Today marks the beginning of, what has become, my favorite week of the year. I've always loved the celebration of Easter but since I started observing Lent on my own, and then later on with our family, the joy of the Resurrection has become that much greater for me. For five weeks now, we have prepared, waited and watched for the resurrection of Our Lord. It has been a colder and frostier winter than usual for our part of the country. We're tired........wearied by the cold. On the calendar, spring arrived over a week ago. In our hearts, a new season is about to dawn. We can all sense it coming and the excitement is building.
This year, especially, the anticipation feels very great and very emotional to me. Maybe it's because I was confined to the couch a year ago and had to experience it all in stillness from home.
This morning at church, all the crosses were shrouded in preparation for the observances of this week. It was unsettling not to have those crosses as visual reminders of our redemption. I felt uncomfortable, almost vulnerable. And I thought of all those who, everyday, live without the hope of the cross in their lives.
My prayer, at this sacred time of year, is that the hope of Jesus's blood poured out for you and me will be experienced in a powerful way in our hearts.
Last year, I posted some links for observances of Stations of the Cross. I heard from friends who were blessed by those links so I'm posting them again this year.
Lord Jesus, come in glory!
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