Recently on my Instagram Feed a friend asked what is #holyordinary and how does it relate to our Divine Liturgy.
Holy Ordinary is life – simple, bare, straightforward – warts and all – yet blessed. Holy Ordinary is eukharistia – a life of Thanksgiving, and contentment. Holy Ordinary is looking for God in the present moment of the ordinary-ness of daily life.
In reference to our Liturgy – let’s focus on our Litanies… fervent supplication – our Litanies orient us toward every day life enveloped in that which is needful – Thy Will be done – in the midst of the sublime foretaste of Heaven which is the Liturgy and the Eucharist. It is simple, true, beautiful and all the while majestic, Holy and sublime.
On January 1, 2020 we commemorated Saint Basil the Great as well as the first day of 2020 • many will have opened the new year by celebration the Divine Liturgy • and the sharing of the Vasilopita. ⠀
Most every Liturgy celebrated in the Orthodox Church is the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. • However the Church has apppointed that on certain days of the year we celebrate the Liturgy of Saint Basil • these days are ⠀
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• the five Sunday’s of Great Lent ⠀
• Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday ⠀
• Eve of the Nativity ⠀
• Feast of the Nativity ⠀
• Eve of Theophany⠀
• Feast of Theophany⠀
• Feast Day of Saint Basil (Jan 1 / 14) ⠀
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Unless you happen to know that it is Saint Basil’s Liturgy being celebrated you might not notice, because it differs very little from the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom. However, there are layers in the Liturgy and some of those layers are veiled within the altar – this was was highlighted by our priest yesterday. In Saint Basil’s Liturgy those prayers behind the altar are more penitential and yet also speak sublimely and clearly of God’s deep devotion and love for humanity and all of creation. A closer listen and this s clear, especially the prayers of the Anaphora which say that God created man,
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“and fashioned him out of the dust of the earth and placed him in the midst of a bountiful paradise, promising him life eternal and the enjoyment of everlasting good things by keeping Your commandments” ⠀
Anaphora prayers of Saint Basil’s Liturgy
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Saint Basil also prays beautifully in those same about how when humanity fell from Grace God has never stopped communicating, seeking, pursuing, loving, working and interacting incooperation among His people – not ever. Dynamis. But rather remembering always the work of His Hands – in His benevolent loving kindness, He visits us in different ways – through the tender compassion of His mercy sending forth Prophets and Saints in every generation. ⠀
Simplicity • God has set us within Paradise too, friends • at every Divine Liturgy • oh taste and see that the Lord is good. ⠀
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O our Holy Father among the Saints • Saint Basil the Great • • pray to God for us•
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You can read the Liturgy of Saint Basil by clicking his name below.
This is a favorite hymn from the Nativity services – especially this setting.
The time of Nativity sets the tone for our understanding of God’s Love for us… and that tells us deeply of our relationship with Him… that He pursues us; He is jealous for us, He is a Mighty Warrior, Defender and Healer of our souls.
My encouragement to all is that during these twelve days of time of the Nativity : hold the mystery of the Incarnation in the palm of your heart : swaddle and meditate that God is born humbly… coming as a stranger, as a child. “calling back to heaven those who were estranged from Paradise” (Cantcle One : Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ). Through the hush of a holy birth… the flame of Paschal Mystery in Hades is already ablaze. Adam is not only recalled from darkness, but he is filled with joy, he rejoices and is renewed at the Saviors birth. We who fall down and get up again over and over throughout our lives, we are Adam.
Throughout the hymns in the days leading up to the Nativity we actually sang of Adam rejoicing. Talking about this left my Sunday School class last year awestruck.
I have always loved teaching Sunday School because Sunday School also always teaches me – it challenges me to have an honest answer. (If you are a Sunday School teacher, then you know what I mean.) Those moments when the flame of faith sparks in their souls and they can barely contain themselves.
