Well, the Great Easter Vigil is upon us. Tonight marks the end of what we in the Hardenbergh home lovingly refer to as “Holy Hell Week”. Holy Week, the week before Easter, is the busiest week of the year for those who work for and volunteer for the Catholic church. Because there is so much to do and by the end we are exhausted, we call it Holy Hell Week. Not that its bad, I love it. But it really does drain you. And it isn’t really just a week long. It starts with the prep for Passion Sunday (the Sunday before Easter) and that can be as early as the Monday before that. Then there’s the Penance service on Tuesday. Tenebrae on Wednesday, Holy Thursday (running around before and during church to get things set up), Good Friday (more running) and then……Today, Holy Saturday.
It begins with morning prayer at 9am. Then RCIA run through at 9:30. Altar server run through at 10. Help the decorators at 10:30. And to top it off today, I painted the baby’s room (well, I primed it. Good bye red wall)! If I’m lucky I’ll get a little nap before heading to church for 7:30, but probably not. The Vigil starts at 8:30, and Cat and I have a whole list of things we need to do before and during the 3 hour service. Yes 3 hours! Now, I would never sit in church for 3 hours, but tonight is different. Tonight is amazing! The parish’s best lectors, cantors and other ministers humbly perform their jobs (and hey, let’s throw humility out the window, I’m proclaiming the epistle and Cat’s singing the litany of saints!). It is the best liturgy of the year and is well worth all the work that leads up to it!!! If I’m really lucky, we’ll be home by 1am.
Easter is the most amazing time of year in the church. But I can’t wait until Holy Hell Week is over! God Bless and have a wonderful Easter.
