Two Easters!

[Resurrexi]

I've decided that I'm going to passively attend the Easter Vigil at the local Greek Orthodox cathedral. They are going to have a free dinner afterward with food made by Lebanese ladies: this is something I just cannot miss.

[Aloysius]

random thought I just had: I think next year my April geniuses SSPX joke (if I can get it past dUSt's fiddlers) will be a news story in which the SSPX throws in the towell with discussions with the Vatican and joins the Eastern Orthodox Churches. that'll be a funny one

now, everyone forget I said that before next April 1.

... anyway, still very excited to attend this Easter Vigil. and these plans have given me cause to remember to call my uncle this Sunday and wish him a happy Easter since he converted to Greek Orthodoxy.

[Resurrexi]

I'm sorry about your uncle

It will be liturgically correct since it's the octave!

[Aloysius]

he was a long fallen away Catholic anyway (for decades), it's better for him than when he was simply a secular man (or protestant, I'm not sure if he ever went to anything protestant but he might have)

[Aloysius]

I went to the Pascha rush liturgy tonight. It was quite nice. I was disappointed that the candles required a donation (every Church I've ever been to offered free candles for Easter Vigil) so I didn't have a candle in the procession since I didn't bring any money.

anyway, the procession was spectacular, all the way around the Church and then to the front door where the priest knocked on the door three times with the Cross saying that the King of Glory was about to enter, each time with someone inside the Church asking "who is the King of Glory", and then when you returned into the Church the lights were on and the tomb was gone.

the person sitting next to me who went up to communion got me some of the antidoron, which was quite nice of him. and they gave me a blessed red-dyed Easter egg! the agape meal afterward was ham and potatoes and such... looked very good, but since I had gone alone I felt a bit awkward cause I would've been the lone joiner to some family's table or something, so I left. had I brought friends like I was originally going to, I would've stayed with them. ah well, it was a nice renewal of my own Easter since it is the eighth day of that.

[Resurrexi]

As it was raining here tonight, there was no outdoor procession. I didn't actively participate in the liturgy at all, but after the consecration of the bread and wine (and yes, that means right after the Words of Institution) I decided to make a sign of reverence (a bow in this case) towards the Eucharist as it would have felt wrong not to do so. Because of this dilemma between wanting not to actively participate and yet show reverence to Christ's Body and Blood, I have decided that I don't think I'll be attending any more Eastern Orthodox divine liturgies aside from weddings and funerals.

The agape meal afterwards was pretty good. There was bacon and eggs for everyone and many people brought wine and coagulated milk to share with those around them. I enjoyed everyone greeting each other with "Christ is risen!" which is not something Latins typically do.