Most Sundays I prepare the bulletin of service for my church, St Elia’s Ukrainian Orthodox parish in Edmonton, and I know the rules: readings from the Epistles and Gospels in English must come from only one authorized translation, the New … Read More
If that sounds political, it is. But when it comes to a Ukrainian Orthodox Church anywhere in the world, the political is also cultural and spiritual – and personal, as in my case. August 9-12, 2018, in Saskatoon SK, I … Read More
16 Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is also a minister [diakonos] of the assembly in Cenchrae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the holy ones, and assist her … Read More
In my post, “ObOSB Decoded,” I had written that “all signs were starting to point in the same direction” toward a decision to ask to become an Oblate of the Order of St Benedict. I had spent considerable time over … Read More
This post was meant to be Part Two of my decision to ask to become an Oblate of the Order of St Benedict (ObOSB). Instead I want to write about this Sunday’s experience of joining a Choral Eucharist at All … Read More
Some years ago I was often a “colonist” at the Saskatchewan Writers Guild summer writing colony at St Peter’s Benedictine Abbey, a monastic community near Humboldt (east of Saskatoon) in Saskatchewan. We writers kept mainly to ourselves – our rooms … Read More
Some sharp-eyed readers may recognize this face, this image, or find it familiar. It is the image on the cover of my book, Prodigal Daughter: A Journey to Byzantium, to which I have already referred (product placement!) in earlier posts. … Read More
It was a Sunday morning years ago, on Aegina island, Greece, when I strolled down to the harbour front for a morning coffee (my hostess was still asleep). I took a table outside but the din from inside the kafenion … Read More
Google “What is meant by the term Byzantium?” and you get 1,700,000 hits in 0.92 seconds. Let me make it simpler for you…because it has come to my attention that lots of people find the term or word Byzantium frankly, … Read More
I once gave a presentation announced as “From Two Hills to Thessalonica.” My point was that I had come a long way from All of Baba’s Children, my first book, which I had researched in Two Hills, Alberta, still a … Read More