Easter Sunday

Alleluia, the Lord, the Christ is Risen Today! This is our Glorious Holy Day for Jesus has truly given us back our lives in Him. As St. Paul said, "Rejoice, again I say, Rejoice." This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. It is truly a beautiful and joyous day.

After having the tv off all week, I remembered last night that I have EWTN. Sure enough, there was the Easter Vigil in all its glory from St. Peter's in Rome! With the Holy Father, "Papa Benedict" presiding, it was truly resplendent. Hearing Lumen Christi and singing Deo Gratias with them was joyful. The Exsultet was splendidly sung by a deacon who looked like he could have been an opera singer, but had a smoother voice, one that rose seemingly effortlessly as he chanted the ancient music.

The only thing that marred the service was the popping of electronic flash during the procession of the Paschal Candle--even though people had been specifically asked, in three languages, no less, not to use cameras with flash! Sigh.

If I had thought of it earlier, I could have "attended" all of the Triduum services via television through the offering of eternal word television network, the Catholic cable service. This is a reason to keep cable and to rejoice in it!

I am enjoying my Pascha, which I was able to make thanks to my neighbor who shared the special Baker's Cottage Cheese, through our neighborhood list. Technology doesn't replace real face to face community--and I have been making that mistake myself, increasingly these last few years--but it can and does enhance it. Another neighbor left a chocolate bunny on my porch along with the church bulletin. I had to laugh as I started eating bunny ears! Not at all technological, theological or liturgical but it is definitely part of Easter traditions!

Happy Joyous Easter! I am grateful to everyone who has made my celebration this year. Thank you.

Pascha

Pascha is the word for Easter in the Russian Orthodox tradition. It is also a sweet bread that is baked for the celebration of Pascha and it is a delicious cheese desert, somewhat like cheesecake filling only much yummier that is also made only for this feast.

The triple use of the word fascinates me as does keeping certain foods special to certain holidays. When I was growing up we had turkey only on Thanksgiving and ham for New Years and Easter, although many people have a leg of lamb for Easter dinner in honor of the symbolism of Christ the Paschal Lamb.

Easter is only a week away and I am looking forward to making Pascha, thanks to a kind neighbor who is sharing her baker's cottage cheese with me. This is exciting.

I had wondered if I could approximate the dry texture of the baker's cottage cheese (also known as pot cheese) by putting it into the yogurt cheese maker and I may still do that as an experiment.

I do not have one of the beautiful wooden molds that are traditional for making pascha (the cheese dessert) so a bowl will have to do. Some year, I do hope to buy the mold.

Anyway, thank you to my neighbor who is of Russian descent, for offering her extra pot cheese on the neighborhood list. It is fun to see what the list turns up next. I am grateful.