#St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Monday, April 8, 2024

march 26_April 8

Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

Troparion

Gabriel, commander of the heavenly hosts, / we who are unworthy beseech you, / by your prayers encompass us beneath the wings of your immaterial glory, / and faithfully preserve us who fall down and cry to you: / “Deliver us from all harm, for you are the commander of the powers on high!”

The Lord chose the Archangel Gabriel to announce to the Virgin Mary the Incarnation of the Son of God from Her to the great rejoicing of all mankind. Therefore, on the day after the Feast of the Annunciation, the day the All-Pure Virgin is glorified, we give thanks to the Lord and venerate His messenger Gabriel, who contributed to the mystery of our salvation.

Gabriel, the holy Archistrategos (Leader of the Heavenly Hosts), is a faithful servant of the Almighty God. He announced the future Incarnation of the Son of God to those of the Old Testament; he inspired the Prophet Moses to write the Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament), he announced the coming tribulations of the Chosen People to the Prophet Daniel (Dan. 8:16, 9:21-24); he appeared to Saint Anna (July 25) with the news that she would give birth to the Virgin Mary.

The holy Archangel Gabriel remained with the Holy Virgin Mary when She was a child in the Temple of Jerusalem, and watched over Her throughout Her earthly life. He appeared to the Priest Zachariah, foretelling the birth of the Forerunner of the Lord, Saint John the Baptist.

The Lord sent him to Saint Joseph the Betrothed in a dream, to reveal to him the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God from the All-Pure Virgin Mary, and warned him of the wicked intentions of Herod, ordering him to flee into Egypt with the divine Infant and His Mother.

When the Lord prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before His Passion, the Archangel Gabriel, whose very name signifies “Man of God” (Luke. 22:43), was sent from Heaven to strengthen Him.

The Myrrh-Bearing Women heard from the Archangel the joyous news of Christ’s Resurrection (Mt.28:1-7, Mark 16:1-8).

Mindful of the holy Archangel Gabriel's manifold appearances and his zealous fulfillment of God’s will and confessing his intercession for Christians before the Lord, the Orthodox Church calls upon its children to pray to the great Archangel with faith and love.

The Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel is also celebrated on July 13. All the angels are commemorated on November 8.

VENERABLE MALCUS OF CHALCIS , MONK IN SYRIA  (4th c.)

The Life of Saint Malchus, the Captive Monk, was written by St. Jerome in his monastery in Bethlehem. The composition is original in that St. Jerome reports the solitary man telling his own life story to him.

I was an only child and tenant of a small farm at Nisibis. When my parents were coercing me to marry because I was the last descendant of the family and their sole heir, I told them that I preferred to be a monk. With what threats my father assailed me, with what coaxing my mother pursued me to betray my chastity, you can judge by the fact that I left both home and my parents.

In Bethlehem, St. Jerome writes the story Malchus told him since I could not go to the East because of the proximity of Persia and the Roman guard, I turned to the West, taking very few provisions, merely enough to keep me alive. To be brief, I finally reached the desert of Chalcis. There, having found a community of monks, I placed myself under their guidance, earning my living by the toil of my hands and curbing the lust of the flesh with fasting.

After many years, the thought occurred to me that I should return to my native land while my mother was still alive (I had heard of my father’s death) to comfort her in her widowhood. After her death, I could sell our possessions, give part of the proceeds to the poor, erect a monastery with another part, and (why should I blush to confess my infidelity) reserve the rest to take care of my own needs.

My Abbot protested that my desire to return home was a temptation from the Devil and that under a virtuous pretext lay concealed the snares of our ancient enemy; in other words, the dog was returning to its vomit.

Many monks, he said, had been deceived in this way, for the Devil never comes without disguises. When persuasion failed, he begged me on his knees not to desert him, not to ruin myself, not to look back having put my hand to the plough.

Alas, miserable creature that I am, I did not relent. He escorted me from the monastery as if he were attending a corpse in a funeral procession. Bidding me a last farewell, he said: “I see, my son, that you are marked by the brand of Satan. I do not seek the causes nor do I accept excuses. The sheep that leaves the sheepfold straightway exposes itself to the teeth of the wolf.”

I decided to travel in company to decrease the danger of surprise attack by nomad Saracens, always wandering back and forth on the road. There were about 70 in my company, men women and children. Suddenly, Ishmaelites, riding upon horses and camels, descended upon us in a startling attack. We were seized, scattered and carried off in different directions. A woman of the company and I fell by lot into the hands of the same master.

The slave Malchus is content tending sheep in solitude and prayerWe were lifted up onto camels and traveled through the vast desert until we arrived at its heart, where the master’s household was. There I was assigned the task of pasturing the sheep and, in contrast to the evils I might have been subjected to, I enjoyed the comfort of rarely seeing my master and fellow slaves.

Alone in the desert, I lived on cheese and milk; I prayed continually; I sang the psalms I had learned in the monastery. In fact, I was delighted with my captivity and I thanked God for his judgment, for the monk whom I had nearly lost in my own country I had found again in the desert.

But nothing is ever safe from the Devil. How multiple and unspeakable are his deceits. My master, seeing his herd increase and finding in me nothing of fraud – for I obeyed the Apostle’s injunction that masters were to be served as faithfully as God himself – desired to reward me to better insure my fidelity. So he offered me in marriage the woman slave who had been taken captive with me.

When I refused and said that I was a Christian and it was not lawful for me to have for wife one whose husband was living (her husband had been captured with us and carried off by another master), my implacable master was seized with fury. Drawing his sword he started to attack me. If I had not made haste to throw my arm about the woman, he would have shed my blood then and there.

All too soon for me, night came on, darker than usual. I led my new bride into a ruined cave nearby. Realizing the full force of my captivity and, throwing myself down on the ground, I began to lament and sob for the monk I was on the point of losing. “Of what avail to have renounced parents, country, property for the Lord, if I now do the very thing that I would not do when I renounced them. What shall I do, my soul, perish or conquer?”

Prepared to turn the blade of my sword against myself rather than suffer the death of the soul, I told the woman, “Farewell, unhappy woman. I am yours to have as a martyr rather than a husband.”

Then to my surprise, the woman threw herself at my feet and beseeched me not shed my blood, for she said, even if her husband would return to her, she would preserve the chastity that captivity had taught her and would rather die than lose it.

“Take me, therefore, as a spouse in chastity,” she said, “and love the bond of the soul rather than that of the body. Let our master believe you a husband; Christ will know the brother.”

I confess that I was amazed and, admiring the virtue of that woman, I loved her more than if she were my spouse. Never, however, did I look upon her nude body; never did I touch her flesh, fearing to lose in peace what I had preserved in conflict.

Many days passed in wedlock of this kind. Our marriage rendered us more pleasing to our master; there was no suspicion of flight. Sometimes I was absent for a whole month, all alone, the trusted shepherd of the flock...to be continued

ISAIAH 14:24-32

24 The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand: 25 That I will break the Assyrian in My land, And on My mountains tread him underfoot. Then his yoke shall be removed from them, And his burden removed from their shoulders. 26 This is the purpose that is purposed against the whole earth, And this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. 27 For the Lord of hosts has purposed, And who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, And who will turn it back?” 28 This is the burden that came in the year that King Ahaz died. 29 “Do not rejoice, all you of Philistia, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For out of the serpent’s roots will come forth a viper, And its offspring will be a fiery flying serpent. 30 The firstborn of the poor will feed, And the needy will lie down in safety; I will kill your roots with famine, And it will slay your remnant. 31 Wail, O gate! Cry, O city! All you of Philistia are dissolved; For smoke will come from the north, And no one will be alone in his appointed times.” 32 What will they answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord has founded Zion, And the poor of His people shall take refuge in it.

GENESIS 8:21-9:7

21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done. 22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”

1 So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. 3 “Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. 4 “But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 “Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require man's life. 6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man. 7 And as for you, be fruitful and multiply; Bring forth abundantly in the earth And multiply in it.”

[catholic-saint-tournament]

I'm so sorry, I have not seen anyone post anything about Elizabeth Ann Seton nor Robert Bellarmine and that was my friend's and my patron saint so I have to go to the bat for them. Also if you're allowing Orthodox saints I have to mention Mary of Egypt who is just iconic.

