9:00 AM - Arrive at Holy Cross Chapel - a one minute walk up the hill from my room - and walk in to beautiful chanting of the Praises (the penultimate section of Orthros), both of the Resurrection, and of the Entry of the Theotokos. Great Doxology. Divine Liturgy with Father Peter and Deacon Demetrios, with a great sermon by senior Nicole Hillas.
11:30 AM - Lunch in the HC/HC cafeteria with the Mamalakis family and Sophia, while we talk, laugh, and celebrate Dr. Mamalakis ("Dr. Phil")'s birthday.
12:30 PM - Help the Mamalakis kids to the vans, carrying Georgie in piggy-back mode. Back to the cafeteria, talk with some friends.
1:00 PM - Leave the cafeteria
1:37 PM - Last time I looked at my clock before my PLN (Post-Liturgical Nap)
4:59 PM - Wake up from my PLN. It was dark outside, which was kind of depressing, but I felt rested :)
5:45 PM - Go to cafeteria for a delicious fish/rice/oatmeal/LIFE cereal dinner
7:00 PM - Leave the cafeteria and hang out in the first floor girls' lounge with some friends, John creeping me out with a mannequin hand, and me making womb jokes (I had a false hand, but I left it in the womb). Fun times with Emily from school, and Katie and Anna who were visiting, all three of whom I met at Project Mexico, and John and John. Creeping people out in the JC Room, as well as George, Chris, Sophia and Adam who were cleaning up the caf.
8:00 PM - Read emails
9:00 PM - CrossRoad conference call with Mariam, Rachel and Eleni. One of the best conference calls in a long time. I ranted for 50 minutes on how liberal and unOrthodox (with a big AND small "o") my sociology textbook is. Talked about everything else under the sun (or under the darkness, since the sun wasn't shining), from toothbrushing to sex to Antiochian Village to college to CrossRoad to sleep. We did Small Compline somewhere in there (some would call it "TeleCompline," but Mariam, Rachel and Eleni don't like that term).
11:30 PM - Hung up, and went upstairs to catch the end of Compline and the reading of the Lives of the Saints in the dorm chapel (they had started later than usual, b/c of a soccer game tonight)
12:12 AM - left the dorm chapel, saw Angeliki, Thomas and Teddy who had recently come back from the GOYA retreat at Camp Nazareth - which I wish I could have gone to, but then I wouldn't have had the awesome convo at TeleCompline, and I would have had severely less time with my international "wombmate" friend who visited from Thursday night until Saturday afternoon.
12:55 AM - Blog
1:14 AM - Finish blogging, attach hymn and picture. The quote in the picture was said sometime during the "7:00 PM" section of the blog.
1:20 AM - Good night, world!
Λαμπαδηφόροι παρθένοι, τὴν Ἀειπάρθενον, φαιδρῶς ὁδοποιοῦσαι, προφητεύουσιν ὄντως, ἐν Πνεύματι τὸ μέλλον· ναὸς γὰρ Θεοῦ, ἡ Θεοτόκος ὑπάρχουσα, πρὸς τὸν ναὸν μετὰ δόξης παρθενικῆς, νηπιόθεν ἐμβιβάζεται.
The virgins carrying lanterns are brightly paving the way* for ever-virgin Mary;* and truly in the Spirit* they prophesy the future; for she is led* to the Temple from infancy,* going with virginal glory. She is indeed* Theotokos and the temple of God.
-Hymn of the Praises for the Entry of the Theotokos
Tone 1, to the melody Τῶν οὐρανίων ταγμάτων; For the Celestial Orders.
This was one of the first hymns I heard when I walked into church this morning. BEAUTIFUL!
I should clarify - under the 7:00 PM section of the day, I creeped people out with the mannequin hand that John had, by going up to them and stroking their arm or touching their ear from behind...it was a good time, especially to see George's reaction as he was mopping the caf :)
ReplyDeleteFinally able to catch up a bit on your blog Godson! Amazing experiences both routine and not so routine! Am so glad (but not surprised at all) that you are enjoying Hellenic, Chapel and the environs so much!
ReplyDeleteThanks be to God for all His blessings to and through you all there!
-Nono