Thanksgiving car crash - miracle by God through +Mother Abbess Taxiarchia of blessed memory!!

Hello, all. It's been a long while!

Let me begin to share something brief (hard for me, for those of you that know me!;)).

This Thanksgiving we took a road trip to Bethlehem PA to visit some friends. Nine of us traveled in a seven-seater van and a five-seater car (the latter borrowed from a tenth party who didn't come with us). It was 11pm Tuesday night before Thanksgiving. I was in the passenger seat of the small car with three others, following the van. It was raining. We were debating whether to call the van and tell them to slow down. Each car had chanted Paraklesis earlier in the evening (independently, we didn't know the others were doing it). We decided to chant something. I chanted "Christ is Born" (the first ode of the Canon of Christmas) in Greek, and the driver (an Arabic-speaking seminarian) chanted it in Arabic. While he was chanting he turned too much to the left and hit the rumble strip in the middle of the road. Since we were going fast he over-corrected and lost control. We went off the road in between a telephone pole, a speed limit sign, trees and a guard rail. I realized that we were crashing and that there might be broken glass and other things, so I put my head on my lap and put my hands over my head. I didn't see exactly how we flipped but we landed on our side, facing backwards. The van (100 yards ahead) pulled over when they saw us in the mirror, and everyone got out and ran back to us. We all climbed out the left side of the car (which was on top), and jumped down on the ground. Zachariah had a seat belt mark on his chest, and I had a few tiny, tiny cuts (about 2 mm) on my hand. Other than that there were NO injuries!

An ambulance came almost right away (after some guys had come and put flares down and called 911 for us. I don't know who they were, but another story similar to this that I have heard relates that those were the two captains of the heavenly hosts - Michael and Gabriel. (I have no way of knowing who they were in this case, and they didn't stick around). We got in the back of the ambulance and signed waivers to not go to the hospital, and other things. Caleb (a friend from Brown Univ. who we picked up before) is not 18 yet and the paramedics were going to make him go to the hospital, until he called his mom and got her permission over the phone to not go.

 

This is the miracle!!! read below!!!

 
As we were signing things, the people outside flipped the car right side up and turned it off (another miracle is that it didn't blow up - it was still on when we climbed out!). When I opened the passenger door, I saw a photograph sitting on the seat, right side up, atop all the broken glass, papers, spilled Coke, etc. It was a picture of Gherondissa (Abbess) Taxiarchia of blessed memory, the foundress of the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery in Saxonburg PA (near my house outside of Pittsburgh). Gherondissa Taxiarchia was the godmother of our friend who let us borrow her car. Our friend had Gherondissa's picture in the car, and it miraculously landed face-up on my seat.  When I saw her picture on the seat, even after this major accident had just occurred, I was not surprised, knowing that the Saints always watch out for us...   Especially since this was her God-daughter's car, and the picture of this holy woman was in the car....  I knew she had protected us.   For those of you who don't know of this saintly woman,  any one who knew her speaks about how much love she had for everyone.  It was clear to me from this incident that she is with God praying for the world.

The rest of the story is anti-climactic. The car was totaled. We got our stuff out and all nine of us (with our luggage) piled into the seven-seater van and followed the towtruck to the shop. We waited awhile for various things and then went to a hotel where our friends' parents had called and booked two rooms. Needless to say, the girls got it good - there were two of them. All seven of us guys had to share a room! It was fun, though ;)

The guy at the towtruck shop said he's been working there for 30 years, he's seen cars flip over, and people don't usually come out alive, let alone unhurt.

The night ended at 3am when we all went to sleep, and the next day we were picked up by our friends' family from Bethlehem, and that day segued into a wonderful. joyous. truly blessed.Thanksgiving break.  Glory to God for all things.  

Here is a quote from Wounded By Love:

On Prayer... 

"When we love Christ, we live the life of Christ. If, by the grace of God, we succeed in doing this, we find ourselves in a different state, we live in another, enviable state. For us there is no fear - neither of death, nor of the devil nor of hell. 

Man seeks joy and happiness in heaven. He seeks what is eternal far from everyone and everything. He seeks to find joy in God. God is a mystery. 

He is silence. He is infinite. He is everything. 

Turn your mind towards Him continually. Learn to love prayer, familiar converse with the Lord. What counts above all is love, passionate love for the Lord, for Christ the Bridegroom. Become worthy of Christ's love. In order to not live in darkness, turn on the switch of prayer so that divine light may flood your soul. Christ will appear in the depths of your being. There, in the deepest and most inward part, is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is within you." 

Elder Porphyrios

Also: Today (when I wrote this: December 20) started the forefeast of the Nativity. We started chanting the Apolytikion, "O Bethlehem, prepare," and there are special pre-festal hymns at Vespers and Orthros, yes, and even at Compline. There are short 3-ode Canons for these days (and leading up to Theophany in a few weeks too!!) that are read after the Creed at Compline (as opposed to the normal 9-ode Orthros canons). They're my favorite and I encourage you ALL to read them, even just on your own for edification, if you can't put them into Compline. The link to December 20 is here: http://anastasis.org.uk/20dec.htm and from there you can link to the other pre-feast days at the top of the page. They are glorious!!

 

Christmas and Theophany are patterned on Pascha - the whole forefeast and everything! Here is a link to a podcast by Fr. Thomas Hopko about this:
http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/hopko/nativity_epiphany_and_pascha_-_patterns_of_worship
 

+Please pray for my Spiritual Father, Father John Chakos and his family. Father and Presbytera have just retired from 30+ years of parish ministry and are going to Guatemala to help with the establishment of a seminary for the thousands of Orthodox converts. I have so much respect for Father John; and Presbytera Sandy (Alexandra) is one of the most joyful people I know!
+Please pray for my immediate family; and for all my cousins, relatives, friends and enemies!

+Please pray for another priest, Father John and his family; also for Father Andrew who left the Church and became Catholic :'(

  

+Please pray for Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, for Archbishop Demetrios of America, for the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (especially our new bishop in Pittsburgh, Metropolitan Savas), and for all canonical Orthodox Bishops in America and throughout the world, especially for the health and safe-keeping of our retired Metropolitan Maximos, and for newly-ordained Bishops John, Anthony, Nicholas, and Sebastian; and all the clergy who have been ordained to serve God in a special way in the Church, and those who are preparing for ordination (especially Deacon Philip - priesthood Jan. 8).
+Please pray for Gherondissa Theophano, the current abbess of the above-mentioned monastery; and for Mother Christophora, the current abbess of the Transfiguration Monastery in Ellwood City PA; and for Madre Ines, the abbess of the monastery and director of the orphanage in Guatemala, who has to be a saint with all that she does and goes through; and for all the monastics throughout the world who have chosen that wonderful, beautiful path and have dedicated their lives to Christ, those who are lit by the angels, and in turn give us light in the world!

