www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology byzantine t-shirts

I have one of these too! At home, in my bedroom, there are no Eastern corners in my room that would accomodate even a small cross, so I have to put a small table (altar?) against a wall...but my Eastern wall is completely taken up with furniture, so that won't work either. So I just fixed everything as Eastern as I could, icons and all, but facing West.

.nosrep sdrawkcab a syawla ton m'I

(I'm not always a backwards person. :p )

Hehe, that kinda sounds like Greek or something if you read it normally...

[ 02-07-2002: Message edited by: Mor Ephrem ]

Mor Ephrem,

Uoy ralohcs uoy!

Steve
JOY!

Dear Brother Joe Zollars,
Laudetur Jesus Christus!

First of all, congratulations.

Anyone who can get Kurt and Reader Sergius talking in such a friendly and agreeable tone to one another is a true miracle-worker!

My grandfather, when blessing homes, would always create some sort of a white paste and then went about decorating all the door-posts with Crosses.

These stayed and when coming into the living room, we would always kiss the Crosses on the doorposts. I do this now when coming into Church.

I wonder if that is a Byzantine or Latin tradition?

I say let's keep it, as Kurt affirms.

And I've learned to keep a special box with all devotionals.

Sometimes the greatest way to touch someone with the Love of God is to present them with a small devotional.

I used to work with my aunt long ago in sewing icons and rosaries into coats for the nuns in Eastern Europe.

It was so "OO7ish!" We would write letters to them in code and they would write back to let us know things.

I knew a little girl when I was growing up. She had a terrible crush on me (I don't know why she was interested in me as I wore glasses and hated being "with it").

And she was very young. As a teenager, she was stricken by a disease that crippled her for two years. I visited her in hospital and gave her a rosary.

Years later, I was the Best Man at a wedding (and I kept telling the bride that).

Barbara, that little girl of my past, was there and I didn't recognize her. She had grown into a handsome young woman (Yeah, Baby!).

(I'm married, not dead).

She then took her purse and pulled out that rosary. It was worn, but I could recognize it as if it were yesterday.

She said she always kept it.

She said it reminded her of me.

I kissed her hand and introduced her to a wonderful young man . . .

Alex

Slava Isusu Christu!

From the Byzantine perspective I would say that there is nothing wrong with having icons printed on t-shirts; having holy ikons and symbols on clothing for Christians is an ancient custom. It would be a great tool for evangelization and would help Byzantine Catholic youth and adults help get the word out. As far as being able to venerate the icon on the t-shirt, that is really a weak argument for not having icon t's. Eastern Christians are known for their balance and we should not really get into all this scrupulous formalism. An icon T would be a great sacramental and would have the intention of promoting the Eastern Catholic faith. So for me there is no problem.

Dear Robert of Alaska,

And how right you are!

Orthodox Kings and Emperors would wear icons of their patrons on their clothing. St Vladimir of Kyiv wore an icon of St Michael sewn into his robes.

There was also a practice among Russian Orthodox to have a cloth icon or embossed sewn into the inside of their coats and jackets.

I found just such an icon in an antique shop in Manhattan some time ago and had it framed.

It was of the Mother of God of Vilnius.

I think we should always wear a small icon button or pin wherever we go, but especially on Sundays.

I wore one when I taught religion and this was always a great "ice-breaker" and conversation piece that got us into religious discussions.

It is a great witnessing tool, to be sure, and, Robert, I salute you.

It must be cold where you are.

Do you know anything about the Orthodox devotion to "Blessed Olga" who was a Presbytera, I believe.

It is popular Up There where you are among OCA-ers.

Alex

Slava Isusu Christu!

Dear friend:

You are right,the OCA here in Alaska greatly venerate Blessed Matushka Olga Michael of Alaska. And yes, indeed pious Orthodox, especially amongst the lower and upper echelons of society have incorporated their faith and fashion. It is very customary and indeed reaches even to apostolic times.

Alex, I am also one who gives sacramentals to my friends, loved ones and often strangers. As you know, I make rosaries (and chotkis), so they are what I usually give away....not only does is it a sacramental, but also something that I have made with much love. A couple of years ago a close friend of mine died after a long illness. I had had the pleasure of minsistering to her throughout and was actually there with her when she died...but after the funeral her daughter gave me a box full of all the rosaries, medals, etc. I had given to her over the past 20+ years we had been friends. Most you could tell had been well used and loved. Some I kept, but others I passed along to our mutual friends as mememtos of her. It was very special to me.
Don

Robert wrote:

It would be a great tool for evangelization and would help Byzantine Catholic youth and adults help get the word out.

Our oldest son was at World Youth Day - Denver in 1994. He came back with a t-shirt with Our Lady of Perpetual Help on it. He related that he passed it by, and then ran back to buy it, spending the money he had to eat with on the way home. It was a true gift of love.

Well the material in the shirt wore out several years ago, but we still have it, the icon looks good.

Talk about WITNESS!

It opened so many doors to talk about Jesus and the Theotokos with people. It was also a great opportunity to explain Mary to protestents, because of the correct representaion through the icon. Often Catholics would just stop my husband and touch it. The people in the Church loved it.

All I know is God used it to do some great evangelization. And our son made a sacrafice so that could happen. All the kids buy my husband are witness t-shirts. They figure if they are going to spend $20 for a shirt, it might as well do some work for our Lord.

My husband works in the Post Office and management never says anything to him about wearing them. But they have opened the door to witness to so many fallen away Catholics at work, many of who have returned to the Church.....because of a message about Jesus printed on a t-shirt. I think God will use every avenue we are willing to give him to bring his people home.

Rose

Dear Rose,

Your name reminded me of the rosary saint, St Louis de Montfort!

He was going to preach a mission in a parish church one day when he was at a loss for words.

He took out a crucifix from his pocket and started looking at it.

Then he started to cry and weep. Soon, everyone in the Church started to cry like him.

Everyone slowly got up and went to confession and to Communion.

The mission was a great success and no verbal sermon was spoken!

Alex

Alex,

I never heard about that one. AWESOME!

The post on another catagory about confession and what you just referred to reminds me of going to confession to many of the priests from the University of Steubenville. Back in the '80s(Steubenville is our home) when you went to confession there, quite often, the priests would tell you your sins, they didn't know who you were. And even our own priest, if you forgot to confess something, and he had no way of knowing about it, outside of the Holy Spirit that is, would tell you to make sure that you didn't do such and such.

That has always made me so aware of the Holy Spirits actions in confession. And Christ's desire that we be absolved from all of our sins.

rose

Those of you who do not approve of representations of icon on shirts, etc., may want to stop reading here.
*************************************************

There is a seller on ebay who usually has a nice selection of byzantine t-shirts and tote bags. You can buy them without making a bid.

http://www.ebaystores.com/id=7975352

Thanks for this address I will be using it.

Rose

+JMJ+

You may not want to use this webstore after all since I am fairly sure that the owners are afilitated with the Transalpine Redemptorists ("bi-ritual" SSPX).

Joe Zollars

So you mean the one for ebay?

Yes. I haven't found anything definative yet, but they seem to have carried a lot of Abp. Marcel LEfebve books in the past and i seem to remember them saying something about being affiliated with the SSPX. I through in the Transalpine Redemptorist conjecture because of the large amount of Eastern items they carry.

Joe Zollars