Holy Week Goings On



This week I've been taking a step back from the blog and quieting a bit.  It seems that many others in the blog world are also feeling the need to breathe a bit more of the fresh real world air.

But...just a few notes from the week to record and share...
We began our Passion Cross at the beginning of the week.  Each day we read the Scripture that corresponds to the ornament and hang it on the cross.  Next year I plan to begin it on Passion Sunday rather than Palm Sunday.  That way there is one ornament to do each day and we can focus on that one aspect of the Passion rather than trying to get two done a day.  (Note to self:  Write down the Scriptures used for each ornament so that you're not scrambling to find them once the kiddos are finally sort of quiet and somewhat settled.)

We're getting a bit of Lenten cleaning done as well.  Each day after lessons we're focusing on one or two rooms to deep clean and reorganize.  As the years go by I'm finding my standards of what is clean are getting just a wee bit lower.  And that's a good thing.  There's only so much we can obsess over do at a time and the scythian nature of cleaning with four little children takes a bit of the satisfaction away anyway.  But it still feels good to have the windows clean and the baseboards wiped.  I'm trying hard to  assign more to the kids and not just do it myself (because it is SO much easier and efficient to just shoo them away and do it myself...but it is more important for them to learn how to work cheerfully and do their part for the family.  Repeat to self.).  One down side to this plan is that I now want to repaint every room in our house.

Today we'll once again have our family's Seder Meal.  It's become an important part of our Holy Week.  (UPDATE:  HERE'S WHY WE NO LONGER DO THE "SEDER" PART OF THE MEAL.)  We do a simple version but it's such a powerful way for adults and children alike to enter into the Triduum.  We'll eat with our "sandals" on our feet and leave for The Mass of the Last Supper after.  I was able to score an organic free range leg of lamb at half price at the grocery store a few months ago so into the freezer it went and right now it's marinating and getting ready to be roasted in just a little bit. I've never been able to afford the actual roast and always settled for lamb chops so it made me happy to find that deal one morning!  Here's hoping it actually tastes good.  

This morning I made the haroset to go with our meal.  The dish symbolizes the mortar used by the Israelites when they were enslaved in Egypt.

Super simple:

3 apples diced
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. sweet red wine (though I just had white so I used that)

Mix it all up!



See?  Easy.

(If you're interested in more pictures of a past Holy Thursday dinner, click here.)

Thankfully, both Luke and David are taking a nap at the moment so hopefully our experience at Mass tonight won't be too harrowing.  

Friday will be quieter as we observe the Lord's Passion.  No screens, no treats, a day of penance and prayer, as much as possible with little ones.  More cleaning and of course, the liturgy of the Passion at 3 p.m.  We may attempt to watch The Passion of the Christ in the evening after the kids are in bed.  It's such a hard one to watch, though, and there have been years where I just couldn't do it.

That's all for now!  May you have a blessed Triduum and may our hearts enter fully into this sacred time and be transformed by His abundant grace.


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