Thursday, August 13, 2009

Feasts

Today is Leavetaking of the Feast of the Transfiguration, which has been going on for a few days.

Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever;
-Thou wast transfigured on the mountain, O Christ our God; showing to Thy disciples Thy glory as each one could endure. Shine forth Thou on us, who are sinners all, Thy light ever-unending; through the prayers of the Theotokos; Light-bestower, glory be to Thee.




In a few more days it will be the Feast of the Dormition, the last feast of the liturgical year, and the feast that shows us what is in store for all of us if we persevere to the end. One amazing thing that will happen on that day is that snakes will go to church on Kephalonia. I don't think there has ever been an official explanation for this phenomenon, but it seems to me that the obvious explanation is that the snakes are paying homage to the new Eve, perhaps asking for forgiveness on behalf of their ancestor.



3 comments:

DebD said...

just out of curiosity... do you know if this phenomenon happen on Old or New calendar Dormition?

Matt said...

I don't know, but given the flowering of that tree in Glastonbury, I bet it's Old.

Matt said...

Glastonbury.—A vast concourse of people attended the noted thorn on Christmas-day, new style; but, to their great disappointment, there was no appearance of its blowing, which made them watch it narrowly the 5th of January, the Christmas-day, old style, when it blowed as usual.

Gentleman's Magazine January 1753