St. Elizabeth ~ Mother of the Forerunner

Years ago
on the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
my spiritual father gave me my name's Saint,
St. Elizabeth the Mother of St. John the Baptist.
She is celebrated both
on this feast and on a feast in September.
*
I blogged a few years back
about how I did not yet have the icon
of my name's Saint
and felt it would come when it was supposed to.
*
For my first names day
on the summer feast of
St. Elizabeth the Mother of St. John the Baptist 
as a married woman
Mr. Husband got me this icon!
*
It just came in the mail today!


I knew where I would put it, as I explained
to Mr. Husband that I had a place for her waiting
since the time I put up my icons in my
icon corner.

She's right next to
St. Irene of Chrysovalantou
who is the Patron I took at my chrismation
but never felt called to change my name to her name.
*
One of the female monastics
I talked to years ago
said that we can have more than one Patron Saint.
Some of my 'most special' ones are seen on my wall in the
picture above.
St. Nicholas, St. George, St. Spyridon,
St. Herman of Alaska, St. Phanourios,
St. Irene and St. Elizabeth

I told Mr. Husband years ago of
Kathleen Norris writing of the
Catholic Saint Theresa the Little Flower
that she was offered a ribbon and said
I choose all.
Mr. Husband says I am the same;
all the ribbons is one of our
family sayings.
Well, when it comes to Saints and Icons,
It's a good thing in my book.

The paper icon is of the
Mother of God of Hawaii
that was recently given to me and is a
real blessing to me.

 

My first icon:
St. Xenia of Petersberg.
Above is St. John of Rila and St. Barbara.
*
I've been waiting for the icon of St. Elizabeth
for a long time
and so glad she is with me now.
*
Though I remember years ago when my Ukrainian mother
helped me put up my icons
in my second apartment in Ottawa,
a sunny U-shaped apartment with carpet,
white and black linoleum in the kitchen,
and a lovely little icon area...
I was so relieved to have icons up,
my relief was palpable but
I was merely laughed at:
do you think the Saints are only with us when we can see them
in their icon?! 
*
So it is.
St. Elizabeth has been with me for a very long time.
I even have an older plaque of the name
Elizabeth: beloved of God
that my Mom found for me.
*
I always knew that was what my name meant.
It was wonderful to see how indeed
my spiritual father knew
that St. Elizabeth the Mother of the Fore-runner
is my name's Saint.
*
Mr. Husband and I were recently inspired to
add a small prayer to our patrons and I am delighting
in this prayer to St. Elizabeth:

As the full moon brightly reflects the light of the sun,

you reflected the glory of the Messiah, the Light of wisdom!

With Zachariah you walked in all of the Lord¹s commandments,

Elizabeth, beloved by God.

What do we do with icons? My first icon ~ St. Xenia of Petersberg

Ten years ago a friend took me to
my first Orthodox church.
I quickly felt at home in the loving community
and would stand looking at the iconostasis
at St. Herman of Alaska.
By late fall of that year
I was wanting an icon for my home.
I had no idea where to get them or what to do with them.
My new-to-me-church had a few for sale
on a shelf in the hallway.
Including this one of St. Xenia:

I did not understand why her face was so gaunt and 

to be honest wanted an icon that looked more 

'healthy'.

*

I went to Ontario for Christmas that year

(I was living at the time in British Columbia) and 

this icon of St. Xenia kept coming to my mind,

over and over again.

So, not really knowing why but drawn to this icon,

when I got back to BC and my Church,

I bought it.

*

Traditionally the first icon of get is of Christ

and soon a parishioner of the church gave me an icon of Christ

for my new icon collection.

But meanwhile,

I remember being at my small studio in the lower mainland,

looking at this icon of St. Xenia.

I did not know what praying with an icon was like

or what to do.

So I just sat and looked at her.

*

I remember once feeling like I was being pulled

as if almost falling into the icon.

It had a depth I was not aware of.

*

I told one of my very kind friends that I did not know what to do

with my icon so I sat and looked at her and

was told that this sounded like a very good thing to do.

*

So my introduction of icons was like that.

And really,

it was a lovely beginning, 

one I cherish.

*

It as just this past year that I went to Jordanville,

a monastery and seminary of one of the dioceses of the Russian church 

that I surprisingly saw the original icon of St. Xenia that

my humble copy that I bought ten years ago

is of:

St. Xenia is a very humble ascetic.

Even her icons are humble and simple adorned.

St. Xenia's prayers for us are very powerful.

She is known to protect families,

help women and men marry the right person,

has protected individuals from what would of been 

harmful marriages and 

is also known for helping people find jobs.

She is very loved in the Orthodox church 

and many people name their daughters after her

or take her name when they become Orthodox.

