Holy Trinity Orthodox Church

I received a Prayer Book last month (thanks to Fr. Andrew Moore in Springfield, MO!) from the St. Arseny of Konevets Press from All Saints of Alaska Orthodox Church in Victoria, Canada and I highly recommend it to everyone. From the table of contents you will see that it is very complete and a wonderful resource:

• Morning Prayers
• Evening Prayers
• Prayers for various occasions
• The Holy Scriptures--Daily reading plan
• Hymns for the weekly cycle
• Hymns for the Festal Cycle
• Preparation for Holy Confession
• Preparation for Holy Communion
• Thanksgiving for Holy Communion
• Service for one absent on the Lord's Day
• Supplication to the Holy Theotokos
• Akathist to the Sweetest Lord Jesus
• Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos
• Akathist: Glory to God for all Things
• The Holy Fathers on Prayer (almost 100 pages of quotes from the Church Fathers about Prayer)

Here is one of the quotes on prayer from the book:

"Make sure that you do not limit your prayer merely to a particular time of the day. Turn to prayer at anytime." St. John Chrysostom

Out of the mouths of babes: a 5 year-old from our parish said that she would like to have a sister named Roseanna. That way she could sing "Roseanna in the highest!"

 Priceless!

What an awesome day it was to celebrate Theophany yesterday! Someone who attended the services yesterday in our church said that they could see the reflection of Christ from the dome of our church in the waters being blessed, and once again, I was reminded how nothing happens by accident. The Pantokrator icon is in most Orthodox Churches--Christ in glory giving His blessing to all of us here on earth. This image can be seen everytime we enter the church, whether to worship. to contemplate, or even to clean. And  yesterday, we could see Christ in the water, just as he was in the water of the River Jordan.

Here are some comments by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom from his book, Living Prayer, that talk more about the house of worship:

"One can pray everywhere and anywhere, yet there are places where prayer finds its natural climate; those places are churches, fulfilling the promise: 'I will make them joyful in my house of prayer' (Isaiah 56:7).

Today, during the Royal Hours of Theophany, an interesting, hopefully appropriate, thought crossed my mind: I was thinking of the exchange between John the Baptist and Christ. John can't fathom that he would baptize Christ and yet Christ desires that He be baptized by John. From the hymnography in the Royal Hours we hear:

"The Prophet above all prophets in honor, the Forerunner and Baptist, say You, the Lamb of God, who wash away the sins of the world. His right hand trembled; seized with anguish and he cried aloud: 'I dare not touch Your head, O Word. Sanctify and enlighten me, O Merciful One; for You are the life and the light and the peace of the world.'" (from the 3rd Hour)

The Lord answers John:

My family and I just returned yesterday from visiting with my wife's family in Louisville, KY. Why is that vacations are always too short? But, I digress...

We now find ourselves between two of the greatest events in human history: the Nativity of Jesus Christ and Theophany. Both of these events were crucial in the plan of salvation and both revealed God to us. Another great event in human history is alluded to in today's Gospel (Mark 1:1-8) when John the Baptist says that, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." The Great Feast of Pentecost--the Descent of the Holy Spirit is another means of God revealing Himself to us by enabling the Apostles to speak in foreign tongues.

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness," (Malachi 3:1, Mark 1:3) still, to do this day in 2009, continues speaking to us. Let that be a reminder to all of us who are parents when we think our children are not listening and we feel like a voice all alone in the desert. Our words can, and do, make a difference!