Easter Sunday 20th April - a very moderate day

Easter Chick

Yesterday I couldn't resist these little chicks at the farm shop, and bought one for each of us. They are just the right size to fit in the palm of your hand... disconcertingly heavy though, as they are made of cast iron!

 We ate some chocolate,  but not loads (so far, the evening is yet young).

My zoom church was, as always, cheerful,  and friendly and welcoming. Normally, to avoid the chaos, one member of the congregation is 'the responder' for the service, and says all the congregational bits while the rest of us are muted but today we all said all the responses and had a joyful mini-chaos. (We did all mute ourselves for the humns; that would have been a step too far!

We had a good lunch - more in the line of what my mother-in-law would call 'an elegant sufficiency' than 'a right blow-out'.

It was very pleasant to sit and read and enjoy a peaceful day. 

I remember Easters when the children were small, frantically hiding Easter eggs around the garden while the children were distracted. Then the scurrying around trying to find them all, and finally the long process of 'how to divide them fairly' afterwards. They had a good system; first split them 50/50, then negotiate, as one preferred dark chocolate and the other preferred white chocolate. 

We've just had supper. Who knew that a leek, a carrot and a potato,  finely chopped, sweated in a smudge of butter and simmered with a vegetable stock cube (I use Kallo stock cubes) could taste so good. There's enough for another day too.

Music

'And when the Sabbath was past...' the gospel reading for today.

This setting of of the gospel, composed 500 years, ago interposes the traditional chants with glorious polyphony.

Dum Transisset Sabbatum by John Taverner (1490-1545), sung by the Tallis Scholars.

Latin:

Dum transisset Sabbatum,
Maria Magdalene et Maria Jacobi et Salome
emerunt aromata ut venientes ungerent Jesum.
Alleluia.
Et valde mane una sabbatorum veniunt ad monumentum orto iam sole ut venientes ungerent Jesum.
Alleluia.
Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto.
Alleluia.

English:

And when the Sabbath was past,
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome
had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
Alleluia.
And very early in the morning, the first day of the week,
they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun that they might come and anoint him.
Alleluia.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Alleluia.