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! The Church Fathers did nothing haphazardly. During Pascha, as our lectionary takes us through the Gospel of John, * the Fathers selected particular Sunday readings for a reason. This week we get a very clear moral lesson from these holy men and women who ministered to the Lord […]
Read More »Christ is risen! Truly he is risen! What? Saint Nicholas in May? I explained this last year, but in case you’re new here: May 9 is a lesser feast of Saint Nicholas. Actually Nicholas is an ever-present, ever-relevant saint to us Orthodox, not confined to December 6 – or to December 25. By the way, […]
Read More »Christ is risen! Truly he is risen! Father Alexander Schmemann called our Orthodox Paschal celebration “an explosion of joy”. The following is the lighting of the Paschal candle, the sharing of the Fire and the beginning of the Paschal Procession at Saint Ignatius Church, Franklin, Tennessee. This next video is the conclusion of the Midnight Office […]
Read More »Gospel Reading: Matthew 28 Many themes today. This Liturgy begins as a celebration of Christ’s victory over Satan and death “down below”, and before we’re done we’re proclaiming the Resurrection here “up above”. Yet after that, later in the Liturgy Christ is singing “Do not lament me, O Mother”, as if she hasn’t yet heard […]
Read More »Holy Friday afternoon Great Vespers: the Taking Down from the Cross For less than a day, from Holy Thursday night to Holy Friday afternoon, the Orthodox crucifix is placed out in front of the icon screen. Otherwise it is normally kept behind the altar, half hidden from view, as if it is too “strong”, too […]
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