 

+Please especially pray for Elizabeth, about whom I am very worried, and her whole family. If you could spare a Paraklesis each week for them - if it's not too much to ask! And to remember them at Liturgy when the priest or deacon says "And those whom each of us call to mind." That would be greatly appreciated!!

+Please pray for: Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Logan, Alexander, Christabel, Nathan, Ileana and all their families.
+Please pray for Daniel, Katherine, Hannah, and their familes.

(one cross + means all the above are Orthodox)

++Please pray for Ella, who is near death, and for Kristen and family.
++And please pray fervently (I got an email request forwarded today [now this is last week]) for LaToya and Jolana, two mothers who are pregnant and want to have abortions to kill their children, who do not seem open to other options. And for all mothers who are carrying life inside of them; and that God will stop the satanic, legal, slaughter of the modern 40 Innocents (except now it's 3000+...each day!) to the three-headed god of pride, privacy and profit, and for the Orthodox Archimandrite Father Demetrios Carellas who is so passionately fighting for the lives of these children and the salvation of their mothers (and from whom I got the Innocents and false god analogy). We pray Thee, O Merciful Lord, hear us and have mercy!

(two crosses ++ all not Orthodox)

+Please pray for the departed servants of God, my grandmother Athanasia, my grandfathers Haralambos and Angelos, my godmother Maria, my great-uncles Dionysios and Stavros and my great-aunts Theodora and Photini; for Archbishop Iakovos, Metropolitan Silas, and Bishop Gerasimos who are buried behind the HCHC chapel; and for Gherondissa Taxiarchia, through whose protection I survived the above accident, and Mother Abbess Alexandra, the foundress of the other Orthodox monastery in my area (Transfiguration in Ellwood City), and through whose prayers I was conceived 20 years ago.

(one cross + all Orthodox)

The attached picture is Gherondissa Taxiarchia (left) with her eldress, Gherondissa Macrina.

Holy Week in flashback

CHRIST IS RISEN!

 

Well, I haven't blogged for almost a month! I feel so out of touch with you all (whoever actually reads this haha, or my future self, coming back and reading it as a journal lol). There's so much to talk about!
Aside from last Saturday, when I blogged "briefly" about my day, my most recent blog was Lazarus Saturday, in the middle of April. So I will pick up where I left off :)
 

That night I went to the Ellwood City Monastery (currently my blog background picture) for Vespers of Palm Sunday...it was very awesome, and I saw Nikki there. Nikki is the Hellenic College dean's secretary, and it was very random to see her there, but she loves it there and just wanted to spend part of Holy Week there.
Palm Sunday morning I went to my parish in Aliquippa, and also spent the first three nights of Holy Week there.

Monday morning I had a doctor's appointment for a cyst on my back that has since diminished in size and even though I have an appointment in a few weeks for possible surgery, I think I am going to let it be. Holy Monday was also my paper-doing day...I had to finish a paper for New Testament, as well as a belated one for History of Music. I ended up getting an A- on the History of Music one, even though it was a couple pages short and I turned it in late. I don't remember about the NT one... Holy Monday was also the day that I deactivated my account on Bookface (aka facebook.com), because Bookface was eating up precious time and stealing it from my papers, and it had always been a love-hate relationship but I was never able to just deactivate it. Crunch time was the deciding factor (There is a way to permanently delete it, but I am not ready to take that step yet). I deactivated my Bookface account with the full intention of reactivating it during Bright Week; but Bright Week rolled around and I still didn't see a need to reactivate it so it's stayed dormant. It's still there but I haven't used it since Holy Week. haha I feel like someone trying to quit smoking lol. But anyway, my feeling is that if someone really wants to contact me, they can use my blog, email or phone. If they don't have my email or phone number, they can ask a mutual friend. So that's it about Bookface.

I went to the Monastery on Holy Tuesday and stayed through Pascha. Holy Tuesday Bridegroom service was amazing, and I realized that I really love the first part of Holy Week...we are done with Lent, but the Passion has not come yet...it is sort of introspective, waiting for the climax, focusing on our sin and how unworthy we are to see the "erchomenos Pathos" - the coming Passion - of Jesus Christ. The Bridegroom services are so beautiful, and about 1/2 the hymns are repeated at the Presanctified Liturgy the next morning.

The tradition at the Monastery is to read the entire Gospel according to St. Mark during the last week of Lent (because it is the shortest), and then to read the Gospel according to Sts. Matthew, Luke and John - in their entirety - on Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, and Holy Wednesday, respectively, during the Hours. The Gospel readings end right before the Passion narrative, because we are going to hear that in the upcoming days. The Hours are Lenten in character, with Kathisma readings from the Psalter and the Prayer of St. Ephraim. Dark, penitential Altar coverings and vestments are used. The days still feel Lenten, even though Great Lent ended officially the previous Friday.

Fr. Hopko served the Hours and read the Gospel according to St. John, beginning at 7:00 AM on Wednesday. Around 10:00 Fr. Shomsky - a parish priest from the area who serves some weekday services at the Monastery - celebrated the Presanctified Liturgy, and afterward we sang the Canon for anointing and were anointed with Holy Unction - this was the second year that they didn't do the full service, we were just anointed with Holy Unction from a previous service. The Slavs perfume their holy oil and it smells amazing for hours! (The Greeks use straight, boring olive oil :P)

While the first three days of Holy Week are Lenten in character, Holy Thursday is a real, sudden switch. It is a feastday commemorating the Institution of the Eucharist by Christ. While the Divine Liturgy is combined with Vespers - a typical feature of a strict fast day - the Hours are normal, the Prayer of St. Ephraim has ceased to be read in church - and the colors switch to bright (they use red at the Monastery, for the Blood of Christ). In the Slav churches regular melodies are used for the responses, instead of the more somber Lenten ones. Olive oil - the sign of a slight relaxing of the fast - is allowed at the meal following the Divine Liturgy.

Wednesday night we did the Matins of Great Thursday, and the Thursday Divine Liturgy was quite glorious. it all seemed surreal, though...was it really Holy Week again? Was Christ going to be crucified tomorrow?? Was it time already for the annual celebration of His Death and Resurrection? It seemed like Lent had just begun!
Thursday afternoon I took a walk down to Gregory's family's house - the groundskeepers of the Monastery, who live at the entrance to the monastery, down the driveway. I am good friends with their daughter Anya, who just released a CD with seven of her friends - three of whom I know - and who was home visiting for Pascha. (a description of the CD and the Panagia Koukouzelissa Choir - the name of the group - can be found here, as well as an option to purchase it: http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?PID=7209379&style=music&frm=frooglemusic) I went down to their house to buy a CD and ended up talking for awhile with Gregory and Anya, and was invited to stay for dinner. It was a nice meal, a little festive repast before the dark service that night.

