The Christian Conscience

Where is your focus?

A young man may keep himself from vice by continually thinking of disease. He may keep himself from it also by continually thinking of the Virgin Mary. There may be question about which method is the more reasonable, or even about which is the more efficient. But surely there can be no question about which is the more wholesome. - G.K. Chesterton, Heretics

A heartfelt thanks...

... to all those who e-mailed me to let me know that I am in their prayers as I struggle with my divorce. Your kind words, and your charity have meant a great deal to me. Thank you and God bless you and yours.

I was going to refrain from...

... commenting on the situation involving Gerard Serafin too much, but some of the comments in the comments block of Mr. Mark Shea have gone just a tad bit over the top and I feel the need to give my full view of the situation (if anyone should happen to care).

First of all, let me apologize for my rude and tactless comments to a couple of the posters who came in defense of Mr. Dreher, they were crass and uncalled for, especially in Christian debate. However, while I will apologize for my words, I will not apologize for the intention, because after reading some of Mr. Dreher's latest comments I feel fully justified in feeling that Mr. Dreher is interested in generating more heat than light. Also his pharisaical comments do not sit well with me and I would hope that they would not sit well with most Catholics who attend St. Blogs.

Mr Dreher starts out by stating... and I quote:

I don't know what the full truth about Gerard Bugge is.

And then immediately turns around and calls Gerard Serafin a drama-queen fraud.

Mr. Dreher, if it is true that you don't know the whole truth, how can you go and call Gerard a "fraud"? Never mind a drama-queen? (P.S.: I hope there was no intention to insinuate a homosexual connection there, but given your penchant for inflammatory comments, I fear there was).

Now, I don't know either Gerard Serafin or Rod Dreher from Adam, what I do know though is that Rod Dreher, without all the facts (by his own admission), has gone after, and set the internet after, Gerard like a pit-bull. Why don't we, in a civilized manner, wait until we DO have full disclosure before jumping to any conclusions? Is that too much to ask? In Mr. Dreher's case, I do believe that WOULD be asking too much... a slow news day perhaps?

For me, it is enough to know that the State of Maryland exonerated Gerard Serafin from any and all charges of sexual impropriety. It is also enough for me to know that Gerard Serafin was laicized at his personal request. Neither, at least to me, scream of "child abuser" though Mr. Dreher claims that he is looking into this very matter...

And if I were to receive information convincing me that Bugge is a potential threat to minors, all bets would be off. I'm still looking into this matter.

Like I said, more heat than light.

Luke 6:37 - Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven...

Something to marvel about...

Old enough to reach out and hold tight, young enough to be aborted.

Sometimes I feel this way...



Ucomics dot com

How does one comment on what has come to be known as...

"The List"? The list I am referring to is the one issued by Cardinal Keeler and reprinted in The Sun and The Catholic Review that inaccurately labels one of St. Blog's parishoners as a sexual abuser. Nevermind that they spelled his name wrong, and got his assignments wrong, the fact of the matter is, the courts of Maryland don't even have a record on him!

Over on that last blog entry, Gerard Serafin asked: Would this be "sexual abuse of a minor?"

Given the "hypothetical situation", I would say that it would not be. I could give my reasons why I don't think it is, but suffice it to say that the state of Maryland, as one reader pointed out, does not consider it sexual abuse of a minor. Which, by the way, is the issue most people who have condemned Gerard for have raised. People want the legal system to have more of a say in punishing offenders, and I agree that they should. So the question I ask then is why, when the state doesn't see fit to punish someone, do the people then go all "vigilante" and turn to verbal abuse?

The state of Maryland found Gerard Serafin innocent of any charges against his person, for me, that is good enough.

Fact of the matter is, it should be good enough for everyone else as well... the courts have made a ruling, which is what everyone wanted to happen in the first place, now let it be.

An example of bad blogging...

By none other than Eve Tushnet. The link provided leads to a blog entry by Ms. Tushnet where she linked to a site she had never read, but thought "sounded like fun". In the age of the "Information Super Highway", that link, you know... the one that went unread, could have been to just about anything. It could have redirected a reader to the Klu Klux Klan, child pornography, some satanist website or who knows what else, yet post the link away she did. Very, very disappointing.

