The Triduum with a toddler

He's my little buddy and he's growing up!  We took a chance taking a toddler to Holy Thursday Mass and Good Friday service.  He seemed to just soak everything up.  We had conversations about what would happen at Church and then later a recap or acting it out on his own.


Some gems from B:

Holy Thursday Mass was constant whispering.
"See wots of Fadders?" (Lots of Fathers)

"B go up wass feet?  Take shoe off?"

Me: "Look at the servers, they're getting the altar ready"
B: "For me?"  :)

"I kiss Desus too?" whispered approx. 831 times as we waited to go up and venerate the cross on Good Friday.

When he did kiss the crucifix he gave it a good "mwah" causing the deacon to smile.

Me: "What are you doing?"
B: "I wassing der feet!  Wike fadder!"

Washing of the feet ala toddler style

B: "Wike Fadder? I way down" (prostrates himself in the play room which ends up looking more like he's "planking" :)

From a couple weeks ago: "Diss my chawice." (this my chalice) He didn't know why we thought it was picture worthy.

This morning: "Dad get you cwoss, we cawwy wike sewvoos." (we carry like servers) Also, the crosses were made of duplos.

This kid picks up alot just watching what's going on.  These are the good ones.  For example, I'm not including his, "Owr you kidding me" repeated after me while I was driving.  Oops.

Oh, and there's this that I printed out from Catholic Icing (awesome site!)  It's a Resurrection Set.  We came down Easter morning and the first thing we did was check to see if the stone was still there and Jesus body was in the tomb where we put it on Friday evening.  He was surprised to see it empty and Jesus standing on the mantel.  He kept repeating "Desus awive!"  (Jesus alive!) whenever he looked up there.  Then he went and found his Easter basket :)

I found that this little resurrection set and B helped ME take to heart just how amazing Easter is and how wonderful a thing to celebrate.  Sometimes kids help us see things with fresh eyes and in a simpler and deeper way.  It filled our desire as parents to focus on Jesus first and then celebrate like we mean it!  I mean, why have only one morning where you run down to see what amazing thing happened in the night (Christmas) when you can have two!  We SHOULD race down the stairs and be excited about what happens Easter morning! 

I hope that your celebration of Easter continues to be great!  God Bless!

Recapping... Easter blessings

It's official - I'm as bad at updating this as I am updating my journal... where did that journal go anyway?  Actually, my goal was to get in a habit of blogging on Sundays after we take my pic but the last 3 Sundays have been a bit unusual and wonderful.  So back we go to Easter first and then we'll recap the other 2 last weeks in the next two posts.

Easter was, is, and always will be great.  I love being able to say "Alleluia" again.  It's silly, but going all of Lent without it makes me miss it and get excited to sing, "Jesus Christ is Risen Today."  Joe and I hit up the Holy Thursday Mass and Good Friday Service as usual too.  I have to say, those two experiences each year truly help make Easter Sunday a joyous celebration and not just another Sunday trip to Church.  Realizing what all goes into the Passion is what makes being Catholic so amazing.  There's value in suffering and a real connection to the cross of Christ which enables us to say our alleluia's with such great vigor when God's merciful love is showered on us.  I was especially struck this year as to how much I have to be thankful for this Easter, how amazingly blessed I have been.  I feel as if I've been given a life I don't deserve between great new friends, a fabulous family (both blood relatives and in-laws), a meaningful job, nice house, parents, brothers and sisters I wouldn't trade for anything, a husband who I adore and especially now the little wrapped present of a person in my womb who I just can't wait to meet face to face.

Take a second and think of how God has blessed you in your life... see what I mean!