The Saint Meme

I got tagged by Meg over at Muttonings

 The task is to name four of your favourite Saints, one who was well on the way to sanctity, is widely venerated already and very likely to be made a Saint in due course, and one who isn’t yet publicly declared a saint but probably should be made a Saint.

 It is hard to just pick FOUR of my favorite Saints, so I fudged a little 🙂 

The Optina Elders (especially Saints Ambrose, Macarius, Barsanuphius and Nektary)
Saint John the Wonderworker of San Francisco and Shanghai (Maximovich)
Saint Innocent, Apostle to North America
Saint Symeon the New Theologian and Saint Gregory Palamas
Saint Mary of Egypt

and many others 🙂

Will probably be declared a saint in due time:
Fr. Seraphim Rose

Should be recognized as a saint:
Elder Paisius of the Holy Mountain
Elder Cleopa (of Shastria)
Elder Sophrony (spiritual son of St. Silouan the Athonite)
Fr. Arseny

Chalice Covers Galloon – Take 2

The final selection has been made for the galloon for the chalice covers – and it is the gold galloon in this photo. You might note that it isn’t any of the choices in THIS picture..

While the details don’t matter, a different choice has been made and I thought I would mention it as there were interesting comments made on this when I first posted about it.

Have I mentioned that embroidering on brocade is a rather different thing than embroidering on a plain-weave fabric? Certainly fun to do, but very different. Keeps me from getting too prideful over what small skills I might have in embroidery 🙂

Heading out of town….

Heading to a funeral in Pachita, Mississippi. That’s a long way from Speedway, IN., and in more ways than one. It almost feels like I am preparing to time travel – to go back to the time of my childhood – which was the last time that I have seen almost everyone that I will see this week.

 The funeral is that of my stepfather. Long days ahead, but such is the way of things. Pray for my stepfather, and for my family.

These times…

Check out this post on Second Terrace titled “Non-conventional psyche”, as well as the post before it,, both are related to the very sad and terrible events in Virgina this week. Here is a link to a prayer at Orthodixie for those whose lives were cut short, and for their loved ones.

Literature Nerd

What Be Your Nerd Type?

Your Result: Literature Nerd Does sitting by a nice cozy fire, with a cup of hot tea/chocolate, and a book you can read for hours even when your eyes grow red and dry and you look sort of scary sitting there with your insomniac appearance? Then you fit this category perfectly! You love the power of the written word and it’s eloquence; and you may like to read/write poetry or novels. You contribute to the smart people of today’s society, however you can probably be overly-critical of works. It’s okay. I understand.

 What IS it about these quizzes? 

Speaking of literature, it’s time to go read something 🙂

Bright Week and Forgiveness

Christ is Risen!
Truly He is Risen! 

 This week I have found myself thinking a great deal over Bright Week itself, and how forgiveness seems to wash over everthing in this 7-day long “8th” day. Yes, forgiveness is available at any and every time, repentence and the Sacrament of Repentence is all that is needed… but there is something special about these 7 days. The air seems clearer, light seems brighter, everything is renewed in the Light of the Resurrection.

Paschal Greetings!

Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

Kristus aq ungwektaq! Pichinuq ungwektaq! (Aleut)
Hristos a înviat! Adevărat a înviat! (Romanian)
Tha Crìosd air èiridh! Gu dearbh, tha e air èiridh! (Scottish)
Christus resurrexit! Resurrexit vere! (Latin)
Hameshiach qam! Be’emet qam! (Hebrew)
Krisztus feltámadt! Valóban feltámadt! (Hungarian)

Crist aras! Crist sodhlice aras!  (Old English)
Christus ist auferstanden! Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden! (German)
Cristo ha resucitado! ¡En verdad ha resucitado! (Spanish)
Христос Воскрес! Воистину Воскрес! (Christos Voskres! Voistinu Voskres!) (Russian)
Kristur er upprisinn! Hann er vissulega upprisinn!(Icelandic)
Kristo Amefufukka! Kweli Amefufukka! (Swahili)
Meshiha qam! Bashrira qam! (Syriac)
Kristus Vstal A Mrtvych! Opravdi Vstoupil! (Czech)
Asréracht Críst! Asréracht Hé-som co dearb! (Old Irish)

Tá Críost éirithe! Go deimhin, tá sé éirithe! (Irish)
Atgyfododd Crist! Yn wir atgyfododd! (Welsh)
Kristo’pastitaha! Satvam Upastitaha!)(Sanskrit)
Christos harjav i merelotz! Orhniale harutjun Christosi (Armenian)
Cristo Berbistua! Benatan Berbistua! (Basque)
Christ daaztsáádéé’ náádiidzáá! T’áá aaníí, daaztsáádéé’ náádiidzáá! (Navaho)
Xristos Kuxwoo-digoot! Xegaa-kux Kuxwoo-digoot! (Tlingit)

To find many more Paschal Greetings, please visit this site.

Saint Ephriam the Syrian on the Passion of our Saviour

I am afraid to speak
and touch with my tongue
this fearful narrative
concerning the Saviour.
For truly it is fearful
to narrate all this.
Our Lord
was given up today
into the hands of sinners!
For what reason then
was one who is holy
and without sin given up?
For having done no sin
he was given up today.
Come, let us examine closely
why Christ our Saviour
was given up.
For us, the ungodly,
the Master was given up.
Who would not marvel?
Who would not give glory?
When the slaves had sinned
the Master was given up.
The sons of perdition
and the children of darkness
went out in the darkness
to arrest the sun
who had the power
to consume them in an instant…

Read the rest here…

Incredible Poem

I am afraid of the Cross
As a drunk is afraid of sober,
As a hypermodern dreads the sublime,
Fainting with fear and foreboding,
Premonizing what is mobilizing in the world,
For the powers of heaven will be shaken.

I am afraid of the Cross,
Tomorrow stands on the other side,
That is the Day that He has made.
Today, however, is a day I have familiarized
Down to gray:

Go here to read the rest. . .