Posts in category Faith
Roma, citta di eterno amore
I’ve promised a nice trip to my mother on occasion of her birthday. That should have happen in April, but the volcano has cancelled our trip. So this was a second attempt.
In the beginning, it was not better than the first one. We were to depart on Saturday Dec. 4, and there was a catastrophy: a snowfall. Notwithstanding the fact that such phenomena occur in this country with strange regularity, nobody seemed to be expecting this. The public transportation was paralyzed. Our train trip to Schiphol took three hours. It could take five, but we took a taxi cab from Amsterdam Zuid. With a great moral and financial effort, we have arrived on time for our flight. Our happiness did not last long: the flight has been cancelled, nobody could overbook it and nobody could even free our laggage trapped in Schiphol catacombs. To make a long story short, we have arrived to the Eternal city only on Sunday 23:55, to learn that there are no regular ways to leave the airport that late…
Anyway, we had Monday, Tuesday and most of Wednesday to enjoy Roma. It was warm and reasonably dry. Since my mother was there for the first time, we did all usual touristic things like jumping over stones of Forum, queuing to St. Peter’s cathedral, rushing through Borghese gallery. Less touristic things included the visit to Sancta Sanctorum where I contributed to polishing of Scala Santa with my knees, and unplanned encounter with the Pope on piazza Spagna on occasion of the feast of Immaculate Conception (being Orthodox, we were not even aware of the feast).
The way back was not trivial either. It looks like if one takes a taxi in the beginning of the trip, one keeps taking it till the end, and missed trains and trams just provide a good excuse to enjoy this kind of transportation.
The Protection of the Mother of God
feast has come today. I have already explained in the blog the origin and significance of this feast.
First half of the month and especially this week was not without joyful and inspiring events. However, this period was also full with bizzare incidents that have been unexpected, unpleasant and even painful. I feel unsure and do not look forward to the future.
O Mother, protect me, my kin and kith from any evil and temptation. And if unpleasant things happen, protect our souls from wounds Evil tries to inflict.
Nativity of the Mother of God
Yesterday there was a feast of Nativity of the Mother of God. I have already explain in this blog about a year ago about the feast and its personal significance for me and my family. This year I meet the feast in the state of a certain distress and as I formulated it recently, “busy inactivity”. I hope the Mother will forgive me the lack of concentration and will not cease protecting me and my folk.
Yesterday we did remembrance of my father who would turn 75 today and have passed away almost 35 years ago. Funny enough, 75 does not seem a big age for me anymore. I even think if I have enough time to meet my 75…
Assumption of the Mother of God
is a great feast of today. In some churches, they call it Dormition or Falling Asleep. This is to stress that the word “death” or even “passing away” does not really apply to Mary of Nazareth. And, after all, to all of us. Or, in more precise terms, it is up to us if this applies.
For a long time, it was difficult for me to accept the fact. No, I did like to believe in this. While recalling my dears that are not here any more, I always feel that they are somehow alive: even by time I was an atheist. However, it seemed impossible to perceive the life after death, and especially the retribution in hereafter, as something systematic, as a “natural law”. All stories or descriptions I have heard or anything I could imagine seemed so earthy, so bound to the reality known, as not giving me any thrust.
Upon age I’ve undrestood I came in terms with the concept. Learned that there are real things that I cannot imagine. Learned to thrust even if I cannot imagine.
Pentecost
finally, all controversies have been resolved, and we could come together praying of sending Holy Spirit to us. What a joy! What a wonderful feast! I feel like a kid rejoycing. Happy Birthday,the whole Church of our Savior! As it’s been said: whatever high the separation walls between the Christians may seem, they do not reach the Heaven. Let us enjoy the day, all followers of God who makes wonders. Let us hope that we witness these wonders, that they become a part of our life, and will bring us to Christ like wings propelled by fresh wind.
Glory to God.
WWII song
I should have posted this 5 days ago when me and my mother observed Russian V-day which is simultaneously remembrance day of all perished during WWII. Mother remembers the time vividly. I was also born early enough to hear and learn about WWII from my folks who took part in, and from books and movies which were plenty till, say, 1975. To some extent, my feelings about WWII are personal coming from intense impressions of my childhood, like stories about my relatives who did not make it through.
Among other activities, we listen to WWII songs, mostly scrolling youtube. Bad thing about Russian culture is that good songs are somber, and best songs really intend to crash your emotions to complete misery (very mush like Portugese ones do). So after some time we started to look for something merrier. I recalled one American song translated and promoted in Russia by a celebrated jazz-man of the time. Here it goes
One of our planes was missing
Two hours overdue,
One of our planes was missing
With all it’s gallant crew,
The radio sets were humming,
They waited for a word,
Then a voice broke through the humming
And this is what they heard:
Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer,
Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer,
Though there’s one motor gone
We can still carry on,
Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer.
What a show! What a fight!
Yes, we really hit our target for tonight!
How we sing as we limp through the air,
Look below, there’s our field over there,
With our full crew aboard
And our trust in the Lord
We’re comin’ in on a wing and a prayer.
You can listen to it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1W4rVtT4Ok
Ascension
is today, a great feast in all Christian churches.
I never manage to understand the time-line of the events, neither with my ratio nor with my heart, perhaps just because never manage to live this period properly, with persistent memory of Christ. For me, it’d be natural if Pentecost and Ascension happen in the same day. I experience the ten-day pause as a period of confusion. Where is He and where am I? I’m here and He must be everywhere, so why do I see him leaving me?
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?"
Easter
Christ is risen!
Blessed Easter to you, dear reader. I’d like to make an exception from no-image rule for this blog and let you see my favourite icon of Resurrection. This icon is situated in a small russian-orthodox chapel in Dachau, Germany, and refers to Easter celebration on May 8th, 1945.
(see http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/articles/RahrDachauPascha.php)
Good Friday, Holy Saturday
Just attended Matins of Holy Saturday, celebrated Friday evening. Wish I had words.
From Troparia
The One, who of old hid the pursuing tyrant in the waves of the sea, the children of those he saved have hidden beneath the earth; but let us, like the young maidens, sing to the Lord; for he has been greatly glorified.’
Lord, my God, I will sing a song for your departure, a funeral hymn for you who by your burial opened up for me the entrances to life, and by your death put Death and Hell to death.
All things above the world and all below the earth quaked with fear at your death, as they saw you on the throne above and below in a tomb; for beyond understanding you appeared as a one dead, you the source of life.
That you might fill all things with your glory, you went down into the lowest parts of the earth; for my substance, which is in Adam was not hidden from you, and by being buried you make me, who had been corrupted, new, O Lover of humankind.
Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem
is today’s feast. We meet Him today and glorify Him. This year my fasting was especially terrible. I was tempted and distracted, and I tempted and distracted others around me. I sinned and hardly repented. Yet it seems OK: He does not punish me and ready to meet me. This is hopeful, isn’t it? From now on, I’ll just follow Him in His glory. A part of my soul rejoyces with it, while another one recalls that the way to follow leads to Golgofa. And how would I walk with the burden of sins, bad attitudes and blinding prejustments?
That I will learn tomorrow, let me now keep the joy of today: the joy of hitting the road.
Big news in our parish: we get a new iconostasis, made of white stone by English master Aidan Hart (see it at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimforest/sets/72157623665454870/) It was reminded during the sermon that an iconstatis is not a wall separated us from God: rather, it’s an entrance leading to Him, in full correspondence with today’s feast.