Because it forces us to act.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
EARTHQUAKEEE
my second one just happened . I am sitting in the vestibule of student services in long beach state waiting for Lauren to return with (hopefully) good news. Less than 3 mins ago everything in this massive building shook like hell. Dust and mortar fell from the ceiling and the glass doors and windows must have been a second from smashing.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Places I want to visit
Jerusalem.
damascus.
antioch.
lebanon.
Sinai.
Istanbul.
Rome.
Santiago de Compostela.
Moscow.
damascus.
antioch.
lebanon.
Sinai.
Istanbul.
Rome.
Santiago de Compostela.
Moscow.
Friday, July 25, 2008
I Stole Another Article.
AT SUNSET A bone-chilling cold descended on Nablus, even inside the home of Father Yousef Sa’adah, the 67-year-old priest of St. John’s Melkite Church. For an hour the priest had been describing the difficulties faced by the city’s Christian community. His words, like the cold, made comfort impossible.
Among the examples he cited: “One family had no meat for their children for one month. Some cannot pay for electricity or rent. Some cannot afford medical care, and so they die.”
The longer Father Yousef spoke, the more he looked exhausted, almost shell-shocked. It was as if relating these events made them real all over again, and it was a weight the aging priest could hardly bear.
The story that most visibly disturbed him, however, concerned an eight-year-old girl and her mother. At 10 o’clock one morning, Father Yousef recalled, a woman appeared at his office. In tears, she told him that as her daughter was getting ready for school that morning she had asked, “Mother, what is the meaning of life?” Quickly offering her own answer to the rhetorical question, the daughter matter-of-factly stated, “It is better to be dead than alive.”
And then she left for school.
Nablus—wracked by massive unemployment, ringed by notorious IDF checkpoints, the target of regular Israeli raids and home to an escalating law-and-order problem—is no easy place to raise a child. And now, sitting before the priest, the desperate mother begged for help. What could she do for her daughter?
“When your daughter returns from school at 2 p.m.,” the priest told her, “kiss her, hug her, and give her something sweet to eat and drink.”
“Our children cannot dress as well as the children in Jordan, England, or America,” Father Yousef explained, reflecting on the story he had just shared. “We have no nice places to go—a park, a zoo—like what we see on television. And at night we often cannot sleep because of soldiers, turning tanks, shooting, dead neighbors.”
Like the cold, a sense of powerlessness clung to the living room as Father Yousef poured another cup of tea. On the walls hung a large cross-stitch of the Last Supper, a poster of Mary and an infant Jesus, and a sign that read, “God Bless our Home.”
These things did not seem out of place. But on the television screen, tuned to the Christian satellite station Noursat, a Maronite children’s choir at a church in Beirut was belting out songs. This created a sense of dissonance.
The scene in Beirut—of vibrant singing, fashionable clothes, a packed sanctuary—was beautiful. But it also brought home all that the Christian community in Nablus is missing, all that it has lost. In 1967, an estimated 3,500 Christians called Nablus home; today that number has dropped to 650.
“Now I’ve finished my life,” said Father Yousef. “I speak for my people, not for myself. We need justice. Without justice, how can we live?”
Father Yousef didn’t say much about himself at all, until asked. Born in Haifa in 1940, he referred to his early childhood as “a good situation, I remember the sea.” All that changed in 1948, when his family, like so many other Palestinians, fled the new state of Israel. For the next four years the family lived in a cave in Rafidiya, on the edge of Nablus, then spent another four years in a refugee camp. “We received one pair of trousers per year from the U.N.,” Father Yousef recalled. “When that one pair was being washed, I stayed inside.”
Nor is the sense of insecurity and humiliation the priest experienced as a child merely a thing of the past. Placing six IDs on the coffee table, Father Yousef explained that, even with all these, he cannot always pass through the military checkpoints encircling Nablus. An Israeli soldier manning the Huwara checkpoint once asked him, “What are you?”
“I’m a priest.”
“What is meaning of this?” the soldier demanded.
“It is for Christians.”
“What is a Christian?” the soldier continued. “Are you Hamas?”
The soldier then threw the IDs into the dirt—Father Yousef illustrated this by tossing an ID across the living room—and walked away. Getting up to retrieve the ID he had just thrown, which had landed by the television (still airing the Beirut choir), Father Yousef said, “I have a pain in my right leg, a bad disc in my back, high blood pressure—even waiting in line at Huwara is difficult. And then to be treated this way!”