Anyways, I DID happen to know what that link was, and so I fired off Ms. Tushnet an email...

Dear Ms. Tushnet,
In your latest blog entry, you post a link to "Smack the Nominalist" and state that you have "no idea what it is". Knowing personally, two of the people who have been parodied by that site (Nimbo - a devoted Catholic, and Metacrock - a devoted Christian apologist) I can unequivocally say that I DO know what "Smack the Nominalist" is. The site is owned by Adrian Barnett, an atheist who runs the "Wasteland" message board. It is home to many atheists, most of whom are hard-core and who express extreme anti-religious sentiment.

"Smack the Nominalist" is but one form of anti-religious rhetoric employed by Mr. Barnett and his friends. They think that employing ad hominem and belittling their opponents they can achieve intellectual superiority and "wish away" the existance of the Almighty. Personally, I think you do a great disservice by freely advertising Mr. Barnett's site on your blog.

Deo iuvante,
Thomas Joseph
The Christian Conscience
Blog : http://thechristianconscience.blogspot.com
Site : http://www.geocities.com/okc_catholic

Yes, Ms. Tushnet continues to tell us she didn't read the information contained on the site... and yes, I continue to say that it is sheer stupidity to put up links to sites when one has not read the information contained therein.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says...

2384 Divorce is a grave offense against the natural law. It claims to break the contract, to which the spouses freely consented, to live with each other till death. Divorce does injury to the covenant of salvation, of which sacramental marriage is the sign.

Yet, here I find myself, a supposed staunch defender of Catholic teaching obtaining a divorce. Yes folks, I am in the process of being divorced. It's not something I am proud of, but it has been an issue that I've been struggling with a lot as of late. I believe the neglect that this blog (and my website) have endured recently are a testament to the fact that my time has been somewhat pre-occupied with other matters.

So why do I blog about this? I imagine that selfishness is one of the reasons, as writing out my feelings over this issue may prove to be somewhat cathartic. However, on the other hand, I now know what it is like to be a "statistic" and I have already felt the repercussions of what a divorce can do to someone who is an active member of the Catholic Church. These things I'll go over as future time permits.

I'd hate to turn my blog into one long, on-going discussion about divorce as I'd much rather focus on a myriad of issues, especially issues that impact the Culture of Life which is constantly under attack, but then again perhaps I'm destined to spend a portion of my time discussing this for reasons that I may never fully realize.

If my revealing these facts disappoints some of you, I apologize. If you decide never to read my blog again (for the 15 or so a day that continue to read it, down from the 50 or so that read it daily when I kept a daily routine of posting to this blog) I bid you adieu and I thank you for your patronage. If you decide to stay, I hope that the things I say in the future may prove beneficial.

Deo iuvante,
Thomas Joseph

I agree wholeheartedly.

Priest cancels wedding of Planned Parenthood employee

The following excerpt really, REALLY excited me. People complain about the lack of leadership amongst our bishops, but not from Bishop Henry (Bishop of Calgary, Alberta)...

Bishop Henry stressed that one cannot pick and choose what to believe in the Catholic Church. "People have this idea that nobody is supposed to judge them, that they can do whatever they think is right," he said. "Nobody is supposed to throw stones according to the parable of the woman found in adultery. What they ignore is that Jesus said [to the woman], 'Go and sin no more.'"

The more I read about this Bishop, the more I am honored to have served as an altar server at Mass with him at World Youth Day 2002.

What Obscure Animal are you?

Bullshitter's Lament
Music & Lyrics: John Popper
Performed by: Blues Traveler

I walked clean through the party
Without a sin put to my name
Then they got to know me
Then all the sins they came
To fruitions visibility
I suppose them always there
Back when no one knew me
I saw no need to care

But now such luxury is gone
And I've got to do my part
And the faces that I know, know me
Have laid claim to my heart
Like speculated real estate
Their investment should do well
But me I've bought a ticket
An express train straight to well...

