Most Christians celebrate Christmas as the most important Christian celebration, but for Catholics it is Easter. Easter is classified as a "Solemnity", the highest-ranking liturgical day because Christ had to die for us. The inter-dependent day is when he was born, but that was so he could die. Get it?
Today was a very solemn one. Good Friday is a day I always dread simply because it is so solemn. In fact, it feels like a funeral because it is. Sitting in St. Luke's today, I was overwhelmed with sadness as I participated in the liturgy. I felt guilty because the Gospel always goes on and on and on and I can't wait for it to end. I actually keep flipping the pages of my Missal to see when it will be over! The other thing I have never figured out is why Passion Sunday has another version of the same Gospel the Sunday before? Because people won't be going to Good Friday services, so they need to hear it anyway? Probably.
But St. Luke's was packed with the faithful. How can a Catholic not go to Good Friday and sit through a measly hour-and-a-half when Jesus suffered for two days and died in agony? That's what I tell myself every year to get me there.
One thing is certain, as much as I endorse the Easter Bunny, Easter is NOT about the Easter Bunny. My mother always hid eggs and chocolate on Easter Sunday -- even when we were married adults -- but she was steadfast in her Faith. I did the same with my children and hope to with my grandchildren. Easter can be both. Let's celebrate it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment