As much as I love Lent and Holy Week, I'm glad it only comes around once a year. We finished our feast at 5:00am and gather again at 1:00 for Agape Vespers and our Paschal Picnic. Most of us got up early to make lasagne, stews, etc. for the picnic. Melania waits for Vespers to begin. I feel your pain...
But the kiddos are ready to go again.
After Vespers we fire up the grill. The "Meat Kings" go into overdrive. Fr. Damian brought his grill. He and "Slim" from the Shelter do the whole burnt offerings.
30 pounds of tri-tip roast about medium rare. They grill whatever else people brought. I told Slim this is about the most beautiful thing I've seen in 54 days...
Pastor Gary brought his men from the Shelter over for Agape Vespers and we all set up tents and we shared our feast with them. Some local homeless people wandered in off the street into the party and we fed them too. A couple of them played volleyball and hung around and helped clean up. One of the homeless women said, "Gee, I haven't played volleyball since I was in prison, that was fun!"
The white haired guy in the middle is Pastor Gary with some of his men.
At 6:00 the grill is gone, tables are being taken down and the kitchen if being mopped.
It was a good day, a fitting end to our Lenten building project and reaching the goal of holding Holy Week in the new Temple. Thanks for following our building and first services. I'm taking a break (until our Bright Week services...).
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But the kiddos are ready to go again.
After Vespers we fire up the grill. The "Meat Kings" go into overdrive. Fr. Damian brought his grill. He and "Slim" from the Shelter do the whole burnt offerings.
30 pounds of tri-tip roast about medium rare. They grill whatever else people brought. I told Slim this is about the most beautiful thing I've seen in 54 days...
Pastor Gary brought his men from the Shelter over for Agape Vespers and we all set up tents and we shared our feast with them. Some local homeless people wandered in off the street into the party and we fed them too. A couple of them played volleyball and hung around and helped clean up. One of the homeless women said, "Gee, I haven't played volleyball since I was in prison, that was fun!"
The white haired guy in the middle is Pastor Gary with some of his men.
At 6:00 the grill is gone, tables are being taken down and the kitchen if being mopped.
It was a good day, a fitting end to our Lenten building project and reaching the goal of holding Holy Week in the new Temple. Thanks for following our building and first services. I'm taking a break (until our Bright Week services...).
8 comments:
Dude...I love the shirt!
Christ is Risen!
Thanks, its my favorite "civvies" apparel. Most of the people at our Mission have never seen me in anything but my cassock or my work clothes. The Hawaiian shirt kinda threw them off. I tried to get the seamstress to line my cassock with it, but she wouldn't do it. :)
Truly He is risen!
Steve:
This was marvelous. And I have to say, the joy and relationships (amid the sleep deprivation and exhaustion) you write about have a similar feel to what we experienced here. My daughters were with me this year and they really took to the feast and celebration. I have to say this was the best Pascha ever for me. Whatever my specific circumstances, there was a peace and joy I've never ever experienced before.
Christos anesti!
Benedict, I'd have to say this was definitely a "top 3" Pascha for me. There's something about Pascha at a Mission parish when people and "things" come together. (I've had a few clinkers in 10 years too, believe me...) The sense of "family" in our Mission is really tangible and its meaning is not lost on anyone here. Since many of us came from prior less than ideal parish situations, we all really work at making it happen. I'm glad you got to spend Pascha with the kiddos and they enjoyed it with you. Christ is risen... and raises us from the dead.
Christ is Risen!
Love the shirt. Thanks for sharing so much of your (yall's) journey with us.
Thanks for that walk through Holy Week in all the posts - great pictures, beautiful services, blessed chrismations...what a great Faith we have! Thanks for sharing - and, yeah, love the shirt (and would far rather see it on you than my dh! lol)
Mairs, Context is everything. :) There are a lot of people in our Mission who haven't seen me in anything but my riassa. I think its the first time I went "layman" in a couple years, but it was nearly 100 degrees and we were outside all day. Piety gave way to weather. :)
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