REBIRTH- RENEWAL + RESURRECTION

Dear Friends
Easter was a particularly special one for me this year, with all the elements of Rebirth, Renewal and Resurrection !
Holy week in itself was unique, with beautiful services of ; Reconciliation, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday; All thanks to Fr. John Vianney, who set the tone which led us from the Celebration of Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem, thru the washing of the feet on Thursday ,into the Way of the Cross , the reading of the “Passion” and the Veneration of the cross on Friday.
-----Easter Vigil Service of Light began outside with a bonfire!

By the time we arrived at the Easter Vigil Service Of Light, with a bonfire aglow, we were spiritually ready to process into a darkened church , soon to be bathed in candle light initiated from the Pascal candle. -----Michael visited over Palm Sunday Weekend, celebrating one year since his Baptism. Here he is looking at my display of palms, while I am dressed and ready for a day of work.
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-----Palm Sunday-We all processed thru the hospital singing --Hosannah

Both Dr. Lou and I added an American voice as lectors : I with the first Genesis reading and he with the only new testament reading prior to the gospel. I felt honored to read the story of Creation ; slowly and with a feeling and an understanding that up to now had eluded me. As I started to read “In the beginning God created heaven and earth”, I had a knowing that whether one chose to believe this scripture as a literal interpretation or a metaphorical one mattered not, what mattered was that when God created the world, “He saw that it was good” .
Dr .Lou read from Romans 6(3-11) “as Christ was raised from the dead in God’s glory, we too might live a new life.” As Louie read clearly and distinctly these words of promise, I felt a sense that , perhaps they had been written just for me, as a reminder -----that I might start again to live a New Life in Christ.
How fortunate we all are to be given a second, a third, an innumerable number of chances to “get it right” I, for one, seem to need as many opportunities as possible to start over , to live a new life. It can be discouraging when I consider my faults, my misgiving, the same old traps I fall into over and over again. Yet it is then that I imagine God looks lovingly at me, smiles at my goof-up’s and says “ IT IS GOOD, you are good, the world is good. I made it, I should know”-smile .

I had the opportunity to teach 9 young women the ”Emmanuel” Liturgical Dance that so many have performed at* Heartsong Retreats over the past 18 years. Eight young Nursing Students and Sofie, a young student from Sweden doing her internship in Uganda . They were beautiful, reverent and with the added touch of the traditional skirt-wrap adorning each dancer, it was truly a Praise Dance worthy of a King –Christ the King.

Many of the better pics were taken by Diana at our final rehearsal Sat. afternoon, hence the variation in dress both for the dancers and the altar.

-------------------------GOD IS WITH US!

I pray your Easter was filled with Rebirth, Renewal and Resurrection, as was mine.
-------------------------------------Marie

* Heartsong Retreats- two retreats a year for those infected and affected by HIV-AIDS
Subiaco Abbey, Subiaco, Arkansas USA---

-------Marie looking on approvingly- Easter Vigil Service

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