Easter, Baby! Christ has Risen! And Ashley´s Confirmation!

...............................................................................................................................
Well Easter is comming up and I am really excited for everything that is going to take place and cant wait to feel the Lord at work during this time. I love this time of year, Holy Thrusday, Good Friday, and of course the Easter Vigil at Christ the King. Very Epic. Very epic indeed.

THursday was the first day of teh Tridium. I was glad to be taken in with the Caldwell family to have the cedar meal. The cedar meal was the meal us Christians have in memory of the Passover when the Hebrews were in Egypt in their last effort to be freed from Pharaoh´s hand. So there are some bitter herbs and flat bread and lamb. It was great. Along with our dandy little brown book from the community, the same one my family has back home, we went through the ceremony and I was very honored to be with them and taken in at this time of celebration when I am away from home. The mass was spectacular and very full for a Holy Thursday mass. That only gave a slight peak for the things to come.


That night we had a Good Friday Vigil on the diag held my UCO. I thought it was well done, with good things to meditate on and a big wooden cross that we moved throughout the Diag. THen we had shifts over the night for people to stay and pray with the cross. Very powerful.

UCO Good Friday Vigil

Friday was almost the same deal. I didnt go to clases at all. Infact, I stoped doing anything school wise since that Cedar meal. No more. It was time to feel the Lord and dwell in what he has done for us. And it was well worth it. The mass on Friday was very somber yet very powerful. Again Rina and her family took me in, and what a time. After the mass the youth there had a love stations of teh cross and it was great to see them and talk to them afterwords. At Rina´s house we hung for a w hile and then wathed the passion of the Christ, and every time I watch that movie it makes me pumped. I dont know if that sounds right, but I cringe and then it pumps me up to live for the Lord. THat might be a weird effect, btu thats what happends. I see what Jesus did for me and I do cringe, its painful to see himself allow to be torchered in a way that is veiwed as the most painful way to die in human history. Its is painful, but it makes me strong, knowing that he did that for me and the rest of the world and there is no reason on earth I should not give my life for him and live for him every moment of every day. It inspired me and "pumps" me to be better. it challenges me and even though this is a movie you cant watch often, it still gies me that inspired feeling. It was great.

The whole week I had slept very litte, between 4-6 hours a night. But again I went to bed late and again I had to get up early. I had a basketball clinic with some kids of the community and the basketball team. Had to get all taht done and prepared for and then nothing much to do but wait and help with give aways and signatures.

But wafterwards it was pretty crazy. I had to find a suit for both easter and the basketball banquet on Monday. I finally foundone I could use with the seromics, so I rushed and got the suit and picked some flowers for Ashley´s confirmation. Yes, Ashley, my good friend, was getting confirmed int eh catholic church today and I was so excited! I was kinda like the dude that got the ball rolling on this one. She told me that she had not gotten confirmed in High Shcool and I told her she should get it sooner than later and egan looking into it and then we found Rina as the option sent my heaven for Ashley. The the last two days was just full of excitment for us three to see this event to finally come to place. So yeah, I bought flowers for the best time in my life and I thought they looked cool. I mean, I didnt feel ashamed holding them in my hands and walking around, they were that cool. Definately Pinedo Approved. Then I had to get ready and get my gifts for shely ready,a nd also prepare this sweet magic trick. I literally came up with the trick in my head the nigth before that was very complicated but very amazing. I have never heard of anything like this before, and it was all ust me thinking of what I wanted and how it could be done and somehow it pulled together which was awesome considering that I never had a chance to practice it and it was probbobly the most difficult and complicated trick I have ever done.

