routines

Today I started my first classes...Intro. to Sociology, and Philosophy of the Person. They both sound potentially interesting...I hope I don't get bored and that I can get into it and work hard and get good grades...we'll see...I have a 20-page chapter to read for Soc.; for Philosophy I have a reading assignment that Dr. Gregor said he would email us. *sarcasm* FUN!!! XD

Before lunch today I went running with some friends...Sebastian, Sophia, Theo, Gabe, John, Christian and I think a few others whom I can't recall now. Later, at dinner, a group of us decided we wanted to do some kind of service. We had done an Αγιασμό (sp?) (blessing of the waters) instead of Vespers this evening, to kick off the school year. So our options for prayer were Vespers, Paraklesis, Compline, Akathist, or a mixture of two or more. We decided to skip Vespers, and do Compline with the Akathist to the Theotokos, the Russian way (where the "Rejoice"s are sung rather than read), at Gabe's request. That was a fun time.

After that I went to the CAB meeting (Campus Activities Board), where we talked about various things...I ended up being in charge of cleaning up the Πανυγύρη (sp?) (Panigiri/Festival/cookout/Greek dance party/etc) next Saturday. My task now is to find people to help clean up. (Any HC'ers reading this, PLEASE, I can use all the help I can get...please see me to help clean up after the Πανυγύρη). (My Greek spelling (as well as my speaking) is horrible).

After CAB, I went back to the dorm, where they were nearing the end of Anchorman in the JC room (the basement lounge). Sophia was there and I offered to go to the gym and work out with her in half an hour. Then I stumbled across Theo on my way up to my room, and he said he was going to the gym, and to meet him there. I did stuff I had to do, and headed over to the work-out room. Sophia had gone back to the dorm to play Scattergories (we just missed each other...we actually probably passed each other, but in different hallways and therefore didn't see each other), but Theo worked with me on exercises...pecs, upper abs, lower abs, triceps, biceps, shoulders, etc...I have a feeling I'll be sore tomorrow.

Then I went back to the dorm and watched the end of Scattergories, in the girl's first floor lounge. At 10:00, all the guys had to leave, because here everyone is allowed in the first floor lounge of the opposite sex from 6-10 on weeknights and 6-11 on weekends. I went down to the ping pong room in the basement and watched Theo and Gabe play ping pong.

While watching ping pong, Christian asked me if I wanted to do Compline tonight. I replied that we had already done Compline and apologized for not including him. I suggested doing the Midnight Service (Μεσονυχτικόν) at 10:30, and I also said that we could do Paraklesis, as we had not chanted it earlier today. Christian opted for Μεσονυχτικόν, and Gabe and Theo opted out because they were tired, and were going to bed (supposedly) soon after ping pong. I told Christian and Sophia I would meet them upstairs in ten minutes, stopped by my room, and headed upstairs to the dorm chapel.

As Christian and I were deciding how we were going to divide up the very long Psalm 118*, which is read nightly at the Midnight Service, a slew (wrong spelling) of people walked in (including Theo and Gabe), ready to do Paraklesis...I guess we had decided separately to pray, at the same time, and that was a good conflict to have :) I asked Sophia and Christian, who were fine with it, and we picked up the Paraklesis books and started reading/chanting...I bet there were 15 of us, chanting "quietly," because after 10:00 it is "quiet hours" in the dorm, and "sound carries."

We were finished around 11:00, and on my way out I ran into Catherine, a fellow-CrossRoader, who was standing in the entrance-way, and whose favorite service is Paraklesis. I had invited her to Μεσονυχτικόν, and she had said maybe, but I hadn't had a chance to tell her about Paraklesis. She was a little irritated (not in a bad way, though), because the past few times we've done Paraklesis, it's been semi-spontaneous and she hasn't gotten word.

Side note: I just thought of my very good friend Mariam, a fellow-CrossRoader, who does not attend Hellenic College. She has told me that when she is talking to me she feels like she's watching a sports match because she gets the play-by-play. I think I may be going into too much detail...I don't know. Why don't YOU let me know how much detail you want in the blog? CampNazFanatic@verizon.net. DO IT!! :)

When I left, some of the people who were there decided to do Compline. Some of us, who had done Compline earlier, left to "go to bed." I showered, then stopped by the chapel again. Nick, Photi, John and Anthony were having a discussion about sin, relaxing the rules in certain situations (οικονομία/economia), and specific instances. It was interesting so I joined in, then came back to my room. I'm here now...I've been blogging off and on during my short breaks in between stuff.

Why do I write all this detail, this play-by-play, in Mariam's words, of my evening? Because routine matters. Spontaneity is killing me (figuratively, of course). I heard a priest say once (I don't remember who or when, but I think it was an AFR podcast) that, in order to discipline yourself to pray daily, you must have a routine which includes the same prayers at the same time and in the same place, as much as possible. Routine also matters in other areas, as well, such as exercise, academics and to an extent in social life.

I have had no routine these past days...yes, I've had Orthros at 8 almost every morning and Vespers at 5 almost every evening. Aside from that, though, everything has been random...personal prayer life, small group prayer life, jogging, working out, walking, hanging out, and not reading the Sociology packet  tonight to get it over with. I can't wait for the next few weeks to pass...I hope to get a job somewhere in the area, preferably on campus. Once I assess my academic workload, and allot enough time to get my school work done, I will figure out working hours, devotional hours with our small group, personal prayer hours, and spiritual reading hours...I'm in the middle of St. Silouan the Athonite by Archimandrite Sophrony. I've been in the same place for too long...all this spontaneity (which is good, to an extent) has not allowed me to read it. There are many other books I want to read, and I'm sure I can make time...it's just how I budget the time I have.

The agenda for tomorrow is: get a laundry card, put money on it, and do my first load of laundry; invite Theo over to my room to help me straighten up; read the packet for Sociology; nap; cut my nails; figure out what the weekend looks like; vacuum; and talk to several faculty about various issues...all before 2:10, when I have Algebra, then Vespers at 5.
 
Good night!

PS. Nick (an Arab) fell in love with Pastitsio/Παστίτσιο and Avgolemono/Αυγολέμονο at lunch...he had never had them before

*There are two ways of numbering the Psalms...Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Septuagint (henceforth LXX, roman numeral for 70, in honor of the 70 elders who translated the LXX from Hebrew to Greek). The Orthodox Church numbers the Psalms according to the LXX. Hence, in a "regular" Bible, Psalm 118, referred to above, would be Psalm 119. Being the blog of an Orthodox Christian, all references to Psalms on this page, will use the LXX numbering, unless otherwise noted.