Ave verum Corpus,
natum de Maria Virgine,
vere passum immolatum
in cruce pro homine,
cujus latus perforatum
unda fluxit sanguine:
Esto nobis praegustatum
in mortis examine. O dulcis,
O pie, O Jesu fili Mariae,
miserere mei. Amen.
(Hail, true Body, born of the Virgin Mary, who indeed suffered, sacrificed upon the cross for humankind, from whose pierced side flowed blood and water: Be to us a defense in death’s trial. O sweet, O holy, O Jesus, Son of Mary, have mercy on me. Amen.)
–thirteenth-century Eucharistic devotion (set to music by William Byrd)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we pray you to set your passion, cross, and death between your judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death. Give mercy and grace to the living; pardon and rest to the dead; to your holy Church peace and concord; and to us sinners everlasting life and glory; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Episcopal prayer for the Good Friday Triduum service, followed by the tolling of the Tower bell thirty-three times, and departure from the church in silence

May Almighty God, who has redeemed us and made us his children through the resurrection of his Son our Lord, bestow upon you the riches of his blessing. May God, who through the water of baptism has raised us from sin into newness of life, make you holy and worthy to be united with Christ for ever. May God, who has brought us out of bondage to sin into true and lasting freedom in the Redeemer, bring you to your eternal inheritance. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you forever. Amen.
–The Fourfold Easter Blessing

Well… Nick is entitled to gloat until kingdom come if he so desires. For all my love of free-spirited worship services and sensitivity to God’s movement from moment to moment, I have now also embraced the liturgy. For me, Holy Week usually consists of briefly remembering “Oh yeah, this is when the Last Supper happened” and “Oh … right … around this time Jesus was traipsing back to Pilate.” This year, it meant between three to five hours of church services every day from Thursday on. They were like physical exercise: I grumbled to myself about not having time, but as soon as they’d started, I knew how much I needed them. After kneeling with hundreds of others in quiet reflection and penitence during the preceding days, Easter Sunday’s service made me want to sing and sing and sing. (Luckily, there was even more music than usual!) There can be no resurrection without death.

On a more corporeal note, you have got to try Arizona iced blueberry white tea. I can’t even explain how good it is. Plus it has tons of vitamins! And, Claire sent me a letter, and it’s sunny, and life is generally peachy.

He is Risen!