Happy Easter

It is traditional for adults who are being baptized into the Catholic Church to do so on Easter, during the Easter Vigil. Tom used to be part of the RCIA Program (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Chicago, the parish now staffed by the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance (not the same Order as the Discalced Carmelites) and the parish within which I lived from 1998 until 2006. He did some graphics for the program and made them available for other parishes, too. The above represents some of the symbols of that rite: the Easter candle, the water of baptism and the oil used for confirmation, the laying on of hands.

Our Easter morning is sunny and without more snow -- at least so far -- and Tom headed south to Chicago early. He has a regular doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, and he will visit with Rebecca, David, John and his ex-in-laws while he is there. John called yesterday. He is still trying to decide where to go to law school. He was accepted at the University of Texas among others, and that seems a logical choice for a number of reasons: it is a good law school, he has family in the Austin area including an aunt who went to law school there, and it would be a nice place to live anyway. Of course, there are other factors that matter to John -- like where his current girlfriend may go. I imagine it will be a topic of discussion while Tom is there. I think they are having dinner with the Anastaplos tonight (Helen's parents). George is the famous law professor and Sarah's family is the one with Texas roots. It should be an interesting interaction.