When I was preparing my recent article about the Little Vespers of the Byzantine Office, I had a chat with one of the wise men I consult about such things, and we got to talking about the length of the service known as All-night Vigil. As previously noted, the term “all” in “All-night” is something of a rhetorical exaggeration, but in large monasteries such as the great houses on Mt Athos, not by much, and this was his description of the order of services for a patronal feast which he attended at one of them.



“Ninth Hour, Small Vespers, dinner in the refectory with solemn procession from the church and then back afterwards.

Break for confessions

Beginning of All-Night Vigil proper

– Vespers with Artoklasia (4 hours; the troparia at the artoklasia took 30 minutes with the terirems, Psalm 103 took 1.5 hours)

Reading of the Saint’s Life (around midnight)

Orthros

After the Kontakion of the Sixth Ode they passed to a full Akathistos (I went to sleep at that point) (Presumably) First, Third, and Sixth Hours, Divine Liturgy
Then procession with water blessing.

Lunch”

Me: “Terirems?” (This word struck me not only because I had never heard it before, but also because it doesn’t sound Greek at all.)

The wise man explained to me that terirems are nonsense syllables added to the liturgy, which were originally spontaneous expressions of joy added to the texts when sung. Over time, they came to be completely scripted, and it is considered part of Byzantine musical formation to study the codified ones. Not at all surprisingly, theological pseudo-explanations have been created to explain them, e.g., that they are words that the angels sing in heaven, or of a lullaby which the Virgin Mary sang to Christ. There is very little information about them available on the internet, but some of the very few references I was able to find say that they were also used to cover the gaps in the music if the clergy hadn’t finished what they were doing. (The syllables te-, ri-, -rem are not the names of notes, by the way.)

Here are a few of examples. You can find more on YouTube by searching in various languages; in Greek, the word is τεριρεμ, in Slavonic and its derivatives, терирем.

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Look at this spectacular panoramic view of the center of Istanbul. In a square, face to face, stand two of the most important places for Christians and Muslims: Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

During his visit to Turkey, the Pope had not planned to go to Hagia Sophia, possibly as a gesture of prudence stemming from its history of being reconverted from a Christian temple to a Muslim one in 2020.

Continued below.

My brother-in-law is doing witchcraft. I got suspicious, and I googled the signs, and it made sense. I'm feeling nauseous after a good cake and a glass of chocolate milk. This should not be so. Yesterday I denied my dad and felt bad afterwards. I didn't want to tell him because I don't want to scare him. So I need prayers because my other brother might be suspicious of him, too. Basically, I want the truth to come out, and the devil needs to stop hiding. We need the truth, God.

The Academy became the model for what a real university should be: a place of honest inquiry, moral formation, and resistance to every ideology, as thinkers from antiquity to Newman have affirmed.

I begin my Introduction to Philosophy course by reading Socrates’ defense of the philosophical way of life. Democratic Athens had found him guilty of corrupting the youth, of making the weaker argument defeat the stronger, of not believing in the gods of the city. These are serious charges, but as Plato later argued, they were sham charges designed to hide the shame of all those whose errors were revealed by the Socratic art of question and answer.

In our own day, Charlie Kirk inspired the wrath against him because, like Socrates, he challenged conventional wisdom through the power of public debate. (A wise person welcomes correction, but most of us resent it.)

Now at his trial, Socrates foretells that should the powers set against him succeed in killing him, they would only unleash dozens more Socrates. Go ahead and sentence me to death, he said, but in doing so, you won’t silence the philosophical voice of conscience: It will only grow louder and more persuasive.

What happened, however, was even more powerful than Socrates guessed. Whereas Socrates wandered about the marketplace and questioned people, Plato set down roots and established a school, called the “Academy,” which worked out answers — a move that was so significant for Western culture that to this day the name of his school has been equated with the highest enterprise of learning.

Continued below.

For nearly three hundred years, “The Shepherd of Hermas” gave instruction to the members and catechumens of the early Church. It taught them the Christian virtues and called for repentance. After being left out of the cannon of the New Testament, however, “Hermas” faded in popularity and use.

