During Lent, we prepare for Pascha by reading the Old Testament. This comes from the early church tradition of bringing people into the church on Holy Saturday (a practice observed often in our church today). Last Friday, therefore, we finished up our readings of Genesis (“And Jacob drew his feet up onto his bed…and Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years...” Genesis 49 and 50) The other book we’ve been reading during Lent is Proverbs. At the end of Proverbs we hear the description of a wise wife that includes this passage:

21She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

Now, I’ve always suspected it was a translation issue, and that was confirmed when I read the new OSB. However, I’ve always liked this translation and smile when I hear it. It was particularly appropriate as this is what I woke up to on Saturday morning.
Xavier’s game was snowed out (on April 19th! Can you believe it?) and we had our Palm Sunday Procession while it was snowing (but not sticking) on Sunday after Liturgy. Papa Herman on the other side of the mountains mentioned snow during their Palm Sunday fish dinner as well.

These first two days of Holy Week remind us of the Fig Tree and the Wise and Foolish Virgins. May these parables prepare me as the readings of Genesis and Proverbs do for the Great Pascha of our Lord coming so swiftly

Behold, the Bridegroom cometh in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom He shall find watching; and again unworthy is he whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore, O my soul, lest thou be overcome with sleep, lest thou be given up to death, and be shut out from the Kingdom. But rouse thyself and cry: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God, through the Mother of God, have mercy on us.