Today the whole creation shines with light from on high... Today things above keep feast with things below, and things below commune with things above.
- Prayer from the Blessing of Waters
This past weekend, our two local Orthodox Churches, Holy Apostles and Saint Catherine, joined to celebrate the outdoor Theophany blessing of waters, in Ithaca's Stewart Park, at the southern end of Cayuga Lake. Despite the cold and wind, a number of us made the procession to the lake:
... and performed the blessing on a small dock in the park:
The waters of Cayuga lake flow from its north end into the Seneca River, which empties into Lake Ontario, which flows via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean, where the blessed waters will mingle with those of countless other blessings around the world.
In a sermon this weekend we were reminded that we are the vessels of the blessings that we ourselves receive, and are called to let them flow through us into the world around us.
"Acquire the Spirit of Peace, and a thousand souls around you will be saved." - St Seraphim of Sarov
___ Gentle. Small. Humble. Slow. Simple. - The Abundance of Less Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances. - 1 Thess.
About John Brady
Occasional thoughts, mostly about the Orthodox Church.
