Here It Comes

And so it begins. The most eventful week of the Church year, and undoubtedly, the most exciting one!

I have been cramped for spare time lately, and in some late hour of the night tonight, the eve of Lazarus Saturday, I found myself in the mood to write a little post.

One of my favorite things about the services from Lazarus Saturday through to Pascha is that each Orthodox parish no matter in what jurisdiction, has their own routines and traditions for each day of these special holy days. This is sort of a time of reflection for me because I grew up in one parish my entire life all the way through to the beginning of our marriage. I really miss some things about growing up in a tight-knit, small parish, but since I left that little place, my eyes have opened up to new ideas and new ways. I have learned so much since we began our family and since we have been a part of several new parishes since then.

In preparation for Pascha, this week the kids and I completed our cheese pascha cooking. Tonight they will be going into the freezer for a few days to maintain freshness. This year I attempted a chocolate pascha for the first time...my aunt guided me and said to use the same base as for a regular pascha, but add in cocoa and melted chocolate ("just eyeball it"). So I did...and the kids definitely approved!

The end result, out of the mold, looks much nicer than it does here...I promise!

Amidst preparation, it is so easy to forget about the spiritual cares some moments, and focus on the earthly, less significant things. I have been trying very hard to keep the focus less so on Easter baskets and decor around the house, and more on preparation of my soul and my children's souls for the Feast of Feasts. It is tricky some days, especially when browsing after-Easter clearance sales, but it is so necessary to remember what is really important. I want my babies to know the true meaning of Pascha. Tonight we discussed the events of Lazarus Saturday, and my son, whose name also happens to be Lazar, told my daughter, "When I die, I am also going to become a saint. Saint Lazarus the Rusisan." I got such a kick out of his comment, but also felt so proud that he truly believes he can be a saint. It is sometimes hard to comprehend that ANY human being can become a saint, truly, and this childly innocence of his really was enlightening to me.

The children have been so excited each day of Great Lent to not only paste the new squares onto their Lenten Journey charts, but also to count down how many days remain until Pascha. I love this! Making these posters was definitely worth it, and we will be doing them again in the future I am sure.

May you all have a spiritually fulfilling Holy Week with as few temptations as possible as we prepare to greet the Feast of Feasts, the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! I hope to be back with some photos of Holy Week from the past and present one of these days.