I went back to my guesthouse, washed up and went to the Matins of Great Friday at 6:30. This is the solemn service with the reading of the 12 Gospel narratives. The first one is the pre-arrest discourse of Jesus to His disciples from the Gospel according to St. John, and the following eleven are various accounts of the Passion, Crucifixion and Burial, conflated from the various Gospel narratives. It was nice to see Pete and his family, a family from our church whom I had invited to come to the monastery for a service or two that week, and who ended up coming that night. The monastery's liturgical rubrics are a bit different from the normal Greek parish way, but it's still beautiful and the family loved it - it was their first visit.

It was nice to be at the Monastery - I felt this way last year when I stayed there for Holy Week - because I was able to stay after the service on Thursday night, and just sit in silence before the Crucified Lord, for as long as I wanted. When I left I just had to turn the light off. It was not like in the parish where they need to lock up and the family wants to go home and there's no time to sit and contemplate.

Friday morning I was up early. Royal Hours started at 9, but I got to church early to sit and pray some more. After Royal Hours I took Mother's blessing and napped after reading a little bit. Vespers was at 2:00 PM. I forget what I did between the end of Vespers and the beginning of Matins at 5:45. I may have showered. But I didn't have a lot of time, because Mother assigned me to read Compline around 4 or 4:15.

Matins was nice. We did the engomia or Hymns of Praise before the Tomb of Christ. Near the end of the service, we were supposed to process down to the cemetery as we did last year but it was raining so we instead made an inside procession through part of the nuns' cloister (with all the cell doors closed of course!), and back into the church where we concluded the service. That night some friends and I stayed up late reading the Psalter. I was exhausted but it was nice to do that...you're supposed to read the Psalter over a dead person, including the Lord Who lies dead in the grave that night. I think ideally it's supposed to be read continuously between services from Friday night to Saturday night, but since there were only a few of us we stopped after we read it once and went to bed.

The Hours started Saturday morning at 9:00, and Liturgy at 9:30. I got there a little early. My friend S, a Catholic friend from High School who had been to the monastery twice before, came that morning because I invited her. It was a glorious service...the fifteen OT readings, changing from dark to bright colors, and truly anticipating that night's Resurrection service. Then we had lunch. Unfortunately S had to leave as she had other plans that afternoon.

Holy Saturday afternoon I took a walk with Anna, another freshman who was visiting the monastery with her family. They're from out west and Anna and her sister go to college in the area. It was a nice walk through the woods - about an hour, I believe - and then afterwards I sat and talked on the porch of their family's guest house with Anna and her sister and their mom.

I went back to my guest house and ate dinner, then tried to nap and couldn't so I decided to take my shower. Then I was able to fall asleep :) I woke up around 10-ish? I don't remember. I got ready and went over to church. It was silent, empty and peaceful, all draped in Ukrainian-looking white coverings with brilliant designs. It was still in anticipation.

The people started coming. My parents and brother came and it was nice to be with them for the Feast. I was assigned, with one of the sisters, to ring the bells during the "Angels in Heaven" procession around the church and through the cloister. I took a lot of pictures and video of Matins and Liturgy. Again it felt surreal...was this really happening? Yes, this is the Paschal canon, Fr. Tom is censing and saying Christ is risen! we are singing it 5000 times over in dozens of languages; here comes Blessed is the Kingdom. Now the Gospel, now the Epiclesis. Now it's Communion time. Really?! it all felt so surreal, I don't know why!

I went to bed a little before 5:00 AM after eating a lot at the meal afterwards - I'm not a huge meat fan: I like it but I usually prefer other food to most kinds of meat. The monastery will serve meat for pilgrims on feast days. Processing into the Refectory after Liturgy, I smelled the meat and craved it! :)

I woke up late on Sunday morning and lounged around eating leftovers from the previous night. I went to Agape Vespers at 1:00 and heard the Gospel in different languages, both during the service and after. I ate something with the nuns afterwards and then drove home. Pascha dinner with the family and some cousins' friends. We took a nice walk after dinner.

Pascha was great!

I will blog more about the previous few weeks but my shift is over in the computer lab and I don't want to save this blog because who knows when I will get back to it;

My finals are over and I am using tomorrow and Sunday as packing days. Graduation is Saturday. I leave Monday. I will hopefully catch up to blogging next week sometime :)

God bless you all! +

CHRIST IS RISEN!

Today

Christ is risen!

I'm sorry I've been horrible at keep you guys (whoever actually reads this lol) up to date! I'm working on a longer post about the past month. But I wanted to give a brief summary of today:

Josh and another friend went to St. Nektarios monastery, they left this morning. However, I was the one that had arranged their ride, etc. Long story. Anyway, I got up at 7:30 and walked with them to the bus stop, while chanting Paraklesis :) The bus wasn't taking bills, and none of us had a charlie card or enough change, so we got on for free :) Josh was confused and so we started talking in Greek because we didn't want the driver or other passengers overhearing us, and it was pretty cool :) We stopped at Dunkin Donuts and got breakfast wraps, muffins and donuts, and met their ride at Holy Resurrection a little before 9:00.

I decided to walk back instead of taking the bus - walking should take about an hour. I also decided I was in no rush, so I could take as many detours as I wanted. I walked through a nice little neighborhood, discovered the birthplace of John Kennedy; chatted for 20 minutes with the pray-ers/protesters outside the Brookline abortion clinic and helplessly watched some people go in; passed a big Assumption Catholic church and decided to check it out - amazing architecture and stained glass!!!; took another detour and discovered a shortcut through a park, as well as some trails; and came back to school around 11.

I had a very unhealthy lunch...egg/cheese omelet thingy, muffin, gratis dunkin donut courtesy of a friend, and a spoonful of nutella. Probably the most unhealthy five hours of my life!!

Wanted to take a nap in the afternoon but it didn't materialize. Fr. Seraphim Rose, Evan and I got together to study Philosophy but it turned into looking at pix of holy people and talking about Fr. Seraphim. I finally got an hour or two of work done before church.

I was going to go to Vigil (Vespers and Orthros, back to back) at Holy Resurrection (www.hrocboston.org), and Fr. Patrick was going to pick me up early (4:30, even though it doesn't start till 5:30) because he needed to be there early. Evan and I started randomly talking about ROCOR and he mentioned he wanted to go to a church sometime and I said, "How about tonight?" So I texted my ROCOR friend and was like "can you pick us up for vigil at Holy Epiphany?" Then Zosha who wasn't going to be able to go to Holy Resurrection ended up being able to come to Holy Epiphany (www.bostonrussianchurch.org), and so it was her, Evan and I.