Well perhaps that is self pity
But I'm remembering a dream
Some damn thing about lost love
How foggy it does seem
So now I wade in muck and mire
And they tell me that it's fun
But all it does for me is make me ask
When will it all be done

Please don't be mad I'm sorry
And it's just the way I feel
But its hard enough to spot the lie
And figure out the real
So I maintain and ply my wares
And have my goods to sell
And say to those who gawk and stare
I'll see you all in hell
...I'll see you all in hell!

David, get in here and take your bath right now!

Awww, mom, do I have to?

As an aside, I had no idea that Michaelangelo's David was 16 feet, 5 inches tall! A single block of marble... simply amazing.

A heart-warming little story.

This is dangerous.

Another "You've GOT to be kidding me" moment.

Was reading this article and came across the following quote:

 His idea is to treat the hair loss that is caused by cancer chemotherapy. “You can imagine putting in genes that confer resistance to chemotherapy,” he said.

Umm, yah. Put a gene that conveys chemotherapy resistance into the human body. Smooth move Mr. Ex-Lax. And pray tell, what do we do if one of those cells ever goes malignant?

Culture of Death

"Morning after" pill to be made over-the-counter?

Listen folks, if you're going to have sex, understand that those actions may carry certain responsibilities. You know, like the ensuing life that is created? Don't shirk it.

Coke vs. Pop vs. Soda

The Vine - Whiteheart

I've really been out there,
Just little me out where,
Taking the world on all alone.
It really is lonely,
When you think that it's only you,
Trying to live all on your own.

Chorus:
I'll be the branch,
You be the vine,
'Cause I've been withering away,
For some time.
Now I feel your healing flowing to my mind.
I'll be the branch,
You be the vine.

So I come believing,
Thirsty, receiving,
From the waters of your soul.
The light of the morning,
Brings your redeeming love,
That's all I ever need to know.

Chorus

I feel so free,
When you are my Lord,
and I am just... me.

Chorus

Yet another reason why...

.. playing God is not a Good Thing (tm).

And I quote:

It is very irresponsible to think this method (the nuclear transfer method, used to clone Dolly) could be used for the reproductive cloning of humans.

Panakhyda (Prayers for the Departed)

[P] + Blessed is our God, always, now and forever.

[R] Amen. + Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us. (3 times)

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; O Lord, cleanse our sins; O Master, forgive us our transgressions; O Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3 times)

+ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, always and forever. 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.

[P] For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, + Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever.

[R] Amen.

[P] With the just souls of the departed, O Saviour, grant rest to the soul(s) of your servant(s) (name(s)); bestowing upon him (her/them) the blessed life which is from You, Who loves mankind.

In your peace, O Lord, where all your saints repose, grant rest also to the soul(s) of your servant(s) (name(s)), for You alone are the Lover of mankind.

+ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

You are the God Who descended to the dead and delivered those who were bound there in suffering; grant rest also to the soul(s) of your servant(s) (name(s)).

Now, always and forever. Amen.

You alone pure and Immaculate Virgin, having borne God in virginity; implore Him for the salvation of his (her/their) soul(s).

[P] Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy, we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.

[R] Lord, have mercy (3 times)

[P] Again let us pray for the repose of the soul(s) of the departed servant(s) of God (name(s)), that all voluntary and involuntary transgressions be forgiven him (her/them).

[R] Lord, have mercy (3 times)

[P] That the Lord God commit his (her/their) soul(s) where the Saints and the just repose.

[R] Lord, have mercy (3 times)

[P] Let us ask for the mercy of God, for the heavenly kingdom and for the remission of his (her/their) sins, from Christ, the immortal King and our God.

[R] Grant it, O Lord.

[P] Let us pray to the Lord.

[R] Lord, have mercy.

[P] O God of all spirits and of all flesh, Who has conquered death and destroyed satan and granted life to Your world, grant rest, O Lord, to the soul(s) of Your departed servant(s) (name(s)) in a place of light, of happiness, of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, nor lamentation. And as a gracious God and a Lover of mankind, forgive him (her/them) all transgressions committed by him (her/them) by word, deed, or thought, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin; You alone are without sin, Your righteousness is everlasting, and Your word truth.

For You are the resurrection, life and repose of Your departed servant(s) (name(s)), O Christ, our God, and we give glory to You, together with Your eternal Father, and with Your all holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now, always and forever.

[R] Amen.

[P] Let us be attentive!

