Thy Nativity O Christ

 

Love.

Tonight I read this story to Anselm.  He didn't understand it.  Someday, I hope, he shall.

A Christmas Present for a Lady
by
Myra Kelly

    It was the week before Christmas, and the First Reader Class, in a lower East Side school, had, almost to a man, decided on the gifts to be lavished on "Teacher." She was quite unprepared for any such observance on the part of her small adherents, for her first study of the roll book had shown her that its numerous Jacobs, Isidores, and Rachels belonged to a class to which Christmas Day was much as other days. And so she went serenely on her way, all unconscious of the swift and strict relation between her manner and her chances. She was, for instance, the only person in the room who did not know that her criticism of Isidore Belchatosky's hands and face cost her a tall "three for ten cents" candlestick and a plump box of candy.

The Christmas Tree

This afternoon, after a mostly unrewarding day trying to talk to car dealers, we drove up into the Santa Cruz Range, and into the cloud cover that has blanketed our valley all day.  We were racing the sun, trying to get up "The Hill" before sunset.  We barely made it, and were very excited.  We drove through fog and rain, through dense forest, on winding single lane roads.  We sang Christmas carolson the way.  I was feeling grouchy, though.  It was difficult for me, even on this happy occasion, to be pleasant.  I could blame lack of sleep, a slight feever, sore lungs, and worry about work, but  none of those were the real problem.  The real problem was "the passions".  Only later, when we got home, and I began to be thankful, and to pray for my family did my grouchiness go away.  I still have a headache, a slight fever, and sore lungs but those don't have to make me a grouch.  Jesus was full of love, as ever he was, when the nails were pushing through his feet and hands.

When we got to the farm there was no one there.  But that was okay. They operate on the honor system.  Near the trees were some saw and a box in which to put money.  Athanasia picked out a white fir, I felled it, and tied it to the roof.  Anselm and Basil asked for a small tree for their bedroom.  We gave our assent and brought home the two trees, together with many scrap boughs with which to deck the halls.  The boys were soaked from running around in the dripping trees.  I was damp from the fog.  Driving down "The Hill" after dark with foggy windows from all the water in our clothes was not exaclty relaxing.

At one point we caught a glimpse of Silicon Valley through two peaks.  It isn't something we see at night very often.  The lights were beautiful.  Basil, at first, didn't believe me when I said that we lived down there.

When we got home we trimmed the tree and decorated it.  Isn't it interesting that I remember where we got every ornament?  The the largest single source was my parents.  I carried them out of their last home when my mother died.  Then there are the ornaments Athanasia and I bought after we were married.  And the ornamnets Athanasia and the boys made.  And finally, a few that were given to us as gifts.

We had mulled cider after the tree was put up.  And Athanasia and the boys worked on some Christmas presents they are making.  Then, I read to them.  Since my wife has, lately, been knitting mittens,  I read "The Mitten Tree".  And I read tonight's portion of "The Advent Story Book".  And at last I read to them a story from "The Animals' Merry Christmas".  They are all asleep in bed now.  I shall join them.  Good night.  Blessed Advent.

Make and Age

Last year I made this fruit cake.  It was an amazing experience.  The alcohol vapors kept exploding, blowing the oven door open and rattling the windows.  I over cooked it but it was super good.  It is adapted from a recipe that was adapted from the Joy of Cooking.

INGREDIENTS

-4 cups all-purpose flour

-2 tablespoons cinnamon

-1 tablespoon nutmeg

-1/4 teaspoon ground clove

-1 teaspoon mace

-1 1/2 teaspoon salt

-7 pounds dried fruit (I used 1lb mission figs, 2lbs dates, 1lb raisns, 1lb currants, 1lb appricots, and 1lb cranberries)

-1 pound brown sugar

-1 pound butter plus one half stick

-15 eggs

-1/2 cup red wine

-a 750ml bottle of Evan Williams bourbon

This recipe makes about TWELVE POUNDS OF FRUIT CAKE!!!  I baked it in disposable aluminum loaf pans: a small one that holds about 1 pound, and a large one (almost full bread loaf size) that holds about 2 pounds.  

