Great Sabbath

In the monastery, we always observed the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter as a sort of Great Sabbath, because Jesus rested in the tomb on that day after the great work of Friday. We certainly worked, though, because there was always a lot to get ready for setting the church up for Easter services that begin after dark on Saturday evening. But we tried to make it a silent and reflective day.

The Great Sabbath here in the Dells dawned bright and sunny, but it is still only about 19 degreees out. Looks like we wound up with about ten inches of snow. From the reports, I gather Holy HIll got about a foot. I don't think many people made it up that steep hill yesterday. Now they are predicting more snow showers this afternoon and overnight and into tomorrow morning. No indication that it will amount to much more accumulation, but then on Thursday they told us to expect two to four inches yesterday and we got ten. It is a thankless job being a weatherperson this time of year!

Speaking of Holy Hill, Kristin called yesterday to ask me if her memories of the church were accurate and that it is an unusually beautiful place. She thought maybe because she was so young when she saw it, her mind had exaggerated it. But, no, it is a beautiful place. In 2006 Pope John Paul II declared it a basilica, a title given only to churches of exceptional historical, architectural or artistic significance. It is unusual for that honor to be given to a church out in the country like the Hill, and when it happens, it is normally a shrine church. Because we always call it Holy Hill, you may have forgotten that the official name is the National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians.

It is one of the most photographed and painted churches in America, especially popular as a backdrop for paintings of migrating birds, cardinals perched in evergreens and deer in the fields. The painting above is by Duane Geisness, a well-known wildlife artist. The title is Christmas Morning at Holy Hill, but this year it works for Easter, too.