"Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship our Holy Lord Jesus, the only Sinless One! We worship Your Cross, O Christ, and we praise and glorify Your Holy Resurrection; for You are our God, and we know no other than You; we call on Your Name. Come all you faithful, let us worship Christ's Holy Resurrection! For, behold, through the ( Read more... )

Holy Thursday Matins tonight went about an hour and a half. You can see by the length of the services how things gradually intensify during Holy Week :-). Tomorrow it's two and a half or three hours I think (can't remember at the moment :-/ ) and come Holy Friday we get a two hour or so service followed by the vigil at the Tomb. After that things ( Read more... )

"Today the Word of God the Father, the co-eternal Son, Whose throne is heaven and Whose footstool is earth, humbles Himself and comes from Bethany, riding on a dumb beast, the foal of a donkey; the children of the Hebrews hold branches in their hands. They praise Him crying out: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He Who comes, the King of Israel ( Read more... )

I'm awake. I woke up forty minutes before my alarm (I'm think I'm getting old, 'cause I went to bed way too late to justify waking up before my alarm). The area of my back between my shoulder blades hearts whenever I move certain directions. Posture issues? I think so, but maybe something else is causing it. It's a good way to begin Holy Week I ( Read more... )

I just found a really lovely recording of an Ethiopian Orthodox hymn at one of the churches here in the USA (or so I assume). You can watch/listen at . Reminds me of being at the monastery near my parents' new place for Nativity this past January ( Read more... )

Good morning starshine, earth says hello ( Read more... )

"This life has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it in vain pursuits" (St. Isaac of Syria ( Read more... )