We’ve moved!    We are finally merging this blog with the store for one website.

Visit us at www.vscardbox.com and you can shop or read with just one click!

Or look for us on Facebook...
well, after they allow me to change my page name from Presvassi In Service and Love to V’s Cardbox Blog and Store.

Looking for this new rebranding and growing the business.

-Vassi

We've moved

We've moved. 


Stay here for old recipes, or look for new and updated posts at vscardbox.com

Passive Aggression is Aggression

I am so confused!

We had a weed and a daisy growing in a crack in the cement in front of our home. We were amazed at the tenacity of the plants to grow in such a difficult place. I was going to blog about it...

The plants represented endurance, temptations vs virtues, things we value, things that are invasive... Beauty and the Beast depending on what you nurture. And, believe it or not, if you don't weed regularly, meaning, if you aren't careful of protecting your soul, anything will grow.

Just days from blooming (I was hoping to take a picture of it for the post,) someone came and pulled both the weed and the daisy, and left them there on the concrete to whither away.

These plants were in front of our property. They were our business to tend to.

I am disappointed in my neighbor's lack of respect for my property.  

So it looks like my new post will be about personal space, jumping to conclusions and it might even lead to the evils of passive aggression and lost opportunities.

I'll let you choose. Which would you rather read about?

All of Orthodoxy Celebrates

New on the OCN website!

United Yet Not of This World

We are called to live holy lives, in the world but not worldly.  This Lenten season has been a strong reminder.   There were several times we have had to decline invitations or rearrange our schedules to allow the lenten activities to make a mark in our lives.   Extra services, changes in eating habits, and opportunities to show charity by sharing our cash, time, and talents have been our focus.

I am not accustomed to living on the Old Calendar and this year, with a very late Easter, this sense of separateness really struck home.  It almost seemed as if the world went on without us, and we were left behind.  We were picking up seasonal leftovers off the grocery shelves.  Ads that used to feature bunnies and pastels are now covered with Mother’s Day sales and summer grilling promotions.

Which explains why I was so thrilled to see a friend’s Facebook post showing a local grocery ad wishing everyone a “Happy Orthodox Easter!”   We haven’t been forgotten!

All of Orthodoxy is celebrating this weekend!  It’s not just the Greeks, the Russians, the Africans, nor the Romanians…  Everyone throughout the world who is a member of the body of Christ in the Holy Orthodox faith will be celebrating that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead!... for full article click here...

Replace, Repair, Restore

I have a new post on OCN, The Cobbler’s Repairs and Lent.   It's about repairing a great pair of boots.  And it's about Lent. Actually, it's about restoration.   Here's a snippet:

"I received a pair of gray and black patent leather cowboy boots for my fortieth birthday. They were a gift from my mother-in-law. She thought cowboy boots would serve as a reminder of what American grit can accomplish and that I once lived in Colorado. I loved wearing them—that is until the heel broke. For the past few months they waited, slouched over with a detached heel, near the door to my garage waiting to catch a ride to the cobbler to be repaired."

"We need more cobblers and fewer retailers. We need more seamstresses and fewer catalogs. We need more repairing and less replacing. I imagine fewer people are experiencing Lent with prayer, fasting and almsgiving because they don’t know what it means to repair anything. Everything broken is replaced with new. We’ve lost the art of restoration, and this spills into our spiritual life."

"... if we aren’t used to repairing what is broken, if we just replace things when they are no longer a use for us, how will we make that association when we are spiritually broken? Most of us, when we are spiritually broken, just live with it. We forgive ourselves. We cry out 'No regrets!' or 'God must have had a plan.' But we are not repaired.  We are not restored."

Click here to read the full article.

Third Sunday of Lent

Here we are!   Third week down and we are half way there.   How is it going?

My Big Fat Greek Life Too

I have to say I went in with hesitation.  Perfectly content to have waited until the movie was available on Netflix or DVD, we succumbed to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 in the theater as part of our Spring Break celebration.  And I have to say, even before the movie was over I couldn’t wait to come home and write about it.  I LOVED IT!

Sure there were some raunchy themes and one-liners peppered throughout the movie.  My Greek was just good enough to get all of them.  This I regret.  But there were moments when I honestly laughed out loud and even moments I had to hold back the tears. 

