Category: Food for Thought

Great and Holy Wednesday

Greetings on Great and Holy Wednesday. Today, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated for the last time. 

“When he came to himself… he came to his father …”

“The light of Christ shineth for all…”

On Tuesday night (for the Wednesday service), the beautiful Hymn of Kassiani is sung.

May we wherever we are… particularly during pandemic isolation, blossom forth through efforts of repentance, love, hope, and faith in God’s mercy.

Although these are trying times… This is just for now.

May your Holy Week be full of blessings.

Great and Holy Monday

Thank you Irena, for sharing this photo.

Greetings on Great and Holy Monday.

As we begin Holy Week, earthly life ceases for the faithful as we go up with the Lord to Jerusalem. ~Matins of Great and Holy Monday

During the Presanctified Liturgy Let My Prayer Arise is sung.

During the harsh weather at winter’s end, the crocus… also known as the penitent flower, springs up and blossoms forth in time for the spiritual lenten season of repentance, efforts, and hope.

May we, wherever we are… particularly during pandemic isolation, blossom forth with efforts of repentance, love, hope and faith in God’s mercy.

Although these are trying times… This is just for now.

May your Holy Week be full of blessings.

St. Matthew’s Passion Music

St. Matthew’s Passion is a musical work composed by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev. It focuses and takes us through the services of Holy Week, as recorded through the Gospel of St. Matthew. The music and Scripture are poignantly entwined. It’s beautiful.

Palm Sunday Greetings

Basket of Palm Sunday Blessed Willow Branches in Old Chapel of St. Sophia, Canada

Today is Palm Sunday, the Feast Day commemorating the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem. Following His glorious miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, the people went out to meet the Lord with palms and branches. They welcomed Him with honour and shouts of praise. Today is also a bittersweet joy, for we know of the sad events to come during Holy Week.

On this day, we too, wherever we are, (particularly during pandemic isolation) may still bend the knees of our hearts and souls, to worship Christ as King and Lord.

…Let the events themselves – and not just memories break us in body and soul. Then, when we forget ourselves and think rather of Christ, about what is really taking place during these days, we will reach also that Great Saturday when Christ is laid to rest in the tomb – and we also will find rest. When at night we hear the announcement of the Resurrection, we too will be able to suddenly come alive from that terrible numbness, from that terrible death of Christ, from Christ’s dying, of which we shall partake  at least a little during these days of the Passion. ~ Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. ~ Zechariah 9:9

God is the Lord, and hath appeared unto us; make ye a feast, and with gladness, come, let us magnify Christ with palms and branches, with hymns crying aloud: blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord our Saviour. ~ Ode 9 of the Feast

Lazarus Comes Forth!

I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever believeth in me shall never die. ~ St. John 11:25-26

Today Bethany proclaims beforehand the Resurrection of Christ, the owner of Life, and it rejoices at the raising of Lazarus. ~ 1st Ode in Orthros

From the earliest times, the Church has remembered the miracle of the Raising of Lazarus, and its celebration is closely tied to the Feast of the Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Marking the end of Great Lent, Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday are a two-day festal pause, prior to Holy Week. 

In Constantinople, Lazarus Saturday was one of the four ancient baptismal days of the Church. We sing the Traditional Trisagion hymn at the Divine Liturgy for this day, As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ… Reminding us that we too, through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, have buried our old nature. By putting on Christ, we come forth reborn anew.

Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in the newness of life. ~ Romans 6:4

In giving us, before Thy Passion an assurance of the General Resurrection, Thou hast raised Lazarus from the dead, O Christ, our God. Therefore, like the children, we also carry tokens of victory, and cry to Thee, the Conqueror of Death: Hosanna in the highest; blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. ~ Troparion, Tone 1

Displaying Thy two energies, O Saviour, Thou hast made manifest Thy two natures: for Thou art both God and man. Though Thou art the Abyss of knowledge, Thou dost ask where they have laid the body of Lazarus. For it was Thy purpose, O Giver of Life, to raise him from the dead. Going from one place to another, Thou hast, as mortal man, appeared circumscribed; but, as God uncircumscribed, Thou fillest all things. At Thy divine word, Thou hast raised Lazarus, O Christ. I pray Thee, raise me also, dead through my many sins. As true God Thou hast known of the falling asleep of Lazarus and hast announced it beforehand to Thy disciples, giving them a proof, O Master, of the infinite power of Thy divinity. Thou who art by nature uncircumscribed wast circumscribed in the flesh; coming to Bethany, O Master, as man Thou dost weep over Lazarus, and by Thy power as God Thou dost raise him on the fourth day from the dead. ~ Beatitude Verses: Ode 3, 4 6, of the Triodion

