E and F are for Expecting Feasting

I completely missed the letter E last week.  I wanted to combine e and f so that I could “catch up” but I kept thinking of things like “Evergreen Forests” (um, yes, I can see one in my backyard but that doesn’t mean I have anything to say about it!) or “Everlasting Father” (a great sounding topic that I am sure I could find something to say about our heavenly Father!) but then Supergirl said this:

“Is Lent almost over yet? I want to have biscuits and gravy. With Bacon. And sausage too!”

Lent officially ended Friday but the fasting won’t end for another week. This weekend is Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday.  They are not part of Lent and not part of Holy Week and we still keep the fast until after the Paschal Divine Liturgy. (We’ll break the fast together as a Church with a potluck of finger foods around 3am!)

So there is an air of expectation that the fasting will end soon and the feasting will begin! We’ll be making special bread made with milk, butter and eggs and a special cheese spread made with cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese and eggs. Yes, you spread it on the special bread.  And Supergirl is expecting to feast on biscuits and gravy with bacon and sausage. If you were at Pre-Sanctified with us on Friday night, yes that was her clapping when, at the end of the service, Father announced that Lent had concluded. She again reiterated her desire for biscuits and gravy. I had to remind her that though the season of Lent had ended, the fast continues.

Though it seems that we’re really focused on food (we are) it’s MORE than that. As we enter into Holy Week we experience the last few days of Christ’s earthly ministry and we are reminded of His sacrifice. When Pascha comes and we celebrate His resurrection we experience the joy and hope that His victory over death secures for us and it is only natural that we feast!

So with a week to go we are expecting feasting!