Vigil was all in Slavonic (except for two or three litanies) and it was very nice...we ended a little before 9:00 PM. There was a Panikhida (Memorial service) at 5:30, which ended about 6:15 and then Vigil started almost immediately.

We got back to campus around 9:30 - we talked to Fr. Victor and a few parishioners after church - and then Zosha and I came to the green lounge and had peanut butter, crackers and leftover fries from the cafeteria that George saved for us. Then I decided to write this blog. Then I decided to go to bed. Good night, and Christ is risen!

condoms to kids. blech

Just came across this: Philly officials are giving condoms to anyone who applies and says they are between the ages of 11 and 19...you can apply anonymously and without parental knowledge. "To help prevent the spread of STD's." Sickening garbage!
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/04/13/philadelphia-condom-campaign-targets-kids-young-11/

March 1-3

I'm so sorry that I haven't blogged in a long time, I've been very busy. I want to share an amazing weekend I had two weeks ago.

On Friday March 1 I decided to go to Presanctified Liturgy at Fr. Ed Hughes (who is awesome!)'s church (St. George) in Lawrence MA (about an hour away) (http://www.stgeorgelawrence.org/). He starts Orthros, Ninth Hour and Typica at 7:30 am and Presanctified Liturgy at 9. I decided I wanted to get there at 7:30 but by the time I woke up it was 6:30 so I ran to the T, frantically looking at the map and getting off at North Station, as Fr. Ed had previously instructed me. On the T and at North Station I called Fr. Ed at church and told him I would be taking the 8:04 train (I had missed the 7:35 train by almost ten minutes :( ) to Lawrence from North Station, which got me there at 9:04, and apologized for being late.

Fr. Ed has a parish that doesn't come to weekday services, so after finishing Typica, he and Maria (a Hispanic Orthodox lady who comes to everything) came and picked me up at the train station which is across the river from the church. He just told me today (two weeks later) that he was fully vested and had pulled a black robe-ish thing over him in the car and that's why we started so fast when we got back to church. I cracked up when he told me! We probably started Presanctified around 9:30. We meandered our way through the service, flipping among different books and styles of music, and doing a variety of Spanish and English, with a little Greek and Arabic.

By the time we were all done in church (cleaning up and everything) it was about 11:15 , Fr. Ed decided he wanted to feed me and I told him if I caught the 12:14 train I'd be back to school by 2:00 when the cafeteria closes, and I'd eat there. But he wouldn't hear it. He insisted on taking me to his favorite Chinese buffet, where I had eaten another time when I had gone with some other guys. I hurriedly finished my second plate around 12:00 and we rushed to the train station through traffic. I had foolishly put $20 on my charlie ticket for the T on the way to church, and spent the other $6.75 on the train ride there, so I had $2 and needed $6.75. Fr. Ed also had no cash on him.

We saw the train pull up but I needed to buy a ticket and didn't have cash. I didn't have time to go in the ticket office with my debit card. We watched the train pull away.

The next train wasn't till 2:54, so Fr. Ed decided to take me one town south to try to catch the train there at 1:20. When we got there we realized that there was no ticket office and I needed to buy a ticket on board - with cash that I didn't have. Again, we watched the train pull up and pull away.

So, having an hour and a half, we went back to church. Fr. Ed got out the Akathist books that he would use that night and we hung out a little bit and chatted (he is awesome to chat with!). Then we went and picked up his daughter from school and she ran in and got a $20 (apparently they only had $20s and a $50) so I took that, and Fr. Ed took me to the train station. We sat in the car and chatted some more. Around 2:50 I got his blessing and went and waited for the train, and came back to school.

My ride back to school was late but a family was passing by and picked me up spontaneously and brought me back to school...I called my ride who was in traffic and told him never mind but thank you. I was a little late for Salutations that night (5:00) because I had to finish filling out my class registration for next semester. I did that, turned it in at the registrar, and went to church.

Saturday morning Seraphim and I decided to go to Divine Liturgy. The earliest train got there at 9:38, and Liturgy was supposed to start at 9:00. We figured no one was coming but were in a bind...if we didn't go and Fr. Ed planned on starting on time, he couldn't do Liturgy (Orthodox priests can't do Liturgy by themselves), but if he planned to start late and waited for us, and people showed up, their Liturgy would start late. I called him at 7:00 when I woke up and said what should we do? He said to come, and if anybody showed up he would take care of them ;)

I woke up Seraphim and we booked it to the T. We took the T to North Station and got the train at 8:45. We got to Lawrence at 9:38, got picked up by Fr. Ed, and went to church. We started Liturgy around 10:10. I chanted a lot of cool arrangements from memory and from several books, and we did all the litanies. Seraphim served in the Altar. It was awesome!

After Liturgy I read the Prayers of Thanksgiving for Holy Communion while Father consumed. When I was done reading, Father started showing us his collection of relics. He has many on the Altar and many at home. Among the ones on the Altar was St. Seraphim of Sarov. It was the second relic of St. Seraphim that Seraphim had ever seen and he was ecstatic! He asked Father how he got all these relics and Father responded that they are like trading cards...even if you can get your hands on a Roman Catholic relic, you get it so that you can use it to trade in the future ;)

Seraphim offered (half in jest) to give Fr. Ed a cross from Guatemala that was blessed on the relics of St. Theonas, if he would give him part of the relic of St. Seraphim. Father opened up the relic case and took out the relic that was in wax with tape all around it, and said it was hard to see where in this square of tape and wax the relic actually was, so he couldn't divide it. Then he closed the box and set it aside. I knew what was going on but Seraphim didn't catch on until ten or so minutes later when we were ready to leave and Fr. Ed put the box in his hand. It was such a blessing to Seraphim to have a relic of his saint, and Father had two so it was not too big of a loss for him. Seraphim hid the cross in the Altar because Father refused to take it ;)

We took the train back...I read while Seraphim slept. I think we called someone who picked us up from the T. That night I went to Vigil (Vespers and Matins) at Holy Resurrection, and it was awesome. Fr. Patrick was away so Fr. Michael served. Back at school we did Compline with the Akathist to St. Seraphim, (sung Russian melody), and the Paraklesis to St. Seraphim out of a Greek St. Seraphim prayer book, in the chapel in front of the new relic!