So when “the Lord of the flocks comes, He may rejoice concerning you. And He will rejoice, if He find all things sound, and none of you shall perish. But if He find any one of these sheep strayed, woe to the shepherds! And if the shepherds themselves have strayed, what answer will they give Him for their flocks? Will they perchance say that they were harassed by their flocks?”[1]

The Shepherd of Hermas is an inspiring combination of instructions for living the Christian life and an apocalyptic vision of the saved and the damned. At the most basic level, it is “an uncomplicated guide for repentance and moral living that will lead mankind to justification in the sight of God.”[2] Using parables and allegories, the author instructs the early Church so that its members may lead lives pleasing to God.

This work had great authority in the early Church. According to Carolyn Osiek, “No other noncanonical writing was as popular before the fourth century as the Shepherd of Hermas. It is the most frequently attested postcanonical text in the surviving Christian manuscripts of Egypt well into the fifth century.”[3] It was greatly admired by several of the early Church fathers. “Eusebius tells us that it was publicly read in the churches, and that while some denied it to be canonical, others ‘considered it most necessary’. Saint Athanasius speaks of it, together with the Didache, in connection with the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament, as uncanonical yet recommended by the ancients for the reading of catechumens.”[4] Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, about A.D. 185 “proclaimed the book was inspired by divine intercession.”[5] This text was cited, either as scripture or as inspired, by Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement and Origen.[6] Still, it was not included in the canon due to its lack of apostolic origin.

Continued below.

Some chilling warnings to the faithful from Caesarius of Heisterbach's hagiographical compendium, including a whispering ghost girl, hellbound jousters, and other tormented souls​

Caesarius of Heisterbach (d. 1240) was one of the most popular hagiographers of the Middle Ages. The prior of the Cistercian Heisterbach Abbey, he’s most famous for his Dialogue on Miracles, which was rivaled only by the Golden Legend in popularity. Over the course of a dozen thematic books, Caesarius tells hundreds of miracle stories categorized by themes like Contrition, Confession, Demons, and so on, but the final chapter is what concerns us today: “Of the Punishment and the Glory of the Dead.”

Some glory. Mostly punishment.

These stories are shaped as exemplum: short anecdotes with a pithy moral to them. The telling varies, with most offering simple pious lessons. For instance:

After a deacon had read the gospel for confessors, that is, “Watch, for ye know not at what hour your Lord will come,” in Aulne, a house of our Order, as he finished those words, a monk in the choir fell down and expired. And all were afraid considering the effect of the Lord’s words. There-fore, brothers, because we know not at what hour our Lord will come, let us watch faithfully, let us watch while working that when he comes and shall afflict us with death, we may at once open to Him. May our Lord Jesus Christ deign to grant us that, who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen.

Click to expand...

Useful information! As a Deacon I’ll keep in mind to be prepared should I drop dead after proclaiming the word.

Some, however, are remarkably vivid. To wit:

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Advent begins this year on Sunday, Nov. 30. Most Catholics — even those who don’t often go to Mass — know that Advent involves a wreath with candles, possibly a “calendar” of hidden chocolates, and untangling strings of Christmas lights. But Advent is much more than that. Here’s an explainer of what Advent is really about.

What is Advent?​

The people of Israel waited for generations for the promised Messiah to arrive. Their poetry, their songs and stories, and their religious worship focused on an awaited savior who would come to them to set them free from captivity and to lead them to the fulfillment of all that God had promised.

Israel longed for a Messiah, and John the Baptist, who came before Jesus, promised that the Messiah was coming and could be found in Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

Continued below.

Pope Leo XIV concluded the first half of his six-day apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon by praying with Orthodox Christian communities in Istanbul, before departing for Beirut, Lebanon, for the rest of his historic trip.

Watch LIVE the major events of Pope Leo’s apostolic journey Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 at youtube.com/@ewtnnews and follow our live updates of his historic visit:

Continued below.

Singer, rapper, and songwriter, Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, credited God for his success after receiving three Grammy nominations for 2026.

On Nov. 7, it was announced that Jelly Roll and Christian musician Brandon Lake were nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for their collaboration on Lake’s “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” Jelly Roll was also nominated for Best Contemporary Country Album for “Beautifully Broken,” and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Amen.”

