Catching Up

Well Holy Week has flown by, and now it's afternoon on Easter Sunday. Early in the week I had visions of lots to write about, but life got in the way as it has an annoying habit of doing sometimes. It's all good though -- much to be thankful for, and much to think about.

Wednesday night we attended a Seder Supper at the home of Jim & Abby Donnelly. This is a long-standing tradition with them, and we were blessed to be a part of it this year for the first time. Jim is Catholic and Abby is Jewish, and so they celebrate the Seder with a somewhat ecumenical flair, recognizing both faith traditions while following perhaps the longest standing rituals in human history. According to our friends at Wikipedia:

Families and friends gather around the table on the nights of Passover to read one of the many versions of the Haggadah, the story of the Israelite exodus from Egypt. Seder customs include drinking of four cups of wine, eating matza and partaking of symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder Plate. With a Haggadah serving as a guide, the Seder is performed in much the same way all over the world.

The Seder is integral to Jewish faith and identity. If not for the Exodus, as explained in the Haggadah, the Jewish people would still be slaves in Egypt. Therefore, the Seder is an occasion for praise and thanksgiving and for re-dedication to the idea of liberation. The Seder goes on until late at night, with the participants reading the Haggadah, studying the meaning of various passages, and singing special Passover songs.

The Seder is an intergenerational family ritual. While many Jewish holidays revolve around the synagogue, the Seder is conducted in the family home...It is customary to invite guests, especially strangers and the needy...The Seder as family-based ritual is derived from a verse in the Bible: Vehigadta levincha' bayom hahu leymor ba'avur zeh asah Adonay li betzeyti miMitzrayim - "And you shall tell it to your son on that day, saying, 'Because of this God did for me when He took me out of Egypt'" (Exodus 13:8). The words and rituals of the Seder are a primary vehicle for the transmission of the Jewish faith from grandparent to child, and from one generation to the next.

I had attended one Seder, and not a very Jewish one, at the Catholic Center at the University of Georgia while I was in school there...25+ years ago. While not a family event in the strictest sense (the Donnelly's had invited 15-20 friends...I didn't count), it was nonetheless an awesome celebration. The Donnelly's are both gracious hosts and patient teachers.

There were two things in particular I was struck by during the evening. One is just how rich the tradition and the ritual are, full of history and symbolism, and requiring the full participation of every family member and guest. While I was familiar with the Bible story of the Passover and the history around it, I did not realize how deeply interwoven the ideas of liberation and freedom for all people were into the fabric of the tradition.

The other was the immense respect Jim and Abby show for each other's faith tradition and for each other. I was touched by the whole way they handled the connection between Judaism and Christianity, because the Seder is one of the deepest connections between the two faiths. The Last Supper was a Passover Seder Supper, and I see now that in Christ's celebration of liberation in the Seder he was also celebration our liberation from sin through His death and Resurrection.

Thursday night I attended Holy Thursday Mass at St. Paul's. Relative to some I have seen, it was a relatively stripped-down version with no foot washing. And yet hearing the story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples was moving to me in a new way. I'm still working on the idea and practice of following Christ through serving others. It does not come easily or naturally to me, but I'm working on it. Maybe I should read that story more often.

Pat and I then left for our cabin in Ashe County right after Mass. We have guests using the cabin the following weekend, and it was badly in need of spring cleaning. Friday morning, though, I had an opportunity to pray outside on the deck before the rain came. For me, that is the best place on earth to pray (other than maybe St. Francis Springs) and it was wonderful.

We passed Saturday and Sunday cleaning and doing errands, enjoying each other's company and a few glasses of wine along the way. Another of my favorite things at the cabin is enjoying a good rain storm. The way our cabin is built you can hear every single rain drop, and the effect when the tempo of the rain is just right can be magical, especially if you listen to a good rain song like "Sit & Listen to the Rain" by Whiskeytown or "Riders on the Storm" by The Doors. We listened to both.

This morning we were up and out of there by 9 AM so I could make it back to lector at the 12:00 Easter Mass. More later...almost time for dinner with the family, and I have preparations to make.

Have a happy and blessed Easter season!