I got this set of icons,
two hinged together, called a diptych,
of St. Xenia and St. Matrona
on my last monastery weekend visit.
I had been wanting one of St. Matrona for long time,
and the desire had been growing in the last months,
after I saw one for sale at one of my new churches.
So when I saw this diptych I bought it
(it was happily very inexpensive).
*
The wonderful thing about icons is that they can be
small, can be put almost anywhere in one's house
(the only place one is really not to have them is in the
bathing facilities to put it delicately)
and they do not have to be costly
to be of help to us or to grace our homes.
 *
For those interested, I wrote a post a few years ago
about how icons have come to my home/s over the years.

Late Saturday Night ... Sunday is coming!

When I was a teen I watched a video
I think it was an African American Pastor speaking...
about Sunday is a-coming,
the day of the Resurrection.

Life-Giving Spring and Guardian Angel.
*
Mr. Husband and I were talking about icons
and how I think it is so important for icons to be in
one's home and for kids to have some too,
for their room.
*
The first icon Mr. Husband and I bought together,
before we were married,
for my godson was the icon of the
Guardian Angel.

The Icon of Pascha,
Christ's Resurrection.
I love looking at this icon;
it has very rich colours
and speaks to us of the
hope beyond all hope,
the defeat of death,
the defeat of despair,
the defeat of hell itself. 

St. Nektarios.
This book
St. Nektarios - the Saint of our Century
is a wonderful read.
I knew one prayerful woman who once told me that
she re-reads this book all the time...
*
I just started the first chapter of 

St. Nectarios of Pentapolis and the Island of Aegina: 

The Monastic Ideal: 

Vol. 1 - The Later Life of the Saint 

and the Establishment of the Holy Trinity Convent, 

by Cleopas Strongylis - Translated by Christopher Tripoulas.

Found here.

*

I got Volume 1 and also Volume 2 at my church in Ottawa in January.

Volume 2 is

St. Nectarios of Pentapolis and the Island of Aegina: 

The Monastic Ideal: Volume 2 - The Catechetical Letters, 

Cleopas Strongylis - Translated by Christopher Tripoulas

 Found here.
*
It is wonderful that we have Saints like St. Nektarios to
intercede for us, for the ill especially.
*
I was recently counselled to not despair when things
seem discouraging or that we are mired down
in the things that are heavy and hard.
*
God is with us,
we must not give up hope;
God loves us,
sinners though we be.

Other Accomplisments - icons and stores and prayer request

By waning daylight and then flashlight
I got my icon corner in the bedroom up!

It's almost done...

It is such a comfort for me to see
my familar icons...
*
I of course still miss my beloved Ottawa and
having the icons up,
many of which I got while I was in Ottawa
the last seven years...

I made a special area for St. Nectarios and others for
special prayer requests...

Many of my icons are either
from my church,
from my two monasteries
Holy Dormition in MI and
The Mother of God the Consoler
in Quebec
and this is also a great comfort.

Once the power was back on
I wasted no time in making apple crisp.
Mr. Husband helped with the apples...
We were blessed to even find some ice cream
on Sunday...

I got my icons up in the kitchen.

Finally I have the icon of the Mother of God
in a proper place in my kitchen...
*
This post from my beautiful Ottawa apartment
of one year of my life a few years ago
shows the icon well...

We are seeing lots of reconstruction and cleaning
vans and trucks...
*
Yesterday drywall from downstairs was being knocked out
cleaning has already been done by professionals in
our garage, getting ride of the smells and contamination...
*

This is what our local store on Sunday looked like. 

 

I've heard that a bigger store a bit from here
was underwater...
*
Another storm is in the forecast for tomorrow.
*
We do ask your prayers.

Sunny Wednesday in Mid-October

Finally I am getting the library part
of our bedroom
in order.
So good to see more of my icons again...

Some of my special Ortho-books
and beautiful box for candles,
a thoughtful wedding gift from
one of my cousins.

Cross found in an antique and
collectibles store
on our honeymoon.

St. Irene of Chrysovalantou
my chrismation patron Saint
(though not my name's Saint)...
*
This icon is from my church
and is very special to me...

Mother Alexandra
behind her are my Romanian Orthodox books...

Icon of Christ from Romania
Pochav Icon of the Mother of God
from an Ottawa icongrapher.
*
It is good to see my familiar icons;
I still have many to put up in my icon corner...

Lunch made for my DH and myself.

Cashews;
Yummy tomatoes from the farmers market;
Organic Carrots.

 

Apples...
*
I have really been missing Ottawa today;
it is so strange to not be going back soon and seeing my
church family and friends.
*
I am very happy to be married;
weeks ago I woke from a brief nap
and did not know where I was
but I felt deeply at home
here in my new home
with my husband.
*
I love my new home and
my old apartment and it's dinginess,
smallness and rat-like maze and stress
is not missed;
but I miss walking to my church
seeing my friends
having tea and visiting my
sister-friend and my godson and his brothers.
*
I am thankful for a wonderful place to live
and that I am slowly making it a
cozy home where
peace and love can be
and prayer can be slowly uttered
even when prayer is a struggle.
Where icons can be lit, shining out hope
for us
who may feel lost at sea.
*
For this I am deeply thankful.