…If he was not flesh, who wept at Lazarus’ grave? And if he was not God, who by his command brought out one four days dead? If he was not flesh, who sat on the foal? And if he was not God, whom did the crowds go out to meet with glory? ~ St. Ephraim the Syrian

Lazarus Saturday ~ Glory to God for All Things by Fr. Stephen Freeman

Rejoice Always

Man seeks joy and happiness in heaven. He seeks what is eternal far from everyone and everything. He seeks to find joy in God. God is a mystery. He is silence. He is infinite. He is everything. Everyone possesses this inclination of the soul for heaven. All people seek something heavenly. All beings turn toward Him, albeit unconsciously. Turn your mind towards Him continually. Learn to love prayer, familiar converse with the Lord… Become worthy of Christ’s love… Turn on the switch of prayer so that divine love may flood your soul. Christ will appear in the depths of your being. There, in the deepest and most inward part, is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is within you (St. Luke 17:21). ~St. Porphyrios “Wounded by Love”

Joy, Radiant Joy!

You cannot be too gentle, too kind. Shun even to appear harsh in your treatment of each other. Joy, radiant joy, streams from the face of one who gives and kindles joy in the heart of one who receives. ~ St. Seraphim of Sarov

Lazarakia

Lazarakia in Greek, mean Little Lazaruses.

This special Greek bread is traditionally baked to serve on Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday… to celebrate the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Shaped like a man wrapped in a shroud, they are vegan, and contain several sweet spices. Lazarus Saturday ends at sundown, and Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week.

Lazarus Saturday is a special day in the Orthodox Church, and celebrates the final, great miracle of Jesus Christ before His Resurrection. Today prefigures His own death, and demonstrates His Authority over death. Seeing His friend is already four days dead, Jesus sheds tears and cries out: “Lazarus, come forth!”

St. John 11: 1-53

After the Resurrection of Christ, St. Lazarus lived for another 30 years and became the first Bishop of Kition in Cyprus.

In Orthodox countries, on Lazarus Saturday, children go house to house with decorated hand baskets, singing Lazarus Carols, and sharing Lazarakia. Sometimes coins are popped into the children’s baskets by parishioners, as a donation for the church. Some folks slip lenten treats to the children, which they take home and share with their families. It is also customary to collect wildflowers, palms, and branches on this day to adorn homes, as the next day is the feast of Palm Sunday.

There are many ways to make Lazarakia. Although fresh is best, you may certainly bake them ahead of time, and they freeze well.

Here is our own family recipe. It’s a bit different from the recipe on YouTube (seen near bottom of page), but it makes approximately the same quantity of Lazarakia buns as described in the video – depending of course… on the forms’ shapes and sizes. We basically do the same dough preparation as in the video. We make it a 3 braid and use peppercorns for the eyes (which are easier and safer to chew), instead of using whole clove sticks.

Ingredients

  • 1 and 1/2 cups lukewarm water
  • 2 tsp. yeast
  • 4 – 5 cups flour
  • Zest of half an orange
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup liquid honey
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 1/8 tsp. ground anise (optional)
  • peppercorns for the eyes

Knead. Let rise as usual.

Round dough into approximately 3.5 ounce balls. Each ball will be enough to form a smaller circle ball for a head and 3 strips to braid. If you’d like to add a thin forehead headband strip, pull an extra minuscule amount from main ball, roll that out thinly too, and place across forehead. Push in the peppercorn eyes.

Bake in 370 degree oven for about 14 – 17 minutes, or until golden brown. (Baking time depends on the size of the Lazarakia.)

For “Bun-Shine” – a glossy vegan finish, use an extra couple of Tbsp. of olive oil for brushing onto the hot, baked, Lazarakia, after they come out of the oven. Extra yummy with a honey or syrup dip when nibbling.

Here is an excellent YouTube video. It’s easy to follow, with well explained how to’s… Step by step instructions show different ways to form the Lazarakia.

Lazarus Saturday will soon be here! I hope you enjoy the sweet venture of making and/or sharing traditional Lazarakia.

Joy Comes in the Morning

This wonderful verse assures us to have faith… as there will be a time of joy coming, even in the midst of trials!

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favour is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. ~ Psalm 30:4-5

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. ~ Isaiah 26:3-4

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. ~ Psalm 9:9-10

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