As he returned to the couch, Father Yousef’s eyes seemed to look beyond the present, as if searching for some specific point in history where things had gone so terribly wrong. “Jews can come from Russia and, okay, you can live in Haifa,” he finally said. “But today I cannot even leave Nablus?”
The more Father Yousef spoke, the more this reporter felt he was visiting a people living in a crucible. Rather than being the kind that molds you, however, this crucible was more the sort which, in the end, will quite possibly utterly break you. The priest told how his 34-year-old daughter Rita, who works as a nurse at a local hospital, hadn’t been paid in eight months. He described how he had once been shot at when he stepped out his front door during curfew, and how the streets are too unsafe at night even for people to attend midnight Christmas Mass. He told of having had a travel ban placed on him from 1980 to 1992, which kept him from leaving Palestine, and never once being told the reason. And he described the seven times he has left the West Bank since 1992 (four times to Europe, three times to the Arab world) as coming up for desperately needed fresh air.
He also said, “I have faith in no one now—not in the U.N., U.S., Europe, or, I’m sorry to say, my Pope.”
Not all Palestinian Christians are as pessimistic as Father Yousef. Nadim Khoury, founder of the Taybeh Brewing Company, pointed out in a separate interview near Ramallah that not many countries are left occupied today, and that the occupation of Palestine cannot last forever. When told of Khoury’s optimistic outlook, a doubtful Father Yousef replied diplomatically, “This is one perspective.”
Asked his thoughts on Christians in the United States, Father Yousef said that many seem to walk with just one eye open, seeing only Israel. He encouraged Christians everywhere to read the Bible and to “walk in the light.”
“Peace is not made in a factory or with violence,” he said, “but with justice. We need only justice and peace. There will be no peace without justice, you see.”
Joel Carillet, a freelance writer and photographer based in Tennessee, worked for the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel in 2003. His short stories and photo essays can be viewed at
I urge those of you who are Christians to remember your brothers and sisters in Palestine in your prayers.
The Rule of the Mother of God
St Seraphim of Sarov
The usual Trisagion Prayers and the Symbol of the Faith are followed by the prayers of the Rule of the Mother of God, in which an opening prayer
indicates the meditation for the following decade of Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God... prayers, which themselves are followed by closing personal
prayers. Then follow an Our Father... and Open unto us... prayer prior to beginning of the next opening prayer for the next decade. The rule
concludes with It is truly meet... and the usual closing for daily prayers. The Rule of the Mother of God of St Seraphim of Sarov is generally known,
with the pre-decade prayers known having been taught to several disciples, but with St Seraphim having kept secret his after-decade prayers. The
after-decade prayers included here are those of a disciple of the Saint, a holy nun, except for the tenth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth, which were
incomplete or lost, and have been reconstructed.
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
God be merciful to me, a sinner.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, O Treasury of every good and
Bestower of life: come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times.)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and
heal our infirmities, for Thy Name's sake.
Lord, have mercy. (Three times.)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give
us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Lord, have mercy. (Three times.)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O come let us worship God our King. O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ our King and God. O come, let
us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and God.
I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God
of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made. Who for us men and
for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man. He was
crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father; And He will come again with glory to judge the living
and dead. His kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the
Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.
In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come.
Amen.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise.
First decade: Let us remember the birth of the Mother of God. Let us pray for mothers, fathers, and children.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb, for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls. (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, save and preserve your servants (names of parents, relatives, friends), increase their
faith and repentance, and when they die give them rest with the saints in your eternal glory.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O most blessed Mother of God. As we set our hope in thee, let us not be confounded, but through
thee may we be delivered from all adversities. For thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Second decade: Let us remember the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God. Let us pray for those
who have lost their way and fallen away from the church.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, save and preserve and unite or re-unite to the Holy Orthodox Church your servants
who have lost their path and fallen away (names).
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Third decade: Let us remember the Annunciation of the Blessed Mother of God. Let us pray for the soothing of sorrows and
the consolation of those who grieve.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, soothe our sorrows and send consolation to your servants who are grieving and ill
(names).
