An Everyday Carol – Blisswood

Great Art Thou…

Icon of the Holy Trinity from Daniel’s recent baptism.

Great art Thou, O Lord, and wondrous are Thy works, and no word will suffice to hymn thy wonders. ~ Baptismal Service

Happy Eve of Nativity Day!

May the Light of Bethlehem’s Star 🌟 continue to illumine and warm our hearts on this coming Bright Feast of Christ’s Holy Nativity!

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Past Nativity Posts’ Resources

Inside 4th Century Church of the Nativity, built over the Grotto where Jesus was born.

And so, the Nativity Hymns remind those praying how, during this memorable night, each creature hastened to bring its gift to the Saviour King: heaven – a star, the earth – a cave, the wilderness – a manger, the angels singing, the shepherds – worship, the Magi – gifts. Therefore, we too should not come to Him “empty-handed”, but should bring to Him what is more valuable than anything else – our pure, believing hearts. For the high God has appeared on earth, in order to raise us up to Heaven! ~ Bishop Alexander Mileant

Eve of Nativity Service at Compline & Matins
Jan. 6/25 (Dec. 24/24)

This is Everything

Image by Gabriela Piwowarska from Pixabay

Humility and Love, there you have it. This is everything. ~ St Paisios

Happy 3rd Day of Christmas

Christ is Born!

Today we celebrate Righteous Joseph the Betrothed, protector of the Virgin Mary, as well as the Feast of St. Stephen the Archdeacon and Protomartyr.

St. Stephen was one of the seven original deacons of the Church, ordained by the Apostles to care for widows and the poor.

The eastern church observes St. Stephen’s Day on the third day of Nativity, and not on the second day, as western churches do. Since times of antiquity, on this day the Church Collection Boxes, of cash, food and clothing hampers were opened and given to the poor and needy... the Original meaning of Boxing Day!

Of course, it’s spiritually beneficial to distribute alms in the memory of a loved one, not only at Christmas, but on any day of the year. …Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing! Many have heard about the “Feast of St. Stephen” from “Good King Wenceslas” (Prince of Czechs), a carol set to a 13th century melody. (St. Wenceslas’s grandmother was St. Ludmilla)

An Everyday Carol below – by 9th century St. Joseph the Hymnographer… can be sung to the 13th century melody we know as Good King Wenceslas!

Christian friends, your voices raise, wake the day with gladness.

God Himself to joy and praise, turns our human sadness:

Joy that martyrs won their crown, opened heaven’s portal,

When they laid the mortal down, for the Life Immortal.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!