Easter Octave Update

Today is Mom's first anniversary in Heaven. She died on the 4th Sunday of Easter, but her final illness manifested itself that Good Friday (I had gotten a voicemail from her while on retreat at Mundelein--where we spent Good Friday this year, too), so this weekend has been pretty intense for me. Add to that the funeral I attended while visiting New Orleans in March (my Dad's cousin, who was "Aunt Rosie" to us) and the fact that "Uncle Tommy" (yes, Rosie's husband of almost 60 years) died on Palm Sunday, along with the deaths of my dear friend's Mom ("Miss Linda") in March, and my childhood neighbor "Miss Betty" just two weeks ago, and it seems as though the whole year was marked with reminders that we were not created for the limited life of earth. Easter puts the ultimate period at the end of that sentence.

When I was first making plans for my imminent transfer, April 22 seemed like a good date, because our bookstore is closed on Easter Monday, giving me a day after the feast day to finalize everything and have a real "good-bye" with the sisters. A bit after the fact, it occurred to me that I would be leaving the States the day after Mom's anniversary, marking a kind of double transition in life. Only it is not working out quite as planned. My visa application was delayed, and--as it turns out--will only appear on the desk in the British Consulate on Tuesday, since they are closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday! That leaves me in a kind of Holy Saturday sort of Limbo, not knowing the day or the hour of my departure. I talked about this and more on the Catholic Weekend podcast, in case you missed it during the live stream on Saturday. (Be sure to check the program page to find out how to get a random holy card from me from my two and a half pound box of holy card detachments.)

We're still hoping, as a community, to have a good-bye today (taking advantage of a restaurant gift card we were given so long ago we are praying the restaurant will honor it!), but after that it is "hurry up and wait" until my passport, and the hoped-for visa, are delivered.

Meanwhile, it's the Easter Season and time again for praying the "Regina Coeli" morning, noon and evening.