Saturday, September 6, 2008

Greek Festival

Today I journeyed on down to the Charlotte Greek Festival hosted by the Greek Orthodox Cathedral there. It was a pretty interesting event. A bit pricey though. I do like the idea behind those though. A festival celebrating one's heritage. I imagine at one time St. Patrick's day in America was once similar to a greek festival, that is before it because just another excuse to get trashed. The Cathedral is quite beautiful. Father Sean commented today after Divine Liturgy that when the greeks build something, they build it beautifully and I am afraid that the sentiment does not do justice to the reality. Here we have a picture of the Altar and the opened doors. And the Pantocrater on the dome above and that isn't even a taste of the grandeur. Sadly my camera is broken, but you can find these and more on their website (http://www.yiasoufestival.org/). After a quick stop in the church bookstore (where I acquired a Serbian Orthodox prayer book) my associate and I were off to St. Basil's to serve Divine Liturgy. For some reason as of late attendance there has been getting smaller but I do beleive that it is a temporary thing and numbers will pick back up. Serving the Divine Liturgy is something, in my opinion, very different then serving the Roman Mass. I have served Extraordinary Form Roman Masses (low and high), and I have served Ordinary Form masses of all types (weddings, Monastic proffesions, solemnities, pontificals, suday Mass, daily Mass) and I can not say that either of those give me the same fufilment I get out of serving the Divine Liturgy. Sure I may be more certain about what I am doing at an Ordinary form Roman Mass(man that is way too long to say ....). Its hard to describe I suppose, but its much more uplifting, and perhaps I am being too emotional about it all, but maybe not? I suppose that is what time and discernment are for. I trust that the Lord will guide me to where my spiritual home truly is.

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Blessed Constantine XI

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