IT WAS A CRIME WE DIDN'T HAVE EITHER OF THEM ON THE LIST

They're now on the list!!!!! St Elizabeth Ann Seton, the reason for American Catholic schools! St Robert Bellarmine, a DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.

They are both going to need a TON MORE PROPAGANDA. Their brackets are going to be fierce!

[brookston]

Holidays 7.15

Holidays

Arctic Sea Ice Day

Battle of Grumwald Day (Lithuania, Poland)

Be A Dork Day

Cigarette Warning Day

Civic Day (Colombia)

Day of Democracy and Freedoms (Turkey)

Day of Ukrainian Peacekeepers

Day of Visibility for Non-Monogamy

Developmental Disability Professionals Day

Disability Awareness Day (UK)

Dog Days end

Elderly Men Day (a.k.a. Unimwane Day; Kiribati)

Festival of Santa Rosalia (Sicily)

Garlic Day (French Republic)

Gorestnici begins (Fire Festival; Bulgaria; until 17th)

Hakata Gion Yamagasa (Fukuoka, Japan)

Hapshire Day (UK)

Hold a Rat Day

Hundadagar (Dog Days of Summer; Iceland) [Thru August 23]

I Love Horses Day

International Stamp Out Spiking Day

John Fogerty Day (El Cerrito, California)

Manitoba Province Day (Canada; 1870)

Manu’s Cession Day (American Samoa)

National Apprenticeship Day (India)

National Captain’s Hill Day

National Clean Beauty Day

National Donna Day

National Dork Day

National Give Something Away Day

National Health Insurance Act Day (UK)

National Leiomyosarcoma Awareness Day

National Pet Fire Safety Day

No-Hitter Day

PicantePit Pitch Day

Plastic Surgery Day

Respect Canada Day

St. Swithin's Day (UK)

715 Day

Social Media Giving Day

Sultan’s Day (Brunei)

World Firefox Day

World Youth Skills Day (UN)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Black Currant Day

Gummi Worm Day

Margarine Day

National Tapioca Pudding Day

Orange Chicken Day

Independence & Related Days

Chowolia (Declared; 2020) [dissolved; 2021]

Georgia (Readmitted to the Union; 1870)

Island of Vancouver (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Montenegro (Statehood Day)

Permaria (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

3rd Monday in July

Global Hug For Your Kids Day [3rd Monday]

Guelaguetza (a.k.a. Festival of Lunes del Cerro; Oaxaca, Mexico) [Monday after 16th]

Marine Day (Japan) [3rd Monday]

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

Munoz-Rivera Day (f.k.a. Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera; Puerto Rico Day) [3rd Monday]

National Get Out of the Doghouse Day [3rd Monday]

National Prosecco Week begins [3rd Monday]

Perseids Meteor Shower begins [Varies; thru 8.24]

President’s Day (Botswana) [3rd Monday]

Umi No Hi (Ocean Day/Marine Day; Japan) [3rd Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning July 15 (3rd Week of July)

Coral Reef Awareness Week (thru 7.21)

Rabbit Week (thru 7.21)

Festivals Beginning July 15, 2024

Clayton Restaurant Week (Clayton, Missouri) [thru 7.21]

Concert of Colors (Detroit, Michigan) [thru 7.21]

Dantz Festival (San Sebastián, Spain) [thru 7.20]

Festival Jazz à Sete (Sete, France) [thru 7.21]

Galway International Arts Festival (Galway, Ireland) [thru 7.28]

Moldejazz (Molde, Norway) [thru 7.20]

Republican National Convention (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) [thru 7.18]

Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain) [thru 7.21]

Feast Days

Abhai (Syriac Orthodox)

Anne-Marie Javouhey (Christian; Saint)

Athanasius of Naples (Christian; Saint)

Barhadbesaba (Christian; Martyr)

Bernhard II, Margrave of Baden-Baden (Christian; Saint)

Bonaventure (Christian; Saint)

Bon Festival (Kantō region, Japan)

Clive Cussler (Writerism)

Confuflux (Discordian)

David of Munktorp (Christian; Saint)

Day of Rauni (Finnish Mother Goddess)

Day of Set (Ancient Egypt; Everyday Wicca)

Day of the Baptism of Rus’ (Ukraine)

Dispersion of the Apostles (No longer officially celebrated by the Catholic Church)

Donald of Ogilvy (Christian; Saint)

Edith of Polesworth (Christian; Saint)

Edith of Wilton (Christian; Saint)

Ernie Barnes (Artology)

Feast of Rowana (patron of secret knowledge of the runes; Druid/Flemish)

Ferret Down Your Trousers Day (Pastafarian)

Festival of Castor and Pollux (Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Dead (Honoring Ti-Tsang, Ruler of the Dark Underworld; Ancient China)

Forgetful Jones & Buster (Muppetism)

The Gray Man (Film; 2022)

Guido Crepax (Artology)

Helpful Hilma (Muppetism)

Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (Christian; Saint)

Ides of July (Ancient Rome)

Iris Murdoch (Writerism)

Jacques Derrida (Writerism)

James of Nisibis (Christian; Saint)

Jan Cossiers (Artology)

St. Louis (Positivist; Saint)

Neil Gaiman Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Petal-Hopping for Beginners (Shamanism)

Plechelm (Christian; Saint)

Pompilio Pirrotti (Christian; Saint)

Queen Maeve of Connacht (Celtic Book of Days)

Quriaqos and Julietta (Christian; Saint)

Rembrandt van Rijn (Artology)

Richard Russo (Writerism)

Rosalia (Christian; Saint) [Palermo, Sicily]

Solstitium X (Pagan)

Swithin (a..k.a. Swithun; Christian; Saint)

Vladimir the Great of Kiev (Eastern Orthodox; Catholic Church)

Whamo the Rental Magician (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [27 of 53]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [40 of 71]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [33 of 60]

Premieres

Belle (Anime Film; 2021)

Bullet Train (Film; 2022)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Film; 2005)

Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months, by Maurice Sendak (Children’s Book; 1962)

Creedence Clearwater Revival, by Creedence Clearwater Revival (Album; 1968)

Dangerous Dan McFoo (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Die Hard (Film; 1988)

The Dogs of War, by Frederick Forsyth (Novel; 1974)

A Fish Called Wanda (Film; 1988)

Gangnam Style, by Psy (Song; 20912)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Film; 1953)

Ghostbusters (Film; 2016)

Goldilocks and the Three Bears (MGM Cartoon; 1939)

The Gray Man (Film; 2022)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 (US Film; 2011) [#8]

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (US Film; 2009) [#6]

A Hole in the Head (Film; 1959)

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, recorded by Jimmy Boyd (Song; 1952)

The Jeep (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1938)

The Last of the Masters, by Philip K. Dick (Short Story; 1954)

The Late Batsby (WB Cartoon; 2018)

Little Big Man, by Thomas Berger (Novel; 1964)

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (Animated Film; 1989)

Mandatory Fun, by Weird Al Yankovic (Album; 2014)

The Man from Monterey (Film; 1933)

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (Animated Film; 2022)

The Past Through Tomorrow, by Robert A. Heinlein (Short Stories; 1967)

Pirates of Penzance, starring Linda Ronstadt (Musical Play in Central Park, NY; 1980)

Porky’s Picnic (WB LT Cartoon; 1939)

The Rebel Without Claws (WB LT Cartoon; 1961)

Staying Alive (Film; 1983)

Stranger Things (TV Series; 2016)

There’s Something ABout Mary (Film; 1998)

True Lies (1994)

Twitter (Social Media App; 2006)

Wedding Crashers (Film; 2005)

Whisper of the Heart (Studio Ghibli Animated Film; 1995)

Winnie the Pooh (Animated Film; 2011)

The Witch’s Cat (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1948)

Zelig (Film; 1983)

Today’s Name Days

Balduin, Bonaventura, Egon, Waldemar (Austria)

Vlada, Vladena, Vladimir (Bulgaria)

Bonaventura, Bono, Dobriša, Vlado (Croatia)

Jindřich (Czech Republic)

Apostlenes Deling (Denmark)

Ragne, Raina, Raine, Raini (Estonia)

Rauna, Rauni (Finland)