As a first-generation Greek-American, I found the movie was honest.  It showed life for what it really was: confusing, unsure, constantly changing and never to be "fixed."  

I love being Greek.  We were a little like the Portokalis family.  We ate roasted lamb for Easter every year and seafood most people only saw in an aquarium.  Like Dancing Zorbas, my parents owned Athena Foods, a Greek grocery store where their friends would gather after a hard day’s work to shoot the breeze and catch up on the news from Greece.  

We all worked at Athena Foods and took turns carrying the responsibilities of our family.  We were always in your face and not quite aware that there were things you didn’t tell strangers because like Thea Voula, people weren’t strangers to us.  Everyone was always welcome.

There came a time though where I learned that this was called dysfunction and that people shouldn’t be that close.  I regret learning this.  Families are close, messy, loud and in your face.  I love that MBFGW 1 and 2 were not afraid to show the honesty and even the dysfunction of being Greek outside of Greece.

I hope you go to see this movie.  Leave your expectations at home and just enjoy the gift of honesty and family Nia offers you.  

What is your Cross?

Yes, we've closed two weeks and are heading towards our Third Sunday of Lent.  I love how the Church, in Her wisdom has brought the Cross to our attention.  What a great reminder of why we are doing this.

Lent isn't a simple discipline or a diet.  It is for salvation!  

Look at the Gospel of Luke 9:22-26: 

And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?    Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Lent is a time to look at what truly matters and to make daily life decisions that will draw us closer to Him.  Are we looking to gain the world?  There is no salvation in gaining the world!  

Are we ashamed of God, enough to be embarrassed to ask for a vegan meal at a catered event or when we go out to eat?  I am not saying we should announce to the world that we are fasting.  It's just that if there is an option, we should take it.  

And what about the struggles hunger brings.  I think of those Snickers commercials where they talk about "hanger," when hunger induces anger.  The tagline is “You are not you when you are hungry."  But you know what?  We are more ourselves because hunger reveals our passions.  It brings them to the forefront so we can deal with them in a healthy way.   

 And in some ways, this is how our Cross is revealed to us.  Is your cross Gluttony?  Jealousy? Fear? Pride?  When we remove ourselves from our comfort zone we see our faults more easily.  We even see our strengths we didn’t know we had.

I encourage you to take time to see what your Cross is as we approach Sunday so that you can know your weaknesses and your strengths.  Then you will have a more honest understanding of what we need to repent of.  

Hymns for Sunday: 

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third Tone

Let the Heavens rejoice; let earthly things be glad; for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm, He hath trampled upon death by death. The first-born of the dead hath He become. From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us, and hath granted great mercy to the world.

Apolytikion of Sun. of the Holy Cross in the First Tone

Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries, and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you: "Hail, unwedded bride!"

A Parent's Guide to the Lenten Services

I recently posted an article on myocn.net.  It was written to help parent attend as many of the Lenten services as possible. 

Parenting Guide for Lenten Services

Lent is a three-legged stool of Prayer, Fasting and Alms Giving. If you try to balance on only one leg, you are sure to fall. It is very common for people to make this mistake when it comes to fasting during Lent.  We often get distracted by the foods we are or aren’t allowed to eat, and forget about the extra prayer services and opportunities for charity.

Take a moment to look at your church calendar. Does the service schedule seem impossible for you and your family?  The standard service schedule for Lent includes Compline on Mondays, Pre-sanctified Liturgy on Wednesdays, Akathist Fridays, Vespers on Saturdays and Liturgy on Sundays.

The article focuses on the following:

• Know your limitations

• Reward system

• Pick a weekday that works with your family schedule

• Prioritize the services.

• Take turns

• Hire a sitter

• Bring a sleeping bag (but don’t set up camp)

• Watch online services

I would love to know what you think about the article. 