TOOLS

-Pastry brush or paper towel for buttering pans

Electric mixer

-Loaf pans

-Mixing bowls

-Big paper bag

-Scissors (they are really good for cutting up the fruit quickly)

INSTRUCTIONS

-Preheat oven to 300F

-Put one cup of flower in the paper bag

-Cut up the fruit, remove pits, and put the fruit in the paper bag

-Close the bag and shake until the fruit is coverd with flower (You'll be sorry later if you skip this step.)

-Put one pound of butter on the stove (use low heat) to melt.

-While butter is slowly melting, sift remaining flower and all the spices into LARGE mixing bowl

-Mix brown sugar into the melted butter

-Mix the flour/spices, eggs, and wine into the LARGE mixing bowl and mix with the electric mixer until completely smooth

- Dump the fruit from the bag into the LARGE mixing bowl annd mix mix mix

- melt the 1/2 stick of butter and use it to grease the loaf pans

- Plan on baking for two hours.  Every 10 to 15 mintues you haveto splash the loaves with bourbon. DO NOT LET THE TOPS OF THE CAKES DRY OUT!!!

When you take them out of the oven pour more bourbon on the cakes.  When they are cool enough to dump out of the pans wrap in plastic foodwrap andaluminu, foil.  Every day for a week add more bourbon.  Not a lot, just enough to keep the loaves very moist butnot soggy. If you run out of bourbon GO BUY MORE!!!

A Date Which Shall Live in Infamy

If you were wondering why the flags were at half staff today, this is why.

Sunday

We were up so late last night that we didn't get the boys up for church today. It would have been waaay too difficult managing them in the service.  So, Athanasia stayed home with the boys and I went to the Divine Liturgy.   I delivered Christmas wreaths to people at church who ordred them.  (Hopefully, tomorrow we'll deliver the last of the wreaths.)

After the Liturgy the parish had a fund-raising lunch for Our Lady of Kazan Skete in Santa Rosa. I was surprised by the amount of money raised.  It was such a huge amount that a couple of women started dancing in the hall.  Much happiness for Mother Susanna and the sisters at the skete.

During the dinner Matushka sat next to me and we talked about many things.  I had heard she makes excellent mincemeat so I asked her for the recipe.  She explained that there isn't enough time between now and Nativity to age the mincemeat so SHE GAVE ME A QUART JAR OF MICEMEAT she made a few months ago!  There is an inch of beef tallow at the top of the jar. I've never had real meat-containing mincemeat before. I can hardly wait to taste it.

After I got home from church we concentrated on cleaning the house in anticipation of Nativity.  Also, Anselm worked on part of his Cub Scout stuff.  He had to plan, shop for, and cook a meal.  He made sushi, shrimp cocktail, fillets of cod, asparagus, and baked french fries.  (Can you tell it's a fish day?) I was very impressed.  He had no help other than his mother keeping him on schedule.

After the table was cleared we chanted the Vigil  for the Feast of St. Nicholas.  It was just a readers service since we aren't priests but it was good.  Anselm Samuel read the Trisagion prayers, Athanasia read the Bible readings, Basil Wenceslas was responsible for all the instances of Glory to..., Both now and ever..., and Lord have mercy.  I read the rest.  Then we played music on our recorders and sang some songs, followed by my reading to them this night's installment of "The Advent Story Book".  Then the boys put their shoes by the front door, spread out their sleeping bags to wait for St. Nicholas, and I put "A Christmas Story" on the computer for them to watch.  They made it to the end of the movie but have been asleep for about 1/2 an hour.

Well, I have to wake up in 5 hours and catch a train.  I better put candy in those shoes and go to bed. Good night.

Advent, work, and other things

We have been so busy.   Yesterday and today we delivered Christmas wreaths Anslem sold for his Cub Scout Pack.  He sold more, by far, than anyone else in the Pack, and that is really great for him and the Pack.  But the downside is having a house full of boxes of Christmas wreaths and delivering them all over the place. Oh, there is also a nice feeling when we drive up and down the streets of our neighborhood and see the wreaths on front doors.