Right when I got there I gave her the flowers and then did the trick. This is what went down: Ashley picked the four of hearts. So there I went, got her card, wrote Ashley on the top left corner on the red heart and ripped the corner off. I put the corner down and gave Ashley the rest of the torn card to hold on too. Second, I asked Mrs. Caldwell if she could shuffle, and everyone laughed when she said emphatically “No!” hahaha. So I had her cut and she put the card in the middle and closed the deck. I then procedded to put the cards in the deck. I then put the closed and sealed deck on the little table next to the couch. I put tissue paper over the case case, just to cover it. And then I pulled out the lighter and slowly lit the middle of the paper so that it exploaded in flames all around it. The girls just staired at it with big eyes and covered mouths. I then slowely asked Ahsley to hand Rina the torn card that she had in her hands and pick up the deck. I told her it was still warm but ok. She was hesitant but carefully picked up the deck. At this point she still didn’t know what was inside. She didn’t feel it at least. I told her to slowly open the lid and see if all the cards disappeared leaving the one corner alone. She looked at me several times before she finally opened it and saw her black phone sticking out and then just rolled her head back and ensued in laughter. “Hahaha, I knew it! I knew you would make it appear! Hahaha!” And she thought the trick was over. She just kept laughing and Rina was there as well laughing. I told her to check her phone. Two missed messages. I told her to check the massages, but before she could, she exited the notice and then yelled again as she toticed that her signed torn 4 of hearts was on her wallpaper on her phone! She was going nuts and Rina too started going off! Haha, and then I told her to check her messages and she opened it up and it was a text and it said simply “4 of hearts” and she laughed even louder this time up and down and then showed Rina and she too did the same thing. I then put the phone down and matched the card with the corner on the wallpaper and it was a perfect fit, which let them loose again. How on earth did that corner get there so perfect!!?? I gave it back to the girls and they were so impressed and wowed, it was great. Wow that was a hard trick, but somehow I managed to get Ahsley´s signed croner of her selected card on her wallpaper after I had lit the deck on fire and there it was, a perfect match with the other part of the card, with a random text that had the selected card. I had just done the impossible and greatly impressed everyone. It was nuts. But that wasnt even the most magical part of the day.

The Excitment of finding the corner of the card
on the wallpaper of the phone. Perfect Match

We took pictures of course and then headed over to Christ the King. Noww this is the most epic mass there like ever. They go all out, literally. They have a huge chior and instrucments ranging formt he guitar to flute to eastern and jewish instruments to 2 harps...2 harps! Holy Cow! The place was loaded, but I was luck enough to be going with Ashley, who reserved me a seat since her family was there. So I was in the family group, it was pretty cool. And then the mass started and the Spirit just came down and hooked me from the back and just carried me up and down the entire mass! I was so overwelmed by the Spirit, it felt like we were playing, playing up and down and just fully entranced with teh Lord. Most of the time, and this was especially the case with the last two masses, when I feel the Lord I am very at peace and I can feel him just surrounding me and covering me. But this time I felt the spirit just lift me and give me full of enrgy and passion. Then the Gloria and oh my goodness! I remember the one from last year and was looking forward to this one and it was so good! From the choir to the bells ringing the whole time to the instruments and the 2 hardps they had, goodness gracious, it was amazing! So glorious! Haha I loved it! I was just adoring the lord the whole time and time just flew! Except for that one part, the part with Ashley getting confirmed. That was awesome.

