Aikido and evening prayers

Tonight was my first aikido class. First impression: It is a lot of hard work. Second impression: Oh, I like this thing about not hitting back. All we have to do is get out of the attackers way. How neat! Third impression: Why does the instructor keep talking about energy flow? Am I going to find out in a couple of weeks that this is incompatible to Christ?

Prayer. The little boy and I did evening prayers together. He got a new Icon (the Resurrection of Jesus) and was pretty excited about seeing it in his Icon corner. After prayers I bless him with the candle and invoke the prayers of the saints of the day and the Holy Prophet Samuel. As I'm walking out the door he says "More daddy". So then I do it again and name a bunch more saints, usually moving West to East, e.g. Ss. Herman, Innocent, Alexis, Raphael, Patrick, Columba, Brigid, Edward, Martin, Iraneus, Ambrose, Gregory, Anthony, Athanasius, ....ending with the Theotokos).
Now, here is the cool value added benefit (When I was in advertising I talked about 'cool value added benfits' a lot. I kinda miss talking like that.): I am learning about all of these saints I name and am beginning to love them. I kind of expected to learn about them but I never expected to begin to feel love for them. But when I am praying I am filled so with the memories of what they have done and how they finished their races, and now they are praying for my little boy... I can hardley keep from crying long enough to finish praying.