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 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!
++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.