[R] Higher in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, being a Virgin you gave birth to God the Word. You are indeed the Mother of God and we magnify you.

[P] Glory be to You, O Christ, our God, our hope; glory be to You.

[R] + Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, always and forever. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (3 times)

Bless us, O Lord.

[P] May Christ, our true God, (Who has risen from the dead), Who rules over the living and the dead, through the prayers of His most pure Mother, of the holy, glorious and illustrious apostles, of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers, and of all Saints, place the soul(s) of His departed servant(s) (name(s)) in the abode of the Saints, and number him (her/them) among the just, and have mercy on us, for He is gracious and loves mankind.

[R] Amen.

[P] In blessed repose grant eternal rest, O Lord, to Your departed servant(s) (name(s)); and render eternal his (her/their) memory.

[R] Eternal memory. May memory of him (her/them) be eternal!

For the Victims of September 11, 2001

Saints of God, come to their aid!
Come to meet them, angels of the Lord!
Receive their souls and present them to God the Most High.

May Christ, who called them, take them to himself;
may angels lead them to Abraham's side.
Receive their souls and present them to God the Most High.

Give them eternal rest, O Lord,
and may your light shine on them for ever.
Receive their souls and present them to God the Most High.

Let us Pray.

All-powerful and merciful God,
we commend to you, the victims of 9/11/2001, your servants.
In your mercy and love,
blot out all the sins they had committed through human weakness.
In this world they have died: let them live with you for ever.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace.

Amen.

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Amen.

Prayer for the families of the victims of 9/11/2001

Lord, God,
you are attentive to the voice of our pleading.
Let those who lost loved ones on 9/11/2001 find in your Son comfort in their sadness,
certainty in their doubt,
and courage to live through this hour.
Make their faith strong through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Akathist for the Repose of the Departed

Kontakion 1

O Thou Who by Thine inscrutable providence didst prepare the world for eternal beatitude, Who appointest to all the time and manner of their end: Forgive, O Lord, the sins of those who have died in past ages, and receive them into habitations of light and rejoicing, and open Thy fatherly embrace to them in mercy, and hearken unto us who celebrate their memory and sing:

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Ekos 1

O Thou Who savest fallen Adam and the whole human race from eternal perdition, O Good One, Thou didst send Thy Son into the world, by Whose Cross and Resurrection life eternal hath dawned upon us. Trusting in Thien infinite compassion, we look for the incorruptible kingdom of Thy glory, we implore Thee to grant it to our departed ones, and we pray Thee: O Lord, gladden souls wearied by the storms of life, that they may forget earthly sorrows and sighings; do Thou harken unto them in Thy bosom, as a mother heareth her children, and say to them: Your sins are forgiven you. O Lord, receive them into Thy blessed, calm haven, open to them the palaces of angels and saints, that they may rejoice in Thy divine glory.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 2

Enlightened by the illumination of the All-highest, Saint Macarius heard a voice from a pagan skull: When you pray for those suffering in hades, then there is comfort for the heathen. O wondrous power of Christian prayer, by which even the nether regions are illumined! Both believers and unbelievers receive consolation when we cry for the whole world: Alleluia!

Ekos 2

The words of Isaac the Syrian are recalled: The heart of the merciful offereth prayers with tears every hour for people and animals and all creation, that they may be preserved and purified. Wherefore, we also boldly ask of the Lord hep for all the dead from the ages, crying: O Lord, send down to us the gift of flaming prayer for the dead; O Lord, remember all who have charged us, the unworthy, to pray for them, and disregard the sins they have forgotten; O Lord, have mercy on all who have been buried without prayer; O Lord, receive into Thy tabernacles all who in sorrow or joy have suddenly finished their course.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 3

We are to blame for the calamities in the world, for the sufferings of dumb creatures and for the diseases and torments of blameless children, for through the fall of man the beatitude and beauty of all creation have been marred. O Christ our God, greatest of innocent sufferers, Thou alone hast power to forgive all. Forgive, then, all and everything, return to the world its former prosperity, that both the living and the dead may find peace, crying: Alleluia!