Sunday of Orthodoxy

Apolytikion (Tone Two)

O Christ our God, begging forgiveness of our sins, we venerate your pure image O Good One. Of Your own will You condescended to ascend upon the Cross in the flesh and delivered those you created from the bondage of the enemy. Wherefore, thankfully we cry out: When You came to save the world You filled all things with joy, O our Savior. Listen »

Kontakion (Plagal Fourth Tone)

The undepictable Word of the Father became depictable when He took flesh of you, O Theotokos; and when He had restored the defiled image to its ancient state, He suffused it with divine beauty. As for us, confessing our salvation, we record it in deed and word.

- See more at: http://lent.goarch.org/#sthash.peWJjy8l.dpuf

And Then There Were Six

We have closed a week of lent and here are a few thoughts running through my brain: 

It's not all about the food

It's so easy to get caught up in the fasting part of Lent.  When we focus only on food, we become very self-centered.  It's all about us and what we physically put into our body.  Yet, there are three legs to support this spiritual season we have entered and they are Prayer, Fasting, and Charity or more specifically, Giving Alms.  

What are Alms?   In an article on Compelling Truth, "...almsgiving was the act of filling a material need for someone less fortunate, usually by giving money."  When we give alms, we focus on what we physically give to other bodies.   We focus outside of ourselves. 

I want to work harder on looking outside of myself and offering to others. 

We need the proper supplies

Were you prepared for the vegan menu or were you caught off guard too?  I was not prepared and found myself in a drive-thru too many times.  So I reassessed my pantry and made sure I had the following: fresh veggies (spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, onions, potatoes), chickpeas for hummus, flour and yeast for bread, tomato sauce, dried beans, frozen pierogies, rice milk, and pasta.  

I also had to be sure to fit a church service or two into my schedule.  On Wednesday, I lost track of time and missed the presanctified service.  I need to do a better job this coming week especially since Annunciation is Friday, and we have Liturgy.

We are different

As a first generation American, I often feel a little left out of things.  Now that My Big Fat Greek Wedding II is out, you have a good idea what this means.  Being Orthodox, and temporarily on the "Old Calendar" those feelings have returned.  We have just started our fast and there are wooden bunnies and Easter flags decorating my neighbors' yards (which seem too soon to me.)  By next week, all the Peeps, jelly beans, hams and egg dyes will be gone and the grocery shelves will shift to Mother's Day and graduations, leaving us in the dust.  

Temporarily being on the Old Calendar with such a late Easter/Pascha is interesting.  It reminds me that we are different from the world; separate and not part of it.  Sometimes I get distracted by trying to keep up with the world.  A late Easter can cure that. 

And yes, there is the added benefit of cheap candy...   

We won't be here forever. 

It's always good to "live like you were dying."  Why do we focus on the temporal things and not the eternal ones, like our souls?  I like how the Orthodox Church starts Lent off remembering the dead with three liturgies we call Saturday of the Souls.  It serves as a proper inspiration to stay the course.  

What we do during Lent is in preparation for our possible time in Paradise.  

May we all have the strength and courage to complete the Lenten Season with grace. 

TRIODION- the beginning of the preparations.

TRIODION

We are entering into our moveable calendar.  It's a time when we ease into the Holy Fast. Monday begins a fast free week, then a regular fasting week, then no meat, then we fast! Why does it seem to be happening all of the sudden?! 

It's time to start cleaning out the refrigerator.

Here's one of my favorites! 

Crock Pot Sunday- Slow Cooked "Country" Pork Ribs 

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

On the Fourth Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me: 4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Four Calling Birds represent the Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.   Each book has its own voice defining Jesus.  Here’s the beginning of each:

 

John -The Eternal Word

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend^[a] it.

Matthew - The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: ² Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. ⁴ Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. ⁵ Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse begot David the king.

Mark - John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ² As it is written in the Prophets:^[a]

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”^[b]
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”^[c]

⁴ John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. ⁵ Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Luke - Dedication to Theophilus anf John’s Birth

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, ² just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,³ it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴ that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias

⁵ There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶ And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷ But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

 

Today we remember Simon the Myrrhbearer, Founder of Simonopetra, Monastery of Mount Athos.  In his honor, I’d like to share one of my favorite hymn, Agne Parthene,  

 

On the Third Day of Christmas

On the Third Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:

3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Are the 3 French Hens: Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues?   Or are they the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit? 

If we go with the virtues, then we should take a look at the traditional Christmas Carol, Good King Wenceslas, The King was a wonderful example of charity. 

