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
Tag: Orthodox Christian
Lazarakia
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!”
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.
Arise and Shine
Spring bloom of Chilean Potato Vine shrub
Thou, O Christ our Saviour, hast become for me the path of life which leads to the Father. There is but one path, and it is my joy, and at the end of it is the heavenly kingdom. ~ St. Ephraim the Syrian
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
The Beautiful Gate
Behind the Royal Doors St. Sophia Orthodox Church – Canada
Christ often comes and knocks at your door and you invite him to sit in the living-room of your soul. Then, absorbed in your own business you forget the Great Visitor. He waits for you to appear and when you are too long in returning, he gets up and leaves. At other times, you are so busy that you answer him from the window. You don’t even have time to open the door. ~ St. Amphilochios of Patmos
Love is the passport with which man passes through all the heavenly doors without obstacle. ~ St. John. Chrysostom
Thus, my brother, if you love peace of heart, strive to enter it by the door of humility, for no other door but humility leads therein. ~ Unseen Warfare
Front of the Royal Doors – The Beautiful Gate
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. ~ Revelation 3:20
The Good Shepherd
Altar Mosaic – St. Sophia Orthodox Church, Canada
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” ~ St. John 10:11-18
Thou art the good Shepherd; seek me, Thy lamb, and neglect not me who have gone astray. ~ Canon of St. Andrew of Crete
River of Life
Mountain River and Jungle, Hawaii 2016
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the well of salvation. ~ Isaiah 12:3
“…but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” ~ St. John 4:14
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. ~St. John 7:37-39
A fish that is alive swims against the flow of water. One that is dead floats down with the water. A true Christian goes against the current of this sinful age. A false one is swept away by its swiftness. ~ St. Philaret of Moscow
We see the water of a river flowing uninterruptedly and passing away, and all that floats on its surface, rubbish or beams of trees, all pass by. Christian! So does our life… I was an infant, and that time has gone. I was an adolescent, and that too has passed. I was a young man, and that too is far behind me. The strong and mature man that I was is no more. My hair turns white, I succumb to age, but that too passes; I approach the end and will go the way of all flesh. I was born in order to die. I die that I may live. Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom! ~ St. Tikhon of Voronezh
Green Branch
Noni Tree, Hawaii – 2014
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. ~ Genesis 2:8-10
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. ~ Genesis 2:15
As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. ~Numbers 24:6
I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees… ~ Ecclesiastes 2:4-6
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. ~ Isaiah 61:11
Fountain of Life
Hawaiian Beach Sunrise over Lava Rocks, 2014
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. ~Genesis 1:3
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. ~ Genesis 1:4
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised. ~ Psalm 113:3
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. ~ Psalm 119:105
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. ~Lamentations 3:22-23
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. ~ St. John 8:12
It seems that we do not understand one thing: it is not good when we return the love of those who love us, yet hate those who hate us. We are not on the right path if we do this. We are the sons of light and love, the sons of God, his children. As such we must have His qualities and His attributes of love, peace, and kindness towards all. ~ Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica
Thy bridal chamber I see adorned, O my Savior, and I have no wedding garment that I may enter. O Giver of Light, enlighten the vesture of my soul, and save me. ~Exapostilarion of Bridegroom Matins
Suffer the Little Children
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. ~ Psalm 127:3
Train up a child in the way he should go:and when he is old, he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6
See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. ~ St. Matthew 8:10
And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. ~ St. Matthew 18:2-5
… And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? ~ St. Matthew 21:16
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. ~ St. Mark 10:13-16
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. ~ 1 Peter 2:2-3