Anselm has been busy with school in addition to Cub Scouts.  He made a diorama and wrote a report about oceanic life.  He did a good job.  It interesting to me how things change.  When I was in the third grade my big report was on WWII in general, and the Battle of Britain in particular.  I'll never forget what the Queen said when asked if her children would be evacuated during the blitz: "The children won't leave without me, I won't leave without the King, and the King will never leave."  Such bravery.  They whipped the Nazis in 6 years.  We haven't defeated the Taliban in 9.  Something is dreadfully wrong.

We drove to SF tonight.  Had to deliver some Christmas wreaths and we got to have dinner with my God daughters' family.  That was much fun.  The kids made ginger bread houses.  They are so cute.  The one Anselm and Basil made even has Hansel, Gretel, and the witch.

I've fallen behind in my Advent reading.  I only just finished Mark.  I need to catch up.  Hmmmm.  I havn't noticed these fasts making me any better or stronger or spiritual, just more aware of the fact that I really need improvement.  I guess that's something.

Happy Hanukkah!

 Then Judah, his son, who is called Macabee, arose in his stead...and gladly they fought Israel's war.

~ 1 Macabees 3:1-2

Hayo, haya, melech rasha, melech rasha.
Charbo chada, umlutasha, umlutasha
Mihu? Antiochus, Antiochus.

Let us remember reign of terror, reign of terror
King who murdered pain forever, pain forever
Who then? Antiochus, Antiochus
Antiochus, Antiochus

The blood he spilled, Jerusalem, Jerusalem
So many killed, gone all of them, gone all of them
Who then? Antiochus, Antiochus

Our hearts he broke, he burned the Torah, burned the Torah
Ash and smoke, the crushed menorah, crushed menorah
Who then? Antiochus, Antiochus

Arise our hero, Judah save us, Judah save us
Prize so dear, the vict'ry gave us, freedom gave us
Who then? Macabeus, Macabeus

Oh sing our songs and praise the Torah, praise the Torah
Right the wrongs and light menorah, light menorah
When then? Chanukah, Chanukah

~Traditional Jewish song with new words by Peter Yarrow and Robert DeCormier

Akathists

I was looking for a copy of the Akathist for the Nativity of Jesus when I cam across this surprising writing by Bishop Hilarion (Alfeyev):   

     "All that has been said so far about the theological authority of liturgical texts relates to those found in the daily, weekly and annual cycle of services in the Service Book, the Book of Hours, the Octoechos, the Lenten Triodion, the Pentecostarion and the Menaia. Unfortunately, however, the contents of these books are not always accessible to the average Orthodox believer for several reasons. First of all, the majority of these services are not celebrated in churches that do not have daily services, and even in those that do, they are abbreviated (the Synaxarion, for example, is left out almost everywhere). Secondly, liturgical texts are read and sung in Church Slavonic, which not everyone can understand. Thirdly, many hymns are sung in church only once or a few times during the year, and are difficult to understand when heard, even if one knows Church Slavonic. Fourthly, Orthodox liturgical texts are essentially works of Byzantine liturgical poetry translated into Slavonic many centuries ago, and are therefore quite difficult to understand without a knowledge of the original language or the rules of Byzantine poetics. Even if all liturgical texts were to be translated into Russian they would hardly become immediately understandable to everybody.

Might as well say "Be ye perfect for your Father in Heaven is perfect."