Ekos 3

O Gentle Light, Redeemer of the world, Thou Who dost embrace the whole world with Thy love: behold, Thy cry from the Cross for Thine enemies is heard: Father, forgive them! And in the name of Thine all-forgiveness we dare to pray to our heavenly Father for the eternal repose of Thine enemies and ours: O Lord, forgive those who have shed innocent blood, those who have sown our path of life with sorrows, those who have built their success on the tears of their near and dear ones: O Lord, condemn not those who persecute us with slander and malice, repay with mercy those whom we have wronged or offended through ignorance, and let our prayer for them be holy through the sacrament of reconciliation.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 4

Save, O Lord, those who have died in severe sufferings, those who were murdered, those buried alive, those who were drowned or burned, those who were torn by wild beasts, those who died of famine, cold or storms, or by falling from heights, and grant them Thine eternal joy for the sorrow of their end, that they may bless the time of their suffering as a day of redemption, singing: Alleluia!

Ekos 4

All who have been taken by the grave in the brightness of youth, who have been pierced on earth with the thorny crown of suffering, all who never saw earthly happiness, do Thou recompense, O Lord, through the compassion of Thine infinite love; O Lord, reward those who died under the heavey burden of labor; O Lord, receive into the mansions of Paradise youths and maidens who have departed, and vouchsafe them rejoicing at the supper of Thy Son; O Lord, soften the grief of parents over the loss of children; O Lord, give rest to all who have no family, those who are alone, who have no one to pray from them, that their sins may vanish in the rays of Thine all-forgiveness.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 5

As a last means to bring us to understanding and repentance, Thou, O Lord, hast given us death. In its threatening light earthly vanity is exposed, carnal passions and sufferings become subdued, unruly reason is humbled, eternal righteousness is revealed; wherefore, inveterate sinners and atheists on their deathbed confess Thine eternal being and cry to Thy loving-kindness: Alleluia!

Ekos 5

O Father of all consolation, Thou brightenest with the sun, delightest with fruits, and gladdenest with the beauty of the world both Thy friends and enemies. We believe that even beyond the grave Thy loving-kindness, which is merciful even to all rejected sinners, doth not fail. We grieve for hardened and lawless blasphemers of holiness; O Lord, may Thy saving and gracious will be over them. Have compassion upon those wounded by pernicious unbelief, and who have not known Thee here on earth, that they may know and love Thee in heaven; O Lord, forgive those who have died without repentance, save those who have committed suicide in darkness of mind, that the flame of their impiety may be extinguished in the sea of Thy Grace.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 6

Terrible is the darkness of a soul separated from God, the torments of conscience, the gnashing of teeth, the unquenchable fire and the undying worm. I tremble at such a fate and, as for myself, I pray: O ye that suffer in hades (purgatory), may our song descend upon you as a refreshing dew: Alleluia!

Ekos 6

Thy light, O Christ our God, hath shone upon those that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, and those in hades, who are not mindful of Thee; having descended into the nethermost parts of the earth, do Thou bring out into joy those who have been separated from Thee by sin, but who have not renounced Thee; O Lord, Thy children suffer, forgive them; for they have sinned against Heaven and before Thee, immeasurably serious are their sins, but also infinite is Thy mercy. Visit the bitter destitution of souls far removed from Thee; O Lord, have mercy on those who hated the truth out of ignorance, let Thy love be to them not a burning fire, but the cool delight of Paradise.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 7

Desiring to give a helping hand to the repose, O Lord, do Thou open Thyself to the living, appearing to them in mysterious visions, and inspiring them to prayer, that they who remember the departed may do good works and labors of faith for them, crying aloud: Alleluia!

Ekos 7

The universal Church of Christ offereth prayers every day for the reposed; every hour the sins of the world are washed away by the Most-pure Blood of the Divine Lamb; from death to life, and from earth to Heaven the souls of the departed ascend through the power of prayers for them before God's altars. O Lord, may the intercession of the Church for these dead be a ladder to Heaven; O Lord, have mercy on them through the prayers of the Most Holy Mother of God and all the saints. Pardon them for the sake of the faithful who cry unto Thee day and night; O Lord, for the sake of innocent children have mercy on their parents, and by the mothers' tears redeem the sins of their children. O Lord, for the sake of the prayers of innocent sufferers, by the blood of martyrs, spare and have mercy on sinners. O Lord, receive our prayers and alms as a memorial of their virtues.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 8

The whole world is a common sacred cemetery, in every place is the dust of our fathers and brethren. O Christ our God Who alone lovest us unchangeably, forgive all that have died from the beginning until now, that they may sing with boundless love: Alleluia!

