​Burning the Midnight Oil

Saturday evening was a bit tough for me. 
 
I was pretty tired, after helping prepare and assist with the Holy Week liturgies, decorating chapel for Easter, dyeing eggs with our residents, and working my job at the reception desk.  (I’m not complaining, just stating facts.)
 
There was, however, to be no “early to bed” on this Night of nights. 
The Easter Vigil at the local parish church was to start at 8:30 p.m., and I was to do a reading. 
 
It was nice to only have one little responsibility after days of coordinating so many little details for liturgies at St. Anne’s.  Due to the late hour, we do not have a vigil here, where many of our residents retire early.
 
I walked the ten blocks to the church, navigating massive quantities of water from melting snow. 
 
Once the Mass started, I found myself struggling to stay attentive through the beautiful liturgy, though I was grateful to be there.  (I hadn’t had time to use the ladies’ room in advance, which did not help my efforts to keep focused.)
 
When the final ‘alleluias’ had been sung, we departed; night had fallen and so I rode back with my fellow Sister.
 
We got back to St. Anne’s and I finished preparing the chapel, placing the white cloth on the altar and adorning it with gold trim. 
 
I got into bed around midnight, thankful for being that far.
 
Easter Sunday ended up fairly busy as well, with various responsibilities. 
This morning, it was with continued satisfaction and joy that I returned our “Holy Week suitcase” to the sacristy cabinet, with cross veils, clapper, instruction sheets, and cross for veneration back inside again. 
 
As I had prayed, at the onset of Holy Week, for an open heart to enter into the mysteries at hand, I am now praying the same for this Easter season, which can also be difficult to enter into, since our minds which cannot grasp the wonder of it.

---