On Sunday Josh, Anthony and I went to St. George in Worcester to see Joanna and Myriam, two of our friends from the CrossRoad alumni retreat a couple weeks before. Liturgy was great - Fr. Milad is awesome, and the organ wasn't overpowering - and we went out to lunch with Joanna and her family and realized that we all knew a ton of the same people!

That afternoon around 3 or 4, I took a walk in JP with Irene and chin beard man, and randomly found a children's book about St. Gerasimos of the Jordan, in this bookstore that was going out of business. Then I "rescued" an icon of the raising of Lazarus from the goodwill store. It was from Holy Transfiguration Monastery down the road, and it was probably listed at $20 or so. I got it for $10, I believe. It was a good deal.

I had an amazing weekend and wanted to share all about it :)))

"America's perfect teen"

I need to rant...
Read this, and then you'll understand:
http://www.americasperfectteen.com/html/about.html

NO ONE'S PERFECT!!!
I think this betrays the spirit of vanity in our society. If we think it's hard to be humble, what about the poor girls who "win" the distinction of "perfect teen"???? when they are quite obviously beautiful and/or exceptionally gifted, and they have all this publicity, and all these people telling them they're perfect...how are they supposed to stay humble?? oh, i forgot...humility isn't valued anymore.

*grunt and sigh at the same time*

minding our own business

Yesterday I went to Holy Cross in Mt. Lebanon for Great Compline and Bible Study. I was hanging out, talking with Fr. John before the service started, in the vestry. When Deacon Frank walked in and we were making smalltalk while he vested, he said that, even before his ordination, he translated confessions. When Father John asked if he remembered any of them, Deacon Frank said no, I have enough to worry about myself. I think this is a good way of looking at life. We are tempted to judge others and meddle in their business, when we have so much to worry about in our own life. I think it’s good to remember that we are so screwed up and sinful that why put more on ourselves by worrying about others?? Sufficient to ourselves is our own trouble (to paraphrase the Bible).

Akron volleyball tournament

Yesterday I went to Akron with the Aliquippa GOYAns for a GOYA volleyball tournament. Volleyball tournaments are one day and don’t involve hotel stays, dances or Liturgies. Rene and I left our house at 7:00 and pulled into Thia Ellen’s driveway at 7:29. We waited for everyone to get there and left her house around 7:50. I had an interesting car ride, in the passenger seat of Thia Ellen’s van, with Arete, Markella, Eleni, Artemis and Lia. I leaned out the window a few times signaling for truckers to honk, and amusing Thia Angela’s carful of boys (Rene, Jimmy, Nick, Louie and Anthony), who participated.

We got to Akron around 9:15 and the first junior game was at 9:45, followed by the first senior game at 10:30. We lost both. It was nice to see so many of my old GOYA friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen in a very long time. Both teams won their second game. Lunch consisted of pasta, shrimp, vegetables, salad and garlic toast. At one point, Louie wanted to see the church so we went in and of course he wanted to go up and see the organ. We looked around and noticed a stairway and decided to explore. We went into dark passageways, empty classrooms and encountered locked doors. It was an adventure. The junior team won their third game and lost the fourth, while the senior team lost the third, eliminating them.

We left the church around 3:30 and went thirty minutes to a BRAVO restaurant to eat. Our waitress was a woman named Sonia and Markella really took a liking to her and was talking to her. She got us crayons and people drew very crazy stuff.



There was also a waiter named Ryan who had a shaved head, and Markella asked to rub it for good luck. He let her.

We left the restaurant around 5:25 and encountered an accident on the interstate (please pray…there was a semi in a ditch and a car totaled, with many firetrucks/ambulances/police cars on the scene) and were stuck in traffic for a long time. While in traffic we wrote signs in sharpie on tablets, saying “We <3 Ice Cream (and Greece),” and “Will you marry me?” and “we love you (no homo)” and silly stuff like that for the people in the other cars, while blasting music with the windows down ;)

[It was a great day today, with victories by both the senior and junior divisions. I enjoyed watching the kids I grew up with succeed today, and must say they played well. Well my time here is short so I must be on my way. HAPPY LENT.] – contributed by Nick M.

Memory Eternal, +Metropolitan Nicholas

On Friday I went to the funeral of Metropolitan Nicholas in Johnstown, PA. He reposed in the Lord last Sunday afternoon. I decided to come home for spring break, in order to go to his funeral, and to spend some time at home and see old friends. I have a ride back to Boston at the end of this week, to be there by Friday night for the CrossRoad alumni retreat that weekend.

The funeral was glorious! I left my house at 6:30, arrived at All Saints Church in Canonsburg at 7:20-ish, and Fr. Livanos and Fr. Touloumes and I left the church around 7:40. We got to Johnstown (after a detour caused by not paying attention to the GPS ;) ) at around 10:02, just as they were opening the royal doors and the deacons were censing.

The church was packed. Clergy filled more than half of the right side, and there were people standing in the side aisles and in the back. Fr. George and Fr. John stood in the right aisle, near the other clergy, and I stood in the very back. His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios was the main celebrant, serving with seven other bishops: Archbishop Antony and Bishop Daniel of the Ukrainian Orthodox Archdiocese, Bishop Mitrofan of the Serbian Orthodox Archdiocese, Bishop Melchisedek of the Orthodox Church in America, Bishop Thomas of the Antiochian Archdiocese, Bishop Ilia of the Albanian Orthodox Diocese, and another bishop with an accent who I didn’t recognize. There were seven Epistles (each read by a priest), seven Gospels, and seven prayers (each read by the bishops). Bishop Ilia, who was standing in the last bishop’s spot, read the verses of the Beatitudes right after the readings and prayers. Church was out around 12:15. Afterwards, I saw tons of people I knew, including Fr. Joachim from school…fancy seeing him there! He was a spiritual son of Metropolitan Nicholas.

Lunch consisted of fried fish (we always eat fish at funerals, no matter what time of the year it is, because funerals are celebrations of the Resurrection, and Christ ate fish with the Apostles after the Resurrection), cole slaw, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

Fr. Frank (the chancellor of the Diocese) got up and said that Metropolitan Nicholas used to go to Eat ‘n park and buy smiley cookies, and distribute them to the children of the cathedral. Fr. Frank handed Archbishop Demetrios a basket of smiley cookies, asking if he would distribute them to the children one last time…it was SOOOO cute to watch!

We got to Canonsburg a little after 4:00, and I got home around 5:00, and went to church for Compline/Akathist, and the Oratorical Festival at 7:00. Long day!!

An article about the funeral, from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, is here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11078/1133202-455.stm

I haven't forgotten!

