One final trip in my Easter reflections to 2003 when I had just started as Pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in John Day in Central Oregon, a small country parish in the high desert. I had only been there 2 weeks and could not decorate much as I had hardly any resources and help. But I set up the Easter display in front of the altar with a simple wooden cross and a white cloth hanging form the horizontal beams, besides some palms from the previous Sunday’s celebration. To connect with Holy Thursday then I added a bunch of grapes and some wheat. The Paschal Candle stands in the sanctuary until Pentecost to symbolize the presence of the Risen Christ. It is my custom to bless it and incense it also during the funerals taking place at Easter time. Some priests who concelebrated with me during my sister’s funeral were surprised by this, but liked the idea, and promised me they will do likewise from now on, to accentuate the presence of the Risen Christ, especially as we aim at emphasizing life over death, light over darkness.
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