Monday, February 19, 2007

Making Do on Monday: Preparing the Way

Lent begins in just two days. Like Advent, this is one of the more significant liturgical rythyms in our year. How important it is to celebrate the coming of His Glorious Resurrection by first preparing our minds... and homes. There are MANY, Many ways to prepare our minds and home for Lent and the coming Resurrection. Blogs everywhere are focused on this theme right now. So what you see here are just a few initial ideas for incorporating a sacrificial, sparse atmosphere in your home. Throughout Lent, we hope to post more ideas and reflections based on this season.

  • Cover all the statues and holy images in your home with a purple cloth. Many churches still do this, and it's a good practice to bring into our homes as well. Remember to unveil the crucifix on Good Friday.


  • Fill jars and vases with twigs or simple greens to decorate your home. I always love to see some "live" flowers in my bathroom especially so I'll be filling my little vase with a couple shapely branches from our cedar tree. Palm Sunday branches always look lovely in an arrangement. Of course, remember to replace all these with beautiful flowers come Easter Sunday.


  • Keep your meals simple to help take the focus off of food. And for you frog-eaters out there, I just learned that frog-legs are not considered meat and so are suitable Friday fare... so put that agonizing debate to rest and enjoy your amphibious meal.

  • Make a centerpiece out of a crown of thorns. There are several ways to make the crown itself--using a salt dough recipe to braid, or by fashioning a grapevine or willow wreath (these materials are available at any craft store if you just don't happen to have a vineyard in your backyard.) Many people use toothpicks planted in to represent the thorns. And children can pull out a toothpick every time they make a sacrifice or do a good deed (piggybacking on the Christmas creche idea). I plan on placing having some kind of candle in the middle of our crown and placing it all on a purple table runner which is likely to last longer than a tablecloth that will have to get washed after every meal around here.


  • Something new that we'll begin this year is to "bury the Alleluia" on the evening of Shrove Tuesday. This can be done many ways. Children can make an Alleluia banner or picture. I'll be using a blown-out or hard boiled egg, dyed red with white crayon stenciling the word "Alleluia" on it. We'll sing Alleluia loudly tapering off into a whisper until we hide it that evening and then we'll have a hunt for it on Easter Sunday... winner getting a delicious-tasting prize of course.

  • Participate in Operation Rice Bowl if you can. Many parishes participate in this program and they have little change collectors for you to take home and put money into. It's an awesome way for little kids to learn about sharing their coins and such with very needy people all over the world.

      • -Ellie

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      one of us :: 7:04 AM :: 3 Comments

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