But above all, grace is attributed to you, that you call me by name, whom you have never seen. But since grace is not known by dignity, but is accustomed to be signified by the actions of souls, bless for the sake of God, and grant a prayer of your perfection’s indulgence.
St. Sophronius of Jerusalem. Life of St. Mary of Egypt (p. 15). (Function). Kindle Edition.
A desert encounter! Two people who have never meet. But grace is obvious!
Being “clergy” does not mean grace! Nor insight. Nor faith.
By avoiding being recognised as an institution, monasticism remains hidden from the eyes of this world, and this allows it to keep its perfect and absolute freedom to exist purely on the spiritual plane, governed exclusively by the power of the Holy Spirit. If monasticism were to become an institution, it would cease to be a life ‘outside the camp of this world;’(Heb 13:13) it would lose its charismatic power of humility and its prophetic and paradoxical character, whereby it maintains the knowledge of God on earth.
Zacharou, Archimandrite Zacharias. Monasticism: The All-Embracing Gift of the Holy Spirit (p. 8). (Function). Kindle Edition.
“To be or not to be” is not an institutional question. For me, the “battle” is the urge (the desire) for an “institutional yes”. But outside means outside the institution.
What’s a book you think deserves a sequel?
I really had to think about this one. But I have an answer.
The Book of Common Prayer (1662) deserves a sequel. I do not mean an update – like the Uk 1928 or any of the Australian versions. Nor a version when there is a new monarch. A continuing story with new material within the same family.
It would contain some of the offices that are missing from the original. (Maybe an office for the setting aside for monastic life – a BCP version of the tonsure.) And some of the “red letter days” (like the Transfiguration) that are missing from the 1662 version.
“Codes and patterns are very different from each other,” Langdon said. “And a lot of people confuse the two. In my field, it’s crucial to understand their fundamental difference.”
Dan Brown, Origin 486
“That being?”
Langdon stopped walking and turned to her. “A pattern is any distinctly organized sequence. Patterns occur everywhere in nature—the spiraling seeds of a sunflower, the hexagonal cells of a honeycomb, the circular ripples on a pond when a fish jumps, et cetera.”
“Okay. And codes?”
“Codes are special,” Langdon said, his tone rising. “Codes, by definition, must carry information. They must do more than simply form a pattern—codes must transmit data and convey meaning. Examples of codes include written language, musical notation, mathematical equations, computer language, and even simple symbols like the crucifix. All of these examples can transmit meaning or information in a way that spiraling sunflowers cannot.”
Ambra grasped the concept, but not how it related to God.
“The other difference between codes and patterns,” Langdon continued, “is that codes do not occur naturally in the world. Musical notation does not sprout from trees, and symbols do not draw themselves in the sand. Codes are the deliberate inventions of intelligent consciousnesses.”
Ambra nodded. “So codes always have an intention or awareness behind them.”
“Exactly. Codes don’t appear organically; they must be created.”
Ambra studied him a long moment. “What about DNA?”
A professorial smile appeared on Langdon’s lips. “Bingo,” he said. “The genetic code. That’s the paradox.”
What villain actually had a good point?
First thought is either Walter White or Tony Soprano.
On reflection, I think the author of the “perhaps”, Beyond Good and Evil, and the “death of God”. Yes, he was super weird and he died after an extended mental illness but he needs to be experienced. I think his take on “truth” is well worth a thought or two. And his take on writing, that all is autobiographical, is worthy of much thought. His sister did him no service!
So, maybe not a standard villain, but Fredrick Nietzsche for me.
I. There is nothing in the actual contents of “Daily Morning and Evening Prayer,” together with the collects, which change according to the season, which is open to any particular objection on the positive side from the Orthodox point of view, unless the addition of the Filioque to the Creed is taken into account. But at the same time, while the recourse in prayer to the Most Holy Mother of God, to the Angel Hosts, and to the illustrious saints, the glorification and invocation of them, forms an essential part of Orthodox and Catholic worship, these things are entirely foreign to Anglican worship. It is absolutely necessary that there should be introduced into this worship some such prayers (or hymns) in one or another form and degree.
Russian Observations upon the American Prayer Book
Strict Fast Days
Ash Wednesday Good Friday
Wednesdays and Fridays are days of abstinence throughout the year.
Fast Periods During the Year:
The Wednesdays and Fridays that fall during a fast period are considered days of fast and abstinence.
Note: There is no fast or abstinence of any kind from Christmas Day to the eve of Epiphany, or from Easter to the following Sunday.
Abstinence means to avoid eating certain kinds of food; e.g., flesh meat, dairy products.
Fasting means to reduce the amount of food eaten, generally to one and one-half meals per day.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I am very happy where I am at the moment. But …
Mount Athos! It would be so inspiring to live in a hermitage there. Maybe an old used one!? And soak up the wisdom of the elders. To simply “be” somewhere so beautify and with such history. Yes, I think I would like to live somewhere on Mount Athos.
If you ask me tomorrow, it will be a different place!
a fool and his prayer book 