Comments on: Reaching Holy Week http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/ Orthodox Christianity, Culture and Religion, Making the Journey of Faith Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:36:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Fatherstephen http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/#comment-2504 Fatherstephen Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:42:16 +0000 http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/#comment-2504 Yes, indeed. I've been exhausted by sin before (more than once) and it's not the same thing at all. Yes, indeed. I’ve been exhausted by sin before (more than once) and it’s not the same thing at all.

]]> By: St.SusannatheMartyr http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/#comment-2498 St.SusannatheMartyr Mon, 02 Apr 2007 18:13:24 +0000 http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/#comment-2498 I was in an interesting vignette on Lazarus Saturday. After a busy day of Liturgy and then Paschal preparation for the kids, I was sitting outside the church waiting for Vigil for Palm Sunday and silently praying the Jesus Prayer. Father Deacon came up to me and said "you look peaceful." I said "I think I am peaceful . . . or maybe I'm just exhausted." He said "maybe it amounts to the same thing." I realized that summarizes Holy Week for me. Exhausting but intertwined with and beyond the exhaustion is such peace and joy. Of course not everything in our lives that exhausts us brings with it peace and joy, and that's not what Deacon meant. But, more and more I find that trying to participate fully in the services and striving for a life in Christ brings exhaustion as well as peace and joy. I was in an interesting vignette on Lazarus Saturday. After a busy day of Liturgy and then Paschal preparation for the kids, I was sitting outside the church waiting for Vigil for Palm Sunday and silently praying the Jesus Prayer. Father Deacon came up to me and said “you look peaceful.” I said “I think I am peaceful . . . or maybe I’m just exhausted.” He said “maybe it amounts to the same thing.” I realized that summarizes Holy Week for me. Exhausting but intertwined with and beyond the exhaustion is such peace and joy. Of course not everything in our lives that exhausts us brings with it peace and joy, and that’s not what Deacon meant. But, more and more I find that trying to participate fully in the services and striving for a life in Christ brings exhaustion as well as peace and joy.

]]> By: handmaidleah http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/#comment-2487 handmaidleah Sun, 01 Apr 2007 21:07:47 +0000 http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/#comment-2487 This is the time of the season when I also feel it the most and I know what is coming... Being chronically ill, and living a pretty far distance from church, I have to pace myself or I will wind up making myself sick from exhaustion. I have done it before. I have yet to hear every service and perhaps I should keep track of which ones I make each year so that I make sure I get to the ones I miss the next... By Pascha, I feel like I have no idea whether I am coming or going so if the effect is to place a person out of time, it works for me! I am always joyously exhausted and ready to drop and I have yet to make the Vespers the next day or that day, actually. I cannot believe that it is almost here. May God give us strength. Christ is in our midst! the handmaid, Mary-Leah This is the time of the season when I also feel it the most and I know what is coming…
Being chronically ill, and living a pretty far distance from church, I have to pace myself or I will wind up making myself sick from exhaustion. I have done it before.
I have yet to hear every service and perhaps I should keep track of which ones I make each year so that I make sure I get to the ones I miss the next…
By Pascha, I feel like I have no idea whether I am coming or going so if the effect is to place a person out of time, it works for me!
I am always joyously exhausted and ready to drop and I have yet to make the Vespers the next day or that day, actually.
I cannot believe that it is almost here.
May God give us strength.
Christ is in our midst!
the handmaid,
Mary-Leah

]]> By: Fatherstephen http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/#comment-2485 Fatherstephen Sun, 01 Apr 2007 17:37:34 +0000 http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/#comment-2485 When I feel tired I remind myself of my father and grandfathers, who easily put in 12 hour days of hard labor (my father began working in cotton fields by age 4) and then I think I'm not tired at all. I also read in Fr. Schmemann's journals his accounts of hearing hundreds of confessions in a day and I am not so tired. As Christ said, "Say, at the most, we are unprofitable servants." But I'll take all the prayers anyone will say for me. May God bless. When I feel tired I remind myself of my father and grandfathers, who easily put in 12 hour days of hard labor (my father began working in cotton fields by age 4) and then I think I’m not tired at all.

I also read in Fr. Schmemann’s journals his accounts of hearing hundreds of confessions in a day and I am not so tired.

As Christ said, “Say, at the most, we are unprofitable servants.” But I’ll take all the prayers anyone will say for me. May God bless.

]]> By: Meg http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/#comment-2479 Meg Sun, 01 Apr 2007 11:21:04 +0000 http://fatherstephen.wordpress.com/2007/03/31/reaching-holy-week/#comment-2479 For me, growing up Catholic and then spending 13 years as a Lutheran, Holy Week consisted of, "Now it's Good Friday. Now we're supposed to be sad. Now it's Easter. Now we're supposed to be happy." So my first Holy Week as an Orthodox Christian was *glorious.* 16 years later, it's still glorious. May it not be said of you, Father: "Christ is risen, the priest is dead!" Or in other words, praying that you will be able to keep up your stamina during this final drive to the Feast of the Resurrection. For me, growing up Catholic and then spending 13 years as a Lutheran, Holy Week consisted of, “Now it’s Good Friday. Now we’re supposed to be sad. Now it’s Easter. Now we’re supposed to be happy.” So my first Holy Week as an Orthodox Christian was *glorious.* 16 years later, it’s still glorious. May it not be said of you, Father: “Christ is risen, the priest is dead!” Or in other words, praying that you will be able to keep up your stamina during this final drive to the Feast of the Resurrection.

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