"An Orthodox person is austere in his life, a monk in his household furnishings, in his labor, in his clothing, chaste in his senses and his thoughts. This is because he desires the Lord, loves his neighbor, has an open heart and an open mind to those of all religions and all ideologies though he holds strongly to his own belief. He denies himself. Here someone might hasten to ask, “Are these virtues not found in every Christian, even with every good person?” We answer: in Orthodoxy this spirit predominates. It is the inclination above all other inclination. The love of God dominates over the love of the world. The Orthodox person does not allow a worldly institution or even the law or the system to get a hold over him, to rule over him, to have exclusive power over him. A powerful inclination streams grace into his heart, ignites a fire in his heart." - Metropolitan Ephrem Kyriakos of Tripoli 

The last few days: Illness, advent, Bible

Well, I've been sick for 7 days.  Friday will be the eighth, if the Lord tarries.  The physician has me taking many powerful drugs.  I think I am getting better then I think I am getting worse.  I have been sleeping much.  Worringly, I have missed a week of work.  I am a contractor so I don't get sick days.  This is really going to hurt financially.  Oh well.  Not much can be done about it.  I'm a sales man who can't say 5 words without having a coughing fit.  And oh, my ribs are so sore, and today I was dizzy.  The M.D. said that though I don't have pneumonia, my O2 level is low.  I guess that is why I am so tired.

I've tried to do Advent stuff with my boys but have been to sick.  We didn't even have the traditional crab dinner to mark the coincidence of the opening of the Northern California Crab Season with the first day of Advent.  However, we did get the boys' letters to St. Nicholas into the mail, and we've been talking about where to give our alms.

On the sixteenth, St. Matthew's Day, my wife gave me an Icon of St. Matthew and a CD of sermons on child rearing by Bishop Irenaius of Ekateringburg & Sibirsk.  I'll load the sermons onto the iPod and listen to them on the train to and from work next week. (See, I have faith I will be healed.)

I've been enjoying the Advent Challenge, but I get so excited I keep reading ahead.  Usually, I read the Bible according to lectionary (I didn't know our lectionary dates from the 400s, and perhaps, if St. Gregory is to be believed, the 100s, reaching its present form in the 600s, did you? Pretty neat!) and then read the homilies for the passages as given in The Bible and Holy Fathers for Orthodox.  I had almost forgotten how pleasureable it is to just sit down and read page after page after page of the Gospel.

There is another pleasure associated with this reading I'm doing.  I am reading from my mother's last Bible.  She had only owned it a few few years, but it was already filling up with her hand written notes when she fell asleep.  I came across this one when I was reading about Jesus rescuing the Gergessene demoniacs: "When Satan reminds us of our past, we should remind him of his future."  It is a beautiful thing to hear my mothers voice again.

I'm going to have to thank the priest who challenged me to rad the whole NT during Advent.  It is really wonderful.  Even though I am sick as a dog this is really turning out to be a good Advent.

Something I'm Trying This Advent. I'm on the 40 Day Schedule.

Feast of St. Matthew

‎"With zeal, you followed Christ the Master, who in His goodness, appeared on earth to mankind. Summoning you from the custom house, He revealed you as a chosen apostle: the proclaimer of the the Gospel to the whole world! Therefore, divinely eloquent Matthew, we honor your precious memory! Entreat merciful God that He may grant our souls remission of transgressions."

A Special Forces Sergeant

On this Veterans Day the boys and I stopped in at the bagle store to get breakfast.  I don't know why he was there - there are no Army forts near where we live, and the Special Forces are deployed around the world right now - but a Staff Seargeat of the Special Forces was getting a bagle too.  I was trying to tell the boys about the Special Forces but couldn't remember everything I used to know.

I called to him, "Sergeant, could you come here for a moment?"
"Yes, sir?"
"I was just trying to explain to my sons about how men like you specialize in one of four areas but I could only remember medicine and communications."
"Oh they are medics, commo, engineering (That's my specialty.) and weapons, plus the officers.  They have to know all of it."
"And you train and lead indigenous forces where we are fighting, right?"
"Oh, yeah. That's our bread and butter.  We help oppressed people fight for their own freedom."
Then he said to my sons, "I guess in about 18 or 20 years you'll be joining me out there."
Anselm and Basil were stunned by the idea.  I said, "I hope in 20 years you are retired with a fishing pole in your hand!"
The soldier lauged and said, "Yeah, well maybe they'll take my place."  We all laughed at that.  The story of self-mastery and heroism told by decorations and badges on his chest, the scars on his hands and face, made it clear that replacing him will be no easy feat.
"Say thank you to the Sergeant, Boys.  He protects you."
They both said "Thanks."
And the Sergeant said, "You're more than welcome.  I'll never let you down.  Have a good day, Sir."

