Joyeuses Pâques

A cold and cloudy Easter Sunday here in Versailles.  Last night my spouse and the younger Frenchling made chocolates (bonbons au chocolat noir filled with white chocolate ganache and mashed strawberries).  This morning I sauntered out of bed and went up to the St. Louis Cathedral for the 11:00 Easter Mass led by our Bishop, Monseigneur Eric Aumonier.  It was a splendid event with incense, candles, the Bishop in full regalia (miter and crosier), and children in white (baptisms).  The mass itself was partly sung, partly spoken in a mixture of French and Latin.  I retained two things from the Bishop's sermon:  he reminded us of the sanctity of life and the importance of human dignity and he noted that we all too often forget that immigrants, like everyone else, merit both (I believe he added something about "walking in their shoes.) And then he briefly mentioned that this is a election year and noted that Christ did not say, "Privatisez votre foi." ("Privatize your faith.")  What he said was, "Soyez mon temoin."  ("Be my witness.")

Tonight we will break with family tradition and skip the gigot (lamb roast).  Salmon, mashed potatoes and  strawberry tarts are on the menu.  It's cold enough to make a fire and I plan to spend the rest of my day toasting my toes and catching up on my reading.

Happy Easter, everyone!