THE ALLELUIA EGG

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “The Alluluia Egg.”

I was going to say a few words this morning just on the word “Alleulia” – because we use it so many times – especially at Easter Time.

THE ALLELUIA EGG

While doing some research last night about the word, “alleluia” – I came across the mention of the Alleluia Egg. I had never heard of it – nor do I know how wide spread the custom goes. The Alleluia Egg is a Golden Egg that is hidden along with all the other eggs for kids to find at Easter time.

When you find the Golden Egg – you’re the big winner – and you might yell, “Praise God” – the actual meaning of the word, “Alleluia”.

I was up at my niece Patty’s house in Reisterstown for Easter Dinner and before dinner they had the Easter Egg hunt once more – outside – and all over the place. Patty’s kids and some cousins – even though three kids are finished college – a cousin is at the Naval Academy and one kid is a freshman in High School. The kids love the custom and don’t want to ever see it end – especially because there is money in various amounts – all green – to be found inside each plastic egg.

MEMORIES

In doing my reading I found out that eggs – and painting them – and hiding and finding them goes way back into the history of various cultures and religions. Eggs symbolize spring. Eggs symbolize new life. Eggs symbolize the world – the shell the sky – and inside is the floating world – water and earth. Christians painted eggs red to show that Christ redeemed the world through his blood. People must have time on their hands so all the other colors came as well, especially the Golden Egg.

While reading, I noticed a family story told by a Monsignor Hellreigel – I’m assuming he’s the famous theologian on the Mass. He told the story in a sermon – telling everyone about how on one Easter he found the Golden Egg – over his ten brothers and sisters. It was painted gold and had written on its shell, “Alleluia!” But he forgot to tell what the prize for finding it was – till some kid jumped out into the main aisle and started waiving his hands and the priest said, “What happened?” And the kid said, “Please Father, tell us what was the prize?” “Oh,” the priest said, “The prize was a luscious German sweet cake, large enough to last any little boy a week or so. It was covered with cinnamon and sugar and nuts and the center sometimes had a Stollen filling.”

Reading that triggered a family story and memory our family likes to tell. A long time after Easter one of my brother’s daughters – he had 7 of them – no boys – opened up a jar of peanut butter from the very back of the refrigerator and you know that peanut butter doesn’t have to be refrigerated – but after they got into it, there was the Golden Egg. Somewhere along the line somebody came up with the idea of hiding Easter eggs and really hiding the Golden Egg. Nobody had found it that Easter – and in the meanwhile my brother had died of melanoma.

CONCLUSION

I hear churchy people complaining about Easter Eggs at Easter,

Santa Claus at Christmas, Hearts at Valentine’s Day, and Trick or Treat at Halloween. I would suggest we tell about the deep human and spiritual and religious background of many of these celebrations and customs. I would suggest a tiny bit of research.

After all, we’re all hunters and searchers – and sometimes we’re hunting for money or sweets – or the honor of being the top finder - great – but the Easter message is to be a searcher for Christ like Mary and when you find him, don’t let them go. Be a clinger like Mary Magdalene.