15 • Paschal preparations

Paschal Preparations

Sober Paschal preparations have been in full swing for many, many weeks, as we all know. But now, preparations of a different kind are building anticipation for the Feast of Christ's Resurrection in our home and especially the kitchen.

Starting back in early February, the church has been gently (and not-so-gently) guiding us through the steps to clean out our souls, filthy from inattention. Prayer and fasting have been the prescription, and their results are pretty amazing. It's like someone opening the blinds on these first warm sunny days, pulling the drapery all the way back, and allowing the bright light to filter in and reveal that which was hidden in the dark of winter: the dusty cobweb strings hanging in a corner, the fingerprints on the wall, the fine layer of grey that covers the figurines in the curio cabinet. Suddenly it's all visible, and filthy-looking -- and we are oh-so-motivated to conquer it all before the arrival of guests on Easter. But for the light of the Sun, we may not have even realized the house wasn't clean.

And then there's the baking -- the baking! With still two weeks to go, we've already baked the carrot cake cupcakes (now in the freezer), the kourabiethes (now soaking in the powdered sugar), and the tiropites (frozen and ready to go in the oven). Tonight we rolled out the first batch of koulourakia (pictured). All these special things we do to entice our guests, to show them how loved they are, and to set apart this day as particularly special.

Similarly, of course, we should be making a special place in our hearts for the arrival of the Guest of Honor. It's hard to believe that just two short weeks from right now we'll be in church, eagerly awaiting the Light of the Resurrection. I get a little shiver just thinking about that moment when all of these preparations come to fruition. There is nothing like Easter, nothing like the joy in your soul after preparing for the celebration. Nothing like opening wide the door at which Christ is always patiently knocking, confident that the dust and the cob webs have been wiped away, and that the table is filled with food appropriate for such a momentous occasion. Kalo Pascha everyone -- may these last two weeks of your lenten journey be blessed!