Easter Monday

I know that the celebration of Easter is so great that it cannot be contained in one day - thus the week-long Octave of Easter (ending on Divine Mercy Sunday), but I never realized how BIG Easter Monday is here in Rome.  It seems that everything is closed today (except the restaurants of course) so that people can continue the Easter celebration with their families.

So I headed over to the Square where, today, the Holy Father makes a special appearance from the window of the Papal Apartment to give a short address and pray the 12noon Regina Caeli (this is video just taken from today's prayer).  Security was VERY tight - everyone who even approached the square had to open their bags and everyone was "wanded" to search for metal.  I'm GLAD there is so much security - to protect everyone who gathers for these holy events.

During the Holy Father's brief remarks, he remembered in a special way the victims of yesterday's terrible attack against Christians in Pakistan, asking us all to remember them in our prayers.  He also had us repeat, three times, Christ our hope is Risen!.  He is Risen indeed!

Happy Easter!

Some photos I took there in St. Peter's Square...