Liturgical Calendar

With everything that has been happening with COVID-19 in the world, it has highlighted even more how important the structure of a liturgical service and calendar are in providing stability.

I have generalized anxiety that has gone up and down over the years but I have noticed it gets worse when my life lacks structure and stability. Such as when I worked a job that had very inconsistent shift times week to week. However, I have always held on to the fact that when I go to an Orthodox church service I know the structure of the service and what will happen. I am familiar with the hymns and prayers I feel a sense of peace, comfort, and stability with this. Not only with the services themselves, but also with the liturgical calendar. It is a predictable structure of the year. I know when feast days are, when fasting periods are, and particular saint's days. I appreciate also the level of structure that happens in monasteries and how they structure regular prayer time, while not something that I as a layperson have used or implemented I appreciate the daily structure that it can provide.

What amazes me even more than just the peace and comfort that the liturgical structure and calendar provide for me personally is how it has impacted communities in the past. I took a Medieval Christianity class in undergrad and my professor talked about how churches and monasteries would ring bells during services to let people know they were being prayed for while they were out working. This would have been so powerful to think about how others are praying for the life of the world even when you cannot but also provides a kind of schedule structure to the day and the community. Feast days also would have played an important role in communities and church parishes were a center for village life. I can only imagine how in the Medieval period when things were chaotic the kind of peace and comfort liturgical structure brought to people.

Lastly, when I participate in a liturgical calendar and structure I feel strongly that I am not alone. There are so many other people involved in that same service in the past, present, and future. Which is part of Orthodox theology that liturgy takes place outside of space and time.

Much love and prayers for you all

Tea, Coffee, & Jesus

I have a wonderful friend who gave me this mug that is probably a perfect expression of who I am. I love Jesus and I also love coffee. However, in the picture, I am drinking a spiced citrus tea. I love all kinds of hot drinks.

My faith means a lot to me and I strive to follow it. I often feel like I fall very short in that aspect. I know I do not pray nearly as much as I should. I want to read more scripture or theological books but again I struggle to make those goals. There are so many ways I want to be better in my faith. I am afraid though that perhaps if I do start to pray better or read devotionals more that I will become proud and puffed up which I won't say I don't struggle with pride now.

I love being an Orthodox Christian and going to confession. I don't have to struggle alone. I can first of all find healing in the sacrament of confession and through a priest, I can find advice and spiritual support. Most of all I love the whole community of being an Orthodox Christian. We do liturgy together. We cannot do services as individuals they are meant to be done and have to be done as a community. We all participate in Eucharist together in community.

Spiritual in School: Intercessory Prayer

Saint Cecilia & Saint Theodora

In school, I often felt stressed and like I was struggling. I found praying to saints particularly my patron saint or a saint that I felt was tied the particular problem that was giving me stressed or upset. When I was a music major or I was doing anything musical I would pray to Saint Cecilia for intercession. In the Catholic church she is the patron saint of musicians. I always felt calmer and less stage fright before a performance when I asked for her prayer.

As a women's and gender studies major I searched for a woman saint who was strong and fought for women's rights. I found Saint Theodora who I will probably write a post about later. She was a strong and powerful woman. I have asked her for prayer for many things. Many times when I ask for prayer it is a quick thing as I am walking to classes or before presenting/performing. Reading about the saints and praying to saints has been so important for my faith in college.

This is a short post but I hope it was helpful.
Thank you for reading

Lent has Started Today

Lent started today. You must either think fell asleep for about 2 months and have only just woken up or I am just a very confused person because duh, Elizabeth Lent started last month. Well for the Western church yes. For the Orthodox though Lent started today.

Why did lent start for us on such a different day and so much latter? Well there is a long and complicate answer for that and there is also a shorter answer. As I am not entirely sure exactly of what the long complicate answer is(though I have an understanding of it) I will just give you the shorter one. We calculate the date for Easter/Pascha differently. Well not so much differently as we consider when the Passover happens and set the date to be after the Passover. The western Church does not. Hence we have Pascha after Western Easter most of the time. There are times though when we have it on the same day.

That answer was a little longer that I thought it would be.

Anyway now that that has all been explained. Lent is a time when we make a much stronger effort with our spiritual life. Weather it be through fasting, praying more, or spiritual reading. You can also give something up for lent like internet time. I have done that however I have decided not to this year as I really have not been spending a lot of time on the internet anyway(as evidenced by my last posting date).