One of my students, a 6th grade boy asked, “Why are we singing about Adam anyhow? Isn’t it Christmas?” So we talked about why that is… all the way back to Genesis, Adam and Eve, the fall, the Prophets, the world in waiting for the promised Messiah… to the birth of Christ.
That same boy in my class stopped everything that he was doing during that lesson, and just looked at me and said, “honestly, that just blows my mind, how much God loves us.” Those are amazing moments to pause, savor and to be very attentive…. the simplicity of faith of a child. He got it.
“Emmanuel” – God with us. He has become flesh of our flesh and comes to find His friend Adam and if He has come to find His friend Adam, then there is nothing he won’t do to find you and each and everyone one of us.
That should blow our minds, and settle within us an amazing peace, comfort and joy. This is not some abstract remote far removed event. God with us is God with YOU.
The cave of Bethlehem is no further than your own heart. The joy announced by the angels to the shepherds is the joy announced to you. The star that lights and guides the Magi, illumines our paths as well. And though the Nativity comes to us all collectively, it is also deeply deeply personal to each and every soul. Eukharistia.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that (insert your name here) who believes in Him should not persish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, that that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
The Star of the Nativity rests over the manger in the cave of your heart. O Come Let us Adore Him.
Our finest gifts we bring… the Gold of broken hearts (Psalm 50) the Myrrh of repentance (turning to God : seeking His Face) the Frankincense of Prayer
For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, so that (insert your name here) who believes in Him shall not perish but have life everlasting.
All who love Nickolas the Holy • the Wonderworker and Bishop of Myra • one of the most well known Saints in the world • ⠀
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He is a most beloved Saint • a hero of social justice • he walked the walk and gave of his own resources • helping those in need • we think often of the three sacks gold coins secretly thrown into the home a man who in his poverty and destitution was going to sell his three daughters into slavery. • Saint Nickolas generosity saves these three women ⠀
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• kids the world over put their shoes out last night • hoping that their shoes too will be filled with chocolate gold coins or other goodies. • ⠀
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• He is a patron Saint of sailors • on land and ocean. In Greece there are some of the most beautiful Orthodox churches built right on the shores of the sea dedicated to Saint Nickolas. ⠀
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Humble of heart • warrior of Christ and faith • generous of spirit • he is known in all corners of the world • ⠀
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• May Saint Nickolas bless all of us • May our hearts overflow with the gold coins of Love • Hope • Faith • Joy • Thanksgiving • Forbearance • Kindness • Gentleness • Self Control • ⠀
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• May he kindle the flame of Gods love in your heart • and for those who know him only as Santa Claus • May his prayers awaken your heart to Christ’s Love in this time of awaiting his sweet Nativity and ignite the flame of Faith • and the knowledge that God is jealous for you and awaiting your whole heart. ⠀
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• blessed Feast of Saint Nickolas • ⠀
In this beginning of the Winter Fast :: we are the bread being yeasted :: salted :: fermented :: kneaded : risen :: punched down :: shaped formed fashioned and stamped with Grace : warmed :: Divine Love :: during this Winter Lent :: be leavened with Grace, Hope, Forgiveness, Goodness. :: Love :: this “change of mind and heart” turning to God and relying on Him for all in this life – that is the Gift :: that ís the Blessing :: Repentance :: standing fully silently absolutely as you are before Christ
reflections in Christ :: victoria
“With its kneading begins the preparation of the Divine Liturgy” PROSPHORO and ARTOS Communion and Blessed Bread
“From the Prosphoro will be cut the Lamb-Body of Christ” PROSPHORO and ARTOS Communion and Blessed Bread
More than a time of withdrawing certain foods from our diet – it is a time of Vigil⠀
God doesn’t need our fasting but we do – amidst the hustle bustle advertising of the season – we do – and this season is such an expectant joyous one but it can get lost and overshadowed – and so Christians keep the hidden quiet Vigil of the world awaiting the birth of Christ. A vigil evident outwardly on our plates – but more so than that – it is the inner prayer vigil of millions of souls awaiting the Birth of Christ .⠀
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The hidden candle of the heart – the Paschal flame of Hope and life in Christ. ⠀
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🕯 be blessed and be filled with grace • be givers, humble, grateful and thankful • for that is a feast in the midst of the Fast 🕯
He is our bread – because from the very beginning all our hunger was a hunger for Him and all our bread was but a symbol of Him , a symbol that had to become reality. Father Akexabder Schmemman :: For the Life of the World
For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Great Litany :: Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
For the peace from above… we pray this in every Divine Liturgy… and this peace is not an earthly peace but rather is a peace even in the midst of chaos… Peace leading souls to still waters :: on the path of righteousness for His names sake (Psalm 23) . Soul redeeming restorative peace… a peace which surpasses all understanding :: peace of goodness and mercy unto salvation.
