A Paschal Theology of Brioche

**sorry for any duplication--blogger hiccuped last week and deleted a few of my posts, so I'm re-posting them now**

When I reached for my Flour cookbook on Holy Saturday, I was a bit taken aback at the length of time the brioche recipe took. I wanted to make this egg- and butter-rich bread for our Pascha this year, but Saturday was the first time I'd looked at the recipe. "Still," I thought, "I can just break it up around our schedule."

And thinking about it after-the-fact, I think it fit perfectly with so much about Easter. Let me tell you about it.

Ingredients (for such a rich bread, it's surprisingly simple--life lessons, anyone?):

5 eggs, for the Pentateuch: the foundation of our faith, and the beginning of God's work in the world. Eggs for new life; eggs to remind us what we have given up for Lent.

Butter! So much butter: 18 tablespoons, to be precise. Nine in each loaf of brioche. Six sets of three. Oh, the richness of the Trinity :) 

Yeast, because we are Children of the Resurrection! 

Flour and water--can't make bread without these. 

Salt. We are the salt of the earth, after all.

---

So, in making the brioche, first you mix the flour, yeast, salt, eggs, and water together in a mixer, making a stiff dough--hardly pliable at all and not soft or supple like bread dough is supposed to be. But kneading is key in this recipe. In order to entice the gluten to break down, forming lovely, long, elastic strands, you have to knead the heck out of this dough. And you also need butter. Lots of it.

The recipe says to add the butter incrementally, waiting to add more until each addition is fully incorporated. Have you made brioche? Do you know how difficult it is to get (slippery, gooey, room-temperature) butter to mix into a stiff dough? It... takes a while. And even then, when all the butter is mixed in, the dough just sits on the bottom of the bowl all gooey and sticky. "How will this ever be bread," I wondered. Joanne said "trust me," though, so I did.

Knead for 10 minutes. Or longer. On medium speed, until the dough comes together and gets satiny smooth and much more bread-dough-like. I was amazed at this transformation. By the end of the kneading, you turn the mixer up a notch or two so that the dough is audibly slapping the side of the bowl. I guess you have to really beat the dough to get a soft, springy loaf... who knew?

Then you put the now-soft-and-supple-and-tasty dough into a bowl, cover it, and let it rise in the fridge for 6 hours, but preferably overnight. I only had 6 hours before we returned from the vigil with a tight schedule Easter Sunday, so I put it in the fridge, hoping for the best.

All the while we waited the Resurrection of the Lord, the dough was resting. "This is the night.." the priest chanted the Exultet. This is the night that Christ rose from the dead, triumphant over death forever. Oh death, where is your sting? Oh grave, where is your victory? And our Easter Bread rested, waiting.

When we got home, late at night, I took the cold, clammy dough out of the fridge and shaped it into two loaves, reserving two little bits for shaping the cross for the top. And, after I placed the braided crosses on top, I covered the loaves in their pans and set them to rise over night. In a warm, cozy spot in my kitchen, the dough slowly expanded and grew to fill the pans, popping over the top, ebullient with the life of the yeast.

Early in the morning, before the sun was up, I woke to my alarm. Time to turn the oven on! Time to bake our Easter Bread. While the oven was warming, I brushed the tops of the loaves with beaten egg, creating the perfect recipe for a golden, shiny crust. Into the oven; set the timer; snooze on the couch.

The bread was done just as the sun was rising, just as the sky was brightening on our happy Easter morn.

And it was delicious.

So delicious, in fact, that I didn't take any pictures. Oops :(

S'Nami Boh

This is the hymn that is sung in Byzantine Churches for the Christmas Eve Liturgy.  Though the tenor of this video doesn't do Fr. Joseph's deep, resonating bass justice, it is a beautiful hymn, which brings Christmas home to my heart just hearing it.

Christ is born! Glorify Him!!

....

Do Not Be Afraid, Mary

The first time I visited Taylor's family was during Advent, just after Thanksgiving.  Raised Roman Catholic, I was used to starting advent sometime in December, but Byzantine advent starts two weeks earlier.  The colors, instead of purple and rose (a red-headed Jesuit once emphatically told me it was not pink), are a somber, but still lively red--the color of fasting.

The fast moves through Thanksgiving (Byzantines always make room for feasts!) and the last days of November, entering December with the triumphant feast of Holy Father Nicholas.  As December 25 approaches, everything about the liturgy tingles with anticipation--the melodies, the antiphons, the psalms, the Gospel, and the singing!

In fact, the intensity of the singing in Taylor's house sometimes causes a chuckle during the second and third weeks of advent, when the prokimemon is proclaimed: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have won God's favor.  You will conceive from the Spirit and bear God's son."  Do not be afraid, visitors, we sing this loud because we are very excited for Christmas to come... It's a wonderful way to prepare for the feast. 

Oh--Hello November

So, remember last year when it was NaBloWriMo in November?  (A cursory look seems to indicate it was October this year.. oops).  Well, I so enjoyed a reason to write everyday that month that I fully intended to do it again this year.

