Today's JAR- Modern Christianity vs Orthodoxy

Today's JAR. just a reminder


Modern Christianity says

"God created me and He doesn't make mistakes." 

Orthodoxy says

"Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him

and He will transform you into His image

so that you can become who you were meant to be,"

Where Have I Been?

Wow!  It feels like forever since I blogged anything.  Have you missed me?  I sure have missed you!  I have been  so distracted with a retreat I am planning and a new part time gig, that I haven't had time to share any recipes or any other deep thoughts. 

But I can say in all certainty that you have been on my mind. 

I have at least three recipes waiting to be posted, including the vegan moussaka and a feta cream cheese.  I have two crafts I want to share: one a laminated icon and the other a calendar to explain the moveable feasts. I want to tell you about my new job too.  It's been a blessing. 

So for now I'll just say, it's nice to be on a regular fasting schedule.  It's nice to see so many "Thankful for" lists on FB.  And it's nice to know you are here too.

Another Fasting Feast Day

September 14th is the day we remember the Elevation of the Holy Cross.  It's the second major feast day of the new church calendar year.  It's a good way to reflect upon what Christianity really is: To follow Christ means to "pick up your cross." 

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.   For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  -Luke 9:23-25 

 

 

To honor the importance of the day and what the cross is, the Church has designated this feast day as a fasting day.  And not just a meat free day, but a strict fast day.

This dichotomy of a fasting feast is appropriate for today as the cross was the tool for torture and killing of Christ, but it also reveals the power of the resurrection. We all have something that we are struggling with.  Many times we run from the struggle due to fear or weakness.  But there are times when we accept our cross, we also experience the joy of the resurrection. 

If you need a new fasting recipe, follow the Lenten Recipe page above for my top posts, or search "Lenten" over to the right. 

 

The Feast Day's Apolytikion Hymn

 

Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance,

granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries,

and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross.

Keeping a Vigil Olive Oil Lamp

And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually (Exodus 27.20)

 

As a child, I remember always having an olive oil vigil lamp to light up the icons in my room.  It was comforting because I didn’t like my bedroom too dark and it seemed like something living was there to comfort me… breathing in the oxygen, giving off heat.  Its reflection on the icons of Christ and the Virgin Mary was all I saw in my dark room.  I never felt alone when my vigil lamp was lit.  I have continued to maintain one as the years have passed.

 

Since the lamp is an open flame, I am careful where I place it.  We have ours on a tall dresser and have mounted the icons on the wall behind it.  It can’t be knocked over and it doesn’t heat anything above it to be a fire hazard. 

 

His Eminence Metropolitan Alexios of Atlanta showed me  a quick and easy way to light an oil vigil lamp using a cotton ball for the wick.   Click here for the video