What a week! The final stretch of Lent was tumultuous not just for myself, but for many of my friends. By the time we reached holy Triduum, I was mentally in a much better place, able to focus more clearly on Our Lord and his Passion and death, which helped to bring much clarity of mind as we celebrated the resurrection on Easter morn.

My husband was out of town for work for the better part of holy week, which may have played a part in my struggle at the beginning of Holy Week. Saturday through Monday I was in a funk, and all I wanted was some quite time. The kids wanted exactly the opposite. The spring weather was perfect, and I should have been enjoying the weather and working outside, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. That changed on Tuesday morning.

As I woke on Tuesday, I was greeted by green grass when I looked out my bedroom window. Suddenly, the urgency of the work to be done leapt upon me. I began the morning with Mass with the kids, met with my spiritual director, and picked up a few of my nephews for a sleepover with some of my boys. On arriving home, I raced to change my clothing and begin work for the day. What a flurry of activity that took place over that day and the next two!

We worked hard to clean up the old chicken coop slab. The building burned down in ’18, and it’s been cleaned up slowly over time. The last three years, we said we’d finish the job, but something else always came up. We decide to finish the job while Dad was away and surprise him when he got home. What a good reminder of the need to keep our souls clean, our hearts and minds pure. The grass and weeds quickly cover the things we leave uncared for, and only serve to cause us problems later on when it’s time to cut the grass. What a perfect way to finish out the Lenten season!

The fields were tilled in preparation for planting. Wheat and clover were planted, the first string-trimming was done, the grass was cleaned up so that the grass wouldn’t bury the things the kids have left around the yard over the winter. I love that wheat and clover were planted first: wheat, that reminder of the Eucharist, and clover, a reminder of the Blessed Trinity.

On Thursday night, as we waited for Dad to get home in the wee hours of the morning, we painted some goose eggs for Easter. I’m very sensitive to goose and duck eggs, so we never eat them when we raise them. We blew the eggs, cooked the yolks and whites to give to the chickens, and painted those big, white shells. What a wonderful Easter canvas to paint on!

Friday and Saturday, our oldest daughter and I worked on sewing the Easter outfits for ourselves and the little girls. Our oldest daughter helped prepare the food for Sunday morning while I finished the sewing before we left for Divine Liturgy on the vigil night.

Throughout the week, between caring for kids, cleaning the yard, and prepping for the growing season, I helped at church as needed to set things for the various Masses and services. Tuesday, I emptied the holy oils to be replaced later in the week and delivered them to the monastery. Wednesday, I refilled the jars and set up as much as I could for the Mandatum (foot washing) on Thursday, and later went back to church for Holy Week practice with some of the boys. On Thursday I served as sacristan and had to go early and stay late to set up and take down, and Friday we had kids serve again, and I read. Saturday, I was back at our parish to help set up the water for the baptismal blessing on Easter morning. Our sister parish hosted the Easter Vigil Mass this year, so Saturday we were able to set up for Easter morning.

This was my second time attending the Divine Liturgy, and my first Pascha with the monks. It is sure not to be the last. Someday, when I no longer have littles in the house, I would like to try and attend the vigil at the parish church, then head to the monastery for Pascha, and then morning Mass at the parish. What better way to celebrate the ultimate day of the year?

And yesterday, we began to pray the Regina Caeli instead of the Angelus, which will continue on throughout Pentecost. I’m thinking of painting some large canvases with the words from both prayers to hang on the empty wall in the dining room, or maybe on the living room wall, so those who are with us at those times can pray with us.

This week, we will be bouncing around a lot. We’ll do school as we can, but tomorrow, I am helping with a lunch funeral at the church. I need to make some meals for the next-door neighbor who was widowed on Good Friday, and we’ll be praying for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis as well. Wednesday, there are doctor’s appointments for the kids, and Friday is the Major Rogation Day, but I have a doctor’s appointment with the baby and our oldest daughter is doing some volunteer work that day as well.

Amidst all of that -or perhaps, better put- in union with that, we’ll be doing more around the homestead. Though we made great progress on the to-do list last week, there’s still so much to be done. The strawberry plants will be here tomorrow, and I’ll need mulch and manure as soon as possible. We have trees to plant and brush to burn. The pig fence needs to go up ASAP so we have a place for them. We’re raising them for a pig roast, some religious friends, and our own use.

Now to figure out how to turn it all into a celebration of our Risen Lord!

In Christ-Danielle