 

 “Therefore, Christian men, be sure wealth or rank possessing,

Ye who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing." 

 

In the carol, we hear mention of the Feast of Stephen.  Saint Stephen is remembered on December 27, in the beginning of our Twelve Days. Did you know we also remember Joseph the Betrothed on the Sunday after Christmas?  It’s a moveable feast-day, not having a specific date, but always the Sunday after Christmas.  It might seem like he’s been neglected to have a moveable feast, but to the contrary.  The Sunday before Christmas we remember Christ’s Genealogy and the Sunday after Christmas we remember Joseph. 

 

According to the Synaxarion:

On December 27 we commemorate the holy Apostle, Proto-Martyr, and Archdeacon Stephen, one of the Seven Deacons.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father Theodore the Inscribed, brother of Theophanes the Poet.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father Theodore, Archbishop of Constantinople

On this day we also commemorate the holy Hieromartyr Maurice, and the seventy martyrs with him.

We also commemorate the holy and righteous Ancestors of God: Joseph the Betrothed of our Lady the Holy Theotokos and Virgin Mary; James (or Iakovos) the Brother of the Lord; and David the Prophet and king.

By the intercessions of Your saints, O God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen 

On the Second Day of Christmas

On the Second Day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:

2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Are the 2 Turtle Doves the Old and New Testaments or the two natures of Christ: God and Man?  

 

Did you know that today was the Synaxis of the Theotokos? A Synaxis is a “piggy back” feast for supporting figures of the day before.  Christ was born on the 25^th and we remember His mother on the 26^th.   

According to the Synaxarion:

On December 26 is the Synaxis in honor of our All-holy Lady Theotokos. On this day we also commemorate our father among the saints Efthymios the Confessor, Bishop of Sardis.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father Constantine who was of Jewish origin.

We also commemorate our devout father Evarestos.

We also commemorate the holy New Hieromartyr Constantine the Russian, who contested in Constantinople in the year 1743.

By their holy intercessions, O God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.   

On the First Day of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

The Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Gospel according to Matthew 2:1-12
 

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'”

Wish you and your a blessed Nativity.
 

Christ is born!  Glorify Him!

 

Apolytikion of HOLY NATIVITY in the Fourth Tone

Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath shined the light of knowledge upon the world; for thereby they that worshipped the stars were instructed by a star to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on high. O Lord, glory be to Thee.

Kontakion of HOLY NATIVITY in the Third Tone

Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach. Angels, along with shepherds glorify Him. The Magi make their way to Him by a star. For a new child has been born for us, the God before all ages.

Christians Naturally Forgive

Another year has passed and I can't believe the situation in the Middle East is still a mess, and by "situation," I mean the slaughtering and targeting of Christians by terrorists. 

 

And the saddest part it, it's nothing new.  This past Sunday, in the Epistle for the day we read in St. Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews:

 

Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated – of whom the world was not worthy – wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

I never thought history would repeat itself but it has.  Yet, in the midst of it all there is a little girl, Myriam, who has stolen my heart as a true example of Christ's teachings. 

 

You might remember Myriam from this lovely video by SAT-7 KIDS, a popular children's show in the Middle East. They found her in a refugee camp in Irbil last year at Christmas and asked a few questions.   What was so fantastic about this little girl is her love and desire to forgive the terrorists who evicted her and thousands others from their homes.

 

Recently, ABCnews.com aired a follow-up interview  with a sweet girl named Myriam.  Her message: forgiveness. She told ABC News “20/20” co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas,  “Jesus said ‘forgive each other, love each other the way I love you...’”

 

 

It is hard to imagine how I’d respond if someone threw me out of my home and threatened my life for being a Christian.  I am embarrassed to admit that forgiveness wouldn’t be the first words rolling off my tongue. I would be angry, terrified, offended…   None of these are loving or trusting attributes.

 

But Myriam is from Qaraqosh.  It’s a city near Mosul, where as you might remember from August of 2014, ISIS had already swept through.  In an article titled  Iraq Christians flee as Islamic State takes Qaraqosh,  I read “…hundreds of Christian families fled Mosul after the Islamist rebels gave them an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a special tax or be executed.”

