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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

As Many...


As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ....Alleluia!


Celebrating Hermione's symbolic death and resurrection in Christ, at Christ the Saviour Orthodox church in Ottawa. Her baptism was full of grace and love and the holiness of the sacrament. We were blessed to have the parish choir surrounding us with song (the musical tradition of the Eastern Church is really incredible, and this church has an amazing choir). Typically the whole parish shows up and shouts Sealed! for the chrismation...a powerful reminder that the body of Christ is a human body made of human members, as well as a mystical body. An organic unity.

Our journey to Eastern Christianity has been marked by what Will and I keep noticing as a peaceful integration between the human and divine, between tradition and charisma, between holiness and practicality, truth and love, past and present.

I would like to write more about it, but for now we are just basking in the glow of our tiny newborn saint.

13 comments:

  1. Beautiful post Mary and Will! Congratulations for the New Hermione.

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    1. Thank you Don! Hope all is well with you and Sue. Would love to see you some time!

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  2. I don't know how similar the Orthodox and Byzantine liturgies are, but I assume they are close. I was disappointed that, despite marrying a Slovak, he wasn't Byzantine rite, just for the singing.
    Beautiful baptism.

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    1. Very similar. The eastern rites of the Catholic church use the same liturgies as the Orthodox churches and they share many musical traditions. In recent years eastern Catholics have been looking to their Orthodox brothers and sisters to revive their own traditions. The whole mixup between them is a sad political reality...I actually don't know much about it. I just know that Orthodoxy offers the most simplicity and peacefulness, for us, and that's an instinct I need to follow. Would love to tell you more Naomi! I know that one of these years we'll see each other in real life, and then: we'll have so much to talk about! I would love to be an apprentice in your kitchen. Love to your beautiful family!

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    2. The Eastern Catholics are in union with the Pope and the whole teaching Church who lead us on our path to heaven. Their traditions are very much alive. Our congregations are smaller in North America. Also, our Byzantine Catholic churches in our homelands were taken over by the Orthodox who are in league with the Communists. Typically the Orthodox are very wealthy, the Byzantines (Catholics) are oppressed and poor. with respect- Sarah remnantofremnant.blogspot.com

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  3. God grant you all many happy years! Such exciting news! I actually only recently found your blog, but felt an instant kinship. I would love to email you, do you have an address listed I'm not seeing?

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    1. Hi Kelly, I'd love to talk. I'll contact you through your profile page. I had a peek at your life: yes, kindred spirits indeed. :)

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    2. Oy! So I don't know if you emailed me, but I just checked and my blog was still connected to an old email address that I am locked out of. If you want to try kclattier at gmail, that's the one I can get into. Sorry for any confusion, I should have just listed my email to begin with! :P

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  4. Hi Mary, I found your blog through Soul Gardening and have enjoyed seeing the photos of your beautiful family and reading your words. I am so curious about what you wrote here about the peaceful integration in the Eastern rite between holiness and practicality, human and divine. It is touching something deep within me. Could you recommend a book(books) that can explain this to me?

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    1. Hi Joy! Sorry it took me so long to reply. This book was recommended to me. I haven't read it yet, but it looks really excellent!

      http://www.amazon.com/Facing-East-Pilgrims-Mysteries-Orthodoxy/dp/0060850000/ref=pd_sim_14_8?ie=UTF8&dpID=41MPQUV8fsL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104,160_&refRID=02296J0QWC06MJ4HE2R3

      Another good resource is the author's blog: http://frederica.com
      As a woman writer, she really resonates with me. I love how down to earth she is.

      Blessings!
      Mary

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  5. Many, many years! Oh, I am so thrilled for you all!! Little Hermione is outrageously adorable, as are her brothers peaking into the font in that top photo. Ahhh! We can shout "sealed" from all the way down here, alas. Many, many years to her and to you all. I just found an email to you positively languishing in my "drafts" folder ... I hope it will be finished and sent soon.

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    1. Thank you Lila! Don't feel any pressure to respond to my email....I'm just happy to know another sweet little Orthodox family is out there rooting for us! I hope you are resting, making milk, and savouring these crazy busy days with your littles. XO Mary

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