Wednesday Quietness

I have been slowly reading through a book on

St. Seraphim of Sarov

and am really enjoying it.

A book read slowly and savoured;

it is always so good to read of Saints, of God's

mercy and love

and of holy places of quiet.

*

Work continues to be very busy.

I ruined one of my two pairs of work pants

when I fell the other week

which means I have been carefully

going between 1 skirt and 1 pair of pants

since then.

Which requires a bit more frequent washing and

matching with various work clothes.

So finally I decided on a skirt that I bought online;

it will come in a few weeks -

it is ankle length, deep brown and I got a

long sleeved 'tee-shirt' to match

which with my other work clothes will be

very usable.

And 1 lovely scarf was ordered too...

It's been a while since I have dressed professionally

since I was working from home

and before that looking for work

and it is nice to wear my work clothes

but a bit distracting too.

*

I am glad that God is patient.

*

Just making the purchase decisions for this

feels like a relief,

after emailing two close friends about them

for a bit

and having some online / phone conversations.

You would think it would be simple,

clothes buying,

but after being unemployed for a while,

buying new things is, well, a bit new again...

other than books and icons which I always managed

to get a bit of even in the midst of my trials.

:)

*

I am hosting a dinner party this Friday

and a small Thanksgiving dinner on Monday.

I am looking forward to both.

I find making beautiful meals and moments with friends

to be something that really motivates me;

beauty and creating it in many ways

is something I've realized is important to me

in my daily life.

*

Thank God for the deep beauty of icons

which not only gives light to the eyes

but can quiet the soul.

How icons come to my home

Emily asked me about how I choose my icons. I started writing back a comment to the question, and realized I wrote a blog post instead. so here it is!

The Saints I am referring to are from the Icons I recently got from the Greek Monastery I went to this past Saturday.

Well, I had been thinking more of St. Panteleimon after hearing about Sylvia's story about how St. Panteleimon has interceded for her family. Also we have an icon of him in the back of our church that I have been aware of for a while. I often like to get icons of the Saints that are in my Church - bringing the comfort home as it were.

The icon of the Theotokos I recognized from a small icon I always noticed in my Church hall on the wall. I was overjoyed to see a larger reproduction of it in the Monastery chapel (I was in their store before I went into their chapel). When I saw this icon, I immediately picked it up.

I have a dear friend whose patron is St. John the Theologian and I have learned a lot about St. John through this friend. Also I think St. John of Rila is named after St. John the Theologian; the Akathist to St. John of Rila that I have speaks a lot about the love of God, which makes sense with St. John the Theologian as his name Saint! (FYI St. John of Kronstadt was named after St. John of Rila).

Also on the car ride up to the monastery, my friend and I were talking about the icons we own. He had one of St. John with St. Prochorus. So when I saw this icon of St. John the Theologian with St. Prochorus, it went in my to purchase pile immediately. Before doing so, I verified with my spiritual father that it was the icon I thought it was. I am no expert and depend on others as well. At monasteries of course you can also ask the nun who is there in the store!

Also at times I buy an icon of a Saint who I know to be an intercessor for a certain need. I got an icon recently for a friend I am concerned for and will pray especially to those Saints for assistance on behalf of this person. I find that the icons I need often come when I need them. For instance, I do not yet have an icon of St. Elizabeth the Mother of the Forerunner, my name's Saint. I believe I will have this icon when I am supposed to - not that it is wrong to order an icon at a particular time. This is no 'one way' to icons! But I do find that in general an icon comes to me when I need it. Often also I am drawn to certain ones instinctively. Or they draw me to themselves. Take your time with building an icon corner. It will come as it is needed.

Also icons are given to us. My first icon of the Holy Trinity was given to me just a few months before my chrismation. I had no idea what it was and asked one of my Orthodox friends in BC on the phone what it was. I told him it had three Angels on it and he quickly knew what icon it was! Now this is a fond memory and that particular copy is on the my apartment door.

I really love icons. They help me pray. I often find myself looking for one in my house, feeling a particular need for help. I love having icons everywhere for they speak of comfort and ready help for us. Also I am still learning to pray church prayers with proper attention. Saying brief prayers before icons helps focus me and is an encouragement to me.

It is important to give oneself room and time to grow in our Orthodox faith. For my first years I did not have many mounted icons - mainly just paper ones taped to my wall. It takes time to learn how to be Orthodox when we are converting. God will give us what we need as we are able and He is merciful. I read this past Christmas Jim Forest's book, Praying with Icons. I found his book to be a lovely introduction that was very personable as opposed to academic and complicated! But even this book, I did not read until I was in the church 5 years, which I mention to show merely the time and patience and gentleness with ourselves to grow and learn.

I thank God for His Saints and Holy Icons!