The Lenten Journey

By Elizabeth Foss
Herald Columnist
(From the issue of 3/3/05)

As we journey together as a family through Lent towards Easter, our trusty book basket is overflowing with stories that bring the season to life. First are two picture books begun the first week of Lent and left unfinished. They are The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith and The Easter Story by Gennady Spirin. Both are beautifully illustrated in different styles and with both, we’ll stop with the crucifixion and save the rest of the story for Easter.

Other Lenten books include Benjamin’s Box, by Melody Carlson, the story of a young boy who follows Jesus through Jerusalem and collects mementos along the way. "Resurrection Eggs" are plastic eggs filled with the mementos from the story that really captivate young readers. One caveat is a reference towards the end of the story to the Eucharist as "symbolic." I use that to point up differences between our belief in the Real Presence and the belief of the Protestant author. In The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Ellwell Hunt, three trees have plans of worldly grandeur; instead they become the crib in which the infant Jesus slept, the boat in which He performed a miracle and the cross on which He died. Alternatively, The Legend of the Three Trees by Catherine McCafferty presents a different version of the tale, a version that is available in a beautifully done video.

Two feasts that occur during Lent are represented in the book basket as well. On St. Patrick’s day, we like to read Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie de Paola. A new one (for us) this year is St. Patrick’s Summer by Marigold Hunt. It’s out of print but several used copies are available out there for those who enjoy the hunt. For St. Joseph’s feast on March 19, we like to revisit Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi. It is the story of the swallows of San Juan Capistrano who always migrate back to the Mission on St. Joseph’s Day.

A beautiful book for Holy Week is The Way of the Cross: Holy Week, The Stations of the Cross and the Resurrection by Inos Biffi. This book is also out of print and not readily available, so if you find one (and you can afford it) count yourself very blessed.

Petook: An Easter Story was written by one of my favorite authors, Caryll Houselander and illustrated by our favorite children’s storyteller, Tomie de Paola. It tells the story of Petook, a rooster whose brood is ruffled by a young boy in Jerusalem. Although he is concerned at first, the rooster learns that the boy is very kind. Many years later, the same boy, now grown, is crucified on a hill near Petook’s home. The story is a beautifully crafted tale of life, death and new life.

My older children will spend Lent doing an in-depth study of the Easter Vigil that was shared with me by my dear friend, Alice Gunther. During the study, we’ll learn all the rich paschal symbolism of the liturgy. My little ones will spend some time with A Peek Into My Church by Wendy Goody and Veronica Kelly. We’ll take our time poking through this book, absorbing all the richness of the Catholic Church. Since we "go to church" ordinarily in a school gym, the Vigil study and the study of traditional churches will make a visit to the Basilica for the Easter Vigil especially meaningful.

During Easter week, we’ll enjoy decorating eggs with the Easter symbols we’ve learned and we’ll read Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco. The story is delightful and the illustrations brightly depict the beauty of Ukranian Easter Eggs.

The path from Lent towards Easter can be a long one and often it is easy to lose our focus. It our calling as mothers in the heart of the domestic Church to take some time to prepare our hearts, our homes and our families in a meaningful way to participate fully in the glorious celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection. One way to do that is to bring beautiful books into the lives of your family, books that become treasures and traditions of the season for yours to come.

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