Father Bill's Orthodox Blog – Orthodoxy from the Third Coast
A Variety of Topics: Saints, Seasons, Society, the Moral Life, plus Travels mostly to Greece, and more, by Father Bill Olnhausen
Please pray for the innocent suffering people of Ukraine, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, and Iran. Christ is risen! Truly He is risen! __________________ I had arrived on Crete and was staying in Heraklion overnight. I got up early and went around the corner to the Church of Saint Titus to say my prayers. […]
Read More »Note that we’re still on our Holy Week “topsy-turvy” schedule, always “anticipating” the next appointed service. Above: This is how they must have been seated. The traditional image with all seated behind the table is for symbolic reasons. Introduction For most of our Orthodox history the Holy Wednesday night service was Matins/Orthros, which continues […]
Read More »Well, actually no. The First Sunday of Pre- Lent (the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee) doesn’t come till February 1. However, next Friday, January 30, I want to talk about the Three Hierarchs’ festival which falls on that very day. So… Today let’s anticipate the Publican and the Pharisee. Then, for the rest […]
Read More »Before we get to the subject of the day: In this war of Russian aggression, endorsed by the Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Ukraine is now being attacked by super-sonic missiles. This is American composer Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei, sung by the Slovenian Philharmonic Choir. The Theophany of Our Lord God and […]
Read More »Here are some shorter items I’ve been saving up. 1. Orthodox “Advent” I put “Advent” in quotes, because it is nowhere found in Orthodox texts, though it is sometimes used as a popular nickname. I loved Anglican Advent. It begins with a flourish on the fourth Sunday before Christmas: the vestments go violet or blue, […]
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