Donald, Vladimir (France)

Björn, Egon, Jakob (Germany)

Ioulitta, Kerykos, Kirykos (Greece)

Henrik, Roland (Hungary)

Bonaventura, Giacobbe, Vladimiro (Italy)

Egija, Egmonts, Egons, Rūta (Latvia)

Gerimantė, Mantas, Rozalija, Rožė (Lithuania)

Oddmund, Oddrun (Norway)

Daniel, Dawid, Dawida, Egon, Henryk, Iga, Ignacja, Ignacy, Lubomysł, Niecisław, Włodzimierz, Żegota (Poland)

Angelina (Russia)

Henrich (Slovakia)

Buenaventura (Spain)

Ragnhild, Ragnvald (Sweden)

Volodymyr, Volodymyra (Ukraine)

Baldwin, Don, Donald, Donalda, Donna, Donnell, Donnie, Dunn, Dunne, Uriel (USA)

Don, Donald, Donalda, Donaldo, Donaldson, Donita, Donell, Donn, Donnell, Donnie, Donny, Kona, MacDonald, McDonald (Universal)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 197 of 2024; 169 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of Week 29 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Xin-Wei), Day 10 (Geng-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 9 Tammuz 5784

Islamic: 8 Muharram 1446

J Cal: 17 Red; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 2 July 2024

Moon: 67%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 28 Charlemagne (7th Month) [St. Louis]

Runic Half Month: Ur (Primal Strength) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 26 of 94)

Week: 3rd Week of July

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 25 of 31)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 7.15

Holidays

Arctic Sea Ice Day

Battle of Grumwald Day (Lithuania, Poland)

Be A Dork Day

Cigarette Warning Day

Civic Day (Colombia)

Day of Democracy and Freedoms (Turkey)

Day of Ukrainian Peacekeepers

Day of Visibility for Non-Monogamy

Developmental Disability Professionals Day

Disability Awareness Day (UK)

Dog Days end

Elderly Men Day (a.k.a. Unimwane Day; Kiribati)

Festival of Santa Rosalia (Sicily)

Garlic Day (French Republic)

Gorestnici begins (Fire Festival; Bulgaria; until 17th)

Hakata Gion Yamagasa (Fukuoka, Japan)

Hapshire Day (UK)

Hold a Rat Day

Hundadagar (Dog Days of Summer; Iceland) [Thru August 23]

I Love Horses Day

International Stamp Out Spiking Day

John Fogerty Day (El Cerrito, California)

Manitoba Province Day (Canada; 1870)

Manu’s Cession Day (American Samoa)

National Apprenticeship Day (India)

National Captain’s Hill Day

National Clean Beauty Day

National Donna Day

National Dork Day

National Give Something Away Day

National Health Insurance Act Day (UK)

National Leiomyosarcoma Awareness Day

National Pet Fire Safety Day

No-Hitter Day

PicantePit Pitch Day

Plastic Surgery Day

Respect Canada Day

St. Swithin's Day (UK)

715 Day

Social Media Giving Day

Sultan’s Day (Brunei)

World Firefox Day

World Youth Skills Day (UN)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Black Currant Day

Gummi Worm Day

Margarine Day

National Tapioca Pudding Day

Orange Chicken Day

Independence & Related Days

Chowolia (Declared; 2020) [dissolved; 2021]

Georgia (Readmitted to the Union; 1870)

Island of Vancouver (Declared; 2019) [unrecognized]

Montenegro (Statehood Day)

Permaria (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

3rd Monday in July

Global Hug For Your Kids Day [3rd Monday]

Guelaguetza (a.k.a. Festival of Lunes del Cerro; Oaxaca, Mexico) [Monday after 16th]

Marine Day (Japan) [3rd Monday]

Motivation Monday [Every Monday]

Munoz-Rivera Day (f.k.a. Birthday of Don Luis Muñoz Rivera; Puerto Rico Day) [3rd Monday]

National Get Out of the Doghouse Day [3rd Monday]

National Prosecco Week begins [3rd Monday]

Perseids Meteor Shower begins [Varies; thru 8.24]

President’s Day (Botswana) [3rd Monday]

Umi No Hi (Ocean Day/Marine Day; Japan) [3rd Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning July 15 (3rd Week of July)

Coral Reef Awareness Week (thru 7.21)

Rabbit Week (thru 7.21)

Festivals Beginning July 15, 2024

Clayton Restaurant Week (Clayton, Missouri) [thru 7.21]

Concert of Colors (Detroit, Michigan) [thru 7.21]

Dantz Festival (San Sebastián, Spain) [thru 7.20]

Festival Jazz à Sete (Sete, France) [thru 7.21]

Galway International Arts Festival (Galway, Ireland) [thru 7.28]

Moldejazz (Molde, Norway) [thru 7.20]

Republican National Convention (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) [thru 7.18]

Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival (Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain) [thru 7.21]

Feast Days

Abhai (Syriac Orthodox)

Anne-Marie Javouhey (Christian; Saint)

Athanasius of Naples (Christian; Saint)

Barhadbesaba (Christian; Martyr)

Bernhard II, Margrave of Baden-Baden (Christian; Saint)

Bonaventure (Christian; Saint)

Bon Festival (Kantō region, Japan)

Clive Cussler (Writerism)

Confuflux (Discordian)

David of Munktorp (Christian; Saint)

Day of Rauni (Finnish Mother Goddess)

Day of Set (Ancient Egypt; Everyday Wicca)

Day of the Baptism of Rus’ (Ukraine)

Dispersion of the Apostles (No longer officially celebrated by the Catholic Church)

Donald of Ogilvy (Christian; Saint)

Edith of Polesworth (Christian; Saint)

Edith of Wilton (Christian; Saint)

Ernie Barnes (Artology)

Feast of Rowana (patron of secret knowledge of the runes; Druid/Flemish)

Ferret Down Your Trousers Day (Pastafarian)

Festival of Castor and Pollux (Ancient Rome)

Festival of the Dead (Honoring Ti-Tsang, Ruler of the Dark Underworld; Ancient China)

Forgetful Jones & Buster (Muppetism)

The Gray Man (Film; 2022)

Guido Crepax (Artology)

Helpful Hilma (Muppetism)

Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (Christian; Saint)

Ides of July (Ancient Rome)

Iris Murdoch (Writerism)

Jacques Derrida (Writerism)

James of Nisibis (Christian; Saint)

Jan Cossiers (Artology)

St. Louis (Positivist; Saint)

Neil Gaiman Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Petal-Hopping for Beginners (Shamanism)

Plechelm (Christian; Saint)

Pompilio Pirrotti (Christian; Saint)

Queen Maeve of Connacht (Celtic Book of Days)

Quriaqos and Julietta (Christian; Saint)

Rembrandt van Rijn (Artology)

Richard Russo (Writerism)

Rosalia (Christian; Saint) [Palermo, Sicily]

Solstitium X (Pagan)

Swithin (a..k.a. Swithun; Christian; Saint)

Vladimir the Great of Kiev (Eastern Orthodox; Catholic Church)

Whamo the Rental Magician (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [27 of 53]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [40 of 71]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [33 of 60]

Premieres

Belle (Anime Film; 2021)

Bullet Train (Film; 2022)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Film; 2005)

Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months, by Maurice Sendak (Children’s Book; 1962)

Creedence Clearwater Revival, by Creedence Clearwater Revival (Album; 1968)

Dangerous Dan McFoo (WB MM Cartoon; 1939)

Die Hard (Film; 1988)

The Dogs of War, by Frederick Forsyth (Novel; 1974)

A Fish Called Wanda (Film; 1988)

Gangnam Style, by Psy (Song; 20912)

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Film; 1953)

Ghostbusters (Film; 2016)

Goldilocks and the Three Bears (MGM Cartoon; 1939)

The Gray Man (Film; 2022)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 (US Film; 2011) [#8]

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (US Film; 2009) [#6]

A Hole in the Head (Film; 1959)

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, recorded by Jimmy Boyd (Song; 1952)

The Jeep (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1938)

The Last of the Masters, by Philip K. Dick (Short Story; 1954)

The Late Batsby (WB Cartoon; 2018)

Little Big Man, by Thomas Berger (Novel; 1964)

