Lessons from candles

In the Old Form, we keep our candles burning throughout the service until the Gloria. Oh ya, in the old Form, that's about an hour long (if it's a High Mass)

Things I learned at EV
1) Children are a lot better behaved at Mass that's 3 hours long, the first hour in the dark, that starts at 8:30. I think even the ones that are usually the howlers were out as soon as they hit the pew. Don't hate me, but I have no intention of bringing my young children to Mass until I know that they can behave. St Therese's parents didn't bring their little ones to Mass. They left theirs with the crib tied together and then checked on them as soon as they got back. Nowadays, that's considered abusive (we have things like electrical fires...) so we'll get a babysitter.

2) Melting candles hurt. I've always known this, but the hour thing got it through my brain even more.

3) Using styrofoam cups as wax catchers is a *bad idea.* My candle did the coolest thing of melting almost all the way down (faster than ANYONE else there) and it pooled all the wax on the bottom, like a giant candle. But, because it was so low unless I held the candle straight up it burned through the styrofoam, creating a less than pleasant feeling on my fingers. So I went to get a new candle/ cup and the were out of cups. So I placed my candle in the pool of wax left by the previous one and held it until the Gloria. I felt kinda embarrased because James and I were the only ones who had to get new candles, then then I realized that by the time of the Gloria, we were the only ones with our candles still burning! I'm usually so much better with my candles, but I was trying my best to follow along with the Missal by the light of the candle, and to do that you have to tilt it, which causes the wax to drip more, and the candle to go down more quickly.

4) I'm not good with candles for long periods of time. I almost caught my hair on fire twice, my Missal twice (there are now wax spots on it at one part), my hair once, and I got wax on my dress.

The Mass was beautiful. This was my first year going to all three parts of the Old Triduum. I'll tell you this, it's very time consuming, but totally worth it. Amazingly beautiful, completely reverent, and very worthy of the occasion of Easter.

I have a couple of Easter traditions. First, is that I wear my special Easter dress. I was received into the Church seven years ago with that dress and I've worn it every year for Easter Vigil ever since (okay there was a problem one year with it so I wore it for Divine Mercy Sunday instead). Each year I put it on only for Easter, and remember that it's slightly see through. Each year I do something different to fix this issue, think "I'll have to fix this for next year" then forget about it. Being that this is the seventh year of my dress, I think that it is time to say goodbye. I am keeping the dress but I might convert it to a first communion/confirmation dress for my little girls (should we have any).

Second, I always cry at some point during Easter Vigil. My first year I cried only at Confirmation. It actually surprised me because Confirmation is the sacrament that I understand the least, and therefore have virtually no emotional connection to it. I didn't cry when receiving my first Blessed Sacrament, when I thought I would cry. I just felt more complete. Every year, though I cry at some point. A couple years ago it was right at the beginning when they sing that "Oh Happy Fault" part, because that's what my beloved Father Michael Kelley (may God rest his soul) chanted at my first Easter Vigil. It was either the Easter after he died that I cried or the year after that. It still breaks my heart that he is gone whenever I think of him. This year I've had virtually no emotional involvement with the preparation for Easter. Part of me feels guilty about this because I'm sure anticipating the wedding has something to do with it. But part of me also realizes that after seven years of marriage, James ad I aren't going to be looking forward to our anniversary in the same way. So I figure it may have something to do with that. Well, yesterday I went to receive, and as I was walking back, I started crying. The tradition lives on I guess... I was really not expecting that.

Well, I'm about to get ready for Easter Sunday Mass. James really likes going to it, so we're making it a tradition to go to both. God bless everyone and HAPPY EASTER!!!