Last night: Canon Part 4

Last night I went to St. Stephen's in Campbell but I had to leave early. I had left the house with it being in kind of a nutty state and didn't feel good about being in church with my wife being at home dealing with problems. I shouldn't have left home the first place. But after standing in church for about 15 minutes saying prayers abot how I really suck, I realized I should be home helping my wife.

In our relationship she is the Martha, I am the Mary. That is not intended as a criticism. Her Martha-ness keeps our house running. When I got home the chaos was gone. All was orderly. I wasn't needed there, after all.

But, it turns out that Godmother wasn't at church either. So there we were, 4 Orthodox Christians on Clean Thursday and none of us in church!. UGHHH! This was a problem. (Cue the Mission Impossible music). So, I quickly printed three copies of last night's portion of the Great Canon, Athanasia lit the candles, and Godmother came over for prayer. I read the Eirmos. Athanasia read the Troparia. Godmother read everything else. The "big boy" played with purple and gold Lenten book mark from the Bible. It was very very good!

After prayer Athanasia read out loud to me and the little boy. What did she read? The Water-babies by Charles Kingsley. I must tell you, this is one of the best childrens books ever written. It also contains very excellent examples of polemic. Kingsly was a master rhetoritician who in fun, nearly lyrical language mocks science for thinking it knows.

Tonight is the presanctified liturgy of St. Gregory the Great. Because I haven't been to Confession in a while I won't be able to approach the Mystery, but it will be good to merely be in the same room with the Lord, and watch as others Commune.

It has been a rainy day. The "big boy" and I have been playing indoor baseball. If he holds the bat still I can make the ball bounce off of it.