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (Animated Film; 1989)

Mandatory Fun, by Weird Al Yankovic (Album; 2014)

The Man from Monterey (Film; 1933)

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (Animated Film; 2022)

The Past Through Tomorrow, by Robert A. Heinlein (Short Stories; 1967)

Pirates of Penzance, starring Linda Ronstadt (Musical Play in Central Park, NY; 1980)

Porky’s Picnic (WB LT Cartoon; 1939)

The Rebel Without Claws (WB LT Cartoon; 1961)

Staying Alive (Film; 1983)

Stranger Things (TV Series; 2016)

There’s Something ABout Mary (Film; 1998)

True Lies (1994)

Twitter (Social Media App; 2006)

Wedding Crashers (Film; 2005)

Whisper of the Heart (Studio Ghibli Animated Film; 1995)

Winnie the Pooh (Animated Film; 2011)

The Witch’s Cat (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1948)

Zelig (Film; 1983)

Today’s Name Days

Balduin, Bonaventura, Egon, Waldemar (Austria)

Vlada, Vladena, Vladimir (Bulgaria)

Bonaventura, Bono, Dobriša, Vlado (Croatia)

Jindřich (Czech Republic)

Apostlenes Deling (Denmark)

Ragne, Raina, Raine, Raini (Estonia)

Rauna, Rauni (Finland)

Donald, Vladimir (France)

Björn, Egon, Jakob (Germany)

Ioulitta, Kerykos, Kirykos (Greece)

Henrik, Roland (Hungary)

Bonaventura, Giacobbe, Vladimiro (Italy)

Egija, Egmonts, Egons, Rūta (Latvia)

Gerimantė, Mantas, Rozalija, Rožė (Lithuania)

Oddmund, Oddrun (Norway)

Daniel, Dawid, Dawida, Egon, Henryk, Iga, Ignacja, Ignacy, Lubomysł, Niecisław, Włodzimierz, Żegota (Poland)

Angelina (Russia)

Henrich (Slovakia)

Buenaventura (Spain)

Ragnhild, Ragnvald (Sweden)

Volodymyr, Volodymyra (Ukraine)

Baldwin, Don, Donald, Donalda, Donna, Donnell, Donnie, Dunn, Dunne, Uriel (USA)

Don, Donald, Donalda, Donaldo, Donaldson, Donita, Donell, Donn, Donnell, Donnie, Donny, Kona, MacDonald, McDonald (Universal)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 197 of 2024; 169 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of Week 29 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 9 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Xin-Wei), Day 10 (Geng-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 9 Tammuz 5784

Islamic: 8 Muharram 1446

J Cal: 17 Red; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 2 July 2024

Moon: 67%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 28 Charlemagne (7th Month) [St. Louis]

Runic Half Month: Ur (Primal Strength) [Day 7 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 26 of 94)

Week: 3rd Week of July

Zodiac: Cancer (Day 25 of 31)

[adventism-atheism-orthodoxy-me]

The Gift of Hospitality

I was going to repost this as part of a response to a comment. I chose not to though because I wasn't sure if it properly reflects good advice, or misguided advice from an Orthodox perspective. At this point, all I'm sharing are my thoughts on life outside of the Orthodox Church when you would rather be participating in life within it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whenever I bemoan my separation from Orthodox Liturgy and Praxis due to my circumstances, my mind goes to the ascetics - The Desert Fathers, St. Mary of Egypt….

Many Saints were formed in the desert - away from what would for normal people be considered "the Orthodox Life"; and yet we still recognize many of them as Saints. I'm sure there are many ascetics who struggled in the desert who will never be remembered except for the fact that they were part of a story; they were told to water a dead stick, or to give hospitality to a Manichean for that matter.

An Orthodox life can be formed in the heart if it is a willing heart. Even in the desert of Modernity.

I will say that I have been happiest as a Christian when I regularly attended Orthodox services, but that doesn't mean that God has now hidden his face from me now that I don't. It just doesn't work that way. He is constantly drawing me to himself (John 12:32). Within my circumstances, I try to work out my salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), realizing that I must be very careful because unguided, I could easily do myself more harm than good. As someone commented on this blog once, "If you must be Lutheran, be a good Lutheran; If you must be a Baptist, be a good Baptist, etc…" Or words to that effect.

Fr. Stephan's blog has been particularly helpful - Fr. Hopko's maxims… doing the next good thing… giving alms…. All good ways to "Live Orthodox" carefully and cautiously, without risking too much harm to my soul. I think conceit is the biggest issue I face that I don't readily address - "Hey I'm doing this on my own…" which is wrongheaded, because I needed The Orthodox Church to help me sort out a lot of toxic ideas that were masquerading as "Christian" in my head. Add to that the besetting sins that led me to the relief found in Orthodoxy - The promise of joy found in repentance, the truth that I'm not massa damnata, and that I do have an ability to change and become a better version of myself free from, or at least less restrained, by the corruption in my life. That personal change is possible with work and the Holy Spirit's help. That I don't have to accept that I must wallow in the corruption around me, that pulls me in and tries to suffocate me. That God has to ignore his repulsion of me, all of us, by engaging in weird legal shenanigans to somehow accept me. That God is Good and is working harder then I am to unite with me to our benefit and joy in the world to come.

Salvation is clearer. Eternal Life is clearer. Everything is clearer.

All because of Orthodox Christianity.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy upon me, a Sinner.

[troybeecham]

Today the Church honors St. Dionysius the Areopagite, Bishop and Theologian, St. Rusticus, Priest, St. Eleutherius, Deacon, all Martyrs.

Orate pro nobis.

Saint Dionysius lived originally in the city of Athens. He was raised there and received a classical Greek education. He then went to Egypt, where he studied astronomy at the city of Heliopolis. It was in Heliopolis, along with his friend Apollophonos where he witnessed the solar eclipse that occurred at the moment of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ by Crucifixion. “Either the Creator of all the world now suffers, or this visible world is coming to an end,” Dionysius said. Upon his return to Athens from Egypt, he was chosen to be a member of the Areopagus Council (Athenian high court).

When the holy Apostle Paul preached at the place on the Hill of Ares (Acts 17:16-34), Dionysius accepted his salvific proclamation and became a Christian. For three years Saint Dionysius remained a companion of the holy Apostle Paul in preaching the Word of God. Later on, the Apostle Paul selected him as bishop of the city of Athens. And in the year AD 57, Saint Dionysius was present at the repose of the Mary, the mother of Jesus..

During the lifetime of the Mary, Saint Dionysius had journeyed from Athens to Jerusalem to meet her. In one of the few extant eyewitness accounts of Mary, he wrote to his teacher the Apostle Paul: “I witness by God, that besides the very God Himself, there is nothing else filled with such divine power and grace. No one can fully comprehend what I saw. I confess before God: when I was with John, who shone among the Apostles like the sun in the sky, when I was brought before the countenance of the Most Holy Virgin, I experienced an inexpressible sensation. Before me gleamed a sort of divine radiance which transfixed my spirit. I perceived the fragrance of indescribable aromas and was filled with such delight that my very body became faint, and my spirit could hardly endure these signs and marks of eternal majesty and heavenly power. The grace from her overwhelmed my heart and shook my very spirit. If I did not have in mind your instruction, I should have mistaken her for the very God. It is impossible to stand before greater blessedness than this which I beheld.”

After the death of the Apostle Paul, Saint Dionysius wanted to continue with his work, and therefore went off preaching in the West, accompanied by the Presbyter Rusticus and Deacon Eleutherius. They converted many to Christ at Rome, and then in Germany, and then in Spain.

The writings of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite hold great significance for the Orthodox Church. Four books of his have survived to the present day:

On the Celestial Hierarchy

On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy

On the Names of God

On Mystical Theology

In additional, there are ten letters to various people.

The theology of the Orthodox Church is totally based upon experience of divine knowledge. In order to know God it is necessary to be in proximity to Him, to have come near to Him in some measure, so as to attain communion with God and growth in sanctification, or deification (theosis) in Orthodox language. This condition is accomplished through prayer. This is not because prayer in itself brings us close to the incomprehensible God, but rather that the purity of heart in true prayer, which is humble silence and stillness of the heart and mind, allows us to become aware of the already close presence of God.

