Fr. Bill's Orthodox Blog – Orthodoxy from the Third Coast
Saints, Seasons, Society, Sins, plus Travels mostly to Greece and who knows what next? by Father Bill Olnhausen
Christ is risen! Truly He is risen! Forgive me. This Post is three days late. Just wait till you’re 85 and stay at the Paschal Meal at church till 4:30 in the morning. It was wonderful, and I spent all last week recovering. This Post has already grown rather long. Therefore I’m splitting into two […]
Read More »GREAT AND HOLY PASCHA! Christ is risen! Truly he is risen! Father Alexander Schmemann called our Orthodox Paschal celebration “an explosion of joy”. Words are inadequate to describe the services. They speak for themselves. (Every time I preached on Pascha I wished I hadn’t. This year my Pascha sermon will consist of: “Christ is […]
Read More »These are the short (by Orthodox standards) daily services sung regularly in monasteries at certain “hours” – First Hour (dawn), Third Hour (9 a.m.), Sixth Hour (Noon), Ninth Hour (3 p.m.). Before certain great feasts they are appointed also for parish churches. Some parishes read them throughout the day at the appointed monastic times. I […]
Read More »The Divine Liturgy is always a festival event. Therefore on the penitential weekdays of Lent and also on the ordinary weekdays of Holy Week, there is no celebration of the full Divine Liturgy. The Anaphora (the consecration of the Holy Gifts) is omitted, and Holy Communion is received from that which was previously consecrated, […]
Read More »Introduction Yesterday we celebrated the raising of Lazarus which was, as we sang, the “prefiguring of the General Resurrection”, when all mankind will be raised from death. “Those who have done what is good will rise to life, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.” John 5:29 Christ was demonstrating, […]
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