How Ecumenical Can You Get!

Over a year ago, I became aware that Easter of 2017 was going to have a remarkable character,the main one being that the Orthodox and Western calendars line up together, which is infrequent if not rare.  Additionally, Passover also occurs in Holy Week which is bound to add a good deal of spiritual gravitas to the mix.  Also, Easter is fairly late this year, making Jerusalem weather far more predictable and hopefully more pleasant with winter completed.  My spiritual geek is most excited by the prospect of descending the Mount of Olives with a truely ecumenical crowd of witnesses, revisiting the "Upper Room" on Maundy Thursday, walking the "real" Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, and being present in the Church of the Holy Sepulchur when the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem emerges from the tomb to announce" He is Risen" in Greek, of course, which I have never learned to say, let along write. I'm not sure that it is possible to experience a spiritual overload, but I am willing to try!

This is enough for a first post from O'Hare.  More to come as these most holy of days run their course.