The written works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite are of extraordinary significance in the theology of the Orthodox Church, and also for late Medieval Western Catholic theology. For almost four centuries, until the beginning of the sixth century AD, the works of this holy Father of the Church were preserved in an obscure manuscript tradition, primarily by theologians of the Alexandrian Church. The concepts in these works were known and utilized by Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Dionysius the Great, pre-eminent figures of the catechetical school in Alexandria, and also by Saint Gregory the Theologian. Saint Dionysius of Alexandria wrote to Saint Gregory the Theologian a Commentary on the “Areopagitum.” The works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite received general Church recognition during the sixth-seventh centuries.

Particularly relevant are the Commentaries written by Saint Maximus the Confessor. (trans. note: although many scholars suggest that the “Areopagitum” was actually written by an anonymous sixth century figure who employed the common ancient device of piously borrowing an illustrious name, this in no way diminishes the profound theological significance of the works.)

In the Russian Orthodox Church the teachings of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite about the spiritual principles and deification were at first known through the writings of Saint John of Damascus. The first Slavonic translation of the “Areopagitum” was done on Mt. Athos in about the year AD 1371 by a monk named Isaiah. Copies of it were widely distributed in Russia. Many of them have been preserved to the present day in historic manuscript collections, among which is a parchment manuscript “Works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite” belonging to Saint Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus in his own handwriting.

Later returning to Athens, during a persecution against Christians by the pagan authorities, all three confessors were arrested and thrown into prison. By night Saint Dionysius celebrated the Divine Liturgy with angels of the Lord. In the morning the martyrs were beheaded in AD 96. A pious woman named Catulla buried the relics of the saint, and tradition holds that many miracles were worked at his grave.

Almighty God, you gave to your servant St. Dionysius special gifts of grace to understand and teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: Grant that by this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Almighty God, who gave to your servants Dionysius, Rusticus, and Eleutherius boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (June 27)

On June 27, Roman Catholics honor St. Cyril of Alexandria.

An Egyptian bishop and theologian, he is best known for his role in the Council of Ephesus, where the Church confirmed that Christ is both God and man in one person.

The Eastern churches celebrate St. Cyril of Alexandria on June 9.

Cyril was most likely born in Alexandria, the metropolis of ancient Egypt, between 370 and 380.

From his writings, it appears he received a solid literary and theological education.

Along with his uncle, Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria, he played a role in an early fifth-century dispute between the Egyptian and Greek churches.

There is evidence he may have been a monk before becoming a bishop.

When Theophilus died in 412, Cyril was chosen to succeed him at the head of the Egyptian Church.

He continued his uncle's policy of insisting on Alexandria's preeminence within the Church over Constantinople, despite the political prominence of the imperial capital.

The two Eastern churches eventually re-established communion in approximately 418.

Ten years later, however, a theological dispute caused a new break between Alexandria and Constantinople.

Cyril's reputation as a theologian, and later Doctor of the Church, arose from his defense of Catholic orthodoxy during this time.

In 428, a monk named Nestorius became the new Patriarch of Constantinople.

It became clear that Nestorius was not willing to use the term “Mother of God” (“Theotokos”) to describe the Virgin Mary.

Instead, he insisted on the term “Mother of Christ” (“Christotokos”).

During the fourth century, the Greek Church had already held two ecumenical councils to confirm Christ's eternal preexistence as God prior to his incarnation as a man.

From this perennial belief, it followed logically that Mary was the mother of God.

Veneration of Mary as “Theotokos” confirmed the doctrine of the incarnation and Christ's status as equal to the God the Father.

Nestorius insisted that he, too, held these doctrines.

But to Cyril, and many others, his refusal to acknowledge Mary as the Mother of God seemed to reveal a heretical view of Christ, which would split him into two united but distinct persons: one fully human and born of Mary; the other fully divine and not subject to birth or death.

Cyril responded to this heretical tendency first through a series of letters to Nestorius (which are still in existence and studied today), then through an appeal to the Pope, and finally through the summoning of an ecumenical council in 431.

Cyril presided over this council, stating that he was “filling the place of the most holy and blessed Archbishop of the Roman Church.”

Pope Celestine had authorized it. The said council was a tumultuous affair.

Patriarch John of Antioch, a friend of Nestorius, came to the city and convened a rival council, which sought to condemn and depose Cyril.

Tension between the advocates of Cyril and Nestorius erupted into physical violence at times, and both parties sought to convince the emperor in Constantinople to back their position.

During the council, which ran from June 22 to July 31 of the year 431, Cyril brilliantly defended the orthodox belief in Christ as a single eternally divine person who also became incarnate as a man.

The council condemned Nestorius, who was deposed as patriarch and later suffered exile.

Cyril, however, reconciled with John and many of the other Antiochian theologians who once supported Nestorius.

St. Cyril of Alexandria died on 27 June 444, having been a bishop for nearly 32 years.

Long celebrated as a saint, particularly in the Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, he was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1883.

[orthodoxlifeincolorado]

Suffering as a Christian and Passion Week

Suffering as a Christian and Passion Week

St. Mary of Egypt. Yes, that is a lion in the background. It is digging her grave. If you have ever suffered as a Christian and have been part of a certain heretical doctrine that states ‘really good’ Christians should never suffer because if you live your life right the blessings of God over take you and you are a happy little saint right here on earth, (Whew… breathe), I hope you will read…

[stmaryegypt]

Holy Week 2019 http://www.stmaryegypt.org/2019/04/holy-week-2019.html

[orthodox-femininity]

The Importance of Veiling

The number one question I tend to get is, "How did you find the Eastern Orthodox Church," with the expected answer always being something like research or someone else told me to try it. However, my actual answer is, "I wanted to find a church to start practicing veiling."

I grew up your typical Midwestern, Evangelical Protestant in Southern Ohio. I went to church every Sunday with my grandparents up until I was about 13, around the time I realized I was unsatisfied with my church. I did my research on and off for a few years of different denominations and joined a Methodist-based Christian sorority in college, dabbled in Buddhism like every Gen-Z high schooler has, and even was a self-proclaimed Atheist for a few years. Senior year of college and the pandemic forced me to start looking a little deeper and suddenly, I was hit in the face with veiling for Christian women.

Veiling was NEVER something I had ever considered up until this point in my life. If you asked me what my opinion was several years ago, I would probably make a comment on how restricting and oppressive it was, women shouldn't be forced to wear a piece of fabric on their heads if they want to attend church! It seemed foreign and insane to me.

I can't remember exactly how I came across veiling, but all I remember is watching some video on Jewish Orthodox women and the importance of the tichel and the sheitel to them. I was fascinated by this, that something that seemed so restrictive actually gave them a freedom in God's grace. For the next few weeks, I couldn't stop thinking about it and what it meant for a Christian. Could I wear it too? Would someone mistake me as an Orthodox Jew or Muslim? Is this something Protestants even do?

I suddenly was drawn to it, the beauty in this sign of humility before God, as well as a reminder of the bridal relationship between Christ and the church. Every time I now wear a head covering in church, I know I am in obedience to God’s command in Scripture, and being respectful for the holy traditions of the Orthodox Church. "Head coverings encourage humility. Godly women come to church to focus on worship, not to draw attention to themselves. A girl may be tempted to show off an attractive hairdo. When a woman wears a headcovering, this temptation is removed. She can focus on prayer, instead of on hair."

St. Paul said in the first epistle to the Corinthians, "Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head.” (1 Corinthians 11:5). A beautiful article I read as well quotes looking up to the Theotokos and the Saints as examples, "Virtually every icon of an Orthodox woman displays her wearing a headcovering. As far as I know, the only exception is St. Mary of Egypt, and she was a solitary saint who lived alone in the desert, far away from any people. Among the female saints who participated in society, all of them wore headcoverings, and their headcoverings are shown in icons. Even Mary the Mother of God–the most blessed woman in the entire universe–is shown in icons, wearing a headcovering. Can you think of a better role-model for women?"

I encourage each and every women to at least try veiling in church, especially when there are so many options to stylistically pick from!

