Sarx

Seventh Sunday after Pascha – the Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. Eastern Rite Readings: Vespers: Genesis 14:14-20 Deuteronomy 1:8-11 Deuteronomy 10:14-21 Matins: John 21:1-14 (Matins Gospel 10) Liturgy: Acts 20:16-18, 28-36 John 17:1-13 Revised Common Lectionary Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 Psalm 1 1 John 5:9-13 John 17:6-19 And now I am no [...]

EMORY SAYS That Divine Liturgy is not to be celebrated after noon or before sunrise except on certain specific occasions. But it seem that, liturgically at least, this is always a little off? In the Slavic practice, the 3rd and 6th hours are traditionally read before the service. This means that, liturgically at least, the [...]

Christ is Risen! CTUALLY, Yer Host is very sucky at maintaining a rule of prayer for any period of time (9-12 months is about average). For the last year I was using the Church of England’s Common Worship: Daily Prayer which I love. But it’s rather light… and the lectionary is choppy. Right now I’m [...]

OR THE Final portion of the psalm, the music changes completely. It becomes nearly a triumphal march. The choir in which I sang these verses took them at Great Speed. We were singing so loud as to break the rafters – and still hold up the roof. Liturgically, this is the turning point. Even though [...]

HE MOURNING continues, but the imagery gets more triumphant. Some of the lines parallel the earlier section. I’m glad to find this translation on a Greek site as I’ve only heard them sung once (in the Cathedral in SF) and my experience in Antiochian and GOA parishes led me to believe that they were only [...]

N THE Eastern Rite, Holy Saturday has two liturgical contexts: one is the Harrowing of Hell – Jesus Christ, God incarnate, descends to the dark places. As God he is at once “eternally on the throne with his Father, in the tomb in his human body and in Hell with his human soul” uniting all [...]

NYONE Out there have a copy of the rite for consecration of the Antimension? I know it’s in Vol 2 of the Great Book of Needs (the Euchologion). But any help would be welcomed! TIA! (as the kids say)

ARDI GRAS Is the day before Lent starts in the Western Church. The day before Lent starts in the Eastern Church is called “Cheesefare Sunday”. And, in some churches, on Cheesefare (mostly Russian/Slavic trad) there is a vespers service called “Forgiveness Vespers”. It’s a normal service, but, at the end of the service, while the [...]

ITH THIS part of the F.A.Q., we leave behind the questions of “how?” and “what?”, focusing more on the “who?” and “Why?” Cartoon by Dave Walker.

The following essay was written for a priest who was drafting a book on confession. I’ve not heard from her in a long time, so I don’t know what the situation is. But Mardi Gras seems to me a perfect time to publish it. I’ve made some changes to the original essay, and edited it [...]