What have you all been up to? Let’s Revive TAW. Our forum is dead as a door nail!

[All4Christ]

An update to my post, I considered including that I had heard from another member of my parish that our priest was going to baptize us soon, but decided to wait until I heard from him directly. This Sunday he let us know himself that he plans to baptize us on Pentecost!

Praise God!

 

[ArmyMatt]

Indeed, I am very excited for @jas3

amen!

 

[Uriah S]

We're planning baptisms at Pentecost also. Not sure the exact number, but we have at least 5 catuchemens just now.

Trying to keep Lent on a stable path this time, not keeping as strictly as I might to dietary things, but increasing prayer and looking after my spiritual and physical health. Just doing Lent as best I can. I have my pilgrimage in May to keep in mind also.

 

[The Liturgist]

What about baptisms at the Vesperal Divine Liturgy on Holy Saturday. Is that happening? Because it was common at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles a decade ago, before the rush began. And it was a prime baptism day in the Early Church - the Old Testament lessons were read while the energumens received illumination in the font.

 

[Uriah S]

What about baptisms at the Vesperal Divine Liturgy on Holy Saturday. Is that happening? ...

That's been mooted. I don't think any plans are concrete yet, that's between our priest and the catuchemens really.

A catuchemen I was talking to said Pascha was brought up, but he doesn't feel ready, therefore Pentecost. I'll likely know at most a few days beforehand.

 

[All4Christ]

What about baptisms at the Vesperal Divine Liturgy on Holy Saturday. Is that happening? Because it was common at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles a decade ago, before the rush began. And it was a prime baptism day in the Early Church - the Old Testament lessons were read while the energumens received illumination in the font.

We typically have baptisms at the Holy Saturday Vesperal Divine Liturgy as well (for converts). There are exceptions though.

EDIT: The baptismal liturgy is on Lazarus Saturday, not Holy Saturday.

 

[All4Christ]

We're planning baptisms at Pentecost also.

Praise God!

 

[Uriah S]

One baptism confirmed for Lazarus Saturday. There may be others.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I am planning on 13 on Holy Saturday

 

[The Liturgist]

By the way, is there any problem with praying the Litany for the Energumens outside of Holy Week? It seems to me like it would be of some benefit before any other mass baptism at other times of the year, and that praying it would not upset the liturgy, and I say that as someone who is extremely liturgically conservative (to the extent that I greatly dislike the Violakis Typikon and the Revised Julian Calendar and also mourn the loss of the old Cathedral Typikon after the Fourth Crusade along with other incidents where portions of Orthodox liturgical heritage were lost, for example, the Syriac-language liturgies historically used by the Antiochians until the 12th century, which unfortunately unlike other ancient texts, we do not appear to have.*


*Unlike, for instance, the Divine Liturgy of St. James, which ROCOR has finally published a reliable Sluzhbenik for, that lacks the bizarre innovations introduced in the 19th century hieratikon, like the deacon reading the lessons versus populum and the setting up of a temporary holy table in front of the iconostasis, as nothing in the ancient manuscripts indicates that any of that was ever done.

Indeed so much confusion has been caused by the strange innovations introduced by the 19th century recension of that liturgy, the result being that some liturgical traditionalists have developed an opposition to the celebration of the Divine Liturgy of St. James. I am hoping that the new ROCOR sluzhbenik will reduce such opposition, since it represents an accurate and Orthodox translation that lacks anything that would scandalize the faithful.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Apparnetly lots of people have decided to follow in George Costanza’s footsteps in the episode The Conversion, only actually going through with it.

That episode annoyed me by the way, aside from the absurdity of us having a test for prospective converts and of giving people ten volumes of theological books, the supposed Latvian Orthodox priest was wearing a Gothic chasuble and a Jewish cantor’s cap disguised as a Klobuk.

And furthermore, the other problem there is there actually is a Latvian Orthodox Church.

The episode is so horribly-researched and such a disaster that it’s actually what makes me laugh so hard!!! “Sister Roberta” giving a “benediction?!” The “Kavorka,” the weird church sans icons, the Latin chanted by the priest, Geirgecwearing a Catholic choirboy getup kneeling drinking from the chalice…it’s just hysterical!