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Fourth decade: Let us remember the meeting of the Blessed Virgin with the righteous Elizabeth. Let us pray for the reunion of
the separated, for those whose dear ones or children are living away from them or missing.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, unite your servants who are separated.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Fifth decade: Let us remember the Birth of Christ. Let us pray for the rebirth of souls, for new life in Christ.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, grant unto me, who has been baptized in Christ, to be clothed in Christ.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Sixth decade: Let us remember the Feast of the Purification of the Lord, and the words uttered by St. Simeon: Yea, a sword shall
pierce through thy own soul also. Let us pray that the Mother of God will meet our souls at the hour of our death, and will
contrive that we receive the Holy Sacrament with our last breath, and will lead our souls through the terrible torments.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, let me receive the Holy Sacrament with my last breath, and lead my soul yourself
through the terrible torments.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Seventh decade: Let us remember the flight of the Mother of God with the God-Child into Egypt. Let us pray that the Mother of
God will help us avoid temptation in this life and deliver us from misfortunes.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, help me avoid temptation in this life and deliver me from misfortunes.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Eighth decade: Let us remember the disappearance of the twelve-year old boy Jesus in Jerusalem and the sorrow of the Mother
of God on this account. Let us pray, begging the Mother of God for the constant repetition of the Jesus Prayer.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, grant to me the unceasing Jesus Prayer.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Ninth decade: Let us remember-the miracle performed in Cana of Galilee, when the Lord turned water into wine at the words of
the Mother of God: They have no wine. Let us ask the Mother of God for help in our affairs and deliverance from need.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, help me in all my affairs and deliver me from every need and sorrow.
Our Father . . . .Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Tenth decade: Let us remember the Mother of God standing at the Cross of the Lord, when grief pierced through her heart like
a sword. Let us pray to the Mother of God for the strengthening of our souls and the banishment of despondency.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, strengthen my soul and banish my despair.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Eleventh decade: Let us remember the Resurrection of Christ and ask the Mother of God in prayer to resurrect our souls and
give us new courage for spiritual feats.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, resurrect my soul and give me constant readiness for spiritual feats.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Twelfth decade: Let us remember the Ascension of Christ, at which the Mother of God was present. Let us pray and ask the
Queen of Heaven to raise up our souls from earthly and worldly amusements and direct them to striving for higher things.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, deliver me from worldly thoughts and give me a mind and heart striving towards the
salvation of my soul.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Thirteenth decade: Let us remember the Upper Room and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Mother of God.
Let us pray: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and
take not thy holy spirit from me (Psalm 51).
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, make me a clean temple in whichGod's Holy Spirit will ever dwell.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Fourteenth decade: Let us remember the Dormition of the Blessed Mother of God, and ask for a peaceful and serene end.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, grant me a peaceful and serene end.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Fifteenth decade: Let us remember the glory of the Mother of God, with which the Lord crowned her after her removal from
earth to heaven. Let us pray to the Queen of Heaven not to abandon the faithful who are on earth but to defend them from
every evil, covering them with her honorable and protecting veil.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, preserve me from every evil and cover me with your honorable protecting veil.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, ever blessed and most pure, and the Mother of God. More honorable than the
Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the
very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Three times.)
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, our holy and God-bearing fathers, and
all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
The usual Trisagion Prayers and the Symbol of the Faith are followed by the prayers of the Rule of the Mother of God, in which an opening prayer
indicates the meditation for the following decade of Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God... prayers, which themselves are followed by closing personal
prayers. Then follow an Our Father... and Open unto us... prayer prior to beginning of the next opening prayer for the next decade. The rule
concludes with It is truly meet... and the usual closing for daily prayers. The Rule of the Mother of God of St Seraphim of Sarov is generally known,
with the pre-decade prayers known having been taught to several disciples, but with St Seraphim having kept secret his after-decade prayers. The
after-decade prayers included here are those of a disciple of the Saint, a holy nun, except for the tenth, thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth, which were
incomplete or lost, and have been reconstructed.
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
God be merciful to me, a sinner.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all things, O Treasury of every good and
Bestower of life: come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times.)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and
heal our infirmities, for Thy Name's sake.
Lord, have mercy. (Three times.)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give
us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Lord, have mercy. (Three times.)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O come let us worship God our King. O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ our King and God. O come, let
us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and God.
I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God
of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made. Who for us men and
for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man. He was
crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father; And He will come again with glory to judge the living
and dead. His kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the
Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.
In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come.
Amen.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise.
