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Dear Brian,

Yes, I know an independent Orthodox jurisdiction, FOCUS (Federation of Orthodox Catholics United Sacramentally) "beatified" her and printed an icon of her.

Certainly, calling her "Blessed" (which translates into "Venerable" in the RC tradition is only proper for this martyr.

You sound Celtic in background. Do you honour St Brian as your namesaint?

Alex

hmmmm Am I Celtic in origin?? Well, my first and middle names are Brian and Patrick!!!! So typecast Irish with some Welsh and Scots-Irish

Actually, I do honor St Patrick more and if I reach Chrismation, God Willing, I will take St Seraphim's name.

Dear Brian,

Well, I hope you say the Rule of the Mother of God that St Seraphim recommended every day . . .

St Seraphim Vyritsky was recently glorified and he performed this rule daily. He also imitated his patron, St Seraphim of Sarov, by praying for 1000 nights on a rock.

Then there is St Seraphim Zvezdinsky, another Sarov devotee and St Seraphim Zahorivsky/Zagorovsky who died as an Orthodox Hieroconfessor.

May the Seraphims keep you under their protection always!

Alex

well, that might be a bit tough for this Californian! More of a case of honoring those who can reach those heights but knowing that I probably won't, to be honest.

Again, thanks so much for the good words, my brother in Our Lord!

Dear Friend in Orthodoxy,

In future, I'll adopt the adage:

Don't be a-cryin' - just e-mail Brian!

Alex

Ain't that the truth? At home, I don't have any suitable "corners" that are Eastern, nor do I have an Eastern facing wall. Seeing as I am more or less a backwards person in general, my "altar" faces West, and this has allowed me to put a lot of icons up...mostly prints and Western-style images (low budget). Candles (no oil lamps), incense sticks (an Indian thing), a crucifix that my mother bought in Jerusalem and touched to all the holy sites (the Grotto at Bethlehem, Calvary, the Stone of Unction, and the outside of the Tomb, as well as a few other places that she doesn't remember the significance of, but did it anyway "just in case"), some holy water, a small bronze Russian three-bar cross, a book of the Gospels, and a few other things.

At school, I am fortunate to have space facing East. But it is on top of a bureau (with all my clothes in it) that is in my closet, as that is the only place we could keep it. So I have a small diptych of Christ and the Virgin, and that's it...books are in my desk candles and incense are not allowed in the dorms, nothing else. Just two icons in a closet. Basically, you just make do with what you've got available to you.

You don't have an eastern wall? That must make for a cold house in winter! :p God Bless you!

Dear Nik,

Perhaps using a Western-facing icon wall is what's causing Mor Ephrem to be more irenical toward Catholicism?

But then again, for Phil, Roman AND Byzantine Christianity is Western!

See, I knew you'd be shocked.

Alex

Dear Alex,

Yes, all those "versus populum" celebrations rather than "ad orientem" ones make me more open to the West. :p

And you are quite right that Roman and Byzantine Christianity is Western.

I like facing East when I pray, but if I can't, I figure it's not a big deal. If you go far enough West, you end up back in the East, and three rights make a left...

My Ikon corner
Consist of Ikons of the "Christ Teaching" The Theotokos, St. Nicholas the Wonder Worker of Myra, and Crucifix, St. Francis Picture, St. Pardre Pio Picture, the Holy Father John Paul II, 2 Chotki's, 2 candels, and insense.

From: Daniel
In The Holy + Theotokos

Dear Qathuliqa,

Great minds DO think alike!

What about washing one's hands before prayer? Is that a characteristic of Syrian/Indian Orthodoxy?

If so, what is the rite?

Alex

Dear Alex,

There is no real rite, except for priests upon entering the altar for the Liturgy, I think. I wash my hands before prayer, and I know a lot of other people do. For me, it's basically a cleanliness issue. Barring the possibility of taking a shower before prayer (and this is what I do in the mornings), you just wash your hands. Your hands feel better, your whole body feels clean (must be a mental thing), and it's a really good way to "set the mood" for prayer. There is no rite, although I suppose if one wanted to, one could take some passage out of the Bible related to washing, and recite it while washing your hands. I don't really do that, I just wash my hands, but I suppose it's a possibility.

Hey Guys have you seen a "Rite/Ritual" that one
does while praying before the Ikon Corner? I saw a Rite/ritual on a web site that you say when praying infront of an Ikon Corner, but i dont remember were i saw it? have any of you hurd about this?

From: Daniel
In The Theotokos

Hi Dan!

I don't know about this particular Ritual,
but usually I pray the Morning and Evening Prayers beginning of course with the Trisagion, Most Holy Trinity, have Mercy on us, Our Father, etc and of course some time for private prayer and Scripture and on Saturday Night, reading the Canon for Holy Communion and Prayers before Holy Communion.
I would ask your priest or Spritual Father for greater direction-that is where everyone should begin

Peace,
Brian

P.S. does your Byz Cath Parish have Vespers/Vigil on Sat Evening? That would be a very good thing to start to attend?

Hi Brian!

Christ Is Among Us!

Im not sure if i do have vespers or matins on
Saturdays at my parish. I think we might but
im not quiet sure. Fr. Joe is a pretty busy
priest, i would be suprised if we did.
at my Parish there is not that many People that actually attend Divine Liturgy on a constant bases. All that People that do come constantanly
are members, we get Roman Catholic Inquirers about the Rite ever so offten but they usally get weirded out it seems like and dont come back till they know more. So with as many people that activly attend Divine Liturgy on sunday, i would
be suprised if we had Vespers on Saturday.
Because there is very few people that belong to that parish, that actually live in the City were the Parish is, and its kind of far from most places.

This Sunday after Divine Liturgy, im going to ask Fr. Joe, to bless my Ikons that i keep on my Ikon corner.

From: Daniel
In The Holy + Theotokos

P.S. Get on yahoo more often will ya!