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My Triduum Journey of 2009 - Part 2
Posted by Bakersfield Brat
on
11:13 PM
in
Catholic,
Good Friday,
Stations of The Cross,
Triduum,
Veneration of the Cross
Veneration of The Cross , Stations of the Cross & Good Friday Service all in one day!
I started to morning off by over sleeping. I was to have gone on the Good Friday 25 mile walk to 7 local parishes. I had heard about it and wanted to experience atleast a few of the miles. But I woke up 30mins after they had started & not feeling so good. Sleeping was probably the best for the time.
I took an easy morning and then had lunch with my son and my folks. I shared with them my excitement about the previous nights celebration at the church. Both my parents were saddened that they never knew about what a fantastic celebration it had been. Both have been Catholics for over 60+ years and they have been learning along the way with me.
As soon as lunch was over I trotted off to find the perfect Easter Dress. I took my mother with me. She is a true shopaholic who gave up shopping for Lent. She told me she would only go into one store and I had just a short time. I was so proud of her. She has done this for the last few years, it has become a tradition. Part of my Easter Basket is a new outfit for Easter Sunday. Now to understand this fully you need to know that dresses are just not my cup of tea. I try each and every year for a dress and I never manage to find one that I truly am happy with. I just am not the dress kind of girl. After a pain staking amount of time I had found 2 tops. Woo hoo! I was done. I know have to decide which to wear for which service. Decissions, Decissions what's a girl to do.
Afterwords my Mother and I headed over to the last and final Stations of the Cross. This year I had taken my mother along with me. She had been to Station of the Cross before but this time it was different. Once again as we entered in to the main section of the church the lights were off. It was in the middle of the day, you would have thought this wasn't a big issue but it was. The weather had turned ominous. Previous days we were in the highs 70 - 80's. Nice spring weather but a storm had rolled in, which for our part of the area it doesn't rain or storm much after February. As we entered into the church the sky grew dark and made the church even darker. The only light that was of the candles that surrounded the Crucifix which laid at the front of the Alter with two spot lights beaming on it. I myself had never experienced the Veneration of the Cross. Nor had I experienced Stations of the Cross like this. At this point started to think "Wow and I called myself a Catholic all these years".
Two by Two individuals took their turns to go up on one side or the other and kneel beside the Crucifix. As I sat in the crowd watching as families came and spent their moment of praying. I was amazed. I so wanted to take my phone out and snap a picture but I just felt that was not the place or the time to do that this time. I watched as a woman went up and stroked the face of Jesus on the Cross. I watched as she wiped his face. It was as if she was doing what Veronica had done for Jesus on that final day. I watched as others knelt and kissed the feet where the nail was in his feet. I watched as people laid rose petals all over the body of Jesus and took a moment to kiss his feet.
My mother and I were both experiencing this celebration for the first time. I noticed as my mom was sitting on the edge of her seat to see all the excitement. It was so silent and so enormously powerful and moving. I leaned over and told her if she wanted to go up that I would help her up once she knelt down (My Mother is 80 years old and had both of her knees replaced). She looked at me like I was crazy. I could tell she was too frightened but would not say anything. I was hoping that she would go up because I wanted my mommy to go up with me because I was scared. Ya I said it. Yes I was frightened by the shear sight of the pilgrimage up to the Alter to actually touch the Crucifix I have seen for all these years hang way up high on the wall of our church. Just the idea of touching something so special and so delicate frightened me. But I did it. I stood up and walked up there. I knelt beside the crucifix and found my self scared to stretch out my hand to touch the body of Jesus. I was frightened that I might do it wrong or offend someone or something. But I made it past my fears. I touched the nail that was at his feet. I took a moment and said a silent prayer. The only prayer that I could think of at the time the "Our Father" and then I took a few rose petals and placed them on his legs.
I will never look at another rose petal again the same way. I adore roses and have a farely large rose garden but this made me even look at it differently after that. The rose petals were so gently placed by everyone though out the Veneration of the Cross. I watched in shear amazement as one by one each person who stood or knelt there had their moment alone with Jesus. The power of the prayer could be felt. We all were sharing in this experience and even that was powerful.
Stations of the Cross meant more that afternoon, with the weather and the Venerations of the Cross. On this somber occassion I didn't think I would experience anything more moving but I was mistaken. Good Friday service was even more moving.
I had a short break between Stations of the Cross and Good Friday Service. I took this time to actually do my Bible Study homework. I spent the time trying to make head or tails out of Colossians. Thankfully I have several different versions: The New American & The Message. This put me in the right frame of mind. I had given up FaceBook & Twitter for the Triduum and for Holy week I turned my TV & my radio/CD/DVD players all off. I had lots of time to reflect on the reason for the season.
Good Friday Service was so somber but also so powerful. I know I need new words but they are the two words that discribe the mood. Somber that Jesus had to Die for us. Powerful that with his Death he gave us LIFE! The grace that we got from his Death can never be praised enough. Even the Eucarist seemed to mean more to me now. I as just so glad to experince all these firsts during this Lenten season. I was ready and waiting with an open heart. No longer was it just words being spoken. It was truths and it was joyous to know that I was home. With an open heart and ready to except what God truly has in store for me.
The weather just made this holy day so much more exciting to experience. In fact it even lightening and Thundered and poured and hailed for quite some time that afternoon. Made you really meditate on just what was being celebrated. The death of Jesus Christ.