And then I was in Hawaii with my husband's family on November 1st and y'know what? It completely slipped my mind :)  Which is understandable, I think (wait till you see the pictures--I think you'll forgive me, too).

But hey Byzantines:  guess what--Philipovka is just around the corner! When did this happen?! I was thinking about Kris Kringle presents last evening and I realized: HOLY MOLEY NOVEMBER 15 IS ON MONDAY!  You might think all-caps is unnecessary, but I was more than a bit taken aback.

Philipovka means the beginning of the nightly meal prayers, and the advent wreath and the red cloths on the icon corner.  I have to get out my felt advent calendar and start snapping little ornaments on the tree. It means I need to get my act in gear for Christmas presents and to start (really start) thinking about Thanksgiving.  It means, to put it succinctly, that the year is almost over.  I'm not sure I'm ready for that.

Though still, to my mind, the end of the year is always such fun with all the holidays and the presents and the cooking and baking and eating, oh! the eating.  I love the Christmas season for the same reason I love the Easter season--it's so centered around the senses--a truly tangible holiday:  the smells of baking, or leaves outside, the touch of the well know Christmas decorations in my hands as I unwrap each one and hang it up; the soft glow of lights on the tree and the sight of a beautifully set table ready for a party.  These things remain with me closely.

And I find myself wanting to slow the year down a bit, to savor its ending just a little more this year..

Back to blog writing months.. I've worked out a compromise.  I'll blog every day during Advent.  That is, during Byzantine Advent, which is Philipovka, starting November 15.  Blogging every day will, at least, help me realize the passing of days, which may not slow time down, realistically, but it will help me appreciate the days more.

And that's important, too.

Three Hundred Sixty Five

September 1 was a big day this year. My niece Rachel turned four. The Byzantine liturgical year arrived (how did that happen so fast?!). Taylor got a sore throat :( Viv came over for salmon patties and broiled greens.  We watched a Poirot mystery and went to bed early (!).

And I also took a photograph.  It's nothing special, really, but it's a beginning--and everyone has to start somewhere, right?  I chose September first to start my project because it's the beginning of the liturgical year, in hopes that I will also be better about keeping the liturgical year at home.  So here it is, day 1.  These are the ribbons to our most-used prayer books, waiting to guide us through our morning prayers.

ribbons

There are several things I want to accomplish over this next year as I take a photograph a day.  I want to get to know my camera better.  I want to know everything it can do, and how I can take advantage of all its features and potential.

I'd like to increase my skill in post-processing, too.  Even in film, you can take all the fun pictures you want but if you develop them poorly or print them badly, it just doesn't cut it.  In this digital age, any earnest photographer needs to learn her way around some of the photo processing software.

Finally, I want to get back into the creative side of photography.  It's been fun simply having a fabulous camera around, so that whenever I felt like it, I could snap a great picture.  But what I enjoyed so much about my first 365 project (with my point and shoot) was that it encouraged me to think about pictures most of the time.  I had to look around when I was walking somewhere, to try and see something worth photographing.  I had to poke around at home, sometimes late at night, trying to sneak a picture in before the day was over, looking for interesting things to capture.

Other challenges I foresee are carrying my dSLR with me whenever I go out (and maybe a tripod, too?).  It's larger than a point and shoot, harder to get out, takes a bit more thinking power to do the settings before I click a picture.. well see how this goes. If you start to see a lot of pictures "around the house" call me out on it, ok? :)

Now, it's one thing to think about pictures all the time (and you'd be amazed how many opportunities present themselves when you're looking), but it's an entirely different thing to actually take the picture you see in your head.  I'm terrible about this, especially if the picture I'm dreaming of includes some person sitting across from me, say, on the bus.  What if I pull my camera out and start clicking and they freak out and start yelling at me?! Or what if I end up with a picture of this person staring straight at my lens with an "I'm totally gonna kill you" look on their face?  That puts me off, a bit.  So.. I want to work on that, too. We'll see how it goes.

Wish me luck!

Remember That Party...

we had for St. Thomas Sunday?  It was lots of fun :)  I have no proper excuse for not sharing with you before now.  I blame it on general "busy-ness."

But we had great fun!  I made the cakes the week we got back from CA and froze them (to make them easier to frost).  We had picked up the hams the Sunday before and they were happily thawing in my fridge.

On Saturday (a few weeks ago--St. Thomas Sunday is the week after Easter), I woke fairly early and began to make the Pascha bread.  I made two kinds--one with the traditional eggs and butter and (real) milk, and one "vegan" (@#$%$^ allergies!) so that I could enjoy some as well.  I'm happy to report that, while the vegan bread wasn't quite the same, it was still delicious and I was very happy with it. (I used this recipe (I think I halved or quartered it), because I am also allergic to wheat flour. (and FYI, you can get white spelt flour on amazon.com, order two boxes, free shipping!))