The nominations came as a shock to Jelly Roll, who shared his excitement in a social media video. He said he first learned of the nominations while in Australia and described the moment as “probably the craziest thing that’s ever happened” in his life.

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Would Christianity still dominate the United States if it were reimagined as a small town of 100 people?

That's the premise of a new report from Pew Research Center, which offered fresh analysis of America's religious landscape through the lens of Pew's sweeping 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study (RLS).

The study, conducted from July 17, 2023, to March 4, 2024, surveyed nearly 37,000 U.S. adults and paints a portrait of a community where belief — or the lack thereof — shapes neighborhoods, generations and daily life.

Noting that the U.S. has a population of roughly 262 million adults, with Christianity claiming about 162 million adherents and 76 million people reporting no religious affiliation, Pew researchers acknowledge that grasping the full scope of faith in America can feel overwhelming.

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Our Morning Offering – 30 November – O Come, O come, Emmanuel


One Minute Reflection – 30 November – ‘ … You ask then how I knew He was present …’ St Bernard

Thoughts for an Extraordinary Advent

ADVENTCAzT 2025 – 01 – 1st Sunday of Advent

First Sunday of Advent propers & commentary (EF)

The First Sunday of Advent propers & commentary (EF)

Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine's Instruction First Sunday in Advent (EF)

In Illo Tempore: 1st Sunday of Advent (EF)

The Tempestuous Collect for the First Sunday of Advent (EF)

A season of hope: sermon on the first Sunday of Advent (EF)

Scripture & Tradition: First Sunday of Advent

First Sunday of Advent (Year A) readings & commentary (OF)

First Sunday of Advent readings & commentary (OF)

Sunday Reflections, 1st Sunday of Advent, Year A, 30 November 2025 (OF)

He Bids Us, Stay Awake! First Sunday of Advent (readings & commentary OF)

Advent is Apocalyptic (readings & commentary OF)

Daily Gospel

A Recipe for Readiness – A Homily for the First Sunday of Advent

Saint Andrew Apostle

Saints of the Day

Sermons for Everyday Living - Be Prepared 11/30/25

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Hello brothers and sisters. I have followed Christ for many years I have struggled with OCD since I was a young teen. At first it was having to say things a certain amount of times for it to feel right. That abated and it did not rear its ugly head it I was 35. Sitt at home with my wife, all of a sudden, I started having blasph thoughts about the Holy Spirit. It scared me to death. We didny know what was going on and didn’t go to the hospital For an evaluation. After about a yea, I agreed to go into an inpatient psychiatric hospital. at that point, they didn’t really know what was going on and treated me for simple anxiety. The medication helped and was able come off a lot of it after a while. At the beginning of this year it returned exce on steroids this time. I have never had these kinds of thoughts in my entire life. Along with it was an urge or an anger or hate towards God. I don’t understand any of this even though I have known about scrupulosity for a while now. I don’t want these thoughts and feelings but at times it feels as if I am an apostate or have committed the unpardonable sin. I feel lost, God doesn’t talk to me anymore. I can’t read the Bible without having the worst thought. I am on prozac an one other medication. It slows the thoughts do but it makes you not care about anything. I feel like someone has switched my brain with an unbeliever . I feel hopeless. It’s been 11 months and my faith is waning. The thoughts may have slowed but these urges are just not going away. I know John Bunyan had issues like this. I know that scrupulosity can flip your beliefs and make you question everything I am in counseling but they are having me try to do things that are scary. Only God knows about my soul but I want God to heal me and restore my soul. I believe in miracles as I have witnessed them before. I grew up in a very strict denomination which really was more about works than faith. Couple that with a an austere father I really hated as a teenager. i feel I have viewed God like my earthly father and tried to perform to get his approval through good grades and athletic performance. I refuse to give up though. I covet your prayers.

Did you know that a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, by itself, is not sufficient to bring about salvation from sin resulting in eternal life with God? For Jesus taught that not everyone who calls him, “Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the ones doing (obeying) the will of God. Therefore, we are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23).