Ekos 8

Behold the day cometh as a fiery furnace, the great and terrible day of the Last Judgement, when the secrets of men will be laid bare, the books of conscience will be opened. Be ye reconciled to God! crieth the Apostle Paul: Be ye reconciled before that terrible day. Help us, O Lord, to fill up with the tears of the living that which was lacking in the dead. O Lord, let the sound of the angel's trumpet be to them the good tidings of salvation, and vouchsafe unto them joyful forgiveness at the hour of Thy judgement. O Lord, crown with glory those who suffered for Thee and cover the sins of the weak with Thy goodness. O Lord, Who knowest all by name, remember those who have been saved in the monastic order; remember blessed pastors with their spiritual children.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 9

Bless swiftly passing time: every hour, every moment bringeth eternity nearer to us. A new sorrow, a new gray hair are heralds of the world to come, they are witnesses of earthly corruption, they proclaim that all passeth away, that the eternal kingdom draweth nigh, where there are neither tears, nor sighing, but the joyful song: Alleluia!

Ekos 9

As a tree loseth its leaves little by little, so also our days with each year, decline into weakness. The festival of youth fadeth. The lamp of rejoicing is extinguished, the isolation of old age approacheth, friends and family die. Where are the young merrymakers, joyful and happy? Silent are their tombs, but their souls are in Thy hand; their glances are felt from the world beyond the grave. O Lord, Thou art the Brightest Sun: do Thou illumine and warm the abodes of those who have fallen asleep. O Lord, let the time of our bitter farewell pass for ever, vouchsafe us a joyful reunion in Heaven. O Lord, cause that all may be one with Thee. O Lord, restore to the departed the purity of childhood and the genial spirit of youth, and let eternal life be to them a Paschal Festival.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 10

Shedding silent tears at the graves of our kindred, we pray with hope, and with expectation we cry aloud: Tell us, O Lord, that Thou hast forgiven their sins! Give our spirit a secret revelation concering this, that we may sing: Alleluia!

Ekos 10

Looking back, our eyes behold afar the whole path of life: from the first day until now, already have died a multitude of people who did good things for me. Rendering unto them a debt of love, I cry: O Lord, vouchsafe heavenly glory to my parents and those nearest and dearest to me, who watched over my childhood cradle, who nurtured and brought me up; O Lord, glorify in the presence of the holy angels those who proclaimed the word of salvation to me, who taught me right and truth by the holy example of their lives; O Lord, delight with hidden manna those who ministered to me in difficult days. Reward and save all my helpers and benefactors.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 11

O death, where is thy sting, where is thy former darkness and terror? Henceforth thou art welcome, for thou dost unite us inseparably with God. Great peace, thou art the mystical sabbath. The Apostle crieth: I have a desire to die and to be with Christ. Wherefore, gazing upon death as on a gateway to life eternal, we cry: Alleluia!

Ekos 11

The dead shall rise and those in the graves shall stand up, and those who are alive on earth shall be joyful, for they shall arise with spiritual bodies, radiantly glorified, incorrupt. Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord: I will bring upon you a spirit of life, I will cover you with skin; rise out of the ancient past, ye who are redeemed by the Blood of the Son of God, restored to life by His death. Over you is the light of the Resurrection. O Lord, open now to them the depths of Thy perfections. Thou hast shone upon them the light of the sun and moon, that they may see also the glory of the radiant choirs of angels. Thou hast delighted them with the majesty of the rising and setting of the light of Heaven; may they also see the unwaning light of Thy Divinity.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 12

Flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God; however long we live in the flesh we are separated from Christ, but if we die we live for eternity. Our corruptible body must put on incorruption, so that in the light of the unwaning day we may sing: Alleluia!

