Buona Pasqua...

...a tutti!

Христос воскрес!

Happy Easter to all! He is risen!

Holy Week, Batman!

Yes, it's the happiest time of the year once again! We kicked off Holy Week with an ecumenical procession of the palms. Three churches participated: Disciples of Christ congregational church, St. Angela's Catholic church and St. Mary's-by-the-Sea Episcopal church. We all met at Berwick Park in Pacific Grove, down by the bay, and after saying a few blessings and prayers we processed up the street singing "All Glory Laud and Honor" and "The King of Glory." After stopping to exchange "the peace" all around, each congregation split off and made its way to its home church for the Palm Sunday services. (Image from the Monterey County Herald)

At our church we do the reading of the passion play at the end of that service, and I had asked to read the Evangelist this year. Our priest acquiesced on the condition that I recruit everyone else and put the thing together. We never had a chance to rehearse it, but everyone handled their parts with aplomb. Based on my experience in theater I asked everyone to keep the energy up by not allowing silence between the lines - rather, to step on each others figurative toes. I thought it worked very well, and lots of folks said how much they enjoyed it. I did have one complaint from a person who had participated in prior years - he thought it was too fast. They had been instructed in the opposite manner, which was to leave at least a second of space between each line. That is a valid approach, but I prefer the way we did it this year. There are many instances when the Evangelist is simply saying "then Jesus said" and "Pilate replied" and the such like. I don't think that's a place where one needs time for reflection!

Never speak too soon!

After that glowing report, of course she had to fall down on Thursday and banged the heck out of her left knee. It was swollen up like a grapefruit and very discolored. We put ice on it, and the next morning it seemed to be better. However, against my suggestion, she decided to walk into town. By late afternoon it looked terrible again. I took her to the emergency room Saturday morning, and what do you know - nothing broken! The swelling was an accumulation of viscous blood from a small broken vein, which was too thick to be aspirated. The doctor even said that walking on it was a good idea, as it will help the blood reabsorb. He estimated that it would look bad for a couple of months, but basically she is fine.

I don't think she has ever broken a bone in her life!