And this is why this passage of Scripture in 2 Peter 3 teaches us that we need to be people who live in holy conduct and godliness, because our Lord is going to visit this world we live in with judgment, and all who are living in sin and in disobedience to our Lord, in deliberate and habitual practice, will not enter the kingdom of heaven because of their disobedience. And it won’t matter if they made professions of faith in the Lord, because they did not live the faith that they professed to have. For they loved their sin and not the commands of God. So, love God, forsake your sins, and obey God!

So, what does it look like for us to be in holy conduct and godliness? Well, to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different) from the world, because we are being conformed by God to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ, as we cooperate fully with God’s work of grace in our lives. For his grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. And to live godly lives is to follow after the example of Christ Jesus and how he lived when he lived on this earth, in God’s power.

And then it says here that, according to His promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. And I find this subject a little difficult to comprehend, but basically when Jesus comes to judge and to destroy the universe, as we have come to know it, he will provide a new dwelling place for us who are his followers, in which righteousness (and not sin) dwells. There will be no more sin, no more evil, no more sickness, no more death, no more sadness, and no more tears. And we will be with our Lord for eternity. And there will be much rejoicing!

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Walking in The Light

Based off 1 John 1-2
An Original Work / November 16, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

When I lift up my voice, and
Sing praise unto God,
I will fellowship with my
Lord and Savior, King.
In Him there is no darkness.
He is in the light of truth.
If we walk in His light,
From sin He purifies.

If we repent of our sins,
He’ll forgive us now,
When we humble ourselves, and
Before Jesus bow.
The man who says, “I know Him,”
But does not obey His truth,
There is no truth in him.
In darkness still he’s found.

Do not love the world of sin,
For it is hell bound.
If you follow the world, you’ll
Not in Christ be found.
The world and its desires
Will not last; they’ll expire.
The one who does God’s will,
Receives eternal life.

See that what you have heard from
Christ remains in you.
Then, you’ll remain in Christ, and
In His Father, too.
This is what He promised us –
His eternal life with God.
So, continue in Him, and
You’ll receive a crown.

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In Holy Conduct and Godliness
An Original Work / November 30, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

When Jesus Christ lived on the earth, he told his disciples that he was going to be leaving them, and that he was going to prepare a place for them, but that one day he would come back and he would take all his followers (his faithful bride) to be with him for eternity. And that was nearly 2000 years ago. And so there are people who doubt his words, since he has yet to return and to take his faithful ones to be with him for eternity. But just because it has not yet happened, it does not mean that it will not happen.

One day Jesus will return for his faithful bride, and he will take us to be with him for eternity. And the world as we know it will be destroyed with fire, along with all who are ungodly. And who are the ungodly? They are not just all who make no professions of faith in Jesus Christ, but they are all who are living ungodly lives in deliberate and habitual sin against God and in willful and habitual disobedience to his commands. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the ones DOING the will of God.

But just because our Lord has not yet returned, it is not a sign that he will not do what he said he would do, for his timing is not the same as ours. And the reason for his delay is that he is not wishing (willing, wanting) that anyone should perish in their sins, but that all would come to repentance. And repentance is a change of heart and mind resulting in a change of behavior. For it means we die to our old lives of living in sin so that we can now serve our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, in his power.

So, this is not just about confessing our sins and asking God for forgiveness, but this is us turning away from our sins to now follow Jesus in obedience. And to confess our sins is not just a verbal acknowledgement of sin, but it is agreeing with God about our sin, not just that we sinned, but that Jesus Christ died on that cross to put our sins to death with him so that, by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in him, we will now die to sin and walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands (see 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6).

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Send a Revival

An Original Work / June 25, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Send a revival to this nation, Lord, I pray.
Bring us to our knees, Lord, humbly today.
Teach us to daily walk in your footsteps.
Guide us in your truth, and may we find rest.
Send a revival to this nation, Lord, I pray.
Bring us to our knees, Lord, humbly today.

Be our desire and our hearts’ pure devotion, Lord.
Make us a people who walk close to you.
Change our hearts to conform to your likeness.
May we love others who are in distress.
Be our desire and our hearts’ pure devotion, Lord.
Make us a people who walk close to you.

