This week has been a whirlwind but with Easter around the corner we are really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of Lent.
I have really struggled with what I set out to achieve this Lent and it only makes me want to refine this for next year. I didn’t even manage to read my Magnifcat Reflection every day. Slack. Service wise, I think we’ve done well but with the personal goals I set for myself, not so much. Abstaining from meat was something we thought would be really difficult, but it wasn’t at all. I would say giving up pasta a few years ago was worse. But with the lessons learnt from this Lent, I feel that in some aspects Bill and I both challenged ourselves right out of our comfort zone with our further involvement at Queen of All Saints and you really do learn so much this way and it is ongoing.
Palm Sunday set off this week and we woke up early and got ready early for Mass. After visiting the senior citizens home nearby we didn’t get home until 1pm. On Monday night we raced home from work to head straight to the Rectory to do some goodie bag stuffing with Michele. Over pizza, we worked to get some small Easter bags ready for the children of the Parish to take home after 10.30 Mass on Easter Sunday. Are they not gorgeous?
We have some more to finish on Saturday morning but don’t you think the colors are just beautiful?
Tuesday night had us cooking one of the dishes for the local Men’s shelter. Trying to change recipes to cater for a large group is hard work, so we decided on our yummy Lebanese rice pilaf – we hoped they liked it. Especially seeing as I just realized I messed up the volume of water needed so that explains why the rice wasn’t as fluffy as it should have been. Eeek.
Wednesday night involved finishing our planning for our Easter menu, writing some Easter cards and generally getting everything order as we are not having much of a weekend of chores, so we’re just keeping up with remaining all organized.
Tonight, we have the Holy Thursday Mass. Bill is getting his feet washed for the first time so this will make an emotional night even more emotional. We’re probably not going to get home until quite late so then it is straight to bed.
As we did last year, we’ve taken half a day of vacation tomorrow for Good Friday so we will be at the 3pm Solemn Celebration which makes for another emotional afternoon. I was so hungry last year my tummy was rumbling the whole time. We’ll take it easy on Friday night while we wait for our Easter Fresh Direct delivery and just get the laundry done while there is hopefully no-one downstairs.
On Easter Saturday, we’ll back back for the Saturday Morning Prayer that is replacing the usual Holy Hour and then, we’ll help finish decorate the church and also packing the gift bags. We then will come home, do our prep for our Easter Sunday lunch and then all ready for the Vigil Mass. Bill is reading so to battle the crowds, we’re going to get there super early so we can get our ‘usual’ spot up the front.. otherwise I get very distracted!
Then, Easter Sunday comes around and hooray Easter is here! We’ll be back at Queen of All Saints at 9am for the 10.30 Mass. Michele and I will be setting up the bags for the children and we will probably get home around 12. Then it will be time to prepare our Easter feast!
On our menu we’ve ordered a beautiful boneless leg of lamb, fresh carrots, peas, roast potatoes and pumpkin. Bill is making an exotic brownie recipe for dessert with some good vanilla ice cream.
All in all, a super busy Holy week but we wouldn’t have it any other way!