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
courtesy of Pravmir Be prepared tonight for over two hours in church. A powerful two hours. I have never felt the story of our Lord’s Passion more deeply than at this intense service. The Gospel Readings: 1 John 13:31-18:1 2 John 18:1-29 3 Matthew 26:57-75 4 John 18:28 -19:16 5 Matthew 27:3-32 6 Mark 15:16-32, 7 Matthew 27:33-54 8 Luke 23:32-49 9 John […]
Read More »To explain for our non-Orthodox visitors: In the Orthodox tradition the full Divine Liturgy is always a festival service, so it is not celebrated on fasting, penitential days, including all the ordinary weekdays of Great Lent. (Roman Catholics have more Masses during Lent. We have fewer Liturgies.) That is why on Lenten weekdays we serve […]
Read More »Matins for Holy Thursday Note that we’re still on our Holy Week “topsy-turvy” schedule, always “anticipating” the next appointed service. Despite my not understanding this, somehow it feels just right for this Week when the whole world gets turned upside down. Matins Gospel: Luke 22:1-39 Jesus and the disciples are in the upper room at […]
Read More »Gospel: Matthew 26:6-16 A short Gospel reading in Holy Week! Matthew repeats the story we heard last Sunday from John, about Christ being anointed with fragrant oil. John said Mary sister of Martha did the anointing. Matthew says only that it was “a woman”. Luke places this earlier in Jesus’ ministry and says it was […]
Read More »Before we get into the Gospel story… Tonight at the end of the Aposticha we hear the Hymn of Kassiane, a Ninth Century nun and hymnographer. She was one of several young women interviewed by Emperor Theophilus as a prospective bride. The story says he was so flummoxed by Kassiane’s beauty that he said something […]
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