First decade: Let us remember the birth of the Mother of God. Let us pray for mothers, fathers, and children.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb, for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls. (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, save and preserve your servants (names of parents, relatives, friends), increase their
faith and repentance, and when they die give them rest with the saints in your eternal glory.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O most blessed Mother of God. As we set our hope in thee, let us not be confounded, but through
thee may we be delivered from all adversities. For thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Second decade: Let us remember the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God. Let us pray for those
who have lost their way and fallen away from the church.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, save and preserve and unite or re-unite to the Holy Orthodox Church your servants
who have lost their path and fallen away (names).
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Third decade: Let us remember the Annunciation of the Blessed Mother of God. Let us pray for the soothing of sorrows and
the consolation of those who grieve.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, soothe our sorrows and send consolation to your servants who are grieving and ill
(names).
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Fourth decade: Let us remember the meeting of the Blessed Virgin with the righteous Elizabeth. Let us pray for the reunion of
the separated, for those whose dear ones or children are living away from them or missing.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, unite your servants who are separated.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Fifth decade: Let us remember the Birth of Christ. Let us pray for the rebirth of souls, for new life in Christ.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, grant unto me, who has been baptized in Christ, to be clothed in Christ.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Sixth decade: Let us remember the Feast of the Purification of the Lord, and the words uttered by St. Simeon: Yea, a sword shall
pierce through thy own soul also. Let us pray that the Mother of God will meet our souls at the hour of our death, and will
contrive that we receive the Holy Sacrament with our last breath, and will lead our souls through the terrible torments.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, let me receive the Holy Sacrament with my last breath, and lead my soul yourself
through the terrible torments.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Seventh decade: Let us remember the flight of the Mother of God with the God-Child into Egypt. Let us pray that the Mother of
God will help us avoid temptation in this life and deliver us from misfortunes.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, help me avoid temptation in this life and deliver me from misfortunes.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Eighth decade: Let us remember the disappearance of the twelve-year old boy Jesus in Jerusalem and the sorrow of the Mother
of God on this account. Let us pray, begging the Mother of God for the constant repetition of the Jesus Prayer.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, grant to me the unceasing Jesus Prayer.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Ninth decade: Let us remember-the miracle performed in Cana of Galilee, when the Lord turned water into wine at the words of
the Mother of God: They have no wine. Let us ask the Mother of God for help in our affairs and deliverance from need.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, help me in all my affairs and deliver me from every need and sorrow.
Our Father . . . .Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Tenth decade: Let us remember the Mother of God standing at the Cross of the Lord, when grief pierced through her heart like
a sword. Let us pray to the Mother of God for the strengthening of our souls and the banishment of despondency.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, strengthen my soul and banish my despair.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Eleventh decade: Let us remember the Resurrection of Christ and ask the Mother of God in prayer to resurrect our souls and
give us new courage for spiritual feats.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, resurrect my soul and give me constant readiness for spiritual feats.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Twelfth decade: Let us remember the Ascension of Christ, at which the Mother of God was present. Let us pray and ask the
Queen of Heaven to raise up our souls from earthly and worldly amusements and direct them to striving for higher things.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, deliver me from worldly thoughts and give me a mind and heart striving towards the
salvation of my soul.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Thirteenth decade: Let us remember the Upper Room and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Mother of God.
Let us pray: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and
take not thy holy spirit from me (Psalm 51).
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, make me a clean temple in whichGod's Holy Spirit will ever dwell.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Fourteenth decade: Let us remember the Dormition of the Blessed Mother of God, and ask for a peaceful and serene end.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, grant me a peaceful and serene end.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
Fifteenth decade: Let us remember the glory of the Mother of God, with which the Lord crowned her after her removal from
earth to heaven. Let us pray to the Queen of Heaven not to abandon the faithful who are on earth but to defend them from
every evil, covering them with her honorable and protecting veil.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God . . . . (Ten times)
After: Our Lady, Blessed Mother of God, preserve me from every evil and cover me with your honorable protecting veil.
Our Father . . . . Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people
It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, ever blessed and most pure, and the Mother of God. More honorable than the
Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the
very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Three times.)
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, our holy and God-bearing fathers, and
all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
August 22nd at the Whiskey a Go Go
I am going to be playing my first show with IV! please come and hang out with me.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Salem
For those of you who are wondering what traditional Welsh dress looks like.. here you go. Also I would like to share a little info with you, I am not anglo. I have been called it and tho it is usually meant to describe someone as white (which I am) It is wrong. I am If you want to get down to the seat of it, descended from ancient Britons. Specifically Silures . Tacitus described us as "non atrocitate, non clementia mutabatur" which means Changed neither by cruelty nor clemency. I think that that describes me pretty well and works as a broad description of most celtic nations.