A beautiful quotes and some visual examples of how to wear a veil to finish, "My wearing a head covering is not only a symbol or sign that I am in agreement with His order, but that I visibly, willingly submit to it. With submission comes blessing.” (Christa Conrad)

[orthodoxydaily]

SAINTS&READING : Friday, August 4, 2023

august 4_July 22

THE HOLY MYRH-BEARER EQUAL-UNTO-THE-APOSTLES MARY MAGDALENE ( 1st c.)

Mary Magdalene was one of the myrrh-bearing women and “equal to the apostles”. She was born in the town of Magdala along the shore of Lake Gennesaret and was from the tribe of Issachar. She was tormented by seven evil spirits from which the Lord Jesus freed her and made her whole. She was a faithful follower and servant of the Lord during His earthly life. Mary Magdalene stood beneath the Cross on Golgotha and grieved bitterly and mourned with the All-Holy Birth-giver of God. After the death of the Lord she visited His sepulchre three times. When the Lord resurrected she saw Him on two occasions: once alone and the other time with the other myrrh-bearing women.

[While it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the sepulchre (tomb) carrying the ointments. (For this reason the Church calls her “Myrrh-bearer”.) Coming close she saw that the large stone that had been placed at the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away. She thought that perhaps someone had already come and taken the Body to another place. Hurrying back to Jerusalem she told the apostles Peter and John: “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, ‘and we know not where they have laid Him.” Together with them she went again to the tomb and stood there weeping. When they had left she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre. There she saw two angels who asked why she was crying. She told them and then, turning around, she saw Jesus, but in her grief she did not recognize Him, and thinking -He was the gardener, e reason for her weeping. It was only then He said her name: “Mary!” that she recognized Him as her beloved Lord. Not believing her own ears, she cried out with joy, [Rabboni] “Master! Then quickly following his His instructions, she ran quickly to announce the good news to the disciples: “Christ is risen!” (Because she was the other time with the other myrrh-bearing women.

She traveled to Rome and appeared before Tiberias Caesar and presenting him with a red colored egg, greeted him with the words: “Christ is Risen!” At the same time, she accused Pilate before Caesar for his unjust condemnation of the Lord Jesus. Caesar accepted her accusation and transferred Pilate from Jerusalem to Gaul where, this unjust judge, in disfavor with the emperor, died of a dread disease. After that, Mary Magdalene returned from Rome [and having passed through all of Italy and France, along with Egypt, Phoenicia, Syria and Pamphylia preaching Christ, she returned to Jerusalem, where she stayed for a period of time with the Theotokos. She returned] to Ephesus to St. John the Theologian whom she assisted in the work of preaching the Gospel. With great love toward the resurrected Lord, and with great zeal, she proclaimed the Holy Gospel to the world as a true apostle of Christ. She died peacefully in Ephesus and, according to tradition, was buried in the same cave in which seven youths were miraculously put to sleep for hundreds of years and, after that, were brought to life and then died (August 4). The relics of St. Mary Magdalene were later transferred to Constantinople. There is a Russian Orthodox convent dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene near the Garden of Gethsemane.

Source: Saint Sophia Orthodox Cathedral , Washington DC

SAINT WANDREGISILUS (Gaul_668)

St.Wandregisel, Church of St. Vincent-de-Paul, Clichy

The son of Walchisus, a kinsman of Pepin of Landen,[2] he was born around 605, near Verdun in the region then known as Austrasia. He was educated at the Frankish court in Metz.

Wandregisel was part of a group of young courtiers including Audoin and Didier of Cahors who served Dagobert I, but in 629 he retired from court to become a monk at Montfaucon under the guidance of Saint Balderic. Wandregisel had received the tonsure without the permission normally required for a courtier, and was summoned to court to explain this apparent oversight. Dagobert then approved his request.[3]

Wandregisel soon withdrew to live as a hermit in complete solitude at Saint-Ursanne in the Jura.[2] Wandregisel adhered to the principles of Columbanus and his disciple Saint Ursicinus, who had founded several monasteries in the region. In 635, Wandregisel spent some time at the monastery of Saint Columban at Bobbio in northern Italy.[1] From there, he wished to travel to Ireland,  but by 642 got only as far as the abbey of Romainmôtier,[5] which lay on the banks of the river Isère in the Tarentaise Valley.

Wandregisel was ordained, and then founded Fontenelle Abbey in Normandy,[1] on land obtained from Erchinoald through the influence of his friend Archbishop Audoin of Rouen. Fontenelle followed the rule of Saint Columbanus, and the abbey became an important center of learning. Near the abbey's ruins lies the village of Saint-Wandrille-Rançon.

Wandregisel died on July 22, 668

During the Viking invasions, Wandregisel's relics were dispersed to various locations and shared between various churches, including the abbey of Saint-Pierre-au-Mont-Blandin in Ghent (now in Belgium). Wandregisel's cult was celebrated in England prior to the Norman Conquest of 1066.[1]

In the 19th century one of his relics remained: his skull was found in Liège. It was brought back to the Abbey, when the new church was dedicated in 1967. It can be seen today in a modern reliquary.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:2-12

2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? 7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? 8 Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does the law not say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.11If We have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless, we have not used this right but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.

LUKE 8:1-3

1 It came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, 2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities-Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, 3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

[traumacatholic]

Our Lady of Zeitoun, also known simply as El-Zeitoun, Zeitun or rarely Our Lady of Light, was a mass Marian apparition that occurred in the Zeitoun district of Cairo, Egypt, over a period of 2–3 years beginning on April 2, 1968.

The first apparition of the Virgin Mary at Zeitoun was recorded on the evening of April 2, 1968. The phenomenon was seen by two Muslim bus mechanics, who witnessed a woman dressed in white on the roof of St. Mary's Coptic Church. One thought she was a nun about to attempt suicide by leaping from the roof, and called the police. Intrigued by the mechanics yelling "don't jump!", a crowd gathered on the site. The police attempted to disperse them, saying that the sighting was just a reflection of the light from the street lamps. However, a church custodian suggested the figure was the Virgin Mary, which greatly excited the crowd. The event itself ended after a few minutes

One week later, on April 9, the phenomenon reoccurred, again lasting for only a few minutes. After that time apparitions became more frequent, sometimes two or three times a week, for several years, ending in 1971. According to Coptic tradition, Zeitoun is near one of the locations where the Holy Family stayed during their flight into Egypt.

The head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Pope of Alexandria, Kyrillos VI appointed a committee of high-ranking priests and bishops to investigate the matter, headed by Bishop Gregorios, bishop of postgraduate studies, Coptic culture and scientific research. On May 4 Kyrillos VI issued an official statement confirming the apparitions. Soon after, the Ministry of Tourism also issued a validation of the sightings, and began printing pamphlets.

Nuns of the Society of the Sacred Heart also witnessed the apparitions and sent a detailed report to the Vatican, resulting in the arrival of an envoy on April 28 who also saw the apparitions and sent a report to Pope Paul VI.[6] As the apparition appeared over a Coptic church, the Vatican left the investigation to the Coptic authorities.

The apparitions were also allegedly witnessed by President Gamal Abdel Nasser, and captured by newspaper photographers and Egyptian television. Investigations performed by the police could find no apparent explanation. No device was found within a radius of fifteen miles capable of projecting the image, and many photos were taken of the alleged apparition from independent sources. With no alternative explanation and approval from religious and political leaders, the Egyptian government accepted the apparitions as true.

Immaculate Virgin, who accepted the light of the Holy Spirit, and who has become the home of the living God; Mother of light, watch over your children, especially those who have followed your Son and have been persecuted. We pray that the world gives attention to truth and justice. Take away men's hearts of stone, which makes them killers in the name of religion. Let your light illuminate us all!

[allaboutjoseph]

Why is the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19?

From Aleteia.org

https://aleteia.org/2019/03/18/why-is-the-feast-of-st-joseph-on-march-19/

Devotion to St. Joseph, husband of Mary, can be traced back to the beginning of the Church

Devotion to St. Joseph, husband of Mary, can be traced back to the beginning of the Church, with a local feast dedicated to St. Joseph confirmed in Egypt as early as the 4th century. One of the earliest dates for honoring St. Joseph was July 20.