Since I don't have any of the right sized pans to bake upright loaves, I braided my loaves of Pascha.  Next year I want to try to make the loaves more plump and less lanky.  They last a bit longer when stretched out, but I like the look of puffier loaves. I love the braiding, though.  I may never bake upright loaves, even if I do have the right pans. It's just so nice, so soothing to handle the slightly warm, soft, stretchy dough in my fingers. And I love to roll out the tiny strands for the cross on top.  

And this year I found a better way to finish the cross ends, with those little curly-cues (thanks to Kayleen's pictures).  I can't wait to live closer to more Byzantine families, where we can all get together to bake our Easter goodies together.  "It's more friendly with two [dozen]." :)

Vivian helped me with the cakes once the Pascha was done.  She made the lamb cake look fluffier than I've ever seen him, and the chocolate cake was simply perfect. Viv--you're totally hired ;)

As for the rest of the spread, in addition to the cakes I baked earlier in the week, we had mustard-glazed ham (oh yeah--that was good), Greek green beans (courtesy of Frank), chips and salsa, oodles of good cheese and crackers, Mediterranean pasta salad, mini-pasteries, and lots of butter and wine and beer.  All made better, of course, by great friends and fun conversation.

Oh, and we had jelly beans, too. That was awesome :)

So, enjoy the pictures! Would you like to come to our St. Thomas Sunday party next year? :)

St. Thomas Sunday

Lamb Cake

Every year at Easter, we have lamb cake.  When I was first introduced to lamb cake, through my in-laws, all I heard for weeks before Easter was how tasty lamb cake was and how everyone couldn't wait to take a slice.  Most people would think I'd have caught on and realized it was not a cake made out of lamb.  Most people would have guessed that a regular vanilla white cake shaped like a lamb would make more sense. Not me :)

But I soon learned for myself how tasty lamb cake is.  It's not that there is a special specific recipe that makes it tasty.  Perhaps it's all the fasting from sweets so often characteristic of our Lent.  Perhaps it's that you are so hungry by the time you get to slice the back end of this little guy that it makes it extra good. Perhaps the necessarily-dense cake soaks up all the sweet moisture from the frosting "just rightly."  Maybe it's the soft curly coconut pressed into the frosting as fleece.

Whatever it is, Easter is now not complete for me without it. It is a staple (along with lots of meat and cheese and lamb (shaped) butter and Pascha bread!).

Here is the recipe I use, taken from the Joy of Cooking (1970s edition), specifically for molded cakes.

White Cake II

1 c sugar

1/3 - 1/2 c butter

2 c cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites (beaten stiff, but not dry)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  While oven is pre-heating, prepare your mold.  I am not one to diligently grease anything that I don't have to, but with this cake, it makes your life so much easier.  Spread a thin layer of solid shortening (I think butter would work, but I usually use a vegetable shortening) on any part of the mold that cake batter will touch.  Make sure the layer is consistent and relatively thin (you don't want globs of shortening messing up the form of your cake).  


Next (this is important) coat the shortening with flour [btw, if you're doing a chocolate cake, use cocoa powder instead of flour].  My method is to sprinkle a tablespoon or so of flour in the mold and shake it and bang it around until it's all coated.  Shake out any excess (and use it for the other half of the mold, if it's a two-part).  Set the molds aside (not on the stove--the shortening will melt) until ready to use. 


On to the cake. Cream sugar and butter in a mixing bowl until well-combined.  Sift remaining dry ingredients together.  Combine milk and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients in thirds to sugar mixture, alternating with thirds of the milk mixture until the batter is smooth and uniform (it will be relatively thick--great for a mold cake).

When the egg whites are sufficiently whipped, gently fold them into the batter until just combined.

If you're using a two-part mold, one half will have a hole in it.  This half is the lid of the mold. Pour the cake batter into the bottom part, evening it out in all partitions, and put it on a cookie sheet with the "lid" on the mold.  Bake for 25 minutes.  To check for done-ness, insert a toothpick through the steam hole in the lid.  Bake till it's done--soggy insides make for slouchy lambs :)

Be sure to check out these 10 handy Cake Tips at Smitten Kitchen (btw, super-fabulous site if you haven't heard of it before!) for good "handling" ideas on making/decorating this lamb cake.

Christ is Risen

I posted this last year. And the year before.  I will post it next year.  It is beautiful--and perfect for Easter. It is no wonder they called him "golden tongue."

St. John Chrysostom's Paschal Homily

Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God?
Let him enjoy this beautiful bright festival!
Is there anyone who is a grateful servant?
Let him rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!


Are there any weary with fasting?
Let him now receive his wages!
If any have toiled from the first hour,
let him receive his due reward;
If any have come after the third hour,
let him with gratitude join in the Feast!
And he that arrived after the sixth hour,
let him not doubt; for he, too, shall sustain no loss.
And if any delayed until the ninth hour,
let him not hesitate; but let him come, too.
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.

For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
as well as to him that toiled from the first.
To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.
The deed He honors and the intention He commends.


Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!
First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!


You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!
Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!


Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.


He destroyed Hades when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.
Isaiah foretold this when he said,
"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."


Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.
Hell took a body, and discovered God. 
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.
O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?


Christ is Risen, and you, O Death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!
Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.


To Him be glory and power
now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

St. John Chrysostom (A.D. 347-407)

Rich

In his Christmas letter this year, Fr. Joseph (the priest who married us) wrote some beautiful prose about the season which, for me this year, really hits home, in a deep way.

"Memories are rich, especially at this time of year, and thinking back on past Christmases and holidays, of the beauty of the Church and its Liturgy, of the love and warmth of family life, we learn to cherish these memories, which enrich our celebration even in this Holy season, adding an aura of warmth and love.  How lucky we are to have the glow of the Birth of our Savior to celebrate."

Christ is born! Glorify Him!

And the Virgin's Name was Mary

Today is the feast of the Conception of the Theotokos in the womb of St. Anne.  I've always thought this was a beautiful feast (maybe because I like to see priests wearing blue), but for a long while, I was pretty confused, too.  In the Roman rite, it's just called the "Immaculate Conception [of Mary]." But as a kid, I guess I assumed it was the conception of Jesus in Mary's womb.  I know--it doesn't make sense if you think about the timing, but really! The gospel for this feast is the Annunciation, it's Christmas time, we're all thinking about Baby Jesus.. my confusion was natural (up until I was about 9, when I finally figured it out) ;)

Traditionally, the story goes something like this (forgive me for any wrong details--I've only heard it a few times).  Anne and Joachim had been praying for a child for many years. One day, an angel appeared to Anne telling her she would conceive a child who would become a queen with great power. At the same time, an angel appeared to Joachim with the same message. They ran to tell each other the good news and they met at the city gates.  The image of the icon here shows their meeting (yes, there's a "couch" (=bed) behind them--it is the conception of Mary, after all).  Anne's robes are billowing out behind her in her haste to meet her husband; Joachim's feet are firmly planted--a strong, reliable figure.  Their faces are touching to show their love for each other.

Even the name, Mary, means "longed-for child" in Hebrew.  Truly Mary is a longed-for woman of the ages.  Through the grace of God, she was spared the stain of original sin, and through her consent to God's plan for her life, the Savior of the world became man and dwelt among us.  That's why the gospel for today is the Annunciation--because Anne's conception of Mary Immaculate points to the Incarnation of the Christ.

The nativity narratives tell us that "Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19).  I've always loved representations of Mary in nativity sets (maybe that's why I have so many?).  Each one, for me, is a different interpretation of that line. This year, Daddy decided that he would let each of us pick one of Momma's nativity sets for a Christmas present.  I chose Momma's hand-made red clay set. I've always loved the way the garments of the figures seem to flow and have such a warm grace to them.  Mary, of course, is my favorite. She's always been my favorite. I think this clay set captures well many of the emotions of that Holy Night.

The angel, so reverent and awe-struck at the God-Made-Man

The shepherd girl, with the gift of a bird, almost shy at what she's witnessing

The wise men on their camels, journeying from afar.  I love the "Byzantine" posture of these figures--arms crossed over their breast, bearing their treasures to the new-born King

And Mary, Star of the Sea. I can only imagine the wonder and joy you ponder in your heart as you gaze on your Son, our Savoir.

Nicholas the Saintly

Yesterday there was a divine liturgy in honor of St. Nicholas, Wonderworker, patron of the Byzantine church and of children.  T and I attended with our friend Matt. It was quite the pan-Byzantine service.  There was a Melkite priest, a Ukrainian priest, an Armenian deacon, a Ruthenian server, and a Ukrainian choir. And it was beautiful.

We celebrated in a chapel on the BC campus, "converted" to accommodate the liturgy.  Even though there were so many rites present, since we all celebrate the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and the various parts are all the same.  Sure, the translation into English is sometimes different, but you still can't really get lost.  It was wonderful to be in that familiar place, liturgically speaking. All the incense, the singing, the candles and icons and rich vestments.  Those friends of mine who are fortunate enough to attend Liturgy every Sunday are blessed indeed!  T and I can't wait to move back to the west coast--back to our Byzantine homes :)

I know Roman Catholics celebrate St. Nicholas day, too, but it's such a big deal for Byzantines--him being the patron of our church.  Kris Kringle came this morning and left us a book about St. Nicholas.  While I take issue with one or two words in the text (i.e. "Nicholas supposedly defended the faith with a magnificent confession.") the illustrations are beautiful and very Byzantine. It was nice to see the traditional representation of the Saint with his bishop's stole.  Of course, the book explains how today's Santa Clause arose from the story of Nicholas, and so we come full circle.  But it's still nice to hear about the beginning, as it were.

Happy Feast, everyone!

St. Nicholas, pray for us!

