Today, I served at the 8 a.m. service at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood, as the crucifer. The crucifer is the person who carries the cross in the procession and recession and also rings the bells during the Mass. I love serving at the altar with my fellow acolytes. Not only do we get the best seat in the house since we can see everything up close during the Mass, but we also share a sense of camaraderie based on our desire to do our small part to serve our church.

The church was beautifully decorated for this, the highest of Holy Days in the Christian church. I have “borrowed” one photo from Eddie Fritz, a fellow St. Thomas parishioner and Facebook friend, just to give you an idea of how lovely the church looked. (Eddie, I hope this is okay.) I saw lots of friends, both new and old, and was happy to be surrounded by such love. I am grateful for St. Thomas the Apostle, my home away from home, and I always feel a special connection there.

In the afternoon, Ray and I went to our daughter Sarah’s house, where we had lunch with Sarah, Rachael (our youngest daughter), and her boyfriend, Andrew. Gregorio is in Mexico with the kids and they are visiting his family there, so it was a rare visit with Sarah all alone. I brought small gifts and a card for each of the kids upon their return. I know they are enjoying their visit with their grandma and grandpa, aunt, uncle, and first cousin in Ensenada. Our middle daughter Liz, her husband Ron, and their son Ethan were visiting friends in Merced, where Ron and his friend, Brandon, participated in a race that included an obstacle course. We missed them but knew they were having fun. We will see them tomorrow, and Ethan can get his Easter card and gift then.

We are happy about our day and are also glad to be safely back home, snug and cozy.

What a lovely Easter Day. Hallelujah.

St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood (Photo credit Eddie Fritz)