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
Brothers and sisters, there is a whole lot going on this morning, so pay attention. This Liturgy begins as a celebration of Christ’s victory over Satan and death “down below”, and by the middle we’re celebrating the Resurrection here on earth, even though it hasn’t happened yet, although of course it has. In the two […]
Read More »The Royal Hours These four services are the short “Hours” (First Hour (dawn), Third Hour (9 a.m.), Sixth Hour (Noon), Ninth Hour (3 p.m.) sung in monasteries. Today they are scheduled also in parish churches – usually on Holy Friday morning, or in some places scattered through the day. On this day they contain […]
Read More »Some advice: For the remaining three days of this Holy Week, do not read this Blog. Or rather: if it’s a choice between reading this Blog and going to church, Go to church. If you can’t get to church, worship Live-stream either live or by video. This Blog may help you (and me) to understand […]
Read More »We all know that in the Orthodox Church the Divine Liturgy is always a celebration, not allowed on the penitential weekdays of the Great Lenten Fast. We also know that Holy Week is our most penitential period, so we certainly do not celebrate the Divine Liturgy during the day of Holy Friday. Western Christianity joins […]
Read More »Before we get started: Tonight at the end of the Aposticha verses we hear the Hymn of Kassiane, a Ninth Century nun and hymnographer. Kassiane was one of several young women interviewed by Emperor Theophilos as a prospective bride. The story says he was so flummoxed by Kassiane’s beauty that he said something stupid, as […]
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