PRAYER TO ST. NICHOLAS OF MYRA O Saint Nicholas, 
bountiful Father and special Patron of our Byzantine 
Catholic Church. You are a shepherd and teacher to all 
who invoke your protection, and who, by devout prayer, 
call upon you for aid. Hasten and save the flock of 
Christ from ravenous wolves; and by your holy prayers 
protect all Christians and save them from worldly 
disturbances, earthquakes, attacks from abroad, from 
internal strife, from famine, flood, fire, sword, and 
sudden death. As you had mercy on those three men in 
prison and saved them from the king's wrath, now also 
have mercy on me who by word, deed, and thought have 
sunk into the darkness of sin, Save me from the just 
anger of God, and from eternal punishment. Through your 
intercession and aid as well as through his own mercy 
and grace, may Christ our God allow me to lead a 
tranquil and sinless life, and save me from standing at 
"his left," but deem me worthy to stand at "his right" 
with all the saints. Amen.

Pilgrim's Feast (hehe)

Christmas.

I know it's "too early" to be talking about Christmas (ha! not for Byzantines!), but I was very strongly reminded of it today.  We're having some friends over for Thanksgiving this year and I decided it would be fun to make sugar cookies to have for dessert.

I made the dough yesterday (being careful not to sample any--darn food allergies!) and stuck it in the fridge until this afternoon.  I wasn't expecting to be brought back to my childhood holidays. But there I was, remembering all the many times we'd made sugar cookies at Momma's house.

We'd make dozens and dozens of cookies, all shapes, all sizes, and for all the holidays. We'd have turkeys and pilgrims and leaves and pumpkins. There would be stockings and santas and Nativity figures and Christmas trees and presents and reindeer and sleighs.  There would be snowflakes and snowmen and bells and stars and gingerbread men (and women).  Then we would spend countless hours decorating them (with all different colors using only spoons and toothpicks!) for all the different holidays.  There were always sugar cookies around from November through January in our house. It was beautiful :)

So go ahead, siblings, try it. Make some sugar cookie dough, close your eyes, and smell it.  Then take a small taste, and you're in Momma's kitchen, elbows propped up on her butcher block table, kneeling on the bench, waiting to pick away (and devour) more scraps of sugar'd cookie dough.  Next thing you know, you'll be wondering where the sprinkles are so you can shake the sparkle-colored sugar over the lovely cookies before Momma puts them in the oven.  I can already taste the powdered sugar frosting she used to decorate them.

Momma's sugar cookie recipe
Cream in mixer:
--3/4 c crisco (or other solid shortening; using butter makes the cookies come out pretty soft, and more prone to breaking when you decorate them)
--1 c sugar

Add:
--2 eggs
--1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift together and add to liquid ingredients:
--2 1/2 c flour
--1 tsp baking powder
--1 tsp salt

Refrigerate dough for at least 4 hours (I did it overnight--it keeps a few days).  Roll out on to floured surface and cut cookies out.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes at 400 degrees.

Some Finer Things

One of the nice things about having a 6 week fast before Christmas (with T and me, at least) is that you get at least 6 Kris Kringle presents.

You might ask, "What are Kris Kringle presents?"  They're awesome, that's what they are :)  As kids, "Kris Kringle" always found the best presents and small gifts to give us.  On Sundays there would be a gift for the family, usually a Christmas book or chocolates--something we could all share and enjoy.  During the weekdays (it seemed to me, most often, on those days when my poor 3rd grade week was just too long to endure), we'd wake up and find a small treasure--sometimes wrapped, sometimes not--waiting on our pillow or on our dresser for us.  It was always such a treat, and so unexpected.

Two years ago, I decided Kris Kringle should come to our house, too.  And what'd'y'know? we found gifts waiting for us all 6 Sundays of Advent :)

The best part is that you never know where the present will show up, or even when.  We got this on on Wednesday--a special present. I guess Kris knew we needed a few things from the Body Shop.

Taylor really wished that he got a cut-throat razor to go with it, but I'm not so sure about those yet...

He really did enjoy his new brush, though--it was super cute, and, he says, "much better than that stuff from the can."  Well done, Kris Kringle!

And now we sit,

freshly brewed
oolong tea

in nifty

new

 double-walled

 glasses,

tidying up our day

before heading to bed.

The finer things in life

are usually very small.

But always fantastic.

Enjoy them :)

O Joyful Light

Advent is here.  That joyful season when we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth.  I've been thinking about Christmas for months now (homemade gifts + an ever-expanding family), but with the advent of Philipovka, it's time to prepare the soul (and body, and home) as well.

Yesterday, after work, I tidied up the house and got out the red cloths and candles for the icon corner.  I put away the familiar white cloth behind the crucifix, and I folded the fancier cloth that sits on the shelf, under our candles and icons and holy cards.  When our small red candle is lit for prayers, the red flame stands out against the golden icons.

I pulled our Star of David out from the shelf and unwrapped the six red candles I had saved from last year and set it up on our table. I placed our prayer booklets for meals, with matches and a candle snuffer, on the table next to the candles.

I unpacked the Advent Calendar and hung it on our bedroom door.

There.

Now I'm ready to wait for Christ.