I would like to pray more during lent, I would also like to read more spiritual books. I generally consider myself a well read person, but as far as spiritual books go I am sadly lacking.

The most important thing to remember though is that Lent is a time for repentance.

Blessings
~Elizabeth

On the 7th Day of Christmas

Isaiah 9:6

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, They everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."


Have a wonderful New Years Eve!! :) 

Day 26 — Your stance on Ecumenism

I didn't even know what this was until it came up on the this challenge. I had to research it to see if I had a stance on it. Having done that, I dream of having one Church in the world and to have unity, but not at the  compromise the Orthodox faith. I would like to see the whole word in the Orthodox Church but I don't think that will happen in my life time

Day 24 — Describe your relationship with the Most Holy Theotokos

I am not sure how to describe my relationship with her. I feel it is more like a distant admirer. I have asked her to pray for me, and I admire her faith and life. I don't think it is very close to me and that is something I need to work on.

Day 23 — Describe your relationship with God?

I feel like this is something I can't describe with words. I can say that I am dependent on God for peace, wisdom, charity, kindness, and love. I can't be who I am without him. I need God in my life. Take God out of my life would be like taking away the air that I breath. To lose it would mean my death (in a way).

Day 22 — What does Orthodox Christianity mean to you?

It means true to me. It means life. It means love. It means family. It means being able to take care of others. It means practically my whole life to me. There are so many things that Orthodox Christianity means to me I don't even think all of them have words that I can express them with.

Day 19 — Ever considered ordination/entering monachism?

It has vaguely crossed my mind. I have never given it(monasticism) any really serious thought or prayer, which I probably should. I know of several people who are looking at the monastic life and becoming priests. I guess it is just something that has really crossed my path in a way for me to take a second look at it. I know I should.

Day 20 — Your favorite Father of the Church

St. John Chrysostom. I always enjoy his quotes, and he was very good at expressing himself.

Day 14 — Your favorite Orthodox elder/eldress

I do not really have a favorite elder of eldress. Though Elder Paisios of Mount Athos has made a great impression on me.

Day 13 — Your favorite Saint quote

"To love Christ -means not to be a hireling, not to look upon a noble life as an enterprise or trade, but to be a true benefactor and to do everything only for the sake of love for God."

—St John Chrysostom

Loving people as God loves us is something I struggle with, but feel is our greatest calling as Christians. To be a Christian is to love others. 

Day 11 — Your favorite chant

This is my favorite song/chant. It is soothing, and calming. I enjoy the melody, and I love to sing it.

Day 09 — A photo of your favorite Church

The Church's name is Holy Trinity. It is very tiny.

Day 08 — Your favorite Orthodox monastery

My favorite monastery is St. John the Forerunner Greek Orthodox Monastery. I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a week there for a girls retreat. I can confidently say that it was one of the best weeks of my life! We got to know the nuns, they played some games with us, we did crafts that the nuns do there, and the talks in the chapel. It was wonderful to get a glimpse in to what life is like at a monastery. It was just a wonderful time to pray, talk, and learn so much more about my faith.

Day 07 — Your favorite pilgrimage destination

Being in America I feel that we don't have nearly as many pilgrimage destinations as those who live in countries that have had Orthodoxy for much longer. But I do have a favorite pilgrimage destination, even though I don't have a lot to chose from, and I have not been to nearly as many as  I would like. It is All Merciful Saviour Orthodox Monastery. It is is such a lovely location, and the monks there are so friendly and easy to talk to.

Day 06 — How often do you say the Jesus Prayer with your prayer rope?

Not nearly often enough. I use my pray rope probably about once a week, though I say the Jesus prayer often during the day. I have been trying to use is more, though not nearly as successfully as I would like.

For my followers who don't know what the Jesus prayer is: "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."

Day 5 — Your favourite Theotokos icon

Our Lady of Vladimir is my favorite Theotokos icon. It is very comforting to look at. To see it has withstood time and so has the Theotokos. 

Day 03 — Your favorite Bible Verse

“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I day unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” -John 6:53

This verse was really the one that made me see I needed to become Orthodox. It was the verse that helped me to become able to leave the Church where I grew up, and go with my family to the Orthodox Church.