Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to you all! Christ is risen!

Today, we are resting after the long, long Easter Vigil service last night. The service started at 8:30pm, but for the boys and Becky, choir practice started a full 90 minutes earlier. By the end, that was over four and a half hours of church for them.

Even for those outside the choir, the Easter Vigil is a service for the true die hard. Over three hours long, it starts in absolute darkness, like the darkness of the tomb of Jesus, and then we light a small fire and the very sombre lighting of the pascal candle. From there, candlelight spreads throughout the church congregation, and we proceed to the ancient Exultet, a full set of scripture readings, baptisms, and the holy Eucharist. Honestly, by the end of it, everybody was stifling yawns--even the priest, Father Tom.

The choir did exceptional work, considering their music and anthems filled the gaps between the nine or so readings of the night. Luke, who I've said is a very gifted sleeper, and being three hours past his bedtime, was able to actually put his head down and sleep between pieces, and magically awoke before the start of each next piece. Older members of the choir, like Bob Verdile, were absolutely amazed with this ability, and suggested that he might make an excellent surgeon some day.

After the very long service, we had dessert and champagne in the parish hall. With Lent over, I enjoyed a glass or two of the bubbly. And once I got home, and got the kids off the bed, I brought out my much beloved Ardbeg, and enjoyed its silky peatiness.

It has been a long, long Lent. But now, praise the Lord, it's Easter! Hallelujah!