Menu planning for the next 6 weeks will be a bit different.  See, part of our Christmas preparation is to fast, and I need to factor that in to my meal schedule.  Oatmeal for breakfast, very small lunch or snack, modest dinner, no desserts.  I know that some people may think fasting is "old fashioned" and "unnecessary" but I firmly believe in its benefits (spiritually as well as physically).  By abstaining from certain foods for certain reasons, our bodies remind us to prepare for Christmas, to pray, and to give thanks for the gifts we have.  Abstinence makes the heart grow (fonder, more charitable, holier).  Also, how much more feast-ive is the Christmas day feast when the fast is broken and the much-missed foods return to the table!  If one can fast from good things, one is free from slavery to them, and thus, closer to God.

Over the next several weeks, I will decorate our house for Christmas.  We will put up our nativity sets, hang lights and Christmas pictures, find a tree, and decorate it beautifully.  We will hear readings at Church each day that increase the anticipation and excitement with a voice crying out in the wilderness, "Ready the Way of the Lord!"  The house will be full of goodies which only make an appearance at Christmastime (cunningly saved in winter tins to await the end of the fast).  We will play Christmas music and wrap presents and visit family and warm our hearts and souls and bodies against the cold with all manner of Good Things.

But for now, it is just the beginning of the journey toward Christmas, and we enter the wilderness for 40 days to make ourselves ready.

Last night we had lentil and sweet potato soup with a quick wheat bread (recipe from my birthday cookbook).

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

2 c. red or brown lentils (or combination) soaked overnight
2 medium sweet potatoes
3 onions (or 3 heaping T dried onion)
2 qt water (or combination water and broth of choice)
1/2 tsp paprika
juice of one lemon
dash cayenne pepper (add this after soup is done simmering! if it boils, it intensifies!)
salt to taste

Combine water [and stock], lentils, sweet potatoes, and onions in soup pot and simmer until veggies are tender.

Blend soup until smooth.

Add seasonings to taste.


Whole Wheat Buttermilk Bread
adapted from: From a Monastery Kitchen

1 c flour
2 heaping c coarse-ground whole wheat flour
2 T sesame seeds
2 T toasted wheat germ (I used milled flax seeds)
2 T rye meal
1 tsp salt
1 T brown sugar
1 heaping tsp baking soda
2 c buttermilk (dairy allergy/vegan? use milk substitute + 2 T vinegar)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add 2 c buttermilk and stir until just combined (adding water if mixture is too dry--it should have the consistency of banana bread batter).

Grease bread pan. Pour mixture into the pan and bake for about 40 minutes. Cool (or not) and serve.

St. Philip's Fast

[I know it's a little early, but T and I are going to NY today and I won't have time to post until we get back.]

Today is the eve of the Feast of St. Philip and (for Byzantines) the eve before the beginning of Advent.  This year, as a Kris Kringle present, I made an Advent Calendar for Taylor's family :)

Hope they like it.  And I hope this post hasn't spoiled the surprise, since it's one day early!

Black's Advent Calendar

To Jordan's Waters...

Christ comes to be baptized! 

John the forerunner now humbly steps aside. 

Christ the Lord is baptized, 

Salvation is now realized. 

Skies of heaven open, God the Father spoken. 

O'er the Jordan a dove, Holy Spirit of Love, 

Revelation from above. 

Ahh, house blessing season :)  Following the feast of Theophany (Christ's baptism in the Jordan, where God is revealed as Trinity), in the Byzantine church, the tradition is to have the priest bless each household in the parish. This year, we were lucky enough to spend Theophany with T's folks and it was a blast! We prepared all sorts of yummy dishes, cleaned the house like mad (from the corners of the ceilings to the top of the baseboards!), and even managed to install the late-in-arriving dishwasher before Fr. Joseph arrived.  Props to the guys on this one

I love the ritual of house blessing.  While the priest goes around the house (led by the head of the household) blessing each room, the families sing the above song.  Having been raised Roman Catholic, I would tease Taylor (when we first started dating) saying, "Well, Roman house blessings last longer--we only need to do it once and it stays."  :)  But I really do like the idea of blessing your house every year. Most people give their house a good thorough cleaning every year--why not bless it, too? There's no such thing as being too blessed. 

Besides, it gives you an opportunity to open your home to several other families/households in the parish and for the priest to see your home and your domestic altar.  It provides an opportunity to welcome the faith community into your own little domestic church.  I always loved it when my parish priest back home came to Momma's New Years Eve open house--being able to sit in a more comfortable environment with the priest, I think, is very important. Mass (or Liturgy) and confession and marriage preparation and lectures and classes are all very important and good.  But it's also very important to get to know the priest as himself.  

Mum and Fr. Joseph talked about bee hives after the blessing, while Father sipped burbon.  It was good :) 

All You Who Have Been Baptized into Christ

...have put on Christ! Alleluia! 

Today, the Sunday before the feast of Theophany (Christ's baptism in the Jordan--and the revelation of God as Trinity), Kristiana Noelle Clayton joined the Christian family through the holy mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation, and Eucharist. 

