Always Advent

Curt Jester was good for a laugh recently:

http://www.splendoroftruth.com/curtjester/archives/008657.ph p

Thanks to Margaret at Running the Asylum for the link!

I went to a Byzantine rite Easter Sunday liturgy several years ago, and they spoke Slovak (I think…) I learned this little dialogue they do in the East during Eastertime: you go up to someone and say “Christos voskresy!” And they respond, “Voistinue voskresy!”

In English, this is, “Christ is risen!” and the response, “He is risen indeed!”

I also learned about where the tradition of the Easter basket comes from. In the East, everyone coming to Divine Liturgy on Easter morning would bring a basket containing all the foods and other things they gave up for Lent–meat, dairy products, sweets, wine, etc. After Liturgy, the priest would bless all the baskets and then everyone would go off for their Easter feast.

I tried to explain this once to some super-Protestants (the kind who boycot not only Halloween but all the accoutrements of every Christian holiday: no Christmas tree, no Easter baskets, etc.) Even when I told them the Christian origins of the Easter baskets, they still said they would not take part in that custom. Oh well. My children and I enjoy this tradition even more now that we know it’s not just a secular thing. One year one of my children gave up potato chips, so she got a massive bag of Ruffles in her basket. This year two of my children gave up meat on more than just Fridays (I think they were trying to do it Monday and Wednesday also) so they got bags of beef jerky in their baskets this year.

Happy Easter to all!

Just got back from the Easter Vigil. Is 10:47 pm. Am too tired to post. Probably no one is reading this anyway.

Happy Easter! Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!

I don’t make them every year, but hot cross buns are a nice Good Friday tradition that you can use as a teaching moment with children and as a way to connect with other families.

Make 11 buns according to your favorite recipe. Whether you add a cross of frosting or just cut them into the top can vary from year to year. Some people omit the frosting cross because of the traditional Lenten observance of avoiding sweets during Lent and Holy Week. I usually include it because it is a traditional reminder of the sweetness of the Cross, on which was hung our salvation.

Bring the plate of 11 hot cross buns to someone’s house or invite a family over to your house. Ask any children present to count how many there are, then ask if anyone knows why there are only 11 instead of a nice even dozen. (Answer: there are 11 hot cross buns in honor of the 11 faithful apostles. Remember that Judas was gone by this point in the Passion.)

The recipe I have is from A Continual Feast by Evelyn Birge Vitz

Ingredients:
1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 100-100 degrees F)
1 teasp. white or light brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sweet butter
1/3 cup brown or raw sugar
1 teasp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 to 4 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teasp. cinnamon
1/2 teasp. ground cloves
1/2 teasp. nutmeg
1/2 teasp. ground ginger (or substitute allspice)
2/3 cup dried currants
Optional:
1/3 cup finely diced or julienned citron

Frosting:
2 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (more if needed)
grated rind of 1 lemon

Directions:
Sprinkle the yeast into the lukewarm water. Stir in 1 teaspoon sugar. Let sit until frothy.

Scald the milk. Add the butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until blended. Cool to lukewarm. Beat the eggs until light, and combine with the milk mixture. Add the yeast.

Sift 2/3 cups of the flour with the spices into a mixing bowl. Make a well, and pour in the yeast mixture. Beat for 5 minutes.

Toss the currants, and citron, if using it, with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Mix into the dough.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. The dough should be fairly firm, otherwise it will not take the cuts for the cross.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover the dough with a towel and put it to rise in a draft-free spot until doubled in volume. This will take about 2 hours.

Punch the dough down. Shape it into 2 dozen buns. (See my note above–I recommend making 22 buns with this recipe, or halve the recipe and make 11)

Place the buns 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart on well-greased cookie sheets or in muffin pans. With a sharp knife cut a cross into the top of each bun. Allow them to rise until doubled in bulk, 30-45 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

For the frosting, mix the milk with enough sugar so that the icing is not runny. Add the rind. Brush a cross on the top of each bun.

Photo above is a detail from Pieta, by Giovanni Bellini.

I just got back from the annual Holy Thursday Eucharistic Chapel Hopping thing that the children and I have done for the past 3 years: right after the Holy Thursday mass, one stops at the altar of reposition at Church for a few moments of adoration, then travels to a number of different Eucharistic chapels throughout the area, stopping by each one for a brief time, then moving on to the next one.

The total number of chapels one visits is either nine or seven (not sure why, but I suppose nine is for a novena.) This year we did the pilgrimage with a family with two very small children, so we only did three stops (which we said was for the Trinity!)

Has anyone else ever kept this yearly custom? Where did it start? Why nine chapels? Or seven? Or whatever your custom dictates?

The first year we did it, one of the kids complained a bit that she was tired.

“That’s the point,” I replied.

“It is?” she said, perplexed.