Cooking and Canning

I am off to the market to buy the ingredients I for the things I am making tomorrow.

I am, if God wills, going to make "Pumpkin Stuffed With Everything Good" from a recipe I heard I NPR.  I shall also be canning jalapeños and pickled cauliflour.  I als have a whole lot of beets.  But I'm not going to can them. Instead I'll make them into a warm beet and feta salad.  Also, I plan on making the mustard (see below) I've been talking about. Have to go buy the ingredients for that, too.

You know what I'm talking about.

Saturday Soundtrack: Kiki Dee

Though I like some of the songs he has written, I've never been a big Elton John fan.  But I've been a Kiki Dee fan ever since I heard her sing with John.  In this video David Cassidy says the record came out in 1976 but other sources say 1974.  I don't know.  I just know I've always loved this song, which was recently brought into contact with a whole new audience via the teevee show Glee:

 

But as excellent as that song is, she recorded others.  I've Got the Music in Me, my all time fave KiKi Dee song, was recorded by The Kiki Dee Band in 1974. It was written by the keyboard player.

Snakes of the Dormition

Some time ago I posted a video of the miracle of the Dormition Snakes on the island of Keffalonia.  A reader asked if the snakes made their appearance according to the New Calendar or the Old Calendar.  I didn't know the answer then but I do now.  According to the author of the Mystagogy blog, the snakes switched to the New Calendar along with the Church of Greece. 

"The first significant moment took place in 1924. Whereas previously all Orthodox Christians followed the Julian Calendar, a synod was held in Constantinople to update the calendar to the more accurate Revised Julian Calendar. This caused tremendous confusion and protests amongst the pious faithful throughout Greece, many of whom considered this a disguised ecumenical innovation rather than a mere scientific progression. The residents of Kefallonia were not exempt from this confusion. Because they could not make up their minds, they decided to leave the issue to the guidance of the All-Holy Virgin through her tiny Snakes. Since the snakes come out yearly during the specific days of August 6th to the 15th then disappear, they wanted to see if the snakes this particular year would come out during the normal Old Calendar reckoning or according to the New Calendar, a thirteen day difference. To everyone’s amazement the snakes appeared according to the New Calendar reckoning, confirming in their conscience the will of God. For this reason the entire island follows the New Calendar."  

Read the whole blog entry here.  It is long but worth your time.

Resist

I never thought Americans would be so quick to give governments so much power as we have.  I never thought we'd have a Department of Homeland Security.  We let them x-ray us at airports, monitor cell phone conversations, put tracking devices on cars, photograph us at all times we are outside our houses, even take pictures of our back yards from space to see if we are growing drugs or evading taxes.  We have secret courts and secret police.  They demand from private companies the ability to spy on people who use their products. 

Benjamin Franklin didn't think trading liberty for security was a very good trade. I think he was right. Liberty demands resistance.  And the 1st Amendment, at least for now, lets you buy encryption protection.  I think all freedom loving people should investigate Cryptohippie.  Whether or not you need it, and honestly, I don't think most people do, just having it is a major act of non-submission.

Traditions

Yesterday we continued on with our tradtion filled lives.  Each of the last four years we've gone to Farmer Bob's on the San Mateo County coast to buy pumpkins.   We went again after Divine Liturgy yesterday. (Priest was sick so it was a reader service.)  It was raining, a huge storm having rolled in off the north Pacific, but we still had fun.  On the way there and back we read The Best Halloween Ever by the same woman who wrote the Best Christmas Pageant Ever, a story I've loved for years.

I was so happy to find a book that both Anselm Samuel (8) and Basil Wenceslas (5) would enjoy.  It has been difficult recently because Basil still likes picture books but Anselm likes Harry Potter and the Benedict Society, books for which which Basil has no patience.  I'll have to look around for more books like this.  Anyway, we haven't carved the pumpkins yet.  We'll do that on the morning of Hallowe'en, I think.