Bright Week

The week following Pascha the altar doors remain open, fasting is not permitted and the Greek Orthodox remain standing at services until Pentecost. The week is termed Renewal (Greek) or Bright Week (Russian) by the Church. The week concludes with a special canon of the Theotokos, the Life-giving Fountain and Liturgy. It is a tradition [...]

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Hymn to Christ on Easter Day – St. Gregory Nazianzen

HYMN TO CHRIST ON EASTER DAY
(AFTER LONG SILENCE),
Cristi anax, se prvton, epei logon heri dvka,
dhnaion katecwn, fqegxom apo stomatwn,
(Dactylic hexameter, and pentameter.)
O Christ the King! since breath pent up so long
I have outpoured, Thou first shalt be my song;
May this my word, the current of my mind,
If lawful thus to speak, acceptance find,
And unto Thee [...]

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Christ is Risen!!

Indeed, He is Risen!!
Today is Pascha! Eastern Orthodox Easter!!
I’m so embedded in Orthodoxy now, that I was rather shocked when i turned on the TV this morning to FOX News, and no one said Christ is Risen!
How can the world not know that Christ is Risen?!
How can we not know that Christ is Risen?!
To you, [...]

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Holy Saturday -

Joseph begged Thy Holy Body from Pilate; /
He anointed it with sweet-smelling spices; /
He wrapped in in clean linen and laid it in his own new tomb; //
And early in the morning, the myrrhbearing women cried out /
|| “As Thou hast foretold O Christ, show us Thy Resurrection! ||
The choirs of angels are filled with [...]

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From the 55 Beatitudes of St. Ephraim of Syria

St. Ephraim of Syria’s 55 Beatitudes # 48 – 55:
Blessed the one who has kept the mastery of his eyelids and has not deceived himself with either mind or senses with regard to the skin of the flesh that after a little while [...]

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[Excerpt] Leo the Great of Rome, Homily 59: On the Holy Passion of Christ

. . . From Sermon LIX, given in Wednesday of Holy Week.
St Leo the Great (pope of Rome from 440-461, reposed in the Lord AD 461) was bishop in one of the more controversy-ridden periods of Church history. He was engaged in the Christological controversy that consumed the fifth century, and his great Tome was [...]

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Prayers by the Lake – LXIV

How marvelous is the true Son of God! The One who is not of shadow but of light. The One who represents the existent Triad and not the nonexistent triad.
How He has supported His wisdom with blessed virginity and powerful light, like the dome of a church with walls of marble!
The Dominions, Powers, [...]

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The Akathist to the Holy Virgin -

Last week-end was the week-end of the Akathist of the Theotokos. Here it is from the website of the late Bishop Alexander:

THE AKATHIST HYMN is one of the most well-loved services of devotion in the Orthodox Church. Although there is some debate concerning the particulars of its authorship, many scholars agree with the pious tradition [...]

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The Atlanta Allergy Clinic

Thank goodness for the Atlanta Allergy Clinic!! During “the pollen season” they publish on their website the daily pollen count. They also give the “norms” so that you know where the pollen count is compared to those norms. Let me show you April 2008. (It will show you May when the months change over.)
There are [...]

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Later – Gater

This is a busy period in my life, and posts will be sparse for a while. To my faithful readers, I apologise. I’m probably going to be down to either 1 original post a week and 1 meme or 2 or 3 memes.
Well, that’s life in the pickle factory at the moment.
Don’t say you weren’t [...]

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The Wisdom of Frank Pittman, MD -

When I was in nursing school, I was fortnate enough to meet and get to know Frank Pittman, MD. He went on to become a nationally and internationally known psychiatrist and an expert in family therapy. I’ve followed his career with interest, and read all his books. I’ve missed some of  his articles, sad to [...]

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A Blank Page -

What is it about a blank page that makes my mind go blank? I think of so many things to publish here when I’m NOT sitting here trying to get my blog entry done on time!!
Yes, I keep a folder full of “ideas,” and I have some sites bookmarked for memes and things, but none [...]

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Commitment to Loveliness! – -

ooooooook – according to Emma, “choose five things that you would like to work on or do during the week that will increase the loveliness in your life!” This is the Commitment to Loveliness. Given my life, I’m not sure I’m up for this, but I’ll give it a try.

Do the taxes. This will make [...]

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Information Overload?

I am constantly searching the internet for one thing or another. Diseases, surgical complications, standards of care, hospital accreditation, etc.
There is so much information “out there” that is FREE for our perusal!! Here is some that I have found that I think will be helpful – especially to the homeschoolers among us:
Math Text
Online Mathematics [...]

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Daily Disciplines – -

In the Orthodox Church, we have a very orderly, disciplined approach to worship – despite the glorious disorder of the services.
Each day of the week has its own significance and special prayers and hymns. Prayers and hymns are recited and chanted pertaining to the commemoration of each day. This cycle is not based on a [...]

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