Pope Benedict XVI at WYD
More and more I am made humble and full of gratitude by His Holiness's words. God Bless Benedict!
Relativism
"There is also something sinister which stems from the fact that freedom and tolerance are so often separated from truth. This is fuelled by the notion, widely held today, that there are no absolute truths to guide our lives.
"Relativism, by indiscriminately giving value to practically everything, has made 'experience' all-important. Yet, experiences, detached from any consideration of what is good or true, can lead, not to genuine freedom, but to moral or intellectual confusion, to a lowering of standards, to a loss of self-respect, and even to despair."
Life, the Holy Father said, is not random: "Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose!"
He said we have freedom and we make choices so that we can "search for the true, the good and the beautiful."
"It is in this -- in truth, in goodness, and in beauty -- that we find happiness and joy," the Pontiff said. "Do not be fooled by those who see you as just another consumer in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth.
"Christ offers more! Indeed he offers everything! Only he who is the Truth can be the Way and hence also the Life."
Secularism
"There are many today who claim that God should be left on the sidelines," Benedict XVI continued, "and that religion and faith, while fine for individuals, should either be excluded from the public forum altogether or included only in the pursuit of limited pragmatic goals."
"This secularist vision seeks to explain human life and shape society with little or no reference to the Creator," he said. "It presents itself as neutral, impartial and inclusive of everyone. But in reality, like every ideology, secularism imposes a worldview.
"If God is irrelevant to public life, then society will be shaped in a godless image, and debate and policy concerning the public good will be driven more by consequences than by principles grounded in truth."
The Pope said that experience proves that "turning our back on the Creator’s plan provokes a disorder which has inevitable repercussions on the rest of the created order."
"When God is eclipsed," he explained, "our ability to recognize the natural order, purpose, and the 'good' begins to wane. What was ostensibly promoted as human ingenuity soon manifests itself as folly, greed and selfish exploitation."
Dignity
The Pontiff asked, "Do we recognize that the innate dignity of every individual rests on his or her deepest identity -- as image of the Creator -- and therefore that human rights are universal, based on the natural law, and not something dependent upon negotiation or patronage, let alone compromise?"
"And so we are led to reflect on what place the poor and the elderly, immigrants and the voiceless, have in our societies," he continued. "How can it be that domestic violence torments so many mothers and children? How can it be that the most wondrous and sacred human space -- the womb -- has become a place of unutterable violence?"
"God’s creation is one and it is good," said Benedict XVI.
"Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises," he continued.
"Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life," the Pontiff affirmed, "where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion."
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Jihad Watch, This isn't my own work.
Melkite Archbishop: "The doctrines of Islam dictate war against unbelievers"
Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, Melkite Greek Catholic Eparch of Newton, Massachusetts, and former Archbishop of the Hizballah stronghold Baalbeck, Lebanon, speaks frankly about Islam and violence at St. Thomas University. "War of the worlds?," from the Florida Catholic, with thanks to Tom Syseskey:
Jihad and suicide bombers, Osama bin Laden and terrorism: That image of Islam, prevalent in the West, may not be representative of the majority of Muslims in the world.
But neither is it a false image, says Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, an expert on Christian-Islamic relations who currently serves as eparch of the Melkite Diocese of Newton, Mass., and spiritual leader of all the Melkite Catholics in the United States.
While visiting the Melkite communities in Miami and Delray Beach at the beginning of March, he spoke at St. Thomas University on the "clash of civilizations" between Islam and Christianity.
Archbishop Bustros was born in Lebanon, studied in Jerusalem and served as bishop of his native diocese of Baalbeck from 1988 to 2004. Speaking from a Middle Eastern perspective, he emphasized that the current conflict is not about religion but about "the different forms of structuring society and the relationship of religion to the state."
He explained that while Islam has many different interpretations and no central arbiter of doctrine, such as the pope, most Muslims are taught to interpret the Quran literally. Following its precepts, they divide the world into Dar al Islam and Dar al Harb — the land of peace and the land of war, the land conquered by Muslims and the land yet to be conquered by Muslims.
Like Christians, Muslims are obligated to "convert nonbelievers." Unlike Christianity, however, "the doctrines of Islam dictate war against unbelievers." Jihad, or holy war, is justified as self-defense whenever Islam is threatened — be it by a conquering power or an offensive cartoon.
