:: St. Stephen's Musings ::

:: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 ::

Reflections on Holy Week Events

Christ is Risen!

I'm back!
Paradoxically, more exhausted and more rejuvenated than ever! Holy Week was amazing, as it is every year. This year, the wife and I attended every single service. I can't tell you what a difference that makes! There is a flow, a continuity, a tearing down and simultaneously rebuilding of the soul and body that happens during Holy Week that is beyond words to fully describe.

*Today* Christ is crucified...
*Today* Christ is mocked....
*Today* Christ dies....
*Today* Christ is Risen!

Every year I marvel at the sheer wisdom and insight the Church has in its liturgical services, and the timelessness of them. Within each service, within each sacramental act, the wholeness of Orthodoxy shines forth....and nothing allows us to participate in that better than Holy Week.

I chanted the Paschal Gospel (John 1:1-17) in Latin during the midnight service on Sunday morning....this was my second year of doing that and it makes me nervous every time....There is something about chanting the Holy Gospel in the Church that makes me tremble...before God, the angels, the saints, and the congregation, I am lending my voice to the ever-resounding cries of the Cherubim and Seraphim....

Father John Schoredel, a former parishioner and now Orthodox priest, was here for almost all of Holy Week helping Fr. George with services. It was great to chat with him again....

My 22 year old sister-in-law was Chrismated on Holy Saturday at St. John the Baptist, culminating a 7+ year journey to Orthodoxy for my wife's family. That was a true joy to witness! Now all of my immediate in-laws are Orthodox, which is an amazing thing. As my mother-in-law said to me later on Sunday, "If someone 10 years ago would have told me that all 6 of us would have been Orthodox, I would have laughed in their face!"

We had one scary moment at the 5am Sunday banquet: One of our older widows collapsed and the paramedics had to be called. She was ok, just fainted. Due to medication she takes she should never drink alcohol and we think she had a few sips. She is in our prayers...

My 26 year old cousin moved in with us last week also, which has been very nice. I now have someone to play chess with on a regular basis (my wife, for the most part, refuses to play chess with me anymore...I'm too mean, and all!) With Holy Week obligations we haven't had much of an opportunity to really get him moved in properly yet. When we were home last week we were all too tired to really do much of anything except sleep!

He brought his DSL connection with him which is very dangerous, for now I have nothing to stop me from being online at all times of the night.....The three of us will need to have some accountability measures instituted I think! :) But that is the whole point of community. More about community soon....

I have much to post about later this week in regards to women's ordination, free will, "the cult of the nice", an interesting analogy in regards to eccesiology, thoughts on Scripture, and more....stay tuned....

:: Karl :: 8:50:00 AM [Link] ::