Bros in San Jose

Merry Christmas

Lo, the time of our salvation draweth nigh!
Make ready, O Cave!
The Virgin approacheth to give birth!
O Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Adorn thyself and rejoice,
For from thee hath our Lord shone forth!
Hearken, ye mountains and hills,
And ye parts of Judea, which lie round about,
For Christ cometh,
That He might save man whom He created,
In that He loveth mankind!

Christ is born! He comes in humility, to show us the way of God.
Christ is born! He comes to empty Himself, and reveal God in human
Form.
Christ is born! He became everything that we are,
that we might become all that He is.
Christ is born! Born in the cave and laid in the manger;
yet His glory shone from the manger as from the Mercy
Seat.
Christ is born! All the angels and the whole creation rejoice!
Christ is born! Empty of self in the poverty of humility.
Christ is born! Radiant in the glory of His divinity,
shining in the obscurity of human darkness.
Christ is born! Enlightening with grace all creation.
Christ is born! The pledge of the Age to Come:
The radiant Coal of the deified New World.
*From the Archpastoral message of His Beatitude Metropolitan Jonah, OCA


Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Quote of the Day

“When we become aware that we do not have to escape our pains, but that we can mobilize them into a common search for life, those very pains are transformed from expressions of despair into signs of hope”

Henri Nouwen

Virginmartyr Lucy of Syracuse

Troparion - Tone 5

Wearing the radiant cloak of virginity
And being betrothed to the Lifegiver Christ
You forsook the love of your earthly betrothed
O Lucy Virgin-Martyr
Therefore as a bridal gift
You have brought to Christ the outpouring of your blood
You also intercede to Him for us all!

St. Lucia has always been venerated in my family - much to do with her being the patron saint of Sweden. I recall as a child celebrating St. Lucia Day on December 13th and my sister Mia dressing up as St. Lucia for school. It also means a lot because of my sister's eye problems when she was younger. One legend of St. Lucia involves the beauty of her eyes, and their removal during her martyrdom. The painting of Lucy and her eyes on a platter was actually given to Mia in the hospital after her surgery. I was thrilled to learn that Lucia was venerated as an Orthodox Saint. Let us honor her today. I can't wait to go home for some gingerbread cookies and Swedish pancakes.

Conception of Mary

Troparion - Tone 4

Today the bonds of barrenness are broken,
God has heard the prayers of Joachim and Anna.
He has promised them beyond all their hopes to bear the Maiden of God,
by whom the uncircumscribed One was born as mortal Man;
He commanded an angel to cry to her:
“Rejoice, O full of grace,
the Lord is with you!”

Kontakion - Tone 4

Podoben: “Today You have shown forth...”
Today the universe rejoices,
for Anna has conceived the Theotokos through God's dispensation,
for she has brought forth the one who is to bear the ineffable Word!

Semper Memoria

Tristan and Isolde

St. Ambrose of Milan

Troparion - Tone 4


In truth you were revealed to your flock as a rule of faith,
an image of humility and a teacher of abstinence;
your humility exalted you;
your poverty enriched you.
Hierarch Father Ambrose,
entreat Christ our God
that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion - Tone 3

You shone forth with divine doctrine eclipsing the deception of Arius,
shepherd and initiate of the mysteries, Ambrose.
you worked miracles through the power of the Spirit,
healing various passions;
righteous father, entreat Christ our God to grant us His great mercy.

Emmanuel

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Come, come whoever you are, wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving, ours is no caravan of despair. Though you’ve broken your vows a thousand times, still come, and yet again, come. -Rumi

St. Nicholas

Troparion - Tone 4

In truth you were revealed to your flock as a rule of faith,
an image of humility and a teacher of abstinence;
your humility exalted you;
your poverty enriched you.
Hierarch Father Nicholas,
entreat Christ our God
that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion - Tone 3

You revealed yourself, O saint, in Myra as a priest,
For you fulfilled the Gospel of Christ
By giving up your soul for your people,
And saving the innocent from death.
Therefore you are blessed as one become wise in the grace of God.

Prophet Zephaniah

Troparion - Tone 2

We celebrate the memory
of Your prophet Zephaniah, O Lord;
through him we beseech You:
"Save our souls."

Kontakion - Tone 4

You have been revealed by the Spirit of God to be brilliant, Prophet
Zephaniah, for you proclaimed the coming of God:
"Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Proclaim Him, O Jerusalem!
Behold, your King is coming to save mankind!"

Prophet Habakkuk

Troparion - Tone 2

We celebrate the memory
of Your prophet Habakkuk, O Lord;
through him we beseech You:
“Save our souls.”

Kontakion - Tone 8

Divinely eloquent Habakkuk, you announced to the world the coming forth of
God from the south, from the Virgin.
Standing on the divine watch, you received a report from the radiant angel:
“You proclaimed the Resurrection of Christ to the world!”
Therefore in gladness we cry out to you:
“Rejoice, splendid adornment of the prophets!”

Silence=Death