It was a beautiful Liturgy, and it was so good to be back at Ss. Cyril and Methodius. I forget how beautiful that church it. It's much more plain than St. John's in Seattle, but still quite lovely.  Kristiana was a delight to behold! She was only a little squirmy for the "churching" and if she cried very much during the baptism or Liturgy, I have forgotten about it--they would have been very little cries anyway, since she's still such a little person. Alexander, too, was pretty good. For a recently de-throned toddler, he was exceptional, actually. He even posed for some pictures with T and me after Liturgy! What a handsome little boy! 

It was great to see Fr. Bill again, and catch up, albeit briefly, with the other members of the parish we haven't seen since we moved. After chatting for a while, T and I headed to Rockwood Bakery with Liz--one of the neatest women ever! Although we've talked to her frequently since we left Spokane, we hadn't actually seen her since then. And Rockwood Bakery is a fabulous place to spend time with good friends--more good food :) The two go so well together! 

This evening we drove north through snowy streets to The Grandparents Clayton's house :) for an open house, where (naturally) we saw MORE people we haven't seen in a while. Cute babies, happy smiling people, good food, cool toys... what a wonderful world. I had a lot of fun following Alexander around and playing with him :) He's a really cute kid. Someday I hope the Clayton's and the Black's can live closer.  (I also hope we have kids for their kids to play with, too.) Fortunately for us, we get to see the Clayton family again tomorrow for breakfast!  

And.. to conclude a lovely (lovely!) day, T and I went to David's pizza for dinner! What a treat :) 

Then T was good enough to take me on another walk through GU. On our first walk, we didn't get all the way to campus, so tonight we walked around all our old "haunts" again. We love that campus. If Taylor ended up teaching there and we got a farm 45 minutes out of the city, I could deal with that. And before we ended our walk, it started to snow. It hasn't stopped yet. I hope we're not snowed in tomorrow! (And, in a way, I wouldn't mind being "stuck" in Spokane for another day or two or three) 

And life is good. Praise God! 

Christmas Morning

Christ is Born! Glorify Him! 

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BEHOLD a new and wondrous mystery. My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing. 

The Archangels blend their voice in harmony. The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise. The Seraphim exalt His glory. All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in heaven. He Who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised.

Bethlehem this day resembles heaven; hearing from the stars the singing of angelic voices; and in place of the sun, enfolds within itself on every side, the Sun of justice. And ask not how:  for where God wills, the order of nature yields. For He willed; He had the power; He descended; He redeemed; all things yielded in obedience to God. This day He Who is, is Born; and He Who is, becomes what He was not. For when He was God, He became man; yet not departing from the Godhead that is His. Nor yet by any loss of divinity became He man, nor through increase became He God from man; but being the Word He became flesh, His nature, because of impassability, remaining unchanged.

And so the kings have come, and they have seen the heavenly King that has come upon the earth, not bringing with Him Angels, nor Archangels, nor Thrones, nor Dominations, nor Powers, nor Principalities, but, treading a new and solitary path, He has come forth from a spotless womb.

Since this heavenly birth cannot be described, neither does His coming amongst us in these days permit of too curious scrutiny. Though I know that a Virgin this day gave birth, and I believe that God was begotten before all time, yet the manner of this generation I have learned to venerate in silence and I accept that this is not to be probed too curiously with wordy speech.

For with God we look not for the order of nature, but rest our faith in the power of Him who works. What shall I say to you; what shall I tell you? I behold a Mother who has brought forth; I see a Child come to this light by birth. The manner of His conception I cannot comprehend. Nature here rested, while the Will of God labored. O ineffable grace! The Only Begotten, Who is before all ages, Who cannot be touched or be perceived, Who is simple, without body, has now put on my body, that is visible and liable to corruption.

 For what reason? That coming amongst us he may teach us, and teaching, lead us by the hand to the things that men cannot see. For since men believe that the eyes are more trustworthy than the ears, they doubt of that which they do not see, and so He has deigned to show Himself in bodily presence, that He may remove all doubt.

Christ, finding the holy body and soul of the Virgin, builds for Himself a living temple, and as He had willed, formed there a man from the Virgin; and, putting Him on, this day came forth; unashamed of the lowliness of our nature.

For it was to Him no lowering to put on what He Himself had made. Let that handiwork be forever glorified, which became the cloak of its own Creator. For as in the first creation of flesh, man could not be made before the clay had come into His hand, so neither could this corruptible body be glorified, until it had first become the garment of its Maker.

What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger. And He Who cannot be touched, Who is simple, without complexity, and incorporeal, now lies subject to the hands of men. He Who has broken the bonds of sinners, is now bound by an infants bands. But He has decreed that ignominy shall become honor, infamy be clothed with glory, and total humiliation the measure of His Goodness. For this He assumed my body, that I may become capable of His Word; taking my flesh, He gives me His spirit; and so, He bestowing and I receiving, He prepares for me the treasure of Life. He takes my flesh, to sanctify me; He gives me His Spirit, that He may save me. 

