Embracing the empty tomb….

It’s Holy Saturday, and as I sit here in the quiet, I’m embracing the tomb. The huge stone rolled in front of a tomb that holds my Savior.

I’m drawn to the thoughts and feelings of those Apostles.

“What just happened? This man that we loved, who broke bread with us…that smile…that tenderness. How could He be taken from us?”

The bloody mess that they had to witness……the brutal beating that Christ endured. Watching someone whom you love crucified in front of you….all hope seems lost.

I want my kids to enter in to the meaning of Christ’s death and the loneliness of the tomb.

In order to celebrate the Glory of the Resurrection, we have to truly experience the gloom of the tomb.

On Good Friday, a few years ago, the hubs and I decided to “shut down” normal activities of our home following the 3 o’clock service at our church. For us, as adults, it meant cutting off the television, and spending more time in silence thinking about the Passion of Christ. However, what does that mean for the kids?!

It meant….locking up their toys….their activities.

Thus….we started sealing off their school room and basement.

The morning of Good Friday, the children help me to create a long banner that stretches over the frame of the entrance to their school room. This banner depicts various scenes of the Passion.

Here are some of the images of the children working this year:

Here are some of the beautiful images:

When we return from the service, the children help me put up the banner.

This sign is a reminder for them, that their “joys” lie behind here too. It’s a reminder that we can’t partake in what we normally do because we are sacrificing for the “sake of His Sorrowful Passion”. It’s beautiful to see the kiddos stop in front of here and stare.

Good Friday also starts our nightly Divine Mercy Novena which will run from  Good Friday until next Sunday, Mercy Sunday. You can read about this novena here. I would like to also recommend checking out the website Divine Mercy for Moms, as they have so many great resources.

Holy Saturday, often ushers in the beginning “feelings” of Spring. With gorgeous weather available, we decided to hit the local park for an egg hunt and some time playing.

It is a tradition that we also dye our Easter eggs on Holy Saturday. Last year, I figured out really quickly the beauty of dyeing eggs in our garage. No crazy mom screaming about dye on the floors or counters. I just set up the plastic tables…the children dye a few eggs and then head off riding their bikes when I clean up. Dyeing eggs is a great reminder to the children about the beauty of life and how eggs remind us of the tomb of Christ. Just as a baby chick leaves the egg, so did Christ leave his tomb and bring New Life to our souls.

We also “catch up” on our reading of “The Story of the First Easter” from our Lenten Tea on Thursday, making sure that the children realize that we have left Christ “in the tomb”.

This year,  we spent time watching “The Bible” series on TV with the kids. I’m always impressed by their insightful questions and the way the story of Bible history enfolds so beautifully in their minds.

In the next few days, we will be celebrating the joy of the empty tomb….and our Resurrected Savior.  Look for my post in the next few days about our Easter Celebration...and see the “running through” of our Good Friday banner on Easter.