I love how in the Orthodox Church
during Lent
the priest wear the normal gold on Sunday
showing us that today is the Day of Resurrection
even in the midst of Great Lent.
My little alarm clock.
Cleo decided a 1 hour nap today (time change etc)
was quite enough.
I decided to go with it, love her and chose to play with her.
Realizing how hard it is to really love.
To let go of what one wants or prefers for another person;
it is not easy to be or become a Christian.
Hard to believe that we will be in Holy Week soon
and then Pascha.
Lent is a battle,
and I really appreciate Sarah reminding me of this.
We may be looking for the door to summer,
but really,
we are waiting for Pascha
and for the Kingdom of God,
where we will know Pascha all the time.
Lord save us and remember us in Your Kingdom!
showing us that today is the Day of Resurrection even in the midst of Great Lent.
ReplyDeleteI love this too--it's really what I needed to remember today.
And I love cats with blue eyes.
ReplyDeleteThe day of resurrection, shout it out abroad, the passover of gladness, the passover of God!
The Anglo-Catholics have 'Rose' sunday halfway through, I guess it was yesterday, where they relax the fast (whatever they keep) and wear pink vestments. I used to love it. We always had pink champagne too. You can imagine the Orthodox way was a bit of a shock to my system :)
i love your first picture of cleo! we have a cat that looks very much like her only our violet is short-haired. this Lent i've just felt very broken before the Lord. it's humbling to live in this state of brokenness and realize that only God can put me back together.
ReplyDeleteI love that too, thank you!
ReplyDeletethanks Maureen.... so glad!
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret. Cleo and I continue to bask in your cat-lovingness...
yes, I think Orthodoxy is a shock to a lot of us! :)
ah well, Pascha is then all the brighter!
Thanks C.C. and welcome here! would love to see a picture of your cat sometime! It sounds really that your lent is very blessed.
thanks Mimi! Thank God!
I'm glad you were encouraged by my comment--after I posted it I feared it would seem discouraging. I have been thinking too, that for me the thing I find most encouraging during Lent is the opportunity to spend so much time in church, and in fellowship with the other members of my parish. With your studies and sickness this Lent, you've had less opportunity for that. Lent seems much harder when you're fighting the fight on your own.
ReplyDeleteMargaret's comment made me think of something else that my Khouria commented on recently. Usually we *do* get a bit of a break from the fast and opportunity to celebrate about halfway through Lent, with the Feast of Annunciation. Since Pascha is so early, Annunciation is coming very late in the Fast, right before Holy Week.
thanks Sarah! Yes, I really was encouraged by it! and yes, you are also right about with my studies and being sick I have missed out... I appreciate you seeing this.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment RE: Annunciation... yes... this is true... It makes me wondering when it is for old calendar... must be in Bright Week! Double Brightness! :)