Teach us to be an example of your love, Lord.
May we serve others as though serving you.
Keep us in fellowship with you, I pray.
May we obey you in all things today.
Teach us to be an example of your love, Lord.
May we serve others as though serving you.

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But for All to Come to Repentance
An Original Work / November 30, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Hello! My name is Emily. I am twenty years old and I'm new the forum!

My life thus far has been defined by isolation, rejection, and mental suffering. I never felt like I could connect with anyone, and I saw how many others in the world were suffering too. It destroyed my trust in God for years and I stopped calling myself a Christian. One night when I was seventeen, I wanted to take my own life, but I had the urge to pray for the first time in years. Then the Holy Spirit told me to read my untouched New Testament. That's where my story began - at what seemed like the end.

Right now, I'm enduring another period of complete isolation and even heartbreak, but I am also more strengthened than ever in Christ. Although I'm very shy, I am also glad to be on this forum among fellow believers. Thank you for having me!

Moe's name calling skills... My people had a few good ones for me!

Christian human rights organization Voice for Justice UK has raised serious concerns about the National Trust after a Catholic filmmaker was denied filming permission at a Christian site.

Tensions arose after Christian Holden requested permission to film at St Cuthbert’s Cave near Belford, Northumberland. St Cuthbert is the patron saint of Northumbria and is traditionally believed to have been laid to rest in the cave in 875 AD. The National Trust, a heritage organization, manages the site.

Holden was producing a film titled "The Way of St Cuthbert," a historic path that follows St Cuthbert’s journey from Melrose Abbey in Scotland to Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumberland, England.

For reasons that remain unclear, Voice for Justice UK said the National Trust refused to give Holden permission to film in the historic cave.

Continued below.

Other parts of the forum have chat threads. We should have one! Let's chat, Millennials!

My father in law had a stroke that paralyzed him 3-4 months ago since he wasn't going to get any better they placed him in hospice care. Then this afternoon came. His oxygen dropped to dangerous levels his blood sugar spiked to over 400 (432) and now he's fighting for his life and now hospice is telling my mother in law he's going to take a turn for the worse. My father in law is dying and my wife's family is grieving. My wife and I are ok. My wife is trying to figure out how she can get time off from Walmart with just two days of pto to go to the funeral and my mother in law is beyond hysterical. She afterall was married to him for 36 years and doesn't want to let go. She's in need of prayers. We're in need of prayers while we grieve during this trying time of our lives.

And honestly? I'm sad too. I barely knew the man and it feels like I lost one of my grandparents it's just sad and such a sad time of my life as I watch my wife grieve the loss of her father. I will never understand because I've never lost my father I still have him. I can still talk to him I can still tell him I love him I can still hug him. I can't understand what she's going through. It's just... sad...

The Nigerian government is scrambling to respond following a wave of abductions and attacks, including one in which more than 300 schoolchildren were seized. This, along with the announcement that a priest who was kidnapped along with his wife was confirmed dead, has led President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a national emergency.

In a statement issued this week, Tinubu ordered the recruitment of 20,000 new police officers, in addition to the 30,000 previously approved, and called for their rapid deployment to areas plagued by armed violence, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported.

He also approved the recruitment of forest guards under the Department of State Services and said state-run security outfits would receive federal support.

The president instructed police personnel to be withdrawn from VIP duties and reassigned to operational roles. He also called for a ban on open cattle grazing and said herders must surrender illegal arms.

Places of worship were urged to seek security protection, and state governments were advised against placing boarding schools in remote, unsecured areas.

Continued below.