However, a commemoration of St. Joseph was soon added to the Byzantine calendar on December 26. Many Eastern Churches continue this celebration, mentioning Joseph as “Holy Righteous Joseph the Betrothed.” According to the Orthodox Church, “Saint Joseph is commemorated on the Sunday after the Nativity. If there is no Sunday between December 25 and January 1, his Feast is moved to December 26.” This celebration of Joseph puts him near the feast of Christ’s birth, December 25, an event he was present for, according to the Gospel accounts.

In the Western Church, the feast of St. Joseph wasn’t fixed until the 15th century. According to some traditions, March 19 was the day of Joseph’s death, though there is little evidence to support it, as it is unclear when Joseph died. It is certain that he was present when Jesus was 12 and “lost in the Temple” but there is no mention of him at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, say at the wedding in Cana, when Our Lord turned the water to wine.

The Bible is entirely silent about his death and as a result, the Church relies on oral traditions passed down over the centuries.

By 1621 Pope Gregory XV extended a feast of St. Joseph to the entire Church and it was elevated even more when Pope Pius IX declared Joseph the “Patron of the Universal Church” in 1870. For many decades March 19 was a holy day of obligation on par with other major feasts in the Catholic Church.

This placement of St. Joseph in March puts him in proximity to another biblical episode where he is directly mentioned. On March 25 the Church commemorates the Annunciation of the Lord, when the angel Gabriel visited the Blessed Virgin Mary. As the Gospel of Matthew narrates, “before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly” (Matthew 1:18-19).

While this biblical event happened after the Annunciation, other biblical characters associated with the Annunciation are similarly commemorated before March 25, such as St. Gabriel on March 24.

In any case, the primary focus of the feast on March 19 is revealed in the liturgical title, “Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.” This solemnity — with the highest liturgical ranking accorded to saints — honors his commitment to Mary and dedication as a faithful and devoted husband.

St. Joseph’s Day is a beautiful feast, one that is beloved and cherished by Catholics around the world.

[adventism-atheism-orthodoxy-me]

How do you know that it is true?

My daughter, when I tell her that I believe in God.

Now. She didn't expect a response. She is a feminist after all, and I am a Patriarchal male. A response wasn't even worth considering, let alone entertaining - no, scratch that - let alone even allowing to be aired.

Nevertheless what would I have said over a quiet table, or in a parlor where ideas were judged on their merit, and not upon the gender and emotional baggage of the participants?

That I don't know.

I mean, that I don't know, as in I don't have knowledge of God.

I have faith.

I have faith in a God that I have wrestled with and found to be GOOD. Good, as in a "Good God, that loves mankind". The same God that is proclaimed in most, if not every, Orthodox Vespers. I haven't attended many Liturgies - apostate as I am - so I couldn't speak to them.

But the God I worship isn't a simple God. He's not easy to anger, but that doesn't mean he can't be angered. He doesn't have the Pharisaical list of absolute rights and wrongs the Protestant God of Penal substitution has. Most importantly, his rules don't conflict with one another - pitting one group who follows one set of rules against another group who follows another set.

Do Protestants each worship the God of their desire, or are they merely distortions of the one...

I don't care.

Their god, or gods, are confusing, contradictory, at cross purposes to one another. They are angry or don't care, depending upon who you talk to. The whole matter is tedious.

My God is merely Good. Just Good. And he invites me to participate in his goodness. Do I need Orthodox praxis to participate in his goodness?

Some would say, "yes".

Yet, after a life of licentiousness, followed by years of repentance - outside of liturgy and confession, outside of ceremonial fasting, away from icons, St Mary of Egypt was recognized as a Saint.

This is not the normal path to acquiring the mind of Christ. There is a reason the Church offers the medicine it does. But to the Protestants out there, it is medicine. It is offered to help us participate with, and appreciate, the God we worship - to acquire his mind - it is not a "works based" righteousness.

So, back to my daughter.

Christianity is not about morality. If it were, the Stoics would be considered Christian, and they are not. It's about God. And the Icon of God, on Earth, was Christ.

Take what you will from this.

To understand Christ is to understand God, and to understand God is to understand Christ. It's not too complicated. God isn't looking for my damnation, he doesn't care about prescribed sets of rules. He Gave us the Spirit - the fruits thereof are what he wants from us. He wants us to acquire the mind of the Spirit - His Spirit.

At the end of the day - I don't worry about my "Salvation" anymore. I don't even care. I do not even think about it.

For he is a Good God, and he loves mankind.

Protestants use the, "Are you saved?" question for outreach. Everyone asking the question convincing themselves that if they answer, "yes", that this magical thinking will guarantee "Salvation".

Yet, their Salvations are as muddled as their gods, or as their distortion of the one true God.

Yes, Salvation is faith - as is mentioned in my 5th paragraph. Faith in the good God that I see dimly. Faith in the good God whose Christ came to this earth; and faith in the good God whose Spirit was promised, and with whose help I'm acquiring the ability - day-by-day - to see more clearly.

Seeing him with absolute clarity, however, I believe will take time.

But I think I'm on the path I need to be on.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy upon me, A Sinner.

[pamphletstoinspire]

Why We Celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

The dogma of the Assumption declares that at the conclusion of her earthly life, Mary’s body was preserved from all physical cor­ruption and assumed, along with her soul, into heaven. The doc­trine of the Assumption was made a dogma in 1950 through an ex cathedra statement by Pope Pius XII, but the teaching itself, as with all dogmas, goes back to the Bible and the traditions of the early Church.

The first hint of Mary’s Assumption comes once more from Genesis 3:15. There we see the mother of the redeemer, sharing in her son’s victory over evil: “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. . .” What does that have to do with the Assumption, you ask?

Well, if you flip ahead in your Bible, you’ll see that in Romans 5-8 and Hebrews 2, St. Paul tells us that the effects of evil, of Satan’s seed, are twofold: sin first, the corruption of death second. Mary’s sharing in her son’s victory over evil, therefore, means that she would, like her son, be free from all stain of sin and escape the fate of bodily corruption after death. By preserving her from sin at conception, God gave Mary the amazing privilege of being born with a fullness of grace. And in the Assumption, the fitting book­end to the Immaculate Conception, her body was spared from the ravages of corruption.

More biblical support for the teaching comes from Luke 1:28, since Mary’s bodily Assumption would be a natural effect of be­ing “full of grace”; and furthermore, from Revelation 12:1, where Mary appears in heaven, crowned with the sun. Importantly, Mary’s appearance comes immediately after St. John tells us that the Ark of the Covenant has appeared in the heavens; remember that the Ark was one of the first Christians’ most common meta­phors for Mary, who, just as the Ark had done, carried the pres­ence of God within her.

It shouldn’t surprise you by now to hear that the early Church believed in this dogma. In the early fourth century, not long after Christianity became legal in the Roman Empire and it became possible to build public places of worship, the Christians in Rome built a grand church in Mary’s honor. Today, that church is known as the Basilica of St. Mary Major. In that church, constructed in approximately 360 AD, is a historical testimony to the early belief in Mary’s Assumption: a fresco depicting the mother of Jesus being lifted up to heaven by the angels.

In the sixth century, St. Gregory of Tours wrote, “The Lord com­manded the holy body [of Mary] to be borne on a cloud to paradise, where, reunited to its soul and exalting with the elect, it enjoys the everlasting bliss of eternity.” From the seventh century onward, numerous Church Fathers, including St. Germaine of Constanti­nople (d. 733), St. Andrew of Crete (d. 740), and St. John Dama­scene (d. 749) wrote and preached about the Assumption.

During the sixth century, the first liturgical feasts dedicated to the Assumption appeared in Syria and Egypt. Western liturgical feasts celebrating the Assumption began taking place in Gaul (modern-day France) in the seventh century, and by the eighth century, it was celebrated in Rome. From the thirteenth century on, the doctrine of Mary’s Assumption was being universally cele­brated throughout the Church in both the East and the West.

When Pius XII declared Mary’s Assumption an official dogma of the Church, he pointed out that there are essential connections between the Assumption and the other Marian dogmas, particu­larly the Motherhood of God and the Immaculate Conception.

Mary’s Assumption is the logical effect of her being preserved from Original Sin. Adam and Eve would likewise have been assumed, uncorrupted, at the end of their earthly lives. Mary, the new Eve, enjoyed what the first Eve lost through sin.

