"In a grave they laid the...

...oh my life and my Christ."

That is the first verse from a hymn of the Lamentations of Holy Friday.

I cannot describe the beauty and sadness of Holy Friday. It is a bright sadness, as Fr. Thomas Hopko describes Great Lent in his book, "The Lenten Spring."

If words come to me tonight during the service, I will post again. For now, please listen to this selection of hymns from the service tonight: (I don't know how to embed the video in this blog, so just click the links)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeP70fSe3Io&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wrYdIRxM8E

Holy Thursday

There is a tradition on Holy Thursday of dying eggs red. We receive Eucharist on Holy Thursday, and the red eggs represent the blood of Jesus that was shed for the world. So, this morning (which is actually Holy Friday, but I do what I can!) Zoe and I dyed eggs red.

This year, with PASCHA being a week after Western Easter, I got to take advantage of discount Easter candy and treats. I may have gone a little over board in the 75% bin, as you can see by the Paas "dEGGorating kit" above! I tried to tell myself that I was getting this kit of glitter and stickers for our younger godchildren's enjoyment, or even Zoe's (ha!) but the truth is that I love anything crafty- even the juvenile things, and I saw the 75% off kit as cheap and fun entertainment. Next year, our Easters are on the same date so I think Zoe and I will try dying eggs using onion skins.

These festive eggs will make their way into our Pascha basket:

As you can see, I have packed the essentials so far: wine and champagne! The hard boiled, dyed eggs, goat cheese and some scones will make their way into the basket before PASCHA. I pack different things each year, but try to include special things that we have been especially missing through the Great Fast. I also decorate the basket with flowers, and place everything on a white cloth embroidered with crosses (a napkin I inherited from Mom.) This year, I made the bow on top into a cross- and I like the effect- because, as you may have already guessed, EVERYTHING in Orthodoxy has symbolic meaning, giving the faith the richness that we love and discover anew with each season.

I am humbled and thankful for the opportunity to pass along these traditions to a new generation of Orthodox Christians. Because I am so new in the faith (this is my 5th Lent) Zoe and I will be learning our Orthodox traditions together as well as starting our family's.

The most vivid memories I have of my childhood revolve around traditions: our seafood feast on Christmas Eve in Mobile, clipping azalea blossoms to decorate my Lenten coin collection box to take to the Easter service, getting a new bathing suit every year in my Easter basket, choosing a menu of my favorite things for my birthday dinner- the list goes on. I hope and pray that we can enrich our daughters life with family traditions, and in so doing teach her the fullness of Orthodoxy, to praise and worship God and to honor His Saints and His Church.

Palm Sunday

"Like the children with the palms of victory, we cry out to Thee, oh vanquisher of death: Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!"

Yesterday was Palm Sunday- a Feast in the midst of the Great Fast. We enjoyed an amazing potluck at church and nice weather for the "practice parade" (as Father calls it.)

Last year, we started a tradition in our little family of taking a family photo after Palm Sunday Liturgy. (I do LOVE a tradition) Here is a sampling from this year's pics:



The girls having fun (MM with all of her adopted daughters!)

Zoe has been immensely blessed with her godparents. We are so thankful that they are in our lives. We pray that their example will have a great impact on Zoe's life.

The fam being silly.

Zoe LOVES being outside- especially in the wind. She closes her eyes tightly and squeals. That innocence and sense of discovery amaze me every time.

We are now in Holy Week. We had the first of three Bridegroom Matins services last night. I want to share a few of the hymns from the service that are beautiful, moving and thought provoking:

"Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching, again unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless. Beware, therefore oh my soul do not be weighed down with sleep! Lest you be given up to death and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom! But rouse yourself, crying, "Holy! Holy! Holy! art Thou, oh our God! Through the prayers of the Theotokos have mercy on us."

I wish you could hear the music to this hymn. It is haunting and beautiful. Most often in a church service, I don't close my eyes, as I get easily distracted in that state. I try to focus on an icon- the Mother of God, Christ, etc. to focus my prayer and attention on God. However, during the singing of this hymn is one time when I usually do end up closing my eyes in order to let the melody wash over me and to absorb the great importance of the words I am singing.

Another hymn:

"Verily I behold the bridal chamber adorned, oh my Savior. But I possess no garment with which to enter therein...delight Thou in the robe of my soul, oh giver of Life and save me!"

What an incredible picture of God's mercy and love for His people! I may have on my Sunday best, but, spiritually speaking, I am barely covered in rags. The only way I am allowed at the table with God is by his mercy. I pray that God would delight in the robe of my soul, even though it "is all leprous and in ruins."

