A journal of byzantine digressionS
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The Rosary: The Annunciation
The first decade of the Holy Rosary is in honor of the Annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel came to Blessed Mary, the Ever-Virgin, and, greeting her, offered her the chance to become the mother of her Creator. Her acceptance of this greeting is the beginning of our salvation. One traditional way of meditation on the…
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The Rosary: Introduction to the Joyful Mysteries
The Joyful Mysteries are those events at the beginning of the life of Christ: The Annunciation of the Archangel to Mary The Visitation of Our Lady to St Elizabeth The Nativity of Our Lord The Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple The Finding of Christ teaching among the Elders in the Temple Each one…
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Rosary with Byzantine Meditations
Introduction When I was exploring Orthodoxy (2000-2001) and after I had converted, there was a massive jettisoning of anything Western. Any of my friends or long-time readers of the several incarnations of this blog can confirm this. Bye bye Mr. Francis; bye bye Mass; bye bye Mass Cards, bye bye Advent and Advent Wreaths; bye…
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NYC 1983. Underground.
My coworker asked if I had ever been through anything “like this” before. The answer was instant. Yes: AIDS in 1983. I spoke with a friend after Mass tonight and he agreed. AIDS in the early 80s was exactly like this. In the early 80s (nearly until the end of the 80s, actually) we didn’t…
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Love in the Time of Covid-19
Dear Fathers in Christ – Some diocese are canceling public services. Some are not. No matter where you fall on the spectrum between APOCALYPSE and TOO MUCH HYPE there is something you can do to help us all: especially the folks in the places with no Masses. Put your Mass live on Facebook. Put your…
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Asleep in the Light
This may have come up before, but the EF Gospel and the OF Gospel for Year A (which we always use when there are catechumens) are the same pericope: the Transfiguration account from Matthew. In this passage, after the terror of the divine vision, Jesus touches the Apostles and says, Ἐγέρθητε καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθε.Egerthete kai…
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Meeting in Public
For nearly 2 years Orthodox and Catholic men have joined in the Pint Pipe and Cross, SF, (Not Pictured). We have been meeting in a local bar, the Edinburgh Castle Pub, for enjoyment of a book, a beer, and pipe, as well as for fellowship. This has been a growing experience for all involved. It…
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Anathema Sit! Good Anathema!
Random biblical nerdery: today I learned that the meaning of the Greek word “anathema” had shifted during the time of Biblical composition. We see both usages in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek version of the Jewish Scriptures which actually predates the current Hebrew version of the Old Testament. The LXX was composed and compiled in…
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We are Community.
The author is neither a medical professional nor a data scientist: he is a social observer asking questions. Dirt, especially clay and that rich, dark soil called humus, is composed of decayed biological material. This can be made of shells and composted plants or animals. Not to put too fine a point on it, while…
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Jonah’s New Signs
Readings for Wednesday in the 1st Week of Lent (A2) Jonas 3:1-10 Luke 11:29-32 No sign will be given except the sign of Jonah. Wake up this morning was to news about the Pope’s Lenten Retreat on the Holy Prophet Jonah. This story from the scriptures was, therefore, on my mind as I went to…
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Igotchu Babe.
Seven Deadly Sins, the Gifts of the Spirit, the Evangelical Counsels, Chastity, Catching Foxes, Celibacy and Bachelorhood, AKA, a blog post on sex and religion.
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Love Hurts
The Readings for the 7th Sunday, Tempus per Annum (A2) Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18 1 Corinthians 3:16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 Your heavenly Father… makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. I wanted to talk today about the Curious change when Jesus quotes from…
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And raise you up.
Sitting outside the coffee shop about a week ago, I was approached by a man who asked if he could join me and sit at my table. It’s a small coffee shop: there are three tables and strangers always sit together. I said sure. He sat down and immediately begin to talk. This was annoying,…
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Liber Al Vel Austin
So this quote came up in a book I’m playing in Google books. Love & do what you will. If you hold your peace hold your peace out of love. If you cry out cry out in love. If you correct someone correct them out of love. If you spare them spare them out of…
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Metanoia & Warfare
We are each gifted with a personal identity in the image of God our Father. We are an icon of God. We are marred by our human tendency to sin, our concupiscence. We are each born with weaknesses and even as we grow up we may be marked with wounds and scars that further those…
Orthoparadoxy 