, are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.
This is the night, when Jesus broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave.
What good would life have been to us, had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us! How boundless your merciful love! To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.
The power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy; it casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride.
Accept this Easter candle, a flame divided but undimmed, a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven and continue bravely burning to dispel the darkness of this night!
May the Morning Star which never sets find this flame still burning: Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead, and shed his peaceful light on all mankind, your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. R. Amen.
For more information about this Easter song please see The Exsultant from the Catholic Culture Library.
2) Liturgy of the Word
During the Easter vigil, nine readings, seven Old Testament and two New Testament, are provided. Not all are required to be read due to time constraints- we only read the required three Old Testament readings which included Exodus 14. These readings help us meditate on the wonderful works of God for his people since the beginning of time. The readings are 1) the story of creation, Gen 1:1-2; 2; 2) Abraham and Isaac, Gen 22:1-18; 3) Crossing of the Red Sea, Exodus 14:15–15:1; 4) Isaiah 54:5-14; 5) Isaiah 55:1-11; 6) Baruch 3:9-15.32–4:4; 7) Ezekiel 36:16-17.18-28; Romans 6:3-11; and 9) Gospel reading Mark 16:1-7. The Gloria is sung before the reading of the Epistle of the Romans, and the Alleluia is sung before the Gospel.
3) Liturgy of Baptism
During this time the Easter water was blessed, and new members were brought into the Church through baptism. At St. William, Fr. Michael has established a tradition wherein he sings a blessing as those recieved are baptized, robed, and annointed and the congregation joins him in echoing the refrains. We, the faithful, were blessed with water and renewed our baptismal promises.
4) Liturgy of Eucharist
The Mass resumes with the special prayers inserted during the Eucharist Prayer. The whole church is called to join at the sacrificial table that Christ prepared for us through his death and resurrection. The Mass ends with the glorious “ The Mass is ended, go in peace, alleluia, alleluia. R. Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia.”
Baseball is a harbinger of summer. This is probably more true for me (and Crystal Waters Pool Service) than most. Not only does the start of baseball make me think about those warm wonderful days of summer which we associate with baseball in spite of the fact that April is generally a pretty chilly month, but it also means I am busy doing my first “pool opening” of the year at Comerica Park. With the warm weather, the fountains have long since been uncovered and cleaned. The 65 pumps which combine to produce over 200 horsepower to feed over 1,000 jets and propel water 6o feet in the air were in place two weeks ago. The final preparation for opening day was made today as we set the Chevy Camaro and the Malibu in their places in the centerfield fountain. Now, we are ready for Opening Day!! By Easter Monday, we will be anxious to continue opening pools.
With Kentucky advancing to the NCAA Basketball Championship, Peg has forged ahead of Diane for the lead in the Convery Press Bracket Challenge Contest. Since Diane Ziroll had picked Michigan State to go all the way, and they disappointed us last weekend, Diane’s only chance at winning the contest was to have Kentucky lose last night. While we are all anxious to watch the championship game tomorrow night, the outcome won’t make any difference to Peg — she is a lock for first prize. Diane will have to hope that Kentucky fails to win on Monday night (since everyone in a position to overtake her, have picked Kentucky to win). Stay tuned to see who gets the 2nd place gift certificate….
I have been cutting out my diet coke during the day during lent (which explains my desire to take a nap by early afternoon). My savings have already enabled me to buy a hive of bees through Heifer International to help struggling families in the US and across the globe. The effort has been doubly satisfying: I had forgotten how enjoyable a mid-afternoon nap can be and helping advance the independence of others is rewarding.
From Uganda to El Salvador, bees from Heifer International help struggling families earn income through the sale of honey, beeswax and pollen.
Beehives require almost no space and, once established, are inexpensive to maintain.
As bees search for nectar, they pollinate plants. Placed strategically, beehives can as much as double some fruit and vegetable yields. In this way, a beehive can be a boost to a whole village.
Although most Heifer partners keep bees as a supplement to family income, beekeeping can be a family’s livelihood. Your gift can help Heifer provide a family with a package of bees, the box and hive, plus training in beekeeping – and this unique gift will be passed on to another family in need.
