Easter Morning In The Chapel

Happy Easter To All

In the Middle Ages in Northern Europe, Easter came at the End of the Long Harsh Winter, and the Season of Lent was a season of natural deprivation and Fasting. This Must have Magnified the importance of a message of Eternal Life and Re-birth, arriving with the return of Spring and the planting season. There was HOPE after All! In such a spirit I will take you to my Castle Chapel where the humble Castle folk are observing this Ancient Holy Day.....
I had HOPED to be able to show you some more of the Chapel ceiling painted.... but Alas, I have not finished it in time. The only thing I have to show you are the addition of a few Treasures for the Altar. You can barely see them in this photo.... but there is a small silver Cross-shaped Reliquary which is rumored to hold a sliver of the Real Cross.... it is hinged and opens to a small cavity inside for keeping priceless treasures! And the other Treasure is the Open Book I won from Erica Van Horn for helping her with a name for her shop..... it is Exquisite! (Thank You Erica!!!)

But it is Night here in the Castle Chapel.... Easter Eve, if you will.... and the Candles are lit in the Chapel while the devout keep their Vigil through the Night. In these times before the invention of Clocks to tell time, the Day was counted from sunset to sunset, with the Evening or Night part preceding the Day. Thus "A Night and a Day" meant the full cycle that we now call twenty-four hours. This explains why the "Eve" of so many Holidays is when the Holiday Begins!
So, here in the Chapel it is Night and those who await the Dawn are thinking about the Crucifixion and the Suffering of the Beloved Christ.......

Gazing on the painting on the Chapel wall....

And Wondering about the Miracle that follows....

Perhaps the humble folk catch a glimpse of the Gilded pages of the open Book on the Altar, and even though they cannot READ, or even understand the Words spoken in Latin that are read by the Learned Clergy...... they cannot fail to feel the AWE that the PICTURES and tales inspire.....

Perhaps Some of the Castle Folk are Keeping the Vigil through the night with Chanting and Prayer......

And PERHAPS some of them only arrive at the earliest Hours of Dawn to keep the Watch....

When the Candles of the Chapel are Extinguished and ALL the World is in DESPAIR........ and Hoping for that first light of Dawn...... do YOU see it just faintly lighting the windows? And DID you hear the First Bird of the Dawn Chorus?????

And the MOMENT when the Sun rises over the horizon and strikes the Chapel Windows.....

The MOMENT we have ALL been waiting for! As the light streams into the Chapel....

And SHINES upon the Painting of the Crucified Jesus.... as though to say.. "I have NOT died! Look around you! You ARE forgiven!"

And the Reader gazes, transfixed and humbled by the Beauty before him, and proclaims ....

"He Is Risen!"

And while I know that Easter Dawn reaches MOST of you well before it reaches this side of the World... I thought you would still like to see this Glimpse....

Easter Morning In The Chapel