FEAST OF STS COLUMBA AND EPHREM

The Abbey at Iona

In 563 Columba and 12 companions left Ireland, arriving first at what is today Southend, on the southern tip of Kintyre. This, though, was still within sight of Ireland, so they travelled further north, landing on Iona on 12 May 563. The island was granted to Columba for the establishment of a monastery by King Conall of a distant relative. (Undiscovered Scotland)

The feast day is past and gone, but no matter. Time in the Kingdom of God is not our time. MadPriest's service of Evening Prayer for the feast day at St Laika's is lovely. If only for the gorgeous version of “Kells Opening Theme” performed by Iona, it's worth a listen. But there's more, much more.

Ephrem...was a teacher, poet, orator, and defender of the Faith.... Edessa (now Urfa), a city in modern Turkey about 100 kilometers from Antioch (now Antakya), was a an early center for the spread of Christian teaching in the East. It is said that in 325 he accompanied his bishop, James of Nisibis, to the Council of Nicea. Certainly his writings are an eloquent defense of the Nicene faith in the Deity of Jesus Christ. He countered the Gnostics' practice of spreading their message through popular songs by composing Christian songs and hymns of his own, with great effect. He is known to the Syrian church as "the harp of the Holy Spirit." (James Kiefer at The Lectionary)

PRAYER OF ST EPHREM

O Lord and Master of my life, give me not the spirit of sloth, meddling, lust for power and idle talk. But grant to me, your servant, a spirit of integrity, humility, patience and love. Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brothers and sisters. For blessed are you unto the ages of ages. Amen.

CELTIC BLESSING

In work and worship,
God is with us.

Gathered and scattered,
God is with us.

Now and always,
God is with us.

Check out St Laika's. You won't be sorry.

GUESS WHERE WE WENT YESTERDAY

To a wedding! Yes, another wedding. A student from Nicholls State University, who kept in touch with Grandpère after they both left the university, married his lovely bride yesterday at St Francis de Sales Cathedral, pictured above. The wedding was lovely, as was the reception, with lots of good food, drink, and music by Louisiana Spice. If you check their website, you will see that the guys in the band dress like 1940s and 1950s gangstas or FBI operatives - take your pick.



The band was hot. GP and I danced a couple of slow dances and one fast dance, and I'm still recovering from the fast dance. Imagine! One lively dance does me in. During one of our slow dances, I kissed GP while we were dancing - twice. I think he liked that. Of course, I'd had a couple of glasses of wine, which is my limit because two glasses make me tipsy.

Anyway, this morning I'm still exhausted and achy. Since I spent a good part of Friday in Westminster Abbey, virtually speaking, and over an hour in St Francis Cathedral yesterday, I'm being an example to no one and not listening to it's margaret and skipping church this morning. Mea culpa!

I was just going to mention the activity below at St John's, which would have me in my church, quite willingly, again tomorrow evening:

Please join us for a Eucharist this Monday, May 2, at 6:00 p.m., along with the Reverends Tom & Beth Papazoglakis, as we dedicate the series of pictures (on the wall in the parish hall) donated to St. John’s by the Papazoglakis family in memory of Katherine Bourgeois. These papyrus, made by the Coptics, come from Egypt and depict many of the major themes in the life of Christ found in the gospel.

Alas, my daughter just now informed me via Facebook that our grandson will be confirmed tomorrow evening, and, since Grandpère is his sponsor, we will be at St Matthew the Apostle Church instead, willingly again, but surprised. The last we heard of this event was in the fall that the Confirmation would be "sometime in the spring". There is nothing like a last-minute, surprise reminder.

St Francis Cathedral is quite lovely. The parish was established in 1847, but the present building was constructed in 1936 in the neo-Gothic style. Other views of the cathedral may be seen at the website New Orleans Churches. I must tell you that the colors in the pictures at the website are not true, and the stained glass windows are much more beautiful than they appear in the photo. I wish I'd had my camera with me, but in honor of the wedding, I changed to my smaller, dressy purse, which does not include the pockets and pouches of my everyday handbag. The rose window above the altar is far prettier than it appears, and, as the pictures rightly show, the organ and the Stations of the Cross are impressive. The Stations remind me of those in the church I attended as a child in New Orleans, St Rose of Lima. St. Rose is no longer an active parish.

Since I didn't attend my church, I'll listen to MadPriest's service at St Laika's. The music included in his services is usually always excellent. I ask you: Where else can you hear "Joy to the World" performed by Three Dog Night on Easter Day? I've already seen Ellie Finlay's posts and pictures at The Anchorhold, and they are wonderful and thought-provoking.

UPDATE: I listened, and the service at St Laika's is very good, indeed. The music, the sermon, all of the service is well-worth a listen. My only further recommendation is that since the Gospel is John's story of Thomas the doubter, MadPriest might have added the wonderfully incarnational painting by Caravaggio, titled "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas", which is below. I like to show the painting at least once during the Easter season.

MADPRIEST TURNS PIOUS

ELSEWHERE ON THE OCICBW... EXPERIENCE

THE ANCHORHOLD: "About Spiritual Direction"and a Westminster Abbey Choir vid.

ST. LAIKA'S: Daily prayer with music. I particularly like the version of the hymn, "Lord, teach us how to pray aright," that I bunged into the service today.

Posted by MadPriest

No doubt helped along by the good influence of the lovely Ellie, who runs The Anchorhold, MadPriest has taken up praying and even posting entire prayer services on his alternate webpage, St Laika's. I suspect that the posting is done by his alter-ego, the kind, gentle, compassionate, polite MadPriest, whom we catch a glimpse of only from time to time. But, if you visit the web page, you will see that, hidden away though he may be for much of the time, the alter-ego is real.