Heavenly peace :: and tranquility of soul.
εἰρήνης :: Peace
This is harmony.
The Litanies of the Liturgy of Life :: these are a compass to Salvation – that we will dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives.
Simplicity is of the Lord, and it is important for us to bear this in mind as we navigate our way, in Faith, and through life. Often people complicate simple matters. Love is simple. Kindness is simple. Forgiveness is hard, but also simple. Hope and joy are simple. Friendship is simple. Silence is simple.
That which is of Christ is simple – and guarding the heart is a path toward simplicity and is a step toward filling the vessel of the soul with the Holy Spirit. If it is not filled with the Holy Spirit it surely will be filled with something else.
More than ever we need to rekindle the space and flame of silence. To be unplugged has become a luxury.
We are bombarded with many inputs throughout our days. So many distractions – especially when we are glued to our cell phones and apps and social media. We train our senses on a stream of constant stimulation and likes. There was a short time ago in history when we knew how to stand in the space of silence. We also knew how to be fully present with those in our midst, looking and listening to the person before us.
Communication used to be simple and required no other platform than simply to be present or to pick up the phone, maybe write a letter.
Now, we have Texting, Snapchat, What’s App, Skype, Email, Facebook Messenger, Private Messages on Instagram, Telegram and probably so many other apps that my kids haven’t found yet. So many ways we have to communicate that you have to spend lots of your time checking in on all of them, stressing if you lose a streak yet diminishing the depth and quality of your communication to the streak – because you have hundreds of streaks on your Snapchat so you need to get through them all quickly… and now there is anxiety to see if you missed a message on one of a dozen apps, because you don’t want anyone to feel like you forgot them, or have to wait more than a few minutes for you to respond.
People end up all over the place :: fractured :: connected yet isolated, and “liked” yet feeling alone, left out and insecure.
Not only that, think of how many times your are with someone who is having multiple texting conversations – while semi-present with you – at the same time? It’s unsettling and distracting. We are taught by our Faith to see Christ in the other. Is that even possible through texting? One can not say for certain that it’s not possible… and yet…
Once at a retreat led by Metropolitan Kallistos he told of a simple proverb – maybe it was Russian – it is hard to remember, but, like all proverbs it is deep, simple and very profound.
Where is the most important place in the world ? The place where you are right now. Who is the most important person in the world? The person right in front of you.
Proverb – author unknown by this blogger
There are even apps for prayer, yet no app can pray. There is an app for CALM… and yet science shows that the very act of looking at any computer screen or electronics actually stimulates the nervous system… perhaps there will be an app for Stillness and Hesychia soon, maybe even an app for Silence.
The soul is not “liked” it is “Loved”. There is no button for that. It does not thrive on constant stimulation but silence. Even reading the Bible on Kindle is a place of distraction… the world constantly tempting my fingertips. There you are, reading out loud, “In the beginning was the Word….” and a stream of texts come in… Gmail dings, Instagram and Facebook notifications beg you away for a hit of dopamine…. but I’ll get back to the Bible in just a second… only to be confronted with the end of the day, and the Lord was totally forgotten before the altar of the App, the altar of Notifications, the altar of Instagram, the altar of WhatsApp, the altar of complication and overstimulation.