Most Muslims do not take those interpretations of the Hadith, or Islamic teaching, as far as Osama bin Laden and the Taliban, Archbishop Bustros said. But the fact is that "the concept of nonviolence is absent from Muslim doctrine and practice."
Although Islam calls itself a religion of peace, the peace it preaches is the literal interpretation of Islam, which means "surrender to the will of God."
"The peace in Islam is based on the surrender of all people to Islam and to God's power based on Islamic law," Archbishop Bustros said. "They have to defend this peace of God even by force."
Islam also is an "absolutist faith" that merges religion and politics — quite a different understanding from the Western concept of separation of church and state.
"In the Islamic conception, there is no separation between God and Caesar. Caesar is governing in the name of God," Archbishop Bustros said. Consequently, "they don't differentiate between the West and Christianity."
Complicating matters is their view of the West not so much as a Christian society, but as materialistic, corrupt and immoral.
"Muslims see their opponents as the godless West. They are convinced of the superiority of their culture and obsessed with the inferiority of their power," Archbishop Bustros said. "Muslims fear and resent Western power and the threat which this poses to their society and beliefs."...
Not that it is impossible for Christians, Muslims and Jews to live together, the archbishop explained. Although all three faiths have engaged "in deadly combat for power, land and souls" for most of the past 1,400 years, Islam does not view Christians and Jews as infidels.
The Quran calls them "people of the holy book," followers of a revealed religion and believers in the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Muslims regard Christ as a great prophet and revere his mother, Mary.
The Qur'an also says that Christians who believe that Jesus is the Son of God are under God's curse (Sura 9:30), but let that pass.
The Quran also teaches that Christians and Jews are to be allowed to practice their faith freely, so long as they follow Shariah, or Islamic law, and do not plot against the government.
"So we see through centuries Jews living in peace with Muslims in all the Arab countries: Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt and North Africa," the archbishop said.
Peace, yes, for the most part. Equality, no.
Also encouraging, he said, is the emergence of a small minority of "new thinkers in Islam who want to read the Quran in a contextual way."...
Hmm. A Tiny Minority of Moderates, trying to hijack the religion and make it peaceful.
Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, Melkite Greek Catholic Eparch of Newton, Massachusetts, and former Archbishop of the Hizballah stronghold Baalbeck, Lebanon, speaks frankly about Islam and violence at St. Thomas University. "War of the worlds?," from the Florida Catholic, with thanks to Tom Syseskey:
Jihad and suicide bombers, Osama bin Laden and terrorism: That image of Islam, prevalent in the West, may not be representative of the majority of Muslims in the world.
But neither is it a false image, says Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros, an expert on Christian-Islamic relations who currently serves as eparch of the Melkite Diocese of Newton, Mass., and spiritual leader of all the Melkite Catholics in the United States.
While visiting the Melkite communities in Miami and Delray Beach at the beginning of March, he spoke at St. Thomas University on the "clash of civilizations" between Islam and Christianity.
Archbishop Bustros was born in Lebanon, studied in Jerusalem and served as bishop of his native diocese of Baalbeck from 1988 to 2004. Speaking from a Middle Eastern perspective, he emphasized that the current conflict is not about religion but about "the different forms of structuring society and the relationship of religion to the state."
He explained that while Islam has many different interpretations and no central arbiter of doctrine, such as the pope, most Muslims are taught to interpret the Quran literally. Following its precepts, they divide the world into Dar al Islam and Dar al Harb — the land of peace and the land of war, the land conquered by Muslims and the land yet to be conquered by Muslims.
Like Christians, Muslims are obligated to "convert nonbelievers." Unlike Christianity, however, "the doctrines of Islam dictate war against unbelievers." Jihad, or holy war, is justified as self-defense whenever Islam is threatened — be it by a conquering power or an offensive cartoon.
Most Muslims do not take those interpretations of the Hadith, or Islamic teaching, as far as Osama bin Laden and the Taliban, Archbishop Bustros said. But the fact is that "the concept of nonviolence is absent from Muslim doctrine and practice."
Although Islam calls itself a religion of peace, the peace it preaches is the literal interpretation of Islam, which means "surrender to the will of God."
"The peace in Islam is based on the surrender of all people to Islam and to God's power based on Islamic law," Archbishop Bustros said. "They have to defend this peace of God even by force."
