Christ is in our midst!
This Wednesday the Church commemorates Holy Theophany–the revelation of God as the All-Holy Trinity given at Our Lord’s Baptism in the Jordan.
The day before, Tuesday, 5 January, at 9 a.m., we will serve the Royal Hours of Theophany (appointed for the Vigil) and, at 6 p.m. Readers’ Great Vespers.
The season from Theophany until Triodion begins is the season for house blessings for the new year (in strict usage, at need homes may be blessed for the new year until Cheesefare Sunday).
Next Saturday, 9 January, Fr. Joseph plans to stay in the Manhattan area, blessing homes, and serving Saturday Great Vespers at 5 p.m. (possibly preceded by a Blessing of the Waters at about 4:30). The one time for a house blessing after Vespers has been claimed. Fr. Joseph has openings at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. At extremis if this Saturday is the only feasible time for five of you, a blessing could be scheduled at 4 p.m.
Each of the next two Saturdays (16 and 23 January) Fr. Joseph should be able to bless about three homes in the early afternoon (fewer if travel to outlying areas is needed or perhaps more with a tighter schedule).
Fr. Joseph is also willing to bless homes on 30 January if needed.
If you are an Orthodox Christian living in the Manhattan/Junction City Area and wish to have your home blessed (thought I’ve written ‘house’ occasionally above, home could equally be an apartment or dorm room), please e-mail a range of feasible times and dates to Subdeacon David at dyetter@math.ksu.edu (if possible at least three, though if you need a particular time/date we understand).
I would like to be able to e-mail Fr. Joseph, and those wishing to have their homes blessed, a complete schedule by next weekend.
Our Inquirers’ Class will resume Thursdays at 6 p.m. beginning on 7 January. We anticipate concluding the series this month. Anyone in the area is welcomed to join us. In previous classes, we considered the view of the early Church afforded by the epistles of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the (First) Epistle of St. Clement of Rome to the Corinthians, and the Didache. In this month’s classes we will be reading Bishop +Kallistos (Timothy) Ware’s history, The Orthodox Church.
