Holy Week, Marching toward Pascha, & More Kindness from a Stranger

So I learned just in the last few days about Pascha (Easter) baskets in the Russian Orthodox tradition. As Toby and I were reading about them to the children tonight - from this wonderful resource that a new friend at our parish sent me today (and my Godmother sent me this weekend but I neglected to read it until today) - we realized that we have a number of things to get! 

One thing was an Easter basket cover. Naturally, being that Orthodoxy is such a small religion here in the States and Russian Orthodoxy even smaller, I was not entirely certain I'd be able to find what I wanted. But, sure enough, Etsy provided. 

This is what I ordered:

However, could it be here in time? I ordered it anyway and asked that the lady ship it in a way to get it here on time and let me know the difference in price and I'd pay. She messaged me within the hour and said, "I will absorb the cost of priority mail so that is arrives on time. Please light a candle for me and have A blessed Pascha." How kind is that? It is so appreciated and you bet we will! 

As the big day draws near, there are a thousand moving parts, all of them new to us. There will be many services. On Thursday there will be the Vesperal Divine Liturgy, Matins with the 12 Passion Gospels, as well as Confessions and getting kids to and from various classes and some shopping. The only service our priest did not consider essential for Catechumens as the Vesperal Divine Liturgy on this day. And, he's right. We need to take in every bit of it. 

On Friday, there will be Royal Hours, Vespers with the Removal from the Cross, then the Matins with the Lamentations. Oh, and getting kids to and from classes. 

On Saturday, the big day, we have the Baptism of the Catechumens (there are seven of us at this time, a record number at once we are told), the Vesperal Divine Liturgy at which we will receive the Eucharist for the first time as Russian Orthodox, then Paschal Nocturns.

On Sunday, at midnight, we will have Paschal Matins and Divine Liturgy. We will break our fast sometime at 3:00 a.m. communally (apparently after our Pascha baskets are blessed), then retire home to rest. At 3:00 p.m., we will return for Pashcal Vespers and our FEAST! The children will also hunt for Pascha eggs and then engage in a game of smacking each other's eggs to see whose red egg breaks first and which one endures. 

As this was explained to me, I was amused. It is actually not foreign to me. Catholic Cajuns do it as well. (Toby is a Cajun. I was born and raised in South Texas just north of Laredo.) It is called "paquing" there. How interesting that the Cajuns and Russians have something like this in common. You'd think their cultures would be entirely foreign to each other. That may be, but they have these similar traditions as other seemingly very different cultures do. These little things make me smile and wonder how much else we all have in common from the big stuff to the more mundane.

Anyway, we have much to do this week! Our Baptismal robes are in, but had to be altered. They were entirely too long. I don't have a picture of them to share just yet, but I will. I have ordered what I hope are very comfortable shoes (we stand for nearly the entirety of each service and some of these will go in excess of 2.5-3 hours; Orthodoxy is a very physical religion, you worship with your whole body and mind). Then there are red eggs to dye, our portion of the potluck Paschal feast to prepare, and many, many details, like dry clothes to take to put on after our baptisms, decorating for Pascha here at home, etc. Of course, in between all of this are the daily things, such as food and laundry. Only so much can be put off.

Lent in Orthodoxy is marked by Great Lent (as opposed to a slightly less rigorous Lent leading up to Christmas, which is called the Nativity). This involves the Great Fast which is basically vegan (which includes no fish but shellfish (simply because shellfish just weren't eaten at that time and so there was no need to restrict it and Orthodoxy just doesn't really change)), no eggs, no dairy, no animal products (like broth), no olive oil (some say no oil at all, but that's another debate I'll not get into), and no wine (which includes all alcohol). Now, on weekends you can have wine and olive oil. There are two days where fish are allowed: the Feast of the Annunciation and Palm Sunday. Now, unlike Catholicism where eating meat on a day where it is not allowed or not fasting on a day where it is required is a "mortal sin," in Orthodoxy, fasting is less about penance and more about spiritual growth. If you can master your body, you can master your passions (the term used for your sins) better. It is not necessarily a sin not to fast, but you aren't doing yourself any favors. I will confess: I have not perfectly followed the Great Fast. It has been harder than I imagined even as we have done more than we planned. Toby has done far better than I. That said, Toby and I are trying very hard to be strict this week as we head toward Pascha and our confirmations. We are less strict with the children, as is often the case. Eating according to the Great Fast requires a great deal of planning and preparation at best, but with my food allergies, it seems to be another layer of challenge. That said, we are doing our utmost this week. It seems appropriate. Some time, I will share a few things that we've relied upon. And, I am constantly looking for new recipes or modifying existing ones to be compliant. (This will be useful as we are to fast most Wednesdays and Fridays as well.) 

Anyway, I am all in preparation mode even as I have two more work days to get in before I take off. Speaking again of preparation, there were beautiful tulips at our local supermarket today (where I was buying eggs and Easter egg dye like nobody's business and on sale). I should have taken a picture. Alas, I am not good at being this kind of blogger yet. They were still like tight buds rather than opened. But it's too soon to buy them. I never allow myself tulips until we're decorating for Easter, which is usually Holy Saturday. This year, it will need to be earlier because we have so many additional services to attend and I want to take them all in and have the other details completed as much as possible before. I hope there are still good, fresh tulips when I need them. 🌷

I am trying to find the right balance between Martha and Mary. I tend more toward the wrong one on these things. 

But I am grateful for the obvious graces we are being shown even as there are times that are trying when you are engaging in spiritual growth. I will save that for another time. Or not. For now, Kassiblog, too! is to be a mostly positive place and there is much positivity happening in our lives right now. I hope everyone who celebrated Easter yesterday is having a blessed Easter Season. Please pray for your Orthodox brethren. We will be joining you soon! 

Thanks for reading! 

❤️☦