 

Mosul was, and I repeat “was,” one of the oldest Christian villages in the world.  They were Christian since Christ was on earth.  I imagine there are nuances to how they lived in a Christ-like manner that was deeply imbedded into their culture, things they would have taken for granted.

 

I am intrigued by this as a Yankee living in the Deep South.  I see many cultural nuances that are prominent in this part of the country.  One is impeccable manners.  The South is fuelled by etiquette and you don’t have anything if you ain't got good manners.  A reply of “Yes, Ma’am.” or “Thank you, sir.” is ingrained into children the moment they can talk.

I imagine similar nuances of Christianity were in Mosul, where Christianity was a part of life for thousands of years.

 

So for sweet Myriam to want forgiveness above revenge is no surprise.  It’s a perfect witness to the truest understanding of Christ’s teachings.

If you would like to help the refugees from Qaraqosh, Mosel, and around the world, you can contribute to IOCC

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help the victims of poverty and conflicts around the world by making a financial gift to the IOCC International Emergency Response Fund which will provide immediate relief, as well as long-term support through the provision of emergency aid, recovery assistance and other support to help those in need. To make a gift, please visit iocc.org or call toll free at 1-877-803-IOCC (4622), or mail a check or money order payable to IOCC, P.O. Box 17398, Baltimore, MD 21297.

 

 ABOUT INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES
IOCC is the official humanitarian aid agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. Since its inception in 1992, IOCC has delivered $534 million in relief and development programs to families and communities in more than 50 countries. IOCC is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of more than 140 churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy, and a member of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.–based secular and faith-based organizations working to improve the lives of the world's most poor and vulnerable populations. To learn more about IOCC, visit iocc.org.

 

God's Plan vs. God's Will

It's official!   I will be speaking at the annual Metropolis of Chicago Women's Retreat Friday, January 15th - Saturday, January 16th, 2016  The retreat will begin Friday evening and continue through Saturday, 4 p.m. Saint Iakovos Retreat Center   Please join us!    "God's Plan vs. God's Will"    There is a fine balance in our relationship with God which teeters between our will and God’s will, and the pivot point is love.  With the perfect gift of free will, we have to find that balance where God’s will and our own align us into His plan.  The retreat will look at this relationship and discuss its nuances.

 

Mary Knew

There are hundreds of Christmas songs and hymns.   They come in all different shapes and sizes and they range from fun to reverence.  You may have heard of a song titled, “Mary, Did You Know?”  It’s about the amazing things Jesus did and questions if Mary knew after giving birth that her son would:  walk on water, bring the dead to life, give blind men sight, heal the lame…  “Did you know your baby boy was Lord of all creation?”

 

 

 

When I first heard it, I thought it was odd that there would be a song about the Panagia from a perspective that she was truly surprised by Christ.  Tradition teaches that the Virgin Mary was raised in the Temple and that the Angels kept her company.  I imagine there were a few things she did know and that after a virgin birth, she was no longer surprised by much. You might say, she had “seen it all.”

Speaking of Mary, did you know that the day after Christmas we celebrate the Synaxis of the Virgin Mary?

Father Alexander Schmemann, in the Services of Christmas (1981) wrote about the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos…

“… Combining the hymns of the Nativity with those celebrating the Mother of God, the Church points to Mary as the one through whom the Incarnation was made possible. His humanity—concretely and historically—is the humanity He received from Mary. His body is, first of all, her body. His life is her life. This feast, the assembly in honor of the Theotokos, is probably the most ancient feast of Mary in the Christian tradition, the very beginning of her veneration by the Church.

Here are the lyrics to the hymn for her feast:

Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos

He, who was begotten of the Father before the morning star, without a mother, becomes incarnate of you today, without a father. Wherefore, a star announces the good news to the Magi. Angels with shepherds praise your immaculate birth-giving, O Full of Grace.

Furthermore, did you know that on the islands in Greece, the Marys, Marias, Panayiotis and Petes all celebrate on the Synaxis of the Virgin Mary, December 26, as opposed to the more commonly observed date of her Dormition?

May the Virgin Mary embolden us when we are asked to do the impossible.