General Chat

Good morning :-)


Baptisms....

Since January 2008, His Holiness Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia, has been holding several mass Baptism ceremonies a year, in which he personally becomes Godfather to the third and later children of married Orthodox couples.

The Baptisms are part of his initiative to improve the dire post-Soviet demographic situation in Georgia. Patriarch Ilia is the most trusted and beloved man in the nation, and families are overjoyed to spiritually unite their children to him. The Patriarch now has 41,630 Godchildren.

In 2020 The service was held in the courtyard of the cathedral due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Following the service, His Holiness Pat. Ilia addressed the congregation with a sermon and blessed all his new Godchildren.

“I congratulate you, my Godchildren, today. May God bless you. May the Lord bless your families, your parents, your sisters and brothers, and all of Georgia,” the Patriarch said.


And we thought 37 baptisms was a lot!!! :-D :-D


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Yesterday, we recalled the Baptism of Jesus. Two thousand years on, and parents are still wanting to have their children baptised into the Christian faith. In fact, between next week and the end of May, our church has 37 baptisms booked in.
There are some interesting stories regarding baptisms over the years……

In Medieval Age baptisms, a child would be sponsored by multiple godparents, known as god-siblings, or godsibbs for short. Since being a godsibb was an important duty, the godsibbs would often chat amongst one another about the child, hence the origin of the word 'Gossip'.

Well, I never knew that!!


Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Thank you Vera <3


Today, (whilst still in the season of Epiphany), we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus.

The Collect (special prayer) for today :

Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Cx :-)

Thank you for another interesting week Cynthia, particularly yesterday’s poem which I found incredibly powerful and thought provoking. I tried googling to find the author but was not successful. In the general style and putting a different slant on epiphany it reminded me of one of my favourite poems that I usually mention at this time of year, T S Eliot’s Journey of the Magi.

Stay safe and well everyone.

EDIT I have found the author. Godfrey Rust. I’ll look out for other work of his.

Good morning :-)


EPIPHANY


The Wise Men brought three gifts to Jesus that describe an element of who Christ is and reveal what gifts we should offer Him today.

The wise men brought Him gold. As our King, we must give Christ our WEALTH.

The magi gave Christ frankincense. As our God, we must give Christ our WORSHIP.

The wise men offered Jesus myrrh. As our Saviour, we must give Christ our WITNESS.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Epiphany with a twist...



Coming as they did from the first century
they had a few problems with London traffic
and were seriously misled by signs
to the Angel and King's Cross.
Inquiring diligently about the star
they were referred to Professor Brian Cox,
who thought it was amazing
while smiling in a constant and strangely unsettling way.
In Harrods the camels
made a mess over Soft Furnishings.
On the Underground
commuters glared at No Smoking signs
as incense wafted gently through the carriages,
and when the great day came
they saw the entire voting population
slumped on sofas by four o'clock,
rendered senseless by too much
dead poultry and the Queen,
while over Liberty's and Hamley's
the flickering angels sang
Glory to God in the High St
and they found him,
with the inns full up once more,
in the old familiar place,
bringing their unregarded gifts
to the empty stable
of the human heart
where the infant Christ is born
again and again.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

The Epiphany

Lord Jesus
may your light shine our way,
as once it guided the steps of the magi:
that we too may be led into your presence
and worship you,
the Child of Mary,
the Word of the Father,
the King of nations,
the Saviour of mankind;
to whom be glory for ever.
- Frank Colquhoun

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Epiphany


“As pilgrims of faith, the Wise Men themselves
became stars shining in the firmament of history
and they show us the way.
The saints are God’s true constellations,
which light up the nights of this world,
serving as our guides.
Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Philippians,
told his faithful that they must shine like stars in the world.”

- Pope Benedict

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Epiphany.....

“If we approach with faith,
we too will see Jesus….;
for the Eucharistic table
takes the place of the crib.
Here the Body of the Lord is present,
wrapped not in swaddling clothes
but in the rays of the Holy Spirit.”

