The Church Of The Holy Rood -- Wool, Dorset, U.K.
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The Church Of The Holy Rood -- Wool, Dorset, U.K.
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Parish News April 2007Easter is second only to Christmas in being the most celebrated of Christian festivals. It begins on Good Friday or God's Friday. In time gone by only really essential work was carried out on this day, such as feeding the livestock on farms. After attending a Service at church, most countrymen would spend the day sowing and planning in their gardens. Good Friday was the acknowledged time for planting potatoes, because the devil was said to have no power over the sod on that day. The special association of Hot Cross Buns with Good Friday began only after the Reformation. Before that it was customary to mark all dough with a cross, before it went in the oven, to ward off the evil spirits who might prevent it rising. Easter Eve and the hiding of eggs has its roots way back in the mists of time but today we are reminded of the new life, the resurrection of Jesus. In the past it was the practice to hold a Midnight Mass so that Holy Communion could be shared soon after midnight, as early as possible on the day of our Lord's resurrection. Sometimes baptisms were incorporated into this service. Today it is more likely to happen in the morning service, because Easter is a very special time for Baptism. Here at Holy Rood, Easter day will start at 6am with the ceremony of the Easter fire, where a small bonfire will be lit outside the Church and a candle lighted from it. This is then carried into a darkened Church to symbolise the light of the risen Christ in the world. Now, after six weeks fasting, Christians will be rejoicing, bells will be ringing and everyone celebrates the glorious resurrection of Christ with joyous services of worship and song. Someone once said “Easter is for remembering. Remember that it is good to be alive. Because a man once died at Easter – and he was so full of life that he wouldn't stay dead. He leapt up again when no one was looking and made everybody jump and laugh. Now if you always remember Easter, and the man who died, then you'll always be alive” My prayer is that we will all meet the risen Christ as we pilgrim on. - Jenny Hunt (Reader) |
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