I've just been really busy, no time to blog. I want to especially blog about last weekend, Feb. 18-20, that I spent at St. Nektarios Monastery in Roscoe NY. It was amazing! Also take a look at this article that I found and forwarded to my fb: I love what Fr. Joseph says. http://everydayliturgy.com/reflections-from-st-gregory-palamas-monastery/

Pray for me. I hope to blog soon!

-Manoli

Only at Hellenic College!

I was sitting at the breakfast table today with Voldemort, the first Christian Emperor, I.M., and some others, and we got involved in several random conversations. One was about how we eat cupcakes...some eat the icing first, some eat the bottom first, some take the icing off and eat the top first, some eat it all together, some eat some of the icing and then eat the rest of the icing with the cupcake itself.

We also discussed Lenten eating strategies...good fake meat, fake cheese, this, that, and the other, and someone said that in northern Kenya, all they eat is meat, blood and milk. If you were going to impose a strict fast, you would have to not eat anything. So the priests, with the blessing of the bishop, modify the fast, and the people there don't fast in quality but in quantity. They eat the usual meat, blood and milk (it is considered an insult to eat vegetables), but eat a lot less of it during Lent. Then Voldemort came up with an Orthodox commercial idea: a bunch of PK's [priest kids] are standing around and one of them starts eating what looks like bacon. The others are scandalized and say "is that bacon?!" and the guy is like, "no! it's fakeon" (fakeon [pronounced FAKE-uhn] is a proposed very delicious meatless bacon substitute made by Orthodox for consumption during Lent).

Another discussion - which would only be found here - was between myself and Voldemort, after someone brought up that the first Christians were accused of cannibalism in the Eucharist. We were arguing over whether the Eucharist COULD be considered cannibalism, by any stretch of the imagination. Voldemort's argument was that, because Jesus is God, it is not. I said that it's not because it's Eucharist that Christ commanded, but if we were to be technical, you could say it is, because Christ is also fully human. We went back and forth on these points for awhile, and then Voldemort decided that it is simultaneously cannibalism and not cannibalism, because Christ is God and human. I maintained that, aside from the fact that it's the Eucharist (which means it's not cannnibalism), it would be, because you can't have cannibalism and not, in the same analogy. We looked like we were at a dead end, and the conversation kind of fizzled out.

The last two...only at seminary. I love going here, there is so much unique stuff!

Reading today...a lot of it!
Pray for me!

St. Blaise - celebrated February 11

Another post from my OrthodoXCircle blog from February 12, 2008.

The Saints are truly alive! Miracle story!

This may sound silly, but I am positive that it was a miracle done at the intercession of St. Blaise of Sebaste. On Sunday night, Feb. 10, 2008 I was reading my brown Synaxarion (Ormyllia Convent, Greece) before falling asleep as I often do. I was reading about St. Blaise who celebrated the next day. Part of his story reads, "A distraught mother brought him her child, who was choking to death on a fishbone. The Saint put his hand down the child's throat and took out the fishbone. He prayed to the Lord to restore the child to health, as well as all those who hin time to come would invoke his intercession in case of similar accidents....When he and the two undaunted children were condemned to be beheaded, St. Blaise, shining with the divine light, sent up a prayer on behalf of all who in time to come would call for his aid in illnesses and trials. Thereupon the Lord appeared to him in all His glory, saying, 'I have heard your prayer and grant your request.'" Well...after I had finished reading I put the book away, pulled my blanket over me and turned out my light. As I was lying there in the dark, my foot started to have a really bad cramp, and it really hurt. I pulled my leg up and started rubbing my foot to try to get the cramp to go away. It came and went for about...oh, maybe 10-15 seconds. Then one time when I was rubbing it, I just thought (I think I whispered it too) something along these lines, "St. Blaise, I know you're the patron of people with throat problems, and this really isn't about my throat at all, but God promised to grant your prayers for illnesses, and He can't go back on His promises, so just...get this cramp to go away! please! And while you're at it, could you please get this cold and sore throat to go away? Please!" [I had had a really bad cold and sore throat so I could barely talk and I wasn't able to chant on Sunday morning.] And then after about 1-1/2 seconds the cramp went away and didn't come back. When I woke up the next day, I still had a cold, but my throat was better, and I could talk. Truly, God is wonderful in His Saints! Holy Hierarch of God, Blaise, intercede for us!

Christ coming back in 2012

I originally posted this three years ago, on my OrthodoXCircle blog page. OrthodoXCircle recently went down for maintenance. With forewarning, I saved all my blogs, and intend to post them on here gradually. Here is my opinion on the "end of the world in 2012" theory. *Flashback music*

I was listening to Hank Hannagraph (sp?) "The Bible Answer-Man." dont ask why. My dad likes to listen to him in the car when there's nothing else to listen to. Somebody called in and was like "what do you think of so and so who said that Christ is coming back in 2012?" and (good for Hank!) he was like That's absurd! Now, that started me thinking that I should blog...My take on this is the following:

The guy (they played a recording of him explaining why the world is gonna end in 2012) was like "well, the number of generations in Matthew's geneaology, plus the number in Luke, minus 14, cuz thats the Hebrew Numerical number of King David, divided by 7, cuz thats the perfect number in Revevlation...." and a bunch of other biblical numerical references. "And you come up with 2012." Now, this is my take on this...

This guy who was quoting the Bible right and left...did he bother to see what Jesus had to say about people like him?

But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. (Matthew 24:23, Luke 12:39)

Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— (Mark 13:35)

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:13)

I could cite a bunch of other examples like this...Point is, that the Bible clearly says that we don't know...Jesus very well could come in 2012. He could also come before I'm done blogging this blog. He could also come tomorrow. He could also come in 3000 years. He could also come next week some time.

Let me close by saying this... It was told me by a priest that it is a "little t" tradition that Christ will come during the Divine Liturgy. He told me that that is true, because there is always a Divine Liturgy going on somewhere in the world.

(my question is...what if he comes during Lent? it wont be a Divine Liturgy during that time...whatev...lol)

Well, thats about it...I just had to vent that out somewhere...

-Manoli the Canoli

February 2 Divine Liturgy

We had some more snow days recently, so we didn't have class Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday morning we had Liturgy for the Presentation of Christ into the Temple. It was moved to 8:00, rather than the usual weekday Liturgy time of 6:15, because there was no reason to do it that early. I was happy! :)

Also, because there was no class, there was no reason to rush in any way. The chanters took their time (the chanting was amazing!) and also actually (surprisingly) did the First and Third odes of the Matins canon, which is usually cut entirely. Liturgy started at 9:30 and finished at 11:14. They dragged it out but that was ok with me! I absolutely loved it. Father D was the celebrant and it was absolutely amazing.