St John Chrysostom (347-407) Father & Doctor of the Church

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Yesterday, we celebrated the Epiphany when we remembered the three Kings taking their gifts to the child Jesus. Over the years, saints and scholars have studied this story and have left us some interesting thoughts and quotes:

What are you doing, O Magi? Do you adore a little Babe, in a wretched hovel, wrapped in miserable rags? Can this Child be truly God? … Are you become foolish, O Wise Men … Yes, these Wise Men have become fools that they may be wise.
— Saint Bernard of Clairvaux


PRAYER: O Lord, Help me to be a fool for you. Forgive me, Lord, for worrying so much about my own image that I fail to speak and live for you and am tempted to soft-pedal the Gospel. Help me to know when it is right to engage with people and to communicate the Good News effectively.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany - that special time when the Magi presented their gifts to the child Jesus.

The Collect (special prayer) for today :

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Cx :-)

A happy and healthy New Year to you all

I hope you have kept warm and cosy since the fitting of your new boiler Tabitha. Stay positive and 2022 may turn out to be “your” year when everything falls into place for you.

Kandj, i’ve never known who wrote that piece so thank you for enlightening me. I shall now google Minnie Louise Haskins.

As always, Cynthia, thank you for posting throughout another year. You never cease to amaze me with the variety of interesting topics you find to write about it.

Hello all

Happy New Year blessings to one and all.

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the
unknown," and he replied,
"Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be better to you than light, and safer than a known way."
(written by Minnie Louise Haskins 1908).

Good morning :-)


Wishing you all a very Happy, Peaceful and healthy New Year. God bless. <3



"A new year is unfolding—like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.
Lord, let this year be filled with the things that are truly good—with the comfort of warmth in our relationships, with the strength to help those who need our help and the humility and openness to accept help from others.
As we make our resolutions for the year ahead, let us go forward with great hope that all things can be possible—with Your help and guidance."

Cx :-) :-)

Hello all

It's New Year Eve and a bright yet chilly morning.

Thank you Cynthia for your ongoing daily posts.

Tabitha I hope you're warm and cosy with the new
boiler.

Hoping all is good with Vera, Gwyn, EOS and sending virtual hugs for all in need today.

The New Year is almost here........

"My wish for you all:
Work hard and stay humble, make time for family
and the people who matter the most, stay away
from drama and be kind to everyone you meet."
(written by Tammy Socia).

Good morning :-)


Take a cup of Forgiveness,
stir in some of God’s grace
then fold it into your heart
and this recipe you’ll embrace.
But, you’ll need to keep adding,
more ingredients as you go
if you plan on having a year
where Love can rise and grow.
You’re going to need Patience,
at least a cup or two . . .
if you want to have Meekness
bubbling up inside of you.
You’ll need to slowly blend in,
a heaping spoonful of Goodness
then beat it into the mixture
so you can whip up Gentleness.
Don’t forget to add a pinch of Joy,
and as you whisk it into Peace
add a dollop of Faith and Trust
and Hope you will release.
If you live in the Spirit,
you’ll need to walk in it too . . .
and if you follow this recipe
it’ll produce His fruit in you.

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)

Christmas facts and fun...............

The humble mince pie.

The Victorian mince-pie recipe (1861) from Mrs Beeton calls for minced beef to be added to the mincemeat, which was a common ingredient in Mince Pies before the 1900s. During the Medieval and Tudor period the favourite meat used in mince pies was lamb and veal; by the 1700’s it became tongue, or sometimes tripe, while in the nineteenth century minced beef became the norm; it was only towards the end of the Victorian period, and into the 20th Century, that mincemeat for mince pies became meat free and an all fruit filling, (with only the suet remaining).

According to tradition, it is good luck to eat a mince pie on each of the 12 days of Christmas. However, it is still technically illegal in England to eat mince pies on Christmas Day. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas pudding, mince pies and anything to do with gluttony. The law has never been officially rescinded. :-D

Cx :-)

Good morning :-)


Oh my word Tabitha, that's quite a tale you have told. I thought it was hard enough having a decorator in just before Christmas - but I think it was easier than what you have been through. At least you have settled down again and have a happy hubby and less stressed cat! Enjoy the warmth. :-D :-D


A miscellany of Christmas facts and fun......

