Bye, Bye, Beef

Sadly, at the end of tomorrow, we’ll begin to sing the blues. So here is my homage to Beef. It’s what was for dinner. [You'll know the tune, with sincere apologies to the Everly Brothers] Bye, bye, beef Bye, bye, bacon strips Hello, veggie dogs I think I’m gonna cry Bye, bye, beef Bye, bye, [...]

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Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt (The Fifth Sunday of Great and Holy Lent)

Troparion Tone 5 Enlightened by the grace of the Cross,/ thou wast seen to be a bright light of repentance,/ dispelling the darkness of passions, O all holy one./ thou didst appear as an angel in the flesh/ to holy Zosimas in the wilderness./ Intercede with Christ for us, O Mary our righteous Mother. Kontakion [...]

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Sunday of St John of the Ladder (The Fourth Sunday of Great and Holy Lent)

Troparion of St John Tone 3 Thou hast set up a holy ladder by thy words/ and hast shone forth as a teacher of monks;/ thou dost lead us, O John, from the purification that comes from discipline/ to the light of the Divine Vision./ O righteous Father, pray to Christ our God to grant [...]

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The Adoration of the Holy and Life-giving Cross (The Third Sunday of Great and Holy Lent)

Troparion Tone 1 O Lord, save Thy people/ and bless Thine inheritance./ Grant victory over their enemies to Orthodox Christians,/ and protect Thy people with Thy Cross. Kontakion Tone 4 O Christ our God,/ Who wast voluntarily lifted up on the Cross,/ grant Thy mercies to Thy new people named after Thee./ Gladden with Thy [...]

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The Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas (The Second Sunday of Great and Holy Lent)

Troparion Tone 8 Light of Orthodoxy, pillar and doctor of the Church, adornment of monks, invincible champion of theologians, O Gregory the wonderworker, praise of Thessalonica, preacher of grace, ever pray that our souls may be saved. Kontakion Tone 2 Organ of wisdom, holy and divine, bright clarion of theology, we praise thee in harmony, [...]

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The Sunday of Orthodoxy (The First Sunday of Great and Holy Lent)

Troparian Tone 2 We venerate Your most pure image, O Good One, and ask forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ God. Of Your own will You were pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh to deliver Your creatures from bondage to the enemy. Therefore with thanksgiving we cry aloud to You: You have filled [...]

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Podcasts from Mother Gabriella

I want to take the time to highlight some podcasts from Holy Dormition Monastery on Ancient Faith Radio. I especially want to highlight the talks from Mother Gabriella which I have found helpful during this Great and Holy Lent: Acquiring the Virtues (I found this one particularly good–especially with my background in ancient philosophy and [...]

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Irish Lent!

Irish Lent!: An Irishman moved into a tiny hamlet in County Kerry, walked into the pub and promptly ordered three beers. The bartender raised his eyebrows, but served the man three beers, which he drank quietly at a table, alone. The next evening the man again ordered and drank three beers at a time. Soon [...]

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More Orthodox Than Thou (A Protestant Convert to Orthodoxy Rant)

At the risk of engaging the passions–not a good thing to do at any time, let alone Great and Holy Lent–I want to take on this notion going around the Protestant-convert-to-Orthodoxy blogosphere in which Protestant converts to Orthodoxy are criticizing fellow Protestant converts to Orthodoxy about things such converts are doing that just aren’t Orthodox [...]

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The Table in the Wilderness

And they spake against God, and they said, Cannot God prepare a table in the wilderness? (Psalm 77:19 [78:18]) Psalm 77 recounts the murmuring of the Israelites, tired of the provision of God in the manna and the water from the rock, how they tested God. They demanded of God a table for their appetites [...]

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