Christ is risen alleluia.

Christ is risen alleluia.

happy Easter to all my readers.

Christ the Light: thanks be to God.  Easter vigil at St James

 

How is your Holy week and Tridiuum? I hope filled with many spiritual blessings.

Mine has been busy as I am in the parish choir- I sing there Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday morning.

I sing with a different group in the parish for Good Friday and then I play/sing myself on Easter Sunday night.  So I could be a rich woman if I had a dollar for every alleluia I sang.!!

There is always a sense by Easter Sunday morning that the marathon sing is almost complete. So far the voice has lasted as well- which is obviously needed.

I will still aim to do my regular Collect series.

Still obviously that is not what Easter is about. Christ is risen. Alleluia.

EASTER EGGS

The tradition of Easter eggs came from the fact that people did not eat eggs during Lent.  These were saved up and became part of the Easter celebrations. . Decorating the eggs was achieved by first blowing out the contents, but making a small hole at the end of each egg, and then blowing through the contents into a bowl.  The eggs were then decorated according to taste, but most often painted.

The eggs were used in lots of different ways during Eastertide including using the raw egg as shampoo, and later adding it to the shampoo to bring out an excellent shine in the hair and making it healthy.  I have used this suggestion myself and although it is messier than shampoo, it does achieve an excellent shine.

A polish tradition is to take the decorated basket of eggs and other Easter breakfast foods to be blessed by the priest on Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.

The Easter egg hunt is a very old custom, and obviously related to the simple reality of free range hens tending to lay their eggs in all sorts of different places.There is also a Christian link in the notion of Mary Magdalen in the garden looking for Christ 'They have taken my Lord, and I know not were to find him'.

EASTER MENU

The traditional dish for Easter Sunday lunch is Roast Lamb, into which spears of rosemary have been stuck. Rosemary is identified with the 'bitter herbs' mentioned in the book of Exodus as part of the Passover meal.

The traditional dessert was Simmel cake associated with Laudate/Mothering Sunday.

In more recent times, people have taken to serving fish/salmon as the traditional Easter meal.   I much prefer Roast Lamb myself.

In Australia, pavlova and/or cheesecake became a traditional dessert, although with people being more health conscious, other alternatives such as fruit salad or Easter biscuits with coffee are served.

Second Sunday of Easter Mercy Sunday

Second Sunday of Easter Mercy Sunday 

Divine Mercy Image

On the Second Sunday of Easter, the Church celebrates 'Divine Mercy Sunday''- a feast instituted by the late Pope John Paul 11.Mercy Sunday is a beautiful feast to contemplate- it is not magic as some may think, but a chance for those who have been away from the church to find their way back, for those who have let the sacrament of Reconciliation slip from their spiritual lives to be renewed, and for all Catholics to receive the wonderful graces God is offering.

In Today's Gospel, we are also confronted with doubting Thomas- a persona we can all take on at some point in our spiritual lives. However, like St Thomas we need to be able to say from our hearts ' My Lord and My God'.

On this second Sunday of Easter, ''Mercy Sunday'', the gospel gives a clear description of the institution of the  sacrament of Reconciliation- Jesus giving His disciples to forgive sins in His name. Obviously, every priest who hears confession gives the sign and the words of absolution, but it is Christ Himself hidden in the priest who hears our sins and gives us absolution.  

As we celebrate Mercy Sunday, let us give thanks to the Lord for his goodness and everlasting love.

On this Mercy Sunday, let us take the opportunity given us by the Church to receive a plenary indulgence by receiving communion at Mass, receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (ideally on the day, but can be within a week before or after the feast) and say the prayers for the Holy Father. 

The Lord is truly risen alleluia.

                                               

The Lord is truly risen alleluia.

                                               HAPPY EASTER TO ALL MY READERS.

I hope you have had a wonderful spiritual Lent and are/have been involved spiritually with the 3 day Iridium in your parish or your spiritual home.

                                                                 ALLELUIA TO YOU ALL.

Before lent becomes a distant memory quickly, may I suggest to you that you spend some time in reflection about how your lent was for you.  Ask yourself”

• What worked for you?    
• What did not?
•  What could have done to tweak your Lent. to make it more effective?

Make a note of these things in your journal and keep it so that you have some reminders for next year.

HOW TO GROW DURING EASTERTIDE?

Why... don't wait for next year in Lent... we have 6 weeks of Eastertide and joy and lots of alleluias.  This is wonderful since Easter is the most important sacred feast in the church's calendar.   So, enjoy and rejoice.

So why do i say don't wait for next year... I like to use Eastertide to help me to grow-
that if I have made some progress during Lent in one area of my life that I like to continue it on during Eastertide.  It helps me to link the 2 seasons and explore further in a lighter mood of Eastertide.  It helps too to cement the habit and help the change to be further part of my life.

If I have not made progress in an area of my life that I intended during Lent ( which is often the case) I take Eastertide as an opportunity to try and make some progress so that once Eastertide is complete, I can continue it on during Ordinary Time.

My point is- let us not stop now just because Lent is over.  Yes, we are in a season of rejoicing- sing as many alleluias as you like and more.. enjoy the lighter vestments, the flowers on the sanctuary, the statues back in the church, the beauty of the Pascal Candle which represents Christ in our midst, the happier sounding hymns.  All this is as it should be.  We are an alleluia people.  We are filled with joy that Christ is risen.

However Eastertide also gives us an opportunity for further growth- to cement the good we have achieved through God's grace and to rectify our slowness to change.

Have you started the Divine Mercy novena yet.. if not, make a start and prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday next week.

Enjoy your Easter day in whatever way you celebrate this solemnity  along with enjoying a chocolate egg or two.!!!  Remember those eggs represent new life so eat them with this sentiment. Let it be new life for your spiritual well being.

