Out & About

Deacon Raphael reviews two books:

1) When Women Were Priests :Women’s Leadership in the Early Church and the Scandal of Their Subordination in the Rise of Christianity

2) The Gospel According to Women: Christianity’s Creation of the Sex War in the West.

A worthy read. Again, go HERE!

With this week, the Fifth Week of the Great Fast, upon us, I commend THIS ARTICLE about the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete, Life of St Mary, and our common struggle.

Sign seen at a Church around Easter: “The Cross … the High Cost of Living.”

Another, during NCAA tourney: “Final Score: Satan – Zero … Christ – Won.”

Okay, I know, by now you’re groaning. But if I said, “Pray for me,” would you clap? A lot has been said about the applause after the Pope’s death and during the funeral. Someone told me that the Fox common tators said it was an Italian thing — like the way the Pope waves back to himself as if trying to smell St Peter’s Square. That too, says same someone, is an Italian thing. Just for the heck of it, next time someone asks me to pray for them, I think I’ll just give them a hearty round of applause. Ya think? OK, back to groaning. Elsewhere, Fr John chimes in (no applause, please).

The following notice, forwarded to me by a priest friend, is a timely reminder for all pious Orthodox …

Last week in Presanctified Liturgy this was chanted:

“The fast, the means of receiving blessings, hath now led us halfway through its course, pleasing God with the days that are past and proposing purposeful tasks for the days ahead; for the increase of blessings produces a greater number of good deeds. Therefore, let us cry to Christ, the giver of all blessings: O thou who didst fast and endure the cross for our sake, enable us to partake uncondemned of thy divine Pascha, to lead our lives in peace, worthily glorifying thee with the Father and the Spirit.”
— Sticheron from Vespers

Yesterday [4/6] was the 1/2 way point of the Great Fast. Time to renew our mind and refocus on the “purposeful tasks” for the remaining days. Who can benefit from your alms? Who could use a visit for encouragement? When will you confess? Let these last … weeks be purposeful!

Though I’ve been posting some Lenten Recipes, I’m sure my efforts lag behind necessity. You can find a host of recipes H E R E. Also, in the Huneycutt household, in between “fancy fasting”, there’s always black beans & rice (add salsa, onions, peppers, etc, to your liking). But, if you really want a helpful resource for your home, you may want to give this a try:

TASTE AND SEE
An Orthodox cookbook chock full of many [fasting] recipes.

$15, plus $5 for priority shipping.

Order from:

St. Ignatius Orthodox Church
4671 Peytonsville Road
Franklin, TN 37064