What crowned the whole thing for me was that I subbed in the altar for the German Texan who was not feeling well. During Orthros I got to watch most of the Proskomide (preparation of the Gifts), and I was also on "lookout" duty, which entailed me standing next to the Altar, and cueing the south door sentinel when to open the door for the deacon or altar boys when they came into the Altar. I was right next to the Altar the ENTIRE Liturgy and it was AMAZING! I was talking about it later, to the M. family and Allah said "you saw everything!" I said "yup!" Then I thought about it and told her, "no, I didn't see everything... I didn't see the Holy Spirit come down, or the angels. I know they were there but I didn't see them." What a blessing/grace it would be...to see the angels. One thing I do know: I was a few feet away from the Gifts when Father called down the Holy Spirit, so....

:D

speech from the end of my OLSH career

This post is dedicated to all the people from OLSH (my high school ... www.olsh.org) who follow my blog, although they can't say they are OLSH people because they might get expelled...long story that I don't want to get into. Anyway, this was my speech to the OLSH community on the senior retreat day at the end of the 2009-10 school year. I found the paper cleaning out my room and decided to finally type it up. Many people have asked to see it, so here it is. (My permission is granted to print it out and give it to as many people as you think would appreciate it, although please don't stick it to all the stairwell doors...that would be a bit excessive.)

It seems like yesterday that my dad and I hurried off to Youthtowne after church. I played in a football game and was very confused because there was a Truskowski on each team. I grew to be able to tell them apart, and one of them was in my geometry class sophomore year - the best math class in my 12 [now 12.5] years of school, by far! It was me, Shronda, Ron, Justin, Meaghan, Caitlin, Steve, Cody, Andy and Marissa.

And then there was my high five spree. I'd high five just about everyone in sight. I still do sometimes. :)

I know I get on people's nerves sometimes, with my "stories and odd scenarios" to quote Sara J., and my weird questions in Gov class, and comments about frog STDs. For all of these I'd like to ask your forgiveness.

And to all you underclassmen, know that we seniors need your prayers next year. We're gonna be faced with a lot, and the more prayers the better. On the flip side, know that I pray for OLSH every day, although it's almost impossible to mention everyone by name.

There have been ups and downs, but overall my time at OLSH has been great.While I am definitely excited to leave Pittsburgh and go to Boston for college, I know there will be times that I'll look back fondly and wish I was back here, or log into facebook, hoping to find an OLSH friend to I.M.

Take care of yourselves, and pray for us.

Hellenic: Year 1; Semester 2; Week 1

Sorry, I haven't had time to blog very much this past week. I got in on Tuesday evening and got back to campus late-ish. It was so weird to come back to school and see the deep blanket of snow all over campus because, prior to break, we had only had a total of maybe one inch, half of which fell at 10pm and was gone by morning. I really had not seen Boston snow until I came back.

Wednesday morning I financially cleared and went to my first (2:10) class - World History. Soon after coming out of World History at 3:30, we got an "Iris alert," HC/HC's way of notifying us of "emergency" situations and such. We were supposed to get an insane amount of snow (almost a foot?), so Wednesday "evening classes" after 4:00, and Thursday classes were canceled. Snow day on the second day of class! I then went sledding down the big hill on campus with Ninja, John the Baptist and the Romanian. We also played a game of ninja in the snow. That was fun! We went inside around 4:30 and went to church at 5:00 (I have to use pseudonyms because some have requested that I not use their names on the internet).

We were scheduled to have Liturgy at 6:15am on Thursday for St. John Chrysostom. We have to do Liturgy so early on school days because people need to be out in time to go to class. Thankfully, with no class, Liturgy got moved back to the usual time of 8:00 :) Fr. Peter, Fr. Demetri, Fr. Evangelos, Deacon John and Deacon Yan (sp?) served, and "Awesome Rassem" led the chanting. Everything was glorious! After Liturgy, the chanters stayed at the chanter's stand and chanted to their hearts' content, just because they could, and it's what they love to do.

At lunch, some friends (Ninja, Tim, Josh) suggested we take a walk in the snow. I was up for it, so we walked down to Jamaica Pond. I lagged behind and forgot that the driveway was cleared, so took (what would have been the shortcut in fair weather) the long way...through the almost-waist-deep snow. By the time we got to the pond, I was exhausted so I collapsed in the snow to recover my strength. Tim suggested we bury me in the snow, so I got up and dug a hole, sat down, and they buried me and left me there to say hi to passers-by. Two of the passers-by were John and Ryan, Holy Cross students. John took this picture and emailed it to me. All the passers-by got a kick out of me and one of them took a video because he was so taken by the sight haha.

While my torso was fine because of my heavy down coat (thanks Mom!), long underwear and sweatpants were not enough on my legs so I soon freed myself so as not to numb my legs. I reunited with the Romanian, my sister, Ninja, Tim and Josh, and we trekked back up to school. On the way back I suggested that we go to JP Licks, a favorite ice cream/coffee shop. Everyone thought I was crazy for wanting to go get ice cream in the cold, but after getting back to school, Mickey Mouse, the Romanian, the red-hatted new kid, and I went to JP Licks. I got soft-serve peanut butter ice cream. It was awesome! We stopped at a few stores and then headed back to campus...walking on the side of the street because Mickey Mouse didn't wanna go through the snow. That was a little scary...

Friday was low-key because I have no Friday classes, so I just hung out. I woke up at 8:30 on Saturday (no church Saturday morning...it is our day to sleep in), and went back to sleep around 9. I woke up "for real" at 11:43 and went to lunch, then spent a few hours with the Romanian, straightening/cleaning my room. Red-headed, Golden-mouthed Orator and I went to Vigil at Holy Trinity, the OCA Cathedral in Boston, at 5pm, and met up with three other friends at Tasty Burger. I got a hamburger with onion, cheese and mushroom. We also got onion rings and fries. It was my first time there and everything was delicious! We walked to the T, took the T to Brookline Village, and then walked back to school. We got back at 9:30. It was a fun evening. I got to stand at the chanter's stand at Liturgy on Sunday, which was cool. Oh, and Elmo has been tonsured a monk and ordained deacon!

So that takes me to now, when I am blogging. I guess I will post now.

We are scheduled to have a meeting of all the Greek Orthodox bishops in America, on campus on Thursday (minus Maximos, Demetrios Couchell, and Savvas). That will be interesting. I will update on how that goes. Until then, Happy Three Hierarchs Day!!! (oh, and we're supposed to have snow midweek sometime...)

From this morning's Canon...from the Ninth Ode of the second Canon for the Saints:
There is no second best in these sacred three. Each is thought to be foremost in precedence and to prevail over his corrivals of equal rank. But rather each with joy has made his own the success of the other two. There is no room among them to envy one another and thus destroy their unanimity.