Another beautiful and unseasonably warm Sunday provided a great opportunity to cut the lawns and edge the gardens. While the crocus blooms are nearly spent, the hyacinths are still in bloom, and the daffodils and the myrtle are beginning to bloom. Next Sunday the big show should get underway as nearly 2,000 Darwin Hybrid tulips begin to bloom.
Did you know that on average one american citizen use more than 100 gallons per day? Did you know that in America alone we use underground water 4 times faster than it is replenished? Here are some ways too help keep your water clean:
1) grow native plants instead of “the worlds greenest lawn”
2) don’t put trash down the drain.
3) use Gray Water: partially used water from your washing machine or shower to water your plants.
With these tips, we can save our fresh water. remember, fresh water only covers 3% of the surface, and less than 1% is actually available for human consumption.
With the last of the games in the 32-team round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament finished, we find ourselves with a new leader in the Convery Press March Madness Bracket Contest. Diane Ziroll has the lead with 192 points and 35 correct picks out of the 48 games played in the contest. Diane is followed closely by Peg Convery and Tom Convery. For now, we will have to wait and see what Thursday brings.
St. Patrick’s Day in Michigan holds forth a pretty predictable dayplan for most natives. After a long, cold winter and four feet or so of snow, we wake to a grey morning and gaze out the frosted window panes across the colorless frozen landscape. Thus it has ever been and so we thank God for giving us March Madness and Guinness beer– a double blessing to keep our spirits up until winter breaks. This St. Patrick’s Day would be like the other 30 or so in my adult life but for a few minor deviations from the norm.
This St. Patrick’s Day I awoke to the sound of chattering birds which I heard clearly through the open windows and doorwalls which were undraped in the failed hope that a cool night air might enter the house and improve our sleeping conditions. Shielding my eyes from the sun, I looked across the back yard with its green grass, thousands of blooming flowers, and partially opened swimming pool certain that I could not excuse myself to sit on the couch all day with the six-pack of Guinness which I had laid in for the occasion. Instead I put away the snow thrower (almost completely unused this past winter), got out the spreader and fertilized the lawns. I followed up with cleaning out the shed and preparing the summer yard equipment. After a relaxing turn about the gardens, I cleaned out most of the gardens and planted some spring bulbs.
It was time for a break and a tournament game so I sat in front of the television for an hour and a half before returning to the yard to vacuum the pool, clean the pool cover, and repair some pool equipment. Time for the Ohio State Game and a swim with Patrick before grabbing my Guinness and heading to the neighbors in my shorts and short sleeve shirt for some euchre.
I really don’t know which to prefer- the incredibly warm weather and early spring or the typical cold which excuses me to sit on the couch all weekend watching basketball.
There were plenty of upsets in the first round of the NCAA tournament including two number 2 teams falling to #15 opponents. Nothing was more upsetting than Michigan’s poor performance and loss to lower ranked *!%& (it’s a profane word around here even without “State” attached to it). While I find myself at the top of our bracket contest, I have lost much of my zeal for the tournament. Maybe after a couple of games tonight, I will be pumped up again and enjoy watching the Michigan State game on Sunday. Here are our current Bracket Contest standings:
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2, ESV)
Patrick and Christine decided that they (and Peg & I) would prefer empty Easter baskets this year: No Reese’s Eggs, no malted chocolate, no coin-filled plastic eggs, no solid chocolate bunnies, no marshmallow peeps. INSTEAD, we will take the money we might otherwise have spent on candy that we don’t need and buy a ”Hatch Hope Easter Basket”, with its chickens and rabbits that Heifer International provides together with training to deserving families. What can be more hopeful to a struggling farmer than a gift of fast-multiplying livestock? Rabbits are easy to care for and reproduce quickly, allowing their owners to sell the offspring for extra income once they’ve fulfilled Heifer’s “Passing on the Gift” promise; and chickens lay eggs and provide manure for vegetable gardens. That’s why this gift of Hope goes on and on, lasting much longer and helping more families than the usual gift basket filled with marshmallow chicks or chocolate bunnies ever could. 
The atmosphere in the church is different: the holy water fonts are drained, all the lights are out, the tabernacle is empty. The service begins outside the church. A new fire is lit and blessed.
Romans 6:3-11; and 9) Gospel reading Mark 16:1-7. The Gloria is sung before the reading of the Epistle of the Romans, and the Alleluia is sung before the Gospel.
