I am definitely not claiming to be an expert after four hours at a one year old’s birthday, but it was fascinating to see, taste and feel some of the culture of Eritrea yesterday.
Food?: in one word, spicy. Rather spicy. And for poor me, who cannot handle any chilli, I was glad to [...]
Troparion:
By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile
And by your longing for God you brought forth fruits in abundance.
By the radiance of miracles you illuminated the whole universe.
O our holy Father John Climacus, pray to Christ our God to save our souls.
Kontakion:
You offered us your teachings as fruits of everlasting freshness,
To sweeten [...]
My sincerest and most heartfelt thanks again to all for their most wonderful and comforting comments: and the birthday wishes. With lunch on Thursday, chocolate brownies and cake on Friday, being treated to breakfast by Singing Semele this morning, and the actual birthday tomorrow, it is a four-day celebration. I feel very special!
The reason [...]
As if the chocolate brownies were not enough, I have just been sung Happy Birthday as a enormous cake with cherries and chocolate and all manner of delicious tempting treats was delivered to my desk. Oh my.
But first, thank you all. I do not know what else to say. This is truly a most wondrous community, and I feel blessed to know you all — if most, only virtually, though I have had the great blessing and honour of meeting a few of you. And I hope for [...]
truthsign wrote a post here which sums up my experiences with depression: and particularly with emerging from its dark, foggy grip:
…there is no way to make it happen, all you can do is wait. And when it happens, there is no way of knowing how long it will last, before the clouds come over again.
I [...]
I receive my latest St Vladimir’s Seminary Press Book Club package. Hurrah.
Macarius of Jerusalem: Letter to the Armenians, AD 335; Abraham Terian.
In his Letter to the Armenians, Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem, draws on local tradition to respond to queries by the nascent Armenian Church regarding baptism and the Eucharist.
Orthodox Readings of Augustine; George E. [...]
Troparion:
Today is the beginning of our salvation,
The revelation of the eternal mystery!
The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin
As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.
Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos:
Rejoice, O Full of Grace,
The Lord is with You!
March 25, nine months before December 25, Christmas Day, is the Great Feast [...]
O Lord, save Your people,
and bless Your inheritance.
Grant victories to Your people
over their adversaries.
And by virtue of Your Cross,
preserve Your habitation.
Before Your Cross,
we bow down in worship, O Master;
and your Holy Resurrection
we praise and glorify!
It does not seem possible that we are midway through Great Lent already: but we are, here on the Third Sunday [...]
A great night last night; we had a party in the parents’ backyard to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday. The rain, which came in spurts during the day, cleared for a pleasant evening of food, friends and family. About 70 or so people came [I do not think the backyard has seen such [...]