Pope Pius also remarked how appropriate it was that Jesus chose to honor his mother as only a divine son could. Jesus per­fectly fulfilled the Jewish Law, including the Ten Command­ments. Included in those commandments, number four on the list, is “Honor thy father and mother.” Because perfectly fulfilling the law meant perfectly honoring his mother, it makes sense that Jesus would uniquely honor his mother, first, by preserving her from the corruption of the grave and second, by granting her glorification of the body in heaven before the general resurrection of the body for all other saints on the last day. After all, who among us, if it were in our power, would do less for our own mothers?

Another question that often arises in connection with the As­sumption is this: Did Mary die? Well, the Church has never defini­tively said one way or the other. The majority of Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theologians, however, do think it likely that at the end of her earthly life, Mary did die, and by die, we mean a temporary separation of the soul and body, in which the body suf­fers no manner of bodily decay. Her death, however, must have oc­curred in circumstances beyond our ordinary human experience. Mary did not die as most of us do, from disease or from mortal ag­ing. This would not be possible in light of her Immaculate Con­ception, which safeguarded her from the punishments revealed in Genesis due to sin, including death and decay.

Her body would not experience decay, before or after death, because bodily corruption was an effect of the Fall, and Mary’s Im­maculate Conception would prevent her from the punishment of bodily breakdown. Her death is, like her Assumption, fitting, be­cause, as the model of the perfect disciple, she would have wished to imitate her Son in all things, including death.

Mary Radiates the Splendor of the Lord

How beautifully and appropriately does the life and truth of the mother radiate the splendor and the glory of the son! Her divine motherhood en-fleshes our redeemer as a God who loved us so much that he truly becomes one of us to save us. Her virginity re­veals his divine and heavenly origins and exemplifies Mary’s per­fect discipleship to Jesus. Her Immaculate Conception is the greatest fruit of his glorious Redemption and brings our savior into the world in complete separation from the evil one. And her As­sumption foreshadows the ending victory of each person who accepts Jesus as Lord, in word or in charity.

These four central dogmas of Jesus’ mother — her divine moth­erhood, her perpetual virginity, her Immaculate Conception, and her Assumption — reveal the unique role Mary of Nazareth played in God’s plan of salvation. However, they also point to how Mary continues to play an important role in the life of the Church and of all believers.

BY: MARK MIRAVALLE

[engelspolitics]

Twelve Apostles

https://www.grunge.com/158946/the-untold-truth-of-the-twelve-apostles/

Simon Peter the Rock

· Son of Jonah; called Kipha or Cephas by Jesus

· Briefly walks on water, cuts off someone’s ear to keep Jesus from getting arrested

· First pope for Catholics, first patriarch of Antioch for Eastern Orthodox church

· Extracanonical Acts of Peter shows Peter in battle with evil Simon Magus, being told by Jesus’ ghost to go to Rome, and was crucified upside down

o Upside down cross is now called cross of St Peter

Andrew the First Called

· Brother of Simon Peter; Andrew followed John the Baptist and was the first to recognise Jesus’ Divinity

· The one to find the child with the loaves and fishes for the feeding of the 5000

· Acts of Andrew tells us Andrew raises the dead, defeats entire armies on his own, escapes wild animals, performing abortion, summoning an earthquake

· According to tradition, he was crucified on an X-shaped cross, known as a St. Andrew's Cross, like the one found on the Scottish flag

James the Son of Thunder

· Together with John the son of Zebedee; sons of Thunder (relates to temper)

· James and John were also fishermen called by Jesus on the seashore

· The Acts of the Apostles records that King Herod Agrippa had James sworded to death, making him the first of the Twelve Apostles to be martyred.

· Secret Book of James àJesus reveals the secrets of salvation to James and Peter

John the Son of Thunder

· According to the tradition of many churches, John the Apostle is the same person as

o John the Evangelist (who wrote the Gospel of John),

o John the Presbyter (who [probably] wrote the three Epistles of John),

o John of Patmos (who wrote the Book of Revelation)

o Mysterious figure from the Gospel of John known as the Disciple Jesus Loved

§ However chance that they are all different people

· According to tradition, John was the youngest of the Twelve Apostles and managed to outlive all the others through a combination of his relative youth and also never being martyred

· The non-canonical Acts of John tell of how someone tried to poison John's wine, but he evaporated the poison by blessing his cup

o Frequently represented in art by John holding a cup with a snake in it.

· Raising a married couple from the dead, destroying an altar of Artemis with mind bullets, and commanding bedbugs to leave his mat until he's finished sleeping.

Philip the Dragonslayer

· Mentioned as being from Peter and Andrew's hometown; otherwise not noticeable

· The fourth-century Acts of Philip help to fill in some blanks

o Philip, together with his biological sister, Mariamne, and his spiritual brother Bartholomew, travels to Greece, Phrygia, and Syria

o While on these travels, he manages to convert a talking goat and a talking leopard to Christianity before killing a dragon.

· However, Philip converts the wife of the wrong magistrate, who has Philip and Bartholomew crucified on upside-down crosses à Bartholomew is released

Bartholomew the Questioner

· The Gospel of John never mentions a Bartholomew, but instead talks about a Nathanael, who many scholars think is the same person.

o Bartholomew is always paired with Philip in the first three Gospels, and John mentions Nathanael as Philip's friend that he introduces to Jesus

· The text The Questions of Bartholomew shows Bart as the only one of the Twelve Apostles willing to ask Jesus tough questions after his resurrection

o Answers involve Jesus peeling back the ground like a blanket to open a portal to Hell and summoning up Satan so Bartholomew can step on his neck

· Many different accounts of his death, but the best known has him being flayed alive by the King of Armenia, so he is typically depicted in art holding his own empty skin

Thomas the Unfaithful

· Thomas is also called by the Greek name Didymus; both names mean "twin," so we can reasonably infer that maybe he was a twin. Whose twin, however, is a mystery

· The notorious Gospel of Thomas and Infancy Gospel of Thomas

· Acts of Thomas à he travels to India and mentally commands a pack of dogs and a lion to eat a guy who slapped him, battles a dragon and several demons.

· Tradition also says that he baptized the Three Kings

· After converting the King of India by raising his brother from the dead, he was killed by being riddled with spheres

Matthew the Evangelist

· The Gospel of Matthew says he was a tax collector who quit his job in the middle of a shift when Jesus asked him to

· Matthew is believed to have been martyred, but there is no consensus on how or where

James the Just

· Also known as James the Less; son of Alphaeus

· Brother/cousin of Jesus

· The credited author of works as far ranging as the canonical Epistle of James and the Infancy Gospel of James, which tells the story of Mary's childhood up to the birth of Jesus at which a midwife's hand gets burned off testing to see if Mary is still a virgin.

· First head of the church in Jerusalem; crucified in Egypt

Jude the Obscure

· Also known as Thaddeus; may have been a brother or cousin of Jesus

· The confusion between Judas Thaddeus and Judas Iscariot has led to St. Jude's famous role as the patron of lost causes

o The idea is that Christians would be unlikely to pray to St. Jude for fear of accidentally praying to Judas Iscariot

· Jude and Bartholomew are both believed to have been the first to bring Christianity to Armenia, so they are patron saints of that country

· Acts of Simon and Jude instead pairs Jude with Simon the Zealot, and the two travel to Persia, where they were both martyred

o Jude is frequently depicted in art holding the axe that killed him.

Simon the Zealot

· Simon was a member of the first-century A.D. political movement known as the Zealots, who wanted to foment rebellion against the Roman occupiers of Judea.

· The problem is that this movement didn't arise for a couple of decades after the events of the Gospels à likely just was really religious

· He is said to have travelled to Persia with Jude, where he got sawed in half

Judas Iscariot

· Judas' motivation for betraying Jesus are not fully known

o Luke and John say he did it under the influence of Satan

o Modern interpreters believe that Judas was disappointed that Jesus was not a more militant political messiah

o Recently recovered Gospel of Judas claims that Judas was in fact Jesus' most loyal follower, and since Jesus' crucifixion was a necessary step toward salvation, Jesus actually asked Judas to betray him so his mission might be fulfilled