From the Rector: Counting our Easter Blessings

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Spy Wednesday 2021

It is the Wednesday in Holy Week, and the copier is working overtime, producing the leaflets for the next few days. Last year at this time there were no leaflets to duplicate, because last year we were in lockdown for Holy Week. All of the Holy Week and Easter Day services were only online.

We give thanks that we are able to meet in person this year even though the pandemic still requires many limitations to our worship. We shall gather in person, but there will be no washing of feet on Maundy Thursday, no kissing of the cross on Good Friday, and no sprinkling with blessed water at the Easter Vigil. Perhaps for the Protestant the pandemic is welcome news!

Despite these limitations, it is wonderful to be able to worship together in the flesh. We are not requiring pre-registration for any of our Holy Week services, but we will be documenting who attends each service as is our practice. Whereas in the past we had two or three Easter services, this year we have four Easter services scheduled in order to spread out the congregation.

Each Easter service this year is unique. The Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday night at 7:00 pm begins in darkness, leading us into the first mass of Easter. We will hear popular stories from scripture such as the Creation, the Flood, the Exodus, and the Valley of the Dry Bones. Easter Day commences with Paschal Matins and Mass at 9:00 am, a format allowed by our prayer book in which we begin with Morning Prayer and end with the mass. The Easter Day Solemn Mass at 10:30 am will have beautiful music and ritual as is to be expected. Easter Day ends with a quiet mass in the evening at 5:00 pm. The Gospel for the evening mass is the Emmaus story, when the disciples discover Jesus in the breaking of the bread. All four liturgies are meaningful in their respective ways.

This will be our second Easter in the pandemic, and yet we count our blessings that the message of the Risen Christ is relevant in any circumstance. Easter was powerful last year, and it shall be powerful again this year. On behalf of St. Mark’s, I wish you and your loved ones a blessed Easter.

Father Paul Lillie +