Traditional Prosphora is made using a natural leaven. It is not with a commercial yeast but a slower rising sourdough starter. Traditionally, Greek Orthodox women make their sourdough starter around the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross, celebrated on September 14. The starter is called prozymi. In many Orthodox Churches, fresh basil is used to sprinkle Holy Water, a sprig of which is taken home and placed in the prozymi. If the prozymi is started around Pascha (Easter) then the mixture contains a handful of the flowers used to decorate the Epitaphios. This sourdough starter is then used for baking Prosphora – an offering – the bread we make for Communion.
“Concepts create idols, only wonder grasps anything.”
Saint Gregory of Nyssa
It’s been said that the elderly Orthodox women in Greece, if asked, will tell you that the transformation of the flour, water and basil or flowers into the prozymi occurs by Gods Grace alone, and well, that is entirely true… for that is our belief ~ that all life is a gift and sustained from a loving God.
This is a slower rhythm of life that sets time aside. When I read about these women – I am struck how are grounded are they in Christ – living within the seasonal rhythm of the Church, anchored but always anticipating the upcoming feasts and living and incorporating the faith into daily life.
Give us this day our daily bread. Laboring a sourdough, this wild yeast fermentation of the prozymi becomes an endeavor of trust and of creation – fashioned through a relationship with God. This becomes our offering- the prosphora – A simple, humbling endeavor, to place God above all, offering up our whole lives to Him.
It’s a wonderful rhythm to incorprate prozymi into your family traditions. It’s also a nice practice to bake the phosphora offering for the Divine Liturgy. If you have never done it, there are likely older ladies in your parish that would be more than willing to teach you. That is how I learned… the old ladies taught me.
Happy Feast of the Elevation of the Cross!
Basic Sourdough / Prozymi Starter
There are slight variations in every sourdough recipe, some call for rye flour, some call for adding a piece of fruit, like a plum or grape which has a little hint of white film -which is yeast and called the bloom, and others – like the Orthodox tradition call for adding our blessings from Church.
Timeframe about 1 week : There are some recipes that do an overnight prozymi, I found this way to produce a very active starter. I’ve had inconsistent results just starting my leaven the night before.
Prozymi Ingredients
1.Flour (any kind) water – non chlorinated
2.fresh basil, fresh organic plum or grapes (optional)
In a jar or bowl mix 2 cups of water and flour. Stir mixture vigorously. Add basil or fruit if using. Cover the mixture with a cheesecloth or any other porous material that lets the air circulate.
Store batter in a warm place in the 70-80 degree range. Visit the batter daily and stir it to distribute the yeast. After a few days you will notice some bubbles on the surface of the batter. The yeast is letting you know it is active.
Remember, your home is it’s own ecosystem. Every ecosystem has its own unique micro-organism communities – the ecosystem in your home plays a role in how slowly or quickly your batter will germinate. Once yeast activity is evident, strain out the fruit.
Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour to the mixture each day for three days. The batter will begin to thicken and rise. Add more water when necessary. By about day five your starter should be bubbly. With a clean spoon, remove about half the sourdough starter, if you compost you can throw it in your bin.
Stir in 1/2 cup flour and about 1/4 cup water. You now should have an active starter – cover it and leave it at room temperature until it has almost doubled. You can now expand the starter for baking bread or refrigerate it overnight and start expanding the next day.
Other Prozymi Resources and Phosphora Recipes
If you would like a recipe using the Prozymi the following links are just lovely
Tavola Mediterranea : I love this recipe and article because it is the authors first time baking the prosphora and her photographs are stunning
Prosphora Byzantine Style This is a video that also has a recipe link. It’s nice to have the visual especially if one has never made the phosphora.
Prosphora Recipes that use commercial yeast are here…
gladsomelife.com 