I hope you have a blessed Holy Week. I look forward to this time of deep cleansing as we prepare for the Greatest Feast of PASCHA!

Tea Towel Swap

Here they are:

I participated in my first swap.

Over the last month or so, I have been thinking about or creating 2 tea towels for this online swap. My swap buddy is from Washington state- the internet is pretty cool, right? It was very fun making these for someone. I hope she likes them! I also have to include a recipe in this swap...still thinking about that one, but if I come up with something really good, I'll post it on the blog.

Holier than thou

You know you're Orthodox when...

your 7 month-old refuses to eat meat during Lent:

Since the first time I put a spoon in her mouth she has loved food. Green beans, carrots, fruit, vegetable soup, hummus- you name, she'll eat it. I should start entering her in contests at county fairs. Is she her mother's child or what?

Before I ventured into the world of starting my child on solid foods (and I use the food "solid" loosely) I read several articles about the subject. If there was any consistency to them, it was that they all said how terrible it would probably be- food splattered all over the baby, you, the wall, your next door neighbors house. The picture they painted was pretty stressful and messy. They said, "Don't bother videoing the first feeding because it will not be the easy, happy event that you envision."

So it was with trepidation that I slowly approached her with the first spoon full of squash. To my astonishment and relief, she opened her little bird mouth and lapped up the squash in record time. She didn't even get A DROP on her bib. If only we HAD video taped it! (Darn those psycho parenting books)

But, it was bound to happen. My perfect eater just had to make a mess at some point. I was bound to have to use some Spray-n-Wash on a bib at some point, even bound to have to get out the mop or broom after a (or every) feeding.

I have to say, even cleaning up the splattered chicken and vegetables off of the floor, the counter and the baby I still think she's just about perfect.

This will just be one of those stories from her life of piety that will read, "Even as an infant, Zoe refused to break the Great Fast."

Let it snow

A couple of weeks ago...Zoe's first snow. It was amazing that the day before I was wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt and jeans. Then the next day I'm scrambling around my kids room to find anything that seems realatively warm. I think 3 layers did the trick. (Good thing Daddy bought a sweater for his babe when he went to Maine last summer!)

Our just-over-an-acre yard looked amazing covered in a blanket of perfectly white snow. I've never seen such a busy street be so peaceful. Looking out onto our backyard reminded me of being in Central Park.

Now, like every other Southerner, I am ready for my short-sleeved t-shirt again (it is March, people!)

Forgive Me

I recently posted about the differences between my 4 Great Lent experiences. This Lent, my fifth, is starting out like none other.

For me, the beginning of the Great Fast always begins with a service on Sunday night (before the actual beginning of Lent on Clean Monday) with a service called Forgiveness Vespers. I am definitely no student of the differences in the various church services, but as far as I can remember it seems generally like any Vespers service with one big difference- there's a group hug at the end.

Well, not really a group hug- but you were intrigued weren't you?

At the conclusion of Vespers, everyone present lines up against the walls (or radiators!) of the church, forming a huge circle. I know what you're thinking. "This sounds a little too touchy-feely for Orthodoxy." Well, in one sense you'd be right, but keep reading...

Then, starting with the priest, we each go up to every person in the room and ask for his/her forgiveness. ("NOW you're sounding more Orthodox") You stand in front of your fellow believer and say, "Please forgive me, a sinner" and then usually cross yourself and bow.

The mere saying of these words brings humility to the soul. The bowing of the body brings even more humility- you are forcing your body to fall in line with your soul, making the whole person feel as one and connected to Christ, His Church and humanity.

I say connected to humanity because you are keenly aware in this service that all of your sin has an impact on Christendom- not only in an obtuse, spiritual way, but in a real one. My sinfulness has an impact on you. My sin has an impact on my sister in Louisiana. My sin has an impact on a grandmother in China. It affects humanity.

Humbling doesn't begin to describe it.

It is with those thoughts that we ask for forgiveness from every person in the room, some of whom we have never met.

The response from the other person is, "God forgives and I forgive."

How could we not forgive others when God forgives us so greatly? Easy to say, not easy to do. I don't forgive others for insignificant offenses, then expect God to forgive me for infinitely worse.

This Lent is different for me so far in that I was not able to make it to Forgiveness Vespers for the first time in my 5 years of being Orthodox.

This doesn't mean that Lent hasn't begun. It doesn't mean that I can't ask for forgiveness. In fact, it makes me realize that I need to seek forgiveness from God and those around me everyday, not just in that poignant service.

Please forgive me, a sinner.