“When Jesus asked his apostles ‘Could you not watch one hour with me?’ they fell asleep because they were tired. The point is for us to be tired and offer that time for Jesus.”

Kind of a variation on the Eucharistic Holy Hour, but in motion. A very kid friendly activity, because it appeals to short attention spans.

I love seeing how the various parishes set up their Eucharistic altars. Our favorite one EVER was a nearby parish that placed the altar and the blessed sacrament in a tent made of thin netting, and placed desert-themed plants and decorations around it, then put a harpist there playing beautiful music throughout the adoration period. We didn’t want to leave!

…as Lenten penance perhaps? :)

Anyway, no blogging today–hope you understand! God bless you–attend as many Holy Week liturgies as you can!

I posted recently about Thomas Cahill’s Hinges of History series, in particular the book called Sailing the Wine Dark Sea:

http://claresiobhan.stblogs.com/2008/03/04/thomas-cahill-the -hinges-of-history/

Just a heads up: this book is definitely not suitable for children or teenagers. Cahill seems to know his history, he writes his own translations of some of the poetry, but he’s very irreverent, fairly graphic in his description of a certain sexual behavior for which the ancient Greeks are notorious, and he uses the f-word. Hm. I’m still reading it, but I’m not sure I can recommend it.

I came across this at Fr. John Zuhlsdorf’s website What Does The Prayer Really Say?

At the end of Holy Mass of Palm Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, at noon, His Holiness delivered him (sic) Angelus message. This week it included a very strong appeal for peace in Iraq, following on the death of the Archbishop of Mossul of the Chaldeans, Paulos Farah Rahho.

Here is the section of his comments on Iraq. My emphases indicates the part he quite literally shouted, though they were part of the prepared text:

At the end of this solemn celebration, in which we have meditated on the Passion of Christ, I want to call to mind the late lamented Archbishop of Mossul of the Chaldeans, Paulos Farah Rahho, tragically deceased a few days ago. His beautiful witness of faith in Christ, the Church and his people, which despite many threats he never wanted to abandon, presses me to raise a strong and concerned cry: enough of these massacres, enough with the violence, enough with hatred in Iraq! And I raise at the same time an appeal to the people of Iraq, which for five years is bearing the consequenzes of a war which has provoked the upheaval of civil and social life: beloved Iraqi people, raise up your heads and let you be, in the first place, riconstructors of your national life. Let there be reconciliations, forgiveness, justice and respect in common life betweem tribes, ethnic and religious groups, the solid way of peace in the name of God.

Wow!
(Here’s a link to the post: The Holy Father shouts for peace in Iraq.)

I pulled the image at the top from Fr. Z’s website. He has more images from the papal Palm Sunday liturgy in St. Peter’s Square here: Benedict XVI’s Palm Sunday Mass.

Our pastor taught us this little prayer (which he says the nuns taught him as a child):

I have found Him whom my soul loves.
I will hold Him, and never let Him go.
(based on Song of Songs 3: 4)

The nuns as his school growing up taught the kids to say this prayer during the elevations of the host and chalice.

I usually save this one for when I return to my seat after receiving Holy Communion, because the one I learned to say at the elevations is:

My Lord and my God!
(at the elevation of the host)

and

My Jesus, mercy.
(at the elevation of the chalice)

I have a friend who’s a Dominican priest, and when he was in seminary he started praying the Divine Praises after communion. My kids and I recite these together right after Mass–they’re usually right there in the inside back cover of the missalette, although by now we’ve pretty much memorized them. One of the kids or myself leads them, out loud but quietly, and the others repeat each line.

These are all excellent ways of increasing your devotion to Jesus, especially in the Holy Eucharist and for keeping your focus on Him during the Mass.

Note: these prayer practices are not approved for public liturgical use–they’re just prayers I and my children say as private devotions.

Other than The Passion of the Christ and Jesus of Nazareth, I mean.

A great movie for the whole family to watch together sometime during Holy Week is The Prince of Egypt. I first saw this movie with my family in the theatre on Holy Saturday, 1998. That was quite an experience. It has some cartoonish elements, like the Egyptian priests and an outlandish chariot race, but overall it is a respectful and moving treatment of the story of Moses.

The direct-to-video sequel, Joseph: King of Dreams is actually quite good also.

Epic Stories of the Bible is a series of animated motion pictures released by Promenade Pictures. Twelve movies are in the works, and first one, available now, is The Ten Commandments. Voice talent on this one includes Ben Kingsley (Narrator), Christian Slater (Moses), Alfred Molina (Ramses), Elliott Gould (God). The screenwriter also wrote the screenplay for Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. I haven’t seen this one but I heard it was good.

Promenade Pictures
founded 2003
produces family films with Judeo-Christian themes
Frank Yablans (formerly of Paramount and MGM)

the next planned films
Noah’s Ark
David and Goliath

Feel free to weigh in with your recommendations!