Whilst we can trace the origins of Santa Claus back to St. Nicholas, we usually picture him as a round, jolly, bearded man dressed in a big red suit, but he hasn’t always looked like this. The original Santa Claus was thin and spooky, dressed in Norse huntsman’s animal skin. In 1881, an illustration by the Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast, helped to create the modern image which he continued to alter over 30 years.
It wasn’t until the 1920s when the Coca-Cola Company began Christmas advertising and featured the iconic image of the Santa Claus we know and love today.

Cx :-)

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and is keeping safe and well..

Sorry I've been missing out on all the Advent fun, the house has been upside down, our 29 year old back boiler decided it was time to meet its maker and gave in and died. Luckily we were blessed with warmer weather for the time of year and didn't miss the heating, but the lack of hot water was a bit of a shock when washing hair. The assessor came on Friday 17th decided our only large walk in cupboard in the house was the best/only place to put it and said he would book us in for the first week in January and then told us it would cost 5 thousand pounds and left. Two hours later we had a call from British Gas could they come and fit it on Tuesday 21st as there was a cancellation. So we spent the weekend clearing the cupboard and filling up the shed. We also went on Amazon as needed a fire for the lounge as the gas fire went with the back boiler. That was due to arrive on Thursday..

They arrived at 7am on Tuesday morning, decided the cupboard was fine but needed the bathroom and kitchen cleared out and all the small cupboards to run the pipes that way instead.

I stayed upstairs all day with the old cat as he was very stressed with all the noise and people up and down the stairs and in the attic. It was the only warm room in the house as all the downstairs doors were open all day. Hubby and i spent the evening huddled round a convector heater with the cat on our lap. 8pm knock on the door and our new fire and surround arrived in two very large boxes. We couldn't sleep so at 2am we got up and put some of the cupboards back in order .and then decided to assemble the fire surround and attach the fire. By the time they arrived at 7am on Wednesday we had the lounge and kitchen straight again and a new fire place, mantle piece and fire all set up.

Cat decided he couldn't stand another day shut in a room and went behind the sofa and hid inside it. We didn't see him again till 3pm, we kept the lounge door shut as we didn't want him to try and get out as his eyesight is very bad and if he took fright he would get hurt and lost.

The workmen started to pack up at 11am and by noon they were off after explaining how the new system worked - we had been dragged into the 21st century with computer controlled heating and water. After 30 years of just switching on a plug to get hot water and heating when we wanted it and no timers or thermostats its a bit of a shock to the system.

We now have an eco combi boiler all computer controlled by a hive and a mantelpiece and electric log effect fire run by remote control (hubby loves it).
I have lost a large cupboard and have spent the last few days trying to find somewhere to put everything - so far its all in the shed and i need to find alternative places for things. Last night was the first night i had a full sleep in over 2 weeks.

I feel very blessed the weather stayed mild and we had the redundancy money to pay for the boiler when we needed it. I really believe next year i will find the path i should be taking and a new door will open for us and i will find a job or what I'm suppose to do or where I'm suppose to be. Its all still a bit of a mystery but I'm sure it will become clearer.

Well its been a very strange old year and i hope 2022 will be a lot better.

I wish everyone a wonderful New Year and a happy and healthy 2022 and hope everyone has a better year. ;-) <3 <3 <3 <3

Take care everyone keep safe and well and enjoy yourselves with your family and friends.

Good morning :-)

A miscellany of Christmas facts and fun.

A relaxing miscellany of Christmas facts and fun

The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began in 1939 with a Jewish Chicago copywriter named Robert May. May worked in the ad department of a large department store chain. Every year, they purchased and gave away free Christmas colouring books, but they decided that year to create their own. They gave the task of writing it to May with the instructions: make it about an animal.

However, Robert May’s story would take a tragic turn.

The same year, May’s wife contracted cancer, and when she died a few months later, he was left to raise their young daughter Barbara alone. Remembering his daughter’s love for the deer at the Lincoln Park Zoo, May invented for the subject of his book a little reindeer with a shiny nose. He thought this creature might become a symbol for himself and Barbara that happier times lay ahead.

He was right.

When Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer came out at Christmas 1939, it was an instant hit and the rest is history..


Cx :-)