Come, then, let us observe the Feast. Truly wondrous is the whole chronicle of the Nativity. For this day the ancient slavery is ended, the devil confounded, the demons take to flight, the power of death is broken, paradise is unlocked, the curse is taken away, sin is removed from us, error driven out, truth has been brought back, the speech of kindliness diffused, and spreads on every side, a heavenly way of life has been implanted on the earth, angels communicate with men without fear, and men now hold speech with angels. 

Why is this? Because God is now on earth, and man in heaven; on every side all things commingle. He became Flesh. He did not become God. He was God. Wherefore He became flesh, so that He Whom heaven did not contain, a manger would this day receive. He was placed in a manger, so that He, by whom all things are nourished, may receive an infant's food from His Virgin Mother. So, the Father of all ages, as an infant at the breast, nestles in the virginal arms, that the Magi may more easily see Him. Since this day the Magi too have come, and made a beginning of withstanding tyranny; and the heavens give glory, as the Lord is revealed by a star.

To Him, then, Who out of confusion has wrought a clear path, to Christ, to the Father, and to the Holy Ghost, we offer all praise, now and for ever. Amen.

St. John Chrysostom, “Homily on Christmas Morning”

(No wonder he was called "Golden Tongue")

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Momma woke up the sleepers today with her robo-raptor :) It's so cute to see her, remote control in hand, leading her toy dinosaur around the house to rouse a sleepy household! 

We had a lovely breakfast this morning of Kringle and tea.  We opened our stockings together. Morning Mass was wonderful. Everything was bright and sunny (it almost reminds me of Easter morning, but it's too cold!).  After Mass we came home and opened the rest of our presents... Christmas is a wonderfully cozy time. Hope you enjoy your day, too!

Holy Supper

The Byzantine tradition on C'mas eve (which is the last day of St. Phillip's fast) is to serve 12 different dishes to represent the 12 apostles.  I know, some of you may be thinking, "How can you get 12 dishes in one meal that are meatless AND without dairy?!"  I have often wondered the same thing. Let's just say you can do a lot with potatoes :)

But this year, at my parents' house, we had a "modified" holy supper.  It was, indeed, meatless (Momma has always served all-you-can-eat shrimp on C'mas eve (because that's all she had energy for by then!)), but tonight we relaxed the no-dairy rule a bit!

Here are our 12 dishes: 

Leek soup (oooh! so yummy. It has a 1/4 pound of brie melted into the soup!)
Pine nuts
Lima bean hummus
Clementine oranges
Soy Sauce :D
Yoshida's Sauce
Apple sauce
Berry'd apple sauce
Black olives
French Fries
Fried Shrimp
Bread with garlic and honey

The table is set with a white cloth, to represent the swaddling clothes of the Infant Christ. Hay is strewn on the table to remind us of the stable where Christ was born. The candle in the center of the table is the Light of Christ. The bread reminds us of the Eucharist--the food for our souls.

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As a side note...

It was always so wonderful to have a fancy dinner at my parents' house. Crisp linens on the table, laying out the china and fine flatware, arranging the napkins, getting out (and usually washing) the crystal, filling all the fun and elaborate serving dishes--it's so much fun!

I think of it as similar to decorating the Church beautifully on feast days. It's not that God will be better to you if your church is pretty, but He does appreciate it, right? If you make things beautiful, in any way, for the right reasons, someone always appreciates it!  On the beautifully-set table, you honor the people gathered around it; you recognize the love and fellowship present at the gathering. For me, particularly, most of my fine things are gifts, so I also get to remember and honor the gift-giver!

I guess it's all part of my understanding of sacramentality.  Physical things have meaning. If you remember and honor that meaning, and do not become too attached to the thing (for the sake of the thing), then it becomes be a recognition of God's goodness to us in all our many blessings.

So praise God for all the china at my parents' house (and there is a lot of it)--and Praise Him for all the familial good times it has witnessed! 

Divine Liturgy

I miss it. A lot. Luckily, T and I have been able to go to the Melkite Cathedral in Boston, which really is lovely. But it's not Ruthenian... it's not our tradition. And we've even been very welcomed there--everyone is happy to see us when we go, and it's been a fun experience to learn the different chant melodies and sing in Greek and Arabic. But I still miss St. John's and Ss. Cyril and Methodius. 

It was so moving to be there tonight at Liturgy, to sing the same familiar hymns (with all T's siblings singing as loud as they can!), with 4-part harmonies, the incense and the bells, the bright red decorations, the icons and candles... 

Fr. Joseph's homily was fabulous, too.  He told us "Heaven begins on Earth! because Christ is with us (S'nami Boh!)."  What a beautiful, blessed world it is, to have Christ with us! Another thing that struck me particularly was, "The prayers on your lips are the prayers of Christ. The desires of your heart are the desires of Christ. For Christ is with us (S'nami Boh)!" Rejoice and be glad, for God is with us... 

If I keep going it will just be more of the same. I've posted about Divine Liturgy before and I still feel the same way. It is beautiful, simply. We hope to make it back sooner than later, God willing. Here's hopin'.