I cooked all day in preparation for Easter. I made a second cheesecake, 2 trays of brownies, and boiled easter eggs to dye. I spent more time reading articles on the Eucharist for my class at the Angelicum.
I was overwhelmed with awe at what I read: while the high priest of the Mass is Christ and the priest is an instrument of Christ, the faithful may, through charity and devotion approach a perfect participation in Christ's offering. Much depends, then, on their interior disposition. This is because a sacrifice involves a) the material offered (e.g. flesh); b) the act of offering (eg. slaughter; crucifixion); c) the interior intention and disposition of the priest. The whole sacrifice begins with (c), in that the sacrifice is not really a sacrifice if there is no interior disposition of love or desire for restoration with God. If the priest does not have a desire to honor God and give Him due praise, thanksgiving, and contrition, it is baseless. The interior disposition is the very foundation of the sacrifice. Then comes that material and the act of offering. The faithful have every chance to join with Christ in his perfect interior disposition, and by the grace of God (its impossible without grace, and is not a "work" in the Lutheran sense), the faithful's love and contrition can participate in Christ's perfect love and desire for restoration with communion/friendship with God. This made a big impact on me, and I spent the remaining time watching/participating in the Easter Vigil and Easter morning masses with great eagerness and devotion.
We participated in the pope's Easter Vigil mass in the Vatican as it was live-streamed. Then or family broke out the prosecco and cheesecake and had the most lovely "banquet" I have had in a long time. I actually had the thought, "This anticipates the heavenly banquet." I am grateful for my family.
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