We had a busy Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, the kids slept late so I did the early Mass & Frankie did the later one. We folded our palm leaves into crosses and placed them on the mantle. We went through the busyness of the rest of the week mindful of what lay ahead. We attended the Holy (Maundy) Thursday service and Good Friday Lord’s Passion led by the Bishop at the Cathedral. Both were incredibly solemn and beautiful. And fortunately, with careful planning, the kids even managed to make it through both of the long services pretty well.
Then later on Friday evening, Geneva and I attended the Tenebrae Service (service of darkness & shadows) at the Cathedral. If you have never been to one of these, I recommend it highly. It was the first time I had been and it was beautiful. The service is held in the evening, the altar has been completely stripped after the Lord’s Passion, the crucifix and the statues of the Saints are all covered in purple cloth, and only a lit hearse of fifteen candles remains in the center (a hearse is a triangular candle holder usually held over a coffin). The service is essentially a funeral for the Lord and psalms are beautifully sung. As each psalm was finished, the candles were extinguished one-by-one until finally the “Christ Candle” on the highest point of the hearse was extinguished, symbolizing the death of Christ, and the congregation was left in silence and darkness. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a thunder of foot stomping made in the choir loft above. This symbolizes how the earth shook at the moment of Christ’s death. At that point the congregation left the Cathedral in silence. Amazing, just amazing. Fortunately, we know that the light of the world will return… Again, this is a service you can’t miss!
Saturday morning, we hopped in the car for a quick ride down to Katy, Texas to visit my cuz and family. The kids had a great time playing with their little cousins, and the grownups were treated to breakfast as we chatted and laughed and took a trip down the family and Eastwood memory lanes. We had a GREAT time and before we knew it, the entire day had passed. We kept asking ourselves – why don’t we do this more often?? That night we drove over to Clear Lake. We walked around the boardwalk and munched on some snacks. The kids (including Frankie) decided to play (clothes and all) in the Dancing Water Fountains in the middle of the plaza. I don’t know why, but I didn’t have my camera and wished I did. It was a hoot and they were soaked. Rafa especially, the way that boy loves water, he was transported to another dimension as he ran through the fountains. We had a blast (but the Micster and I stayed dry).
Easter Sunday, we made it to a 7:00 a.m. Mass. It was beautiful and the kids were beautifully behaved. As a treat, we all went to the Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned, but Rafa and Gabriela have been on a total rocket kick lately. That town is all about NASA and it was pretty cool. Imagine running into your all-time favorite movie star on the street. That’s how Rafa & Gab reacted when they saw the rockets. What a treat. We did the train tour and the whole nine yards. Again, I don’t know why we don’t do this more often…
Here is what we learned... The evergreen leaves on the wreath represent eternity. The first purple candle is called the Prophecy Candle to remember Isaiah who foretold the birth of Jesus. The second purple candle is called the Bethlehem candle representing Jesus' birthplace. The rose candle is the Shepherd's candle and it represents joy. Finally, the last purple candle is called the Angel Candle and it represents peace. We will "light" our wreaths until Christmas finally comes!
Sweet corn always tastes better in the summer...
