On this the 4th day of Christmas I wish you all the joy and beauty during this Nativity season. Despite what the culture around us says, Christmas just began on the 25th of December, not ended. We are excited to be celebrating all week long. I was very pleasantly surprised to see this reminder on… Continue reading Christ is Born!
Today marks the middle of the Feast of Feasts! Pascha is a 40 day feast! So wonderfully full of joy and excitement, celebrating the victory over death! I love that Pascha is 40 days long! Mostly because I need time to come out of the "Bright Week Blues". Have you ever heard of that term,… Continue reading Midfeast-Christ is risen!
Thursday evening we gathered together in Church to sing, to worship, to give thanks to our God Who has come into the world through the Virgin. This day we honored Mary who gave her entire being in service to our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, our Savior. She never hesitated. She said yes to the… Continue reading This Week’s Hymnography
And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according… Continue reading “Now Lettest Thou Thy Servant Depart in Peace”
This is one of the most beautiful prayers I have heard and I just had to share it with you all! It was said today as we blessed the creek behind the church. I have added some photos of our outdoor water blessing. The rain stopped just for us today! The emphasis is my own,… Continue reading Blessed Feast of Theophany
One month ago today my priest gave a sermon that I have been thinking on over the last month. He talked a great deal about the darkness of this world and how through the season we were approaching, Nativity, Theophany and even all the way to February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation of our… Continue reading The Whole Universe was Filled with Light
Today we celebrate my second favorite Great Feast of the Church...the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross! Absolutely beautiful! We honor the Cross, for by it Joy has come into all the world! I am going to do a kind of "guest post" today by taking the essay from the OCA.org website on The Universal Exaltation… Continue reading The Cross
Mary. The Virgin Mother of God. The Theotokos. She is known by many names. When I was growing up the only thing I knew of her was from my Catholic friends and my ignorant mind seemed to think that they just worshiped Mary and that just seemed wrong. Fast forward 40 years and I know… Continue reading Dormition
The Cross of our Lord! There is no debate, or there shouldn't be, that the Cross is by far the most recognized symbol of Christianity. Because, through the Cross, salvation has come into all the world. Joy has come into all the world! Without the Cross, we have nothing. This day, in the Orthodox Church,… Continue reading Life-Creating Cross of the Lord
The Journey to Joy for me involves daily reminders of the presence of God. What is not seen or heard is often forgotten in the rush of our daily lives. So I must fill my days with physical reminders of Him, the Resurrection and the life of all. He Who sustains me. On Sunday, June… Continue reading Oh Heavenly King
Kindler of Joy! 