Hello brothers and sisters. I have followed Christ for many years I have struggled with OCD since I was a young teen. At first it was having to say things a certain amount of times for it to feel right. That abated and it did not rear its ugly head it I was 35. Sitt at home with my wife, all of a sudden, I started having blasph thoughts about the Holy Spirit. It scared me to death. We didny know what was going on and didn’t go to the hospital For an evaluation. After about a yea, I agreed to go into an inpatient psychiatric hospital. at that point, they didn’t really know what was going on and treated me for simple anxiety. The medication helped and was able come off a lot of it after a while. At the beginning of this year it returned exce on steroids this time. I have never had these kinds of thoughts in my entire life. Along with it was an urge or an anger or hate towards God. I don’t understand any of this even though I have known about scrupulosity for a while now. I don’t want these thoughts and feelings but at times it feels as if I am an apostate or have committed the unpardonable sin. I feel lost, God doesn’t talk to me anymore. I can’t read the Bible without having the worst thought. I am on prozac an one other medication. It slows the thoughts do but it makes you not care about anything. I feel like someone has switched my brain with an unbeliever . I feel hopeless. It’s been 11 months and my faith is waning. The thoughts may have slowed but these urges are just not going away. I know John Bunyan had issues like this. I know that scrupulosity can flip your beliefs and make you question everything I am in counseling but they are having me try to do things that are scary. Only God knows about my soul but I want God to heal me and restore my soul. I believe in miracles as I have witnessed them before. I grew up in a very strict denomination which really was more about works than faith. Couple that with a an austere father I really hated as a teenager. I refuse to give up though. I covet your prayers.

Hi,

I just received this beautiful VMG sterling silver with moissanite medal. I see that all the Guadalupe medals have the Virgin hovering over what appears to be a child with wings. Is this an angel? Thanks

Pulled from notes taken long ago - -

Often terms get used without full understanding of their meaning and use. The purpose is to explore what the term exegesis means.

Biblical exegesis (from the Greek ἐξήγησις, exēgēsis, meaning "leading out" or "explanation") is the critical interpretation and explanation of the text of the Bible using a systematic, disciplined methodology to determine the original intended meaning of the author as understood by the original audience.

• Text-centered: It starts with the biblical text itself (usually in its original languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) rather than imposing external ideas onto it.
• Historical-grammatical method: The most common approach seeks to understand:
  • What the human author intended to communicate
  • The historical, cultural, and literary context
  • The grammatical and syntactic structure of the original languages
  • The genre of the literature (narrative, poetry, prophecy, epistle, allegorical, etc.)
• Objective as possible: Aims to let the text speak for itself rather than reading assumptions or theological systems into it (contrast with eisegesis, which means "reading into" the text).

This is important because proper exegesis is centered and focused on the TEXT of the Scripture verses. Many times people get the two terms exegesis confused with eisegesis.

NOTE: The main reason why I do not use eisegesis is because it calls for "reading into", or reading in one own ideas or Religious agenda.

Proper exegesis includes:

• Textual criticism – Establish the most accurate original wording.
• Translation / linguistic analysis – Study the original languages (syntax, semantics, idioms).
• Literary context – Examine the passage in its immediate context and the broader book.
• Historical-cultural context – Research the time period, customs, geography, politics, etc.
• Genre analysis – Identify the literary form and its conventions.
• Theological analysis – Trace themes across Scripture (canonical context).
• Application – Only after determining original meaning do responsible interpreters move to contemporary significance.

I watched Guillermo del Toro’s production and appreciated it. But I knew it took liberties. I read Mary Shelley’s novel a few years ago. So I am reading it again slowly. It begins with the letters from the ship captain to his sister. He is out to find the North Pole.

His one lament is that he does not have a friend to share his quest. He struggles with loneliness. The movie portrays him as a gruff old seaman.

I welcome others who would like to share their thoughts about the movie and/or novel.

My name is just plain old Dave. I used to post on Christian forums for about eight years when they first became popular in the early two thousands, and then stopped for about ten plus years, until recently when I started posting again. It seems that the character of many of the main forums has changed. I'm guessing that many were sold, which I always thought was inevitable since these were kind of a last stand where Christians could still talk without the 'modern thinking' (to put in mildly) policing us. So I'm looking for a new home.

My views on Scripture have grown, and they they have always been unique in a lot of ways and continue to be so. I've always considered myself reformed, but at the same time, I've always questioned some of the traditional reformed views of Scripture. Recently, many of those questions are being answered and I'm finding myself moving further away from traditional reformed views. Though, foundationally, I still hold to God's sovereignty over all things and continue in those core Biblical beliefs. I'm anxious to bring my understanding of Scripture to productive discussions and see what happens.

Sorry in advance for my dyslexia crippled posts. Sometimes it makes my already hard to understand posts even more difficult to read. I have good days and bad. Looking forward to talking....

Dave