Amazing!
Thank you God for allowing me to celebrate this awesome day with you.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series. Holy Saturday
I started to morning off by over sleeping. I was to have gone on the Good Friday 25 mile walk to 7 local parishes. I had heard about it and wanted to experience atleast a few of the miles. But I woke up 30mins after they had started & not feeling so good. Sleeping was probably the best for the time.
I took an easy morning and then had lunch with my son and my folks. I shared with them my excitement about the previous nights celebration at the church. Both my parents were saddened that they never knew about what a fantastic celebration it had been. Both have been Catholics for over 60+ years and they have been learning along the way with me.
As soon as lunch was over I trotted off to find the perfect Easter Dress. I took my mother with me. She is a true shopaholic who gave up shopping for Lent. She told me she would only go into one store and I had just a short time. I was so proud of her. She has done this for the last few years, it has become a tradition. Part of my Easter Basket is a new outfit for Easter Sunday. Now to understand this fully you need to know that dresses are just not my cup of tea. I try each and every year for a dress and I never manage to find one that I truly am happy with. I just am not the dress kind of girl. After a pain staking amount of time I had found 2 tops. Woo hoo! I was done. I know have to decide which to wear for which service. Decissions, Decissions what's a girl to do.
Afterwords my Mother and I headed over to the last and final Stations of the Cross. This year I had taken my mother along with me. She had been to Station of the Cross before but this time it was different. Once again as we entered in to the main section of the church the lights were off. It was in the middle of the day, you would have thought this wasn't a big issue but it was. The weather had turned ominous. Previous days we were in the highs 70 - 80's. Nice spring weather but a storm had rolled in, which for our part of the area it doesn't rain or storm much after February. As we entered into the church the sky grew dark and made the church even darker. The only light that was of the candles that surrounded the Crucifix which laid at the front of the Alter with two spot lights beaming on it. I myself had never experienced the Veneration of the Cross. Nor had I experienced Stations of the Cross like this. At this point started to think "Wow and I called myself a Catholic all these years".
Two by Two individuals took their turns to go up on one side or the other and kneel beside the Crucifix. As I sat in the crowd watching as families came and spent their moment of praying. I was amazed. I so wanted to take my phone out and snap a picture but I just felt that was not the place or the time to do that this time. I watched as a woman went up and stroked the face of Jesus on the Cross. I watched as she wiped his face. It was as if she was doing what Veronica had done for Jesus on that final day. I watched as others knelt and kissed the feet where the nail was in his feet. I watched as people laid rose petals all over the body of Jesus and took a moment to kiss his feet.
My mother and I were both experiencing this celebration for the first time. I noticed as my mom was sitting on the edge of her seat to see all the excitement. It was so silent and so enormously powerful and moving. I leaned over and told her if she wanted to go up that I would help her up once she knelt down (My Mother is 80 years old and had both of her knees replaced). She looked at me like I was crazy. I could tell she was too frightened but would not say anything. I was hoping that she would go up because I wanted my mommy to go up with me because I was scared. Ya I said it. Yes I was frightened by the shear sight of the pilgrimage up to the Alter to actually touch the Crucifix I have seen for all these years hang way up high on the wall of our church. Just the idea of touching something so special and so delicate frightened me. But I did it. I stood up and walked up there. I knelt beside the crucifix and found my self scared to stretch out my hand to touch the body of Jesus. I was frightened that I might do it wrong or offend someone or something. But I made it past my fears. I touched the nail that was at his feet. I took a moment and said a silent prayer. The only prayer that I could think of at the time the "Our Father" and then I took a few rose petals and placed them on his legs.
I will never look at another rose petal again the same way. I adore roses and have a farely large rose garden but this made me even look at it differently after that. The rose petals were so gently placed by everyone though out the Veneration of the Cross. I watched in shear amazement as one by one each person who stood or knelt there had their moment alone with Jesus. The power of the prayer could be felt. We all were sharing in this experience and even that was powerful.
Stations of the Cross meant more that afternoon, with the weather and the Venerations of the Cross. On this somber occassion I didn't think I would experience anything more moving but I was mistaken. Good Friday service was even more moving.
I had a short break between Stations of the Cross and Good Friday Service. I took this time to actually do my Bible Study homework. I spent the time trying to make head or tails out of Colossians. Thankfully I have several different versions: The New American & The Message. This put me in the right frame of mind. I had given up FaceBook & Twitter for the Triduum and for Holy week I turned my TV & my radio/CD/DVD players all off. I had lots of time to reflect on the reason for the season.
Good Friday Service was so somber but also so powerful. I know I need new words but they are the two words that discribe the mood. Somber that Jesus had to Die for us. Powerful that with his Death he gave us LIFE! The grace that we got from his Death can never be praised enough. Even the Eucarist seemed to mean more to me now. I as just so glad to experince all these firsts during this Lenten season. I was ready and waiting with an open heart. No longer was it just words being spoken. It was truths and it was joyous to know that I was home. With an open heart and ready to except what God truly has in store for me.
The weather just made this holy day so much more exciting to experience. In fact it even lightening and Thundered and poured and hailed for quite some time that afternoon. Made you really meditate on just what was being celebrated. The death of Jesus Christ.
Amazing!
Thank you God for allowing me to celebrate this awesome day with you.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series. Holy Saturday
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