Ekos 12

We await the meeting with the Lord, we await the bright dawn of the Resurrection, we expect the raising of our near and dear ones from the tombs and the restoration of the dead to the most reverent beauty of life. We triumph in the coming transfiguration of all creation and cry to our Creator: O Lord, Who didst create the world for the triumph of joy and goodness, Who hast raised us up to holiness out of the depths of sin, grant the dead to reign in the midst of the new creation, that they may shine in Heaven on the day of their glory. O Lord, let the Divine Lamb be to them the unwaning light. O Lord, grant us also to celebrate with them a Pasch incorruptible; unite the dead and the living in unending joy.

O Lord of unutterable love, remember Thy servants who have fallen asleep!

Kontakion 13

O most-compassionate and unoriginate Father, Who desirest that all be saved, Who didst send down Thy Son to the perishing and didst pour out Thy life-creating Spirit! Have mercy, forgive, and save our kindred and near and dear ones, (names), who have fallen asleep, and all from the ages who have finished their course, and through their intercession visit us, that together with them we may shout to Thee, O Saviour God, the triumphal hymn: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

(And again Ekos 1 and Kontakion 1)

Closing Prayer

O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death, and overthrown the devil, and given life to Thy world! Do Thou Thyself, O Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servants: most holy pontiffs and patriarchs, most reverend metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, priests, and those who have served Thee in the Church and in the monastic order; the founders of this holy temple, our spiritual forefathers, fathers, brethren and sisters, here and everywhere laid to rest; officers and soldiers who have laid down their lives for faith and fatherland, the faithful slain in civil wars, those who were drowned, burned, frozen to death, torn by wild beasts, those who finished the course of their lives without repentance and had no opportunity to be reconciled with the Church and with their enemies; those who took their own lives in madness of mind; for all who enjoined and asked us to pray for them; those who were not vouchsafed Christian burial; and for the servants of God (names), in a place of light, in a place of repose, whence all sickness, sorrow, and sighing are fled away. Pardon every sin committed by them in word, deed, or thought, in that Thou art a good God, the Lover of mankind; for there is no man that liveth and sinneth not; Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy word is truth.

For Thou art the resurrection and the life, and the repose of Thy departed servants, (names), O Christ our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with Thine unoriginate Father, and Thy most holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

To assume we are in control is one of the illusions in life,
and every now and again that illusion is shattered.
--David Adam

Learning to Breathe - Switchfoot

Hello, good morning, how you do?
What makes your rising sun so new?
I could use a fresh beginning too,
All of my regrets are nothing new.

So this is the way, that I say, I need You,
This is the way, this is the way that I'm...

Learning to Breathe,
I'm learning to crawl,
I'm finding that You and You alone can break my fall.
I'm living again, awake and alive.
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies.

Hello, good morning, how you been?
Yesterday left my head kicked in.
I never never thought that I would fall like that.
Never knew that I could hurt this bad.

I'm learning to breathe,
I'm learning to crawl,
I'm finding that You and You alone can break my fall,
I'm living again, awake and alive,
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies.

So this is the way that I say I need You.
This is the way that I say I Love You.
This is the way that I say I’m Yours.
This is the way, This is the way that...

I'm learning to breathe,
I'm learning to crawl,
I'm finding that You and You alone can break my fall.
I'm living again, awake and alive.
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies.
Yes I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies.

Hello, good morning, how you do?

The Tide - Newsboys

Think I'll wait for the tide.
Seems it's all I can do right now.
There must be a reason,
I've run aground.

I'll wait for the waves... to come,
By the moon and the tide,
Like a man and his bride,
I will wait on you, Lord,
And we will run so far from here,
To your... safety.

Think I'll lie in the sun for awhile,
Maybe inside out.
I've been leaving messages for you,
And I'm sure it will all work out.

And I know the waves will come,
By the moon and the tide,
Like a man and his bride,
I will wait on you Lord,
And we will run so far from here...

To your safety in the storm.
There is courage for the simple man,
To the holders of secrets and scars,
Learning to stand with reaching arms.
We'll wait until the very last,
No matter what will be,
You're always good... always good... to me.

I thought I had seen it all...

P.E.T.A. strikes again

Q. How do you make Holy Water?

A. You put it in a pan on the stove and boil the Hell out of it!