 

[ArmyMatt]

The episode is so horribly-researched and such a disaster that it’s actually what makes me laugh so hard!!! “Sister Roberta” giving a “benediction?!” The “Kavorka,” the weird church sans icons, the Latin chanted by the priest, Geirgecwearing a Catholic choirboy getup kneeling drinking from the chalice…it’s just hysterical!

and yet, people actually became Orthodox because the popularity of that episode inspired people to check out the Church.

 

[The Liturgist]

and yet, people actually became Orthodox because the popularity of that episode inspired people to check out the Church.

This is a good point. The episode did manage to suggest that Orthodoxy is mysterious, filled with beautiful women, and that our clergy are a source of wisdom, all of which are accurate statements, although as far as the nuns are concerned anyone hoping to seduce them is in for quite a disappointment and is also engaging in extremely sinful and sacrilegious behavior by even wanting to do such aa thing. I hold our nuns in the highest esteem and am planning to spend a day at the Monastery of St. Barbara in Ventura County at some point in the next few weeks. I will be visiting with an Orthodox female relative who might stay over at the monastery who has also accompanied me on other pilgrimages, and if she does that, there are some decent hotels in the area where I will stay (as they lack a guesthouse that can accommodate families) otherwise we might well drive back on the same day. There is one famous hotel in Santa Paula that was restored as a bed and breakfast a few years ago.

I’m pretty sure we also continue to get converts as a result of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I know it stimulated a lot of attendance at Greek Festivals in GoArch, although I also get the feeling that at least some GoArch parishes failed to use the opportunity provided to actually evangelize, and were happier about increased attendance and revenue from their Greek festival. Fortunately most Greek Orthodox parishes do care more about promoting the Orthodox faith than about preserving the secular cultural heritage of the old country.

 

[ArmyMatt]

This is a good point. The episode did manage to suggest that Orthodoxy is mysterious, filled with beautiful women, and that our clergy are a source of wisdom, all of which are accurate statements, although as far as the nuns are concerned anyone hoping to seduce them is in for quite a disappointment and is also engaging in extremely sinful and sacrilegious behavior by even wanting to do such aa thing. I hold our nuns in the highest esteem and am planning to spend a day at the Monastery of St. Barbara in Ventura County at some point in the next few weeks. I will be visiting with an Orthodox female relative who might stay over at the monastery who has also accompanied me on other pilgrimages, and if she does that, there are some decent hotels in the area where I will stay (as they lack a guesthouse that can accommodate families) otherwise we might well drive back on the same day. There is one famous hotel in Santa Paula that was restored as a bed and breakfast a few years ago.

I’m pretty sure we also continue to get converts as a result of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I know it stimulated a lot of attendance at Greek Festivals in GoArch, although I also get the feeling that at least some GoArch parishes failed to use the opportunity provided to actually evangelize, and were happier about increased attendance and revenue from their Greek festival. Fortunately most Greek Orthodox parishes do care more about promoting the Orthodox faith than about preserving the secular cultural heritage of the old country.

whatever gets them in the door

 

[E.C.]

This is a good point. The episode did manage to suggest that Orthodoxy is mysterious, filled with beautiful women, and that our clergy are a source of wisdom, all of which are accurate statements,

My visit to the local Georgian church in the DC area reaffirms all points. There were about 20 or so people in there and the priest began the homily in English, but was nice enough to ask someone to translate it into English for us once he hit the point where his English stopped and his Georgian began. One of the daughters volunteered.

Sadly since they're using an Episcopalian chapel, their Liturgy begins at 7am and they aren't able to have a coffee hour. God willing one day they will be able to.

 

[truefiction1]

Have been studying the Book of Revelation with the help of a 5 volume commentary based on lessons given by Elder Athanasios Mitilinaios. Have been trying to repent. Still trying. It's harder the older and more entrenched in sin one becomes through the lifelong practice of it. Repentance is best if begun and stuck with early.

 

[Uriah S]

Lazarus Saturday, 5 baptisms, including, I think I heard someone say, a mother and daughter.
Praise God!