Easter! The return of the Catholic Answers Series?

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! MAY THE BLESSINGS OF THE RISEN LORD BE POURED OUT UPON YOU DURING THIS MOST HOLY SEASON! My devoted followers, who are few and very (VERY) far between, probably noticed that I didn't write anything this weekend. I'm sure they were waiting with bated breath as hour after hour passed by, refreshing their MySpace pages periodically to see if I had posted anything yet. I know you were disappointed to see that I didn't write anything and rightly so, for I am the inspiration of the spiritual and mental growth within yourself. But, it was a busy and significant weekend. The Easter Triduum…Holy Thursday evening through Easter Sunday evening…is the "high point" of the Church Year. The Latin word triduum means "a three-day period." We use the word to name collectively Friday (which in the Hebrew way of reckoning begins Thursday evening), Saturday and Sunday. Holy Thursday: The Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper preserves two ancient traditions that were once common to every Eucharist. First, the Mass begins with the tabernacle entirely empty. We receive Holy Communion this evening from the bread and wine consecrated at this Mass, not from a previous Mass. Second, the entire community is gathered at this one Eucharist, with all the priests, ministers and parishioners celebrating one Eucharist together. We might expect the Gospel for this Mass of the Lord's Supper to be one of the accounts of the institution of the Eucharist (Mt 26:26-29, Mk 14:22-25, Lk 22:14-20). Instead, the Church presents Jesus washing the feet of his disciples (Jn 13:1-15). And not only do we hear about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, but we see and experience it. The leader of the parish community takes off his Mass vestment and takes water and a towel and washes the feet of parishioners. Following the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the Eucharist which will be shared tomorrow during the liturgy of Good Friday is taken in procession to a tabernacle prepared for it, and the church is prepared for Good Friday. Good Friday: The liturgy of Good Friday is the most sober of the entire Church year…restrained and straightforward. The altar is bare, without cloths, candles or cross. There is no Mass. It is a day of fasting. There are no greetings, genuflections, opening songs, processions. We simply come and prostrate in humble submission before the Word and the glorious cross of Christ. The Gospel reading is the proclamation of the Passion according to John. If we listen closely we find that this Passion account is very different from the one we heard on Palm Sunday. In John's Gospel, Jesus' power and majesty shine through. Jesus is in control of everything that happens. He carries his cross alone. He is victorious on the cross. Jesus reigns from the tree. The cross is our glory. The instrument of death is the instrument of salvation. The third part of the Good Friday liturgy is unique to this day. A large cross is brought forward. We approach the wood of the cross, the instrument of torture, cruelty and death, and we reverence it with a touch or a kiss! If it were not for the eyes of faith we could never understand this strange, indeed bizarre action: seeing glory in the cross. The Good Friday rites conclude with a simple Communion service with the Eucharist from Holy Thursday's liturgy. Holy Saturday is a day of quiet waiting and preparation for the Easter Vigil. Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday: There are visible changes in the church on this night. The statues of Jesus, or any other saints, which have been veiled during the Passion (most usually throughout Lent), are unveiled for the vigil. The deep colors used throughout Lent are removed and replaced with bright colors. White, often together with gold, is used for garments and vestments while yellow and white flowers are often in use around the altar. On Holy Thursday the entire church is darkened when all the candles and lamps are extinguished. Then, on Saturday, a special fire is lit and blessed. This represents the risen Christ, whose light dispelled the darkness (death). Throughout the year, the Paschal candle is lit in all instances of baptism and in the rituals of death: funeral, Mass of Repose and Mass of Requiem. The Letter of Paul to the Romans makes explicit the fact that this is our resurrection night. "Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus / were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, / so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, / we too might live in newness of life" (6:3-4). We stand and joyfully sing "Alleluia" (a word we have not heard for 40 days) and the Gospel of the Resurrection is proclaimed: Christ is risen! People desiring to be Roman Catholics (catechumens/candidates) who have completed their training in a Catholic church are formally initiated as members of the faith the Church through the Sacraments of Initiation (baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist). On the day of Easter the Masses, held throughout the day, are similar in content to the Easter Vigil Mass. However, the Sacraments of Initiation are not performed, and the ritual of the Paschal candle is not performed (the candle is placed next to the ambo, or podium, throughout the Easter celebration). The colors in the church are still white, gold, and yellow signifying the glory of the resurrection.

Thus, we begin the Easter season in the Church. In the Catholic Church, the journey of Christ's death and resurrection does not end on Easter day. The day of Easter is just the beginning of a new season in the Church that is a glorious contrast to the solemn season of Lent. The Easter season extends from the Easter Vigil through Pentecost Sunday on the Catholic calendar, normally the fiftieth day after Easter. On the calendar used by traditional Catholics, Eastertide lasts until the end of the Octave of Pentecost, at Noon of the following Ember Saturday. The Easter octave allows for no other feasts to be celebrated or commemorated during it (possible exception is the Greater Litanies if Easter falls later in the year). If Easter is so early that March 25 falls in Easter week, the feast of the Annunciation is postponed to the following week. Ascension is the fortieth day of Easter, always a Thursday.

So, as you may see, I’ve been a little focused on Jesus the past few days. Well, honestly, Jesus and work is probably a more accurate assessment of the use of my time. Luckily, I have today off of work (with pay, hooray holidays) so I can just relax and veg out for a while. Work has been kind of stressing me out, which is funny because I don’t take my job that seriously. I am cursed with my father’s work ethic, or at least part of it, and a need to make people happy. This coming week shouldn’t be that bad, though, except for the exam on Thursday, but hey, life goes on. I’ve completed my registration for the fall semester and have decided to take the summer off to focus on working and saving up money. I’m going to need that money when I stop working to focus on school full time in the fall. That’s right, no more splitting time between work and school. I’m ready to learn, just learn…not fall asleep during lectures in the back of class with a can of Monster next to me that obviously isn’t working.

Some of you who have followed my blog since way back may remember my "Catholic Answers Series" that I did. If you are one of those, then all this theology in one blog my make you nostalgic. It may be making a come back, my friends.