Islam also is an "absolutist faith" that merges religion and politics — quite a different understanding from the Western concept of separation of church and state.
"In the Islamic conception, there is no separation between God and Caesar. Caesar is governing in the name of God," Archbishop Bustros said. Consequently, "they don't differentiate between the West and Christianity."
Complicating matters is their view of the West not so much as a Christian society, but as materialistic, corrupt and immoral.
"Muslims see their opponents as the godless West. They are convinced of the superiority of their culture and obsessed with the inferiority of their power," Archbishop Bustros said. "Muslims fear and resent Western power and the threat which this poses to their society and beliefs."...
Not that it is impossible for Christians, Muslims and Jews to live together, the archbishop explained. Although all three faiths have engaged "in deadly combat for power, land and souls" for most of the past 1,400 years, Islam does not view Christians and Jews as infidels.
The Quran calls them "people of the holy book," followers of a revealed religion and believers in the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Muslims regard Christ as a great prophet and revere his mother, Mary.
The Qur'an also says that Christians who believe that Jesus is the Son of God are under God's curse (Sura 9:30), but let that pass.
The Quran also teaches that Christians and Jews are to be allowed to practice their faith freely, so long as they follow Shariah, or Islamic law, and do not plot against the government.
"So we see through centuries Jews living in peace with Muslims in all the Arab countries: Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt and North Africa," the archbishop said.
Peace, yes, for the most part. Equality, no.
Also encouraging, he said, is the emergence of a small minority of "new thinkers in Islam who want to read the Quran in a contextual way."...
Hmm. A Tiny Minority of Moderates, trying to hijack the religion and make it peaceful.
Iraqi Christians
Many of you will not be aware of the effect the Iraq war is having on the christian community there, along with the destruction of Many churches the death of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho has been a huge blow. Please remember as you read this that Christianity is not of western origin and indeed the followers of Christ were first called Christians in Antioch. What happens There deeply affects all Christians. Here is an account of the kidnapping of the archbishop from wikipedia."According to church officials, gunmen sprayed the Archbishop's car with bullets, killed two bodyguards and shoved the bishop into the trunk of a car. In the darkness, he managed to pull out his cellphone and call the church, telling officials not to pay a ransom for his release, they said. "He believed that this money would not be paid for good works and would be used for killing and more evil actions," the officials said. Other reports stated that also investigators believed the archbishop may have been shot at the time of the kidnapping. Nineveh Deputy Governor Khasro Goran stated that when relatives and authorities went to the location specified by the kidnappers and found the body, it had "gunshot wounds". His Holiness Pope Benedict stated the murder was "an act of inhuman violence that offends the dignity of the human being." The pope also denounced the 5-year-long Iraq war, saying it had provoked the complete breakup of Iraqi civilian life. 'Enough with the slaughters. Enough with the violence. Enough with the hatred in Iraq!'. I urge you to visit this site. http://www.christiansofiraq.com/uniscomosque.html to learn more about the climate that Eastern Christians are living in.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Ian Curtis
It sickens me that the life of this man (and the feelings of his family) is so trivial to someone Pathetic enough to steal his grave stone. Imagine your father's grave being robbed, and even worse it would be robbed by someone who no doubt feels really proud of it. When names and people get confused with brand names people forget the fragile human element. Peter Hook was dj'ing tonight near me, I decided that he has had enough bad things to deal with and did not to attend. About 3 years ago while Lauren was visiting me for the first time we went to Macclesfield and went to the grave, I felt like a piece of shit even taking a photograph next to the stone marking the remains of this FATHER and HUSBAND . To the person so vulgar who removed the stone, I pray one day you realize the misdeed you have done and seek repentance.
Remember the Word Contentment
For the first time in a long time I am starting to feel happy about the future. It worrys me a bit.. I feel maybe that I am losing my edge. I have also let go of a lot of the anger I used to harbor, I'm a better person. My change of mind has come from no doubt experiencing the same kind of persona and attitudes I expressed to the people around me when I was in my teens. Needles to say I am thankful for that humbling experience and without falling into vain glory I feel blessed that I have been taken from that state before I had chance to scare off the people I need. My prayer is of the heart and I am happy with my victorious sorrow.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
?
Why do I find it so hypocritical that people pride themselves on being active for animal rights and Ecology and yet behold the word abortion with no horror at all? Humanitarians must have fallen out of vouge
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