Great Week and Pascha 2015

+ CHRIST IS RISEN!!! +

(See in 250 languages here: http://srbigham.com/en/)

I had the blessing of spending Great and Renewal Weeks on the Holy Mountain this year. Some highlights include:

-All of Great Week and 2/3 of Renewal Week at Iveron Monastery.

-An all-night vigil for the Annunciation on the night of Great Monday into Great Tuesday (March 24-25/April 6-7), at Philotheou Monastery who celebrates their patronal feast day on Annunciation.

-Agape Vespers (on Pascha) twice: 2:30 pm at Iveron with the abbot of Stavronikita presiding (the Gospel was chanted there in Homeric hexameter, among other languages); and 5:30 pm at Stavronikita with the abbot of Iveron presiding. It's a tradition that those two abbots preside at that service at each other's monasteries.

-The Feast of Panagia Portaitissa at Iveron on the evening of Renewal Monday and the morning of Renewal Tuesday, including Orthros on Tuesday in the main church of the monastery, a 3-hour procession around the various areas outside the monastery, hierarchical Liturgy in a chapel on the beach where the icon was found, and several hundred people. An article in Greek, and 18 PICTURES can be found here (I am in pix #s 10 and 13 in a bright orange-pink shirt, see if you can spot me): http://www.agioritikovima.gr/agnea/item/57890-%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%BC%CF%80%CF%81%CF%8C%CF%82-%CE%BF-%CE%B5%CE%BF%CF%81%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7-%CE%BC%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AE-%CE%B9%CE%B2%CE%AE%CF%81%CF%89%CE%BD-%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD-%CE%B5%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%B5%CF%83%CE%B7-%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82-%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82-%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82-%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%B3%CE%AF%CE%B1%CF%82-%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82-%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%81%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%8A%CF%84%CE%AF%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B7%CF%82-%CF%86%CF%89%CF%84%CE%BF

-A brief stay at the Monasteries of Gregoriou and Simonopetra towards the end of Renewal Week.

I left Thessaloniki on Lazarus Saturday and returned on Thomas Sunday. My two weeks on the Mountain were packed full of unforgettable experiences and very important lessons - I learned SOOO much. There are so many lessons that I don't want to ever forget, and that are impossible to put into words. I have made many notes in my journal, but please let this short note that I have written suffice for the blog. I will write more when something else "worldly" happens that I want to write about.

Blessed Feast of St. George tomorrow!! (new calendar)