At this month's prayer meeting in the Gruber home, the mood seemed somewhat somber. We had just observed Good Friday yesterday, which is always a highly charged and emotional time for the entire Church... plus, with the recent loss of a dear uncle and the news that a couple of people I know are terminally ill from cancer - it's been understandably a tough Holy Week. At least we had the excitement of welcoming a new participant - a friend's mother named, "Carmelita" - to Our Lady of Fatima Prayer Group.
So tonight, our group paid special homage to St. Joseph - the foster-father of Jesus and the designated Patron Saint of Departing Souls - invoking his special intercession in our faith lives and for our departing loved ones. We also reflected on and discussed our impressions of the Saint's hidden life, while venerating a rare cloak-relic - "Ex Pallio" - of St. Joseph from my ministry's custody. We found each other's feedback stimulating, as well as highly encouraging towards our shared admiration for this most venerated of men.
A closer view of the relics of the True
Cross of Jesus Christ (left) and the cloak of
St. Joseph, the earthly father of our Lord.
In addition, I also brought along my True Cross relic and that, too, held special significance as we prayed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Just the thought that we had a tiny sliver of wood in the room from the cross on which our Lord had suffered and died brought tears to the eyes of a few us. It was intense.
The atmosphere gradually lightened after the prayers ended and our potluck began. The food is always delicious every month, but this time, the dessert took center stage - our hosts made an Oreo-Chocolate/Vanilla Ice Cream dessert with a Custard-Rum Bread Pudding... and another friend bought a Strawberry Cheesecake Pie. I think I gained a couple of pounds over dinner but I just couldn't help it - everything was just too good and it was worth it.
By the time the night ended, we were all stuffed but filled with joy and excitement knowing that tomorrow would be Easter Sunday - the day celebrating Christ's triumph (and ours, too) over death! We bid each other good-bye and parted company until next month, feeling God's unconditional love and invigorating power enveloping us. It felt good, and for a few moments, it made me believe that Easter has somehow come a few hours early this year. So thank you, Jesus... Hallelujah!
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