Boston, here I come!

My flight leaves at 3:40 :)

St. John Chrysostom, on singing

Just as swine run to a place where there is mire and bees dwell where there are fragrances and incense, likewise demons gather where there are carnal songs and the grace of the Holy Spirit settles where there are spiritual melodies, sanctifying both mouth and soul.
- St. John Chrysostom

Wisdom from Metro Max

Today I went into Pittsburgh to meet with His Eminence, Metropolitan MAXIMOS, my bishop, for him to sign a paper for me, and give me advice, since I am switching to "seminarian" status at school this semester, which I need a bishop's blessing to do. One of the things he told me in our conversation was (paraphrased), "it doesn't matter what your station is in life, it matters if you use it to serve God." I thought that was great!

He also told me about his time in Belgium, I believe, and then in Rome, where he was one of the Orthodox attendees of Vatican II, and then his first meeting with Bishop (I forget the name) who was the first Greek Orthodox bishop of Pittsburgh (whose picture is on the wall of the Metropolis living room, where his omophorion is crooked), and Maximos asking this guy how he liked it in Pittsburgh, and talked with him. Then Archbishop IAKOVOS came to Rome and said "I want you in America." And Max said "Talk to Patriarch DIMITRIOS." Then Iakovos put him at seminary where he taught for 14 years, and then brought him to Pittsburgh. "Why Pittsburgh?" "I need you there!" "OK." He told me, do the best you can to represent me, and to represent the Metropolis of Pittsburgh. I love him!!! He also told me that he was very fond of Mother Alexandra (the foundress of Ellwood City, who is partly responsible for my existence...long story), she was a very good spiritual mother to him, and he went to her funeral (he didn't like going on hot days in the summer, though, because there was no air conditioning).

I love Metro Max!

Έις πολλά ετι Δέσποτα!!!
(Many years, O Master)

Snowpocalypse again?

So it started snowing today, a little before 1 pm. Everything is covered, and it's still coming down, pretty heavily. I've been inside since this morning so it's beautiful and exciting and maybe I'll go sledding tomorrow or get some money shoveling walks... :) But I sure am glad I don't have to drive in it!

But is it as bad as the snowmageddon of last February, when we had something like 4 feet? I think not.

Descartes walks into a bar. "Would you like a drink, sir?" asks the astonished bartender. Descartes responds, "I think not," and vanishes.

Interactions with GOYAns today :)

First of all, let me say that I finished the first tape of the 1979 Spiritual Renewal Conference, listening to Fr. Stanley Harakas' lecture last night and finishing it this morning. I also listened to the first part of Fr. Stylianopoulos's lecture this morning, on my way to pick up my Yiayia and take her to church. Fr. Harakas' was about the ζέστης πίστεος, or the "fire of faith," as he translated it (a phrase from the Divine Liturgy). He also said that there are nine "altar calls" at every Divine Liturgy, where we are called to commit our lives to Christ ...maybe we have heard it so many times we have become deaf... "Let us commend ourselves, and each other, and all our life, unto Christ our God." Wow I wanna go back and listen to that again haha it was awesome :)

Today after church I was talking with some of the Aliquippa GOYAns who said that I was a pimp, and I was obviously "getting all the ladies," partying, and "living it up." I replied by saying that yeah, we have the best parties...we feast on the Body and Blood of Christ every week! :) I also said that I hope I'm "getting" the Panagia and the other (holy) ladies to pray for me, because I definitely need it!

One of them had some pretty celebrity Gomez girl that I had never heard of as his background on his cell phone. He said isn't she attractive? I was like, yeah but why do you need her as your background?? I said put something else on, like... and then in desperation, after not being able to think of anything, I said "me!" He was like, ooooh good idea!! and he said "smile!" and took a pic of me with his phone, so now I am his background instead of Miss Gomez...I guess that's a good thing?? :)

PLN time? Possibly...

Awesome hymn from Theophany Compline

This is a hymn from the Great Compline service, part of the Vigil of Theophany, served in the evening of January 5.

John saw You coming to him in the Jordan, Christ God, and said: “You have no uncleanness, Lord, why do You come to Your servant? In Whose Name will I baptize You? In the Name of the Father? But in Yourself You bear the Father. In the Name of the Son? But You Yourself are the Son incarnate. In the Name of the Holy Spirit? But by Your breath You give the Spirit to the faithful.” O God Who shone forth, have mercy on us!

old Spiritual Renewal cassette tape

So my dad's car, that I drive when I'm home, is a 98 Civic and doesn't have a cd player...I'm also not a radio listener, in general...so I have to be creative if I want to listen to stuff in the car. I've been listening (a lot) to a recording of Paraklesis by Simonopetra Monastery on Mt. Athos, which I copied from CD to tape so I could listen to it in the car. Yesterday, I decided to dig through some old cassettes and see if anything interesting reared its head. It sure did. I listened to Bishop Basil (who had been a bishop for two years) talking to young people about Orthodoxy in America and an upcoming assembly of the 60 canonical American Orthodox Bishops at Antiochian Village, Ligonier PA ... in 1994. 

(And I thought that was old!) When that was done, I put on a recording of the first ever Spiritual Renewal Conference, held at Duquesne University, and Sponsored by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America. Archbishop Iakovos wanted to be there but he was in Greece. The keynote speaker was His Grace, Bishop Maximos of Pittsburgh. Some of the speakers were Fr. Ted Stylianopoulos (who is still around, at HCHC! He's great!) and Fr. Stanley Harakas. It was a little hard to understand, partly because of Bishop Max's speech impediment, but mostly because the quality of the recording wasn't very good, as this tape is from 1979 :)
 

31 years doesn't make something unapplicable...if I can attempt to summarize Bishop Max's keynote, it would be this: Spiritual renewal and the life in Christ are a process, because our measure of perfection (given by Christ) is to "be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect." Our measure of perfection is God Himself. We will never satisfactorily reach that point and not have to struggle anymore...life in Christ is a constant struggle. We have to constantly renew the vows made at our Baptism...we have to constantly renounce Satan and join ourselves to Christ. the chief way to do this is through making use of Confession - by which we are able to cleanse ourselves - and Communion - which is God's wonderful gift to us, and whereby everything we do is united with Christ and we become one with Him. (Oh, and delaying baptism - as they often did in the early Church - is foolish). I forget some of the rest, but I remember that the conclusion was a bit unclear. I want to go and re-listen to the conclusion. Tomorrow, God willing, I will listen to Fr. Harakas' lecture...we'll see what pearls I will gain from that :)

CHRIST IS BAPTIZED!!!

IN THE JORDAN!!!

(to sanctify the waters!!!)