Easter Joy

Easter is yet filling most of us around the sem with a joyful attitude. We have begun "the grind" once again with classes and all, not to mention a 6:00 AM (optional) Holy Hour. Last night, we had our annual Easter Celebration. For many years now the seminary community has gathered for Evening Prayer and a meal to honor our Lord's triumph over sin and death. As is becoming custom (perhaps it was already, but I just don't remember it from my first year) the Rector had one of the seminarians give a toast: to the pope, the our bishops, to our faculty, staff, students, seminarians, for continued blessings upon the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity. This, no doubt with the help of your prayers, the Lord has in store for us.

It being the Octave of Easter (celebrating the Solemnity of Easter for eight days straight), our house liturgies are ramped up all week long. Every day: Priest, deacon, acolyte, lector and cantor with Psalm Prayers, Incense and Alleluias strewn everywhere for our Morning and Evening Prayers. At Mass: four acolytes; grand procession in with cross, candles and incense; Sprinkling with Holy Water (in place of penitential rite); sung Gloria; Gospel Procession with incense and candles; sung petitions; incense at the Offertory/Presentation of Gifts; "Go in the Peace of Christ, Alleluia! Alleluia! Thanks be to God, Alleluia! Alleluia!" at the end of Mass with cross and candles at the grand procession out. Sure, it may require a bit more serving in the liturgy, but it really is a joy to praise God in the fullness of His Church's worship.

The Easter Season makes itself felt throughout all the Liturgy, including the Liturgy of the Hours (LOTH). Men new to seminary life and newly encountering more of the Church's prayer find times like Easter to be almost vexing. The breviary for the LOTH really requires a lot of flipping back and forth, using different texts for things that are quite routine throughout the rest of the year (particularly in Night Prayer). And with all of the updating here at the seminary, it has become my task for the week that I'm enjoying, but perhaps am being a bit too perfectionistic: reworking the format of our Sunday Night Prayer aids - we're simplifying it from a binder format with multiple pages and flipping, to a simpler one-sheet pamphlet which has the whole order of prayer, with all of the variations for Easter. Perhaps once I complete it, I will throw it up here on the blog.

I would be curious for any who are willing to respond: what have you been doing differently (in your parish, in your workplace, in your home, in your personal prayer, etc...) to commemorate Easter? The comment box is open!