Just because I could. And yes, needed it.
I have a clergy colleague who calls me faithfully every Easter Monday morning and says, "Alleluia, He is Risen! And I am dead."
I suspect all church types are moving through a post-resurrection haze today. I don't know too many people who don't have responsibilities at home besides all the church-related activities that need to be done.
We had a wonderful Easter dinner. While we waited for dinner to finish cooking, we feasted on a warm spinach, artichoke and cheese dip which was absolutely yummy.
Ms. Conroy outdid herself with a magnificent Prime Rib Roast she got at a fantastic sale price at our local Shop Rite. I made 'smashed' new red potatoes with garlic and also found some amazing asparagus to serve with it.
The night before, while I was dipping strawberries in chocolate for our Easter Vigil champagne and chocolate strawberry reception, I had poached Bartlett pears in a cranberry-apple juice, white wine, cinnamon sticks and cloves and kept them overnight in the liquid. I served them with a wonderful raspberry wine sauce for dessert.
And lo, it was very good.
I did clean up the kitchen today, did some laundry, removed the covers to the deck furniture, washed them and put them away until the late Fall with a little prayer to the cosmos to please be kinder to us this Spring and Summer than the Winter from which we have just been delivered.
I ran a few errands, and did some catch-up reading around the web - we have some very fine preachers in The Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion - and Monday morning quarterbacking, taking notes on how to fine tune things even more efficiently for next year.
I did have a laugh at myself as I remembered moving the Paschal Candle in front of the Baptismal Font on Holy Saturday and saying, "Hmm . . . I love the theology, but what about the aesthetics?"
I've either gone right over the edge of "Episcopal-meet-right-and-proper", or I've become a gay man.
I'm especially grateful to two of our choir members, Joanna and Darlene, for providing a beautiful musical meditation on Good Friday - two selections from Pergolesi: "Stabat mater dolorosa" and "O quam tristis et afflicta" - which fed me and sustained me through the rest of the Truduum and even to today.
All-in-all, it was a wonderful Holy Week and Easter.
I hope it was for you, as well.
Alleluia, He is Risen! And I am recovering.
8 comments:
I'm calling my experience a Holy Week hangover. I took the day off from my hospice job - just couldn't face death right on the heels of resurrection.
You know, when I retire eventually from parish ministry, I'm going back to Hospice Chaplaincy. But, I agree about needing a resurrection break. He is risen, indeed!
The poached pears was what did me in and threw me into paroxysms of inadequacy. In my next life if I take another whack at parish ministry I'm going to be your apprentice.
Oh, sweetie, poaching pears is like boiling potatoes. You peel 'em, leaving the stem on, put 'em in the juice and seasonings and simmer for an hour. Turn down the heat, let them cool off, and let them sit overnight in the juice in the fridge. Then you make the raspberry sauce and set it aside. You slice a piece off the bottom so it stands up on the plate, pour the sauce over it, sprinkle with some fresh mint and, if you like, some pecans and voila!
You can do that, Tom. Easy, a great presentation, and healthy to boot.
And, I'd LOVE to work with you.
Glad to hear you had a most excellent Holy Week. I did as well, and was very blessed to assist throughout the Triduum and Easter morning, but learned from last year's experience to take Easter Monday off. Back into the office tomorrow!
you are such a tonic... here i am, trying to wake up my muse and put away tired thinking, and happen upon your comment in the HoB list-serve ... and subsequently reacquaint myself with your amazing blaze of spirit... i won't lose you again, and thank you TWICE this day... once for the beautiful translucent writing EVERYWHERE--a model for the hungry soulwriter--and then also for the poached pears! now i will go away and quit gushing. but really. thanks.
Hey, duckie - So glad you stopped by. I've been working on a tough piece about having had one of my pieces stolen by a colleague. I'm stuck. If you find my blazing spirit wandering around, would you send it back to me? TY.
BTW, three blogs? WOW. Just, wow!
Happy Easter, Elizabeth! He is risen, and you will too!
I often wonder at the intensity of Holy Week. Our small parish had 18 services scheduled between Palms and Empty Tomb, with daily morning prayer and evening prayer and the Triduum. What would my faith life be without Holy Week? In fact, I honestly can't even imagine, it has become so deeply ingrained in my life.
We owe so much to our clergy, and I am deeply grateful to our clergy staff, and wish them a well earned rest.
Lou in Sunnyvale CA
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