Christ My Hope Has Risen!

We wish you a joyous and blessed Easter! Surrexit sicut dixit, alleluia!

Below is a slide show capturing some of the preparations of yesterday. Holy Saturday is without a doubt the longest day of the year! Although there were a thousand things to do to prepare for the Vigil and Easter Sunday the day seemed to last forever! As the time of the Vigil got closer our joy was palpable. Intermingled with the sober and stark Office is the joy of the Resurrection. Imagine what it would be like if Jesus had waited FIVE days to rise from the dead!

Our Vigil is certainly one that will be recalled for years to come! During the day it rained steadily but by evening the rain had stopped and we could see the first stars in the sky. Sister Pyhro went out at eight to start the Paschal Fire and by 8:15 a strong wind had come up presenting not a few difficulties! We couldn't get the Paschal Candle lit! So we had to resort to using a lighter (shhh, don't tell anyone!) and even that didn't work! So, Father Kieran, never losing his cool, waited until we all got up to the door of the Choir, even waiting until we had covered the raging fire so that the house wouldn't go up in flames! Then, as though it was all planned he lit the candle and proceeding to sing the thrice proclaimed, "Lumen Christi!" albeit with just a few steps in between each one!

Then, in the middle of Father singing the Exsultet the usual bell for Compline went off! Sr. Mary Martin dashed out to shut off the carillon but it was too late. The Angels laughed!

After the Vigil which lasted over 2 hours we gathered for a brief Guadeamus in the kitchen fortifiy ourselves with hot chocolate, cookies, cheese and wine. Then off to bed as we continue our night rising for night adoration. However, we got to sleep until the amazingly late hour of 6:05 on Easter Sunday morning!