May the blessings and the joy of Easter fill your heart to overflowing.

Alleluia.  The Lord is truly Risen.

Good Shepherd Sunday

Christ the Good Shepherd.

CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Church highlights Christ as the Good Shepherd.  The Pope and the Bishops are the shepherds of the flock of Christ. It is fitting to acknowledge their special teaching and Pastoral ministry. You may like to

• Pray for the Pope and Bishops of the Church, especially the Bishop of your diocese.
• Send a card to acknowledge and thank the Bishop for his ministry.  If you know a bishop personally, this is indeed fitting.
• Examine how we relate to our Pastor. Give him support and acknowledgement of all he does in the name of Jesus the Good Shepherd.  He is Jesus for us as he ministers the sacraments and the one who gives us support in the highs and lows of living.  What do you do for him? 
• Encourage those who are thinking of a vocation to priesthood or religious life to pursue it.
• Encourage those who are in formation in priesthood.  They are our ''intending good shepherds'' so need our love and support to reach ordination day and beyond in ministry.
  

CHRISTMAS AND THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

I also think that it is good to remember on this Good Shepherd Sunday that the Good news of the angels that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem was delivered by the angels to shepherds in the fields on that first Christmas night.  We are all familiar with the carol  ''While shepherds watched their flock by night''.  God could have had the message of salvation delivered to anyone He chose.  He chose shepherds that first Christmas night.

Then there are many references in the Bible which provide more compelling imagery for us of Jesus as Good Shepherd.  My favourite is from Ezekiel 34:11-20, but particularly  

'' I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed,

 and I will bind up the crippled, 

 and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; 

I will feed them in justice.''[Ezek 34:16]

How do you relate to Jesus as Good Shepherd?

The Church also highlights on this fourth Sunday of Easter known as 'Good Shepherd Sunday' Vocations to the Priesthood and religious life.  All the baptized have a vocation. We are all called to holiness.  For those called by Christ to the Priesthood and religious life, they are called in a special way and need our love and support for them to carry out the work Christ has asked of them. After all, it is through our pastor's ministry and example along with our efforts that we can grow in love for God, and our souls can ''safely graze''.

May Christ the Good Shepherd encourage and embrace us,

May we listen to the sound of His voice,

Hear His call and follow Him.

Pentecost Sunday- Happy Birthday to all believers

 FEAST OF PENTECOST.

Happy Birthday to all believers.

The Holy Spirit: Feast of Pentecost.

This feast marks the 50 days of Easter and the closing of Eastertide as a liturgical season, and the birth of the Church.  So, Pentecost is the Church's birthday- ours too as Christians.

God is three persons- Father, Son and Holy Spirit yet one God.  This is a mystery.  However, we can in our prayer life tap into all three persons. Most of us tend to communicate with God as Father or Jesus as His Son.  However, this feast reminds us that Jesus did not leave us orphans when He ascended to Heaven- He gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit to be with us until the end of time.  Yet, sadly, the Holy Spirit can be forgotten and/or ignored in our spiritual lives.  Yet, He has many special gifts to offer us.  We can have a very special intimate relationship with Him, just as we do with Jesus and with Father God.

So we might like to take some time to reflect on my relationship with the Holy Spirit.  Some reflective questions may include:

1. What is my relationship with the Holy Spirit? 

2. How does the Holy Spirit work in my life?  

3. How will I use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to bring Christ to the world this week?  

4. Do I know my faith adequately to be able to teach the gospel to one other person? If not, what steps might I take to change this?  

5. What areas in my life has the risen Christ renewed during Eastertide and how might the Spirit assist you to continue this renewal for the remainder of the year?  

6. How might I live in the power of the Holy Spirit in my life?

We may also want to reflect on the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit and how they operate in our lives. 

Traditions/customs associated with Pentecost Sunday 

Fruit Salad is often used as a dessert for Pentecost Sunday. It is made from 12 fruits to represent the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit which are: Charity, Generosity, Joy, Gentleness, Peace, Faithfulness, Patience, Modesty, Kindness, Self-Control, Goodness and Chasity.

The fruit salad can be made using both dried fruits such as currants, raisins, dates and tinned fruits as well as fresh fruits. These are then combined with a syrup made with sugar and water and perhaps a dash of your favourite liqueur.

Another name for Pentecost Sunday is its traditional name' Whitsunday' which commemorated the white robes worn by the newly baptised on this day.  Two other traditional desserts served therefore are white food-meringues or a sponge cake topped with white icing to represent the white robes worn by newly baptised.

Regardless of whether you choose these traditional Pentecost desserts or not, it is important to remember that a new chapter began at Pentecost, and the Apostles started to take the Gospel of salvation to the whole world.  This is also our task.  Pentecost ends the liturgical season of Eastertide, but it marks the birthday of the Church.  

We may wish to pause and say a prayer of thanks in gratitude for the person/people who taught us our faith and have helped us on our spiritual journey.  We may wish to reflect on how we came into the Church.  I was baptised as a young baby- a cradle catholic.  I thank my parents and godparents for bringing me into the family of the Church. However, at some point, we have to make our own decision to follow Christ and take our faith seriously.  This is the journey we all make each in our unique way.  The Holy Spirit is in this journey with us too.

The message of Easter and of the Church is not something meant to be kept to ourselves, rather it is the glorious news that we must take to everyone : the love of God, the forgiveness of sins, and the redemption of the human race.    

As we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, let us be filled and renewed by the Holy Spirit.  We may wish to make the commitment to deepen our relationship with the Holy Spirit and to pray each day at least one prayer to the Holy Spirit such as:

''Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful 

and enkindle in them the fire of Your love".

May the Holy Spirit bless you abundantly.