Holy Week at Home

Holy Week at home was an experience I don't think we'll forget. It was challenging. It was sad. It was joyful. While it was a struggle to do all of the services alone with the five of us, there were also moments that felt very connected to Christ and to all of the faithful praying from their homes, churches, and monasteries. There were small interactions for which I felt enormously grateful. The first of many was the care we received on Palm Sunday. One of the deacons from our church came by on Lazarus Saturday and dropped off some palm branches, a Paschal candle, and a bag of Easter goodies for the kids. Later that evening a friend of ours from the Russian church came and dropped off some pussy-willows and palms that had been blessed at their vigil service. Palm Sunday morning we surprisingly had enough palm branches and willows for all five of us to be able to a carry in procession!

We colored Easter eggs during the first part of the week. It was a fun activity to do together. 

We prayed Bridegroom Orthros. We prayed all but two of the services; Lamentations and the Paschal Liturgy, which we streamed. I usually enjoy standing quietly in church, praying, and listening to the prayers and chanting. At home I had to do a lot of reading and that is not the normal way that I like to "be" in church. So along with not being able to be in church at all, having to read so much aloud was another frustration, in my weakness. After reading so many services alone it was also nice to stream some services and have a tangible connection to other Orthodox Christians praying in the church or who were watching and praying at home the way we were.

One nice thing about praying at home was that Leo could be himself during prayers and nobody minded if he was loud at times or running around or, you know, just being a two year old. He participated in the parts that he could wholeheartedly. He was a source of smiles and joy as he ran circles around us during processions around the house. And the jubilation on his face when he got to hold the cross! He also loved the funeral bier, which he called "church" and the flower petals were irresistible to him! He picked them out of the bier and put them back in, over and over. He would not have gotten such hands-on experience had we been in church with everyone else.

Our house slowly transformed into a mini-church during Holy Week. Furniture shifted places. Icons from different parts of the house made appearances at our icon corner. Our funeral bier took over the dining room table. Candles, holy water, palms and willows, a censer, and a few other things graced the kitchen window sill so they could be kept away from little hands.

I didn't realize how many things are needed for Holy Week. We had trouble getting some of the things we needed because of the quarantine. We had to make do with votive tea lights and a few other candles we had tucked away because the stores didn't have many options. It was a wonder that we had enough candles for the 12 Gospel readings! I found flowers at our local grocery store so we could decorate the bier. The store didn't have rose petals, or even suitable roses, so I settled for tulips. Evelyn helped decorate the bier with me and she de-petalled the tulips. Tulip petals are edible btw as we had to Google that after Leo chewed up a few of them.

We had the Un-Nailing Vespers with a old cross that we kept in the basement. 

The body of Christ is removable so it served very well. 

Evelyn colored this Epitaphios from Many Mercies. She even colored a fringe along the sides. Ben put it in a frame and it looked for all the world like a real miniature epitaphios. 

It was a wonderful addition to our Holy Week!

We streamed the Paschal service from St. John Chrysostom in Fort Wayne, our previous church home.

It was good to hear the chanting in familiar voices.

"Come receive the light from the light that is never overtaken by night."

We used our Chrismation candles as those were the only ones we had left but it seemed more than fitting to use them.

On Easter morning we missed Agape Vespers as we were all too wiped out. Much later in the afternoon we set up an Easter egg hunt for Leo in our backyard. He was a master at getting the eggs in his basket but he needed some prompts on where to find the eggs. Evelyn and Dominic had fun helping him!

Blessed Bright Week to you all! 

Christ is Risen!