As it is the custom of the Church, on the day after every great Feast, we honour those through whom it came to pass, examples are: our Lady on the day after the Lord's Nativity, Joachim and Anna after our Lady's Nativity, the holy Baptist the day after Theophany, and so forth So it no … Continue reading Monday for the Holy Ghost, day after Pentecost
Apodosis of the Elevation of the Venerable and Life-Giving Cross, is great holy day and used exclusively by the Greek Church. It corresponds to a feast in the Latin Church. Reading from the Synaxarion Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great (their name day is May 21st) when she was already advanced … Continue reading The Apodosis of the Elevation of the Cross
Sunday of the Holy CrossReading from the Synaxarion:With the help of God, we have almost reached the middle of the course of the Fast, where our strength has been worn down through abstinence, and the full difficulty of the labour set before us becomes apparent.Therefore our holy Mother, the Church of Christ, now brings to … Continue reading Holy day: 3rd Sunday of the Great Lent: Holy Cross
Saint Patrick was canonized on March 17 in the one Christian Church at the time. It was the day he died. He is best known as the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland because he he brought Christianity to Ireland as well as the Picts and Anglo-Saxons.He is known only from two short works, … Continue reading Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
I thought of this old article I saved as being appropriate for Theophania/Epiphany or the Adoration of the Magi. This painting is by Siennese Bartolo di Fredi (c. 1330-1410) a 14th century masterpiece. The article by Mr Holland Cotter, NYTimes. The baby’s feet must smell sweet to the rapt old king who kneels and cups them … Continue reading The Adoration of the Magi by Bartolo di Fredi
As most of us know from the song about the partridge and the pear tree, there are twelve days of Christmas. The season ends on January 6, traditionally celebrated as the day when the three wise men arrived in Bethlehem with those gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. In Elizabethan England the last night of … Continue reading Christmastide
The lyrics are below but the music score is here in pdf form. It is originally a Latin 7 verse poem that dates back to the 8th century. It was used in a call and response fashion during the vespers, or evening, service. The original text created the reverse acrostic "ero cras," which means "I … Continue reading Advent Hymnal: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Arcangelo Corelli - Concerto grosso, No. 8, Op. 6 'Christmas Concerto' - Pastorale
In my anguish... 