Me, Rina, Ashley

Check out ém flowers. Yeah, thats right

Now as I said, teh anticipation for the ENTIRE year kept bulding and building as this day drew nearer. At this point and the last 2 days we would just yell randomly in excitment. An then it finally came. But then it took longer! Cause Ashley was second to last and they had a long group of people to go through and Father Ed was taking his time with each one. So here I am, the official fotogropher, and just palms sweety and the heart just going off teh wall and the Spirit was alive and inspiring me and I was jsut getting so so so excited and it was taking forever! Ahsley was up there and waiting and waited and was getting tired of looking up and smiling and looking down in reverence. And soon and soon! And I started to get the camera ready and look and zoom and take off flash and then put it on auto and finally the dude next to her got it and I didn’t move, so I waited for the moment Fr Ed moved his hand off his forehead so that I could jet up to the front and squat there. And right when he did I made my dash and was there and my ankle was killing me (I sprained it on my birthday. Look at last post) but I started to take picture after picture, as fast as I could. And after 3 shots I noticed the auto wasn’t taking any with flash but it was too late to go to manuel mode and put flash on, plus the glasses would glare and I was a bit off to do that and it would only create more distraction to move up some more. I was close as it was. I took some more and the the last 2 horizontally, and got a good shot of Ashely shaking Fr Eds hand with a huge smile. Right when he moved on I quicly went back and sat where the girls were sitting and waited for the last dude to be called and then everyone stood up and applauded and I was going nuts and hollering and I got Ashley´s attention and pumped my fist in the area and yelling my DP sayings and I was so ecxited and the Holy Spirit just rocked the whole sanctuary, one could feel it. I felt the sign of relief after she had the oil put upon her forehead, I felt all the anticipation and relaxation relax right at that moment. I felt the Holy Spirit come down and just crash into her and the reminent of that spilled over to me. I was just struck and it felt so good, but I knew that was nothing comparable to what either Ashley or Rina expereicned. It was incredible. I dont think I have ever experience that in a mass, EVER.

Exactly 11:07pm, April 11, 2009

After the mass there was an onslaught of people from St Mary and UCO that came to congradulate her. Tons of pictures. It was great. After all the pictures were taken and things were slowing down, we all mad eht emove to drive to Rina´s house to parte, that’s right, get the groove on. Mass began at 8:30. Ashley was confirmed at exactly 11:07pm. Mass ended at 12:15 am. Now it was 12:40 and we finally left in the cars. At the Caldwells we had scores of people. It was great. Got to alk with all the friends a lot and we had a piñata and food and it was great evern though it was so late. We had salsa and swing and then we jsut chilled till 4am talking and it was great totalk to Ashley about her whole experience and everything that she felt during lent and the mass. Wonderful, wonderful night indeed. Will never forget it. I got back and crashed, at 5am.

With Father Ed

Me and Ashley

Ashley with her Awesome Sponsor, Rina

With St. Mary Friends

I got a phone call from my friend, Patrick Flanagan at 10am. Great wake up call. He told me he was on my way to pick him up! Hahaha. So yeah I hurred and got ready. Pat is a long time friend. Talking with him on thursday after mass we discovered that we went to preschool together when I still lived here in Michigan a long time ago. So he picked me up and took me to his house where his whole family was celebrating easter. It had beens o long since I had been to his house and I still remember it with much detail from my earlier days. It was really great to see all the family again, and see Mr. Flanagan, who will be ordained as a Decon in may, and to see Chris of course, who hangs with us in UCO all the time. Pat is in seminary at St. Paul´s in Minnesota to be a priest.What a wonderful calling. He is like my one good friend that I have that is studying to be a priest. I dont have any friends back in Tecas that are going to be preist. Kinda dissapointing. But it was great to hang out with the family and play settlers and catch up and everything.

With Mr. Flanagan

Pat left, Me, and Chris Flanagan

Whole Flanagan Family

Then I went to another party, this one at the Seromics at 3pm and it was great as well. I have kinda joined their family line up for big events cause this is the 3rd time I come and it was wonderful as usual. They are really chill and love to talk about old stories of my parents in Michgian and the community here and tell me of how the Lord has worked in their lives and eat awesome pies. Yes, they are famous for their wines and pies and I love it. Completely aprove. It was great.

pies, Pies, PIES!

Juan Pablo getting his groove on

Seromics are Awesome

And that was easter for me. I t was great and epic and wonderful. i will definatly never forget how I expereicned confirmation with Ashley and Rina and I will definately hold that mass up for the best one I have ever been too. I am so fortunate to know those girls and to be apart of that. I am fortunate to have a community here that loves me and takes me in even though I hardly know them. The Lord is good and provides and takes care of us, adn that is always apparent in these wonderful times. I hope you all had a good Easter season and would love you to comment on what you did. The Lord Lives! Hallelujah!