The Kitchen...

The Dining Room...

The Guest Bathroom...

The Nursery...

The Nursery is not much to look at right now... there is a crib mattress on the floor, a baby swing, a co-sleeper full of outgrown clothes, and a rocker. We have plans to purchase a bed and hang some nice pictures soon (hopefully before the new baby comes). When it comes together, I will photograph it!

The Master Bedroom...

The Master Bathroom...

Feminine Colors in Decorating: Yay or Nay?

When we went shopping last Saturday, I came across a book by April Cornell entitled Decorating with Color at Marshall's. Since I'm a fan of everything April Cornell and I love to decorate, this book came home with us!

While reading through it though, I was interested to read the following under a section entitled Pastel Palettes:

"For and innocent and delicate feel, for a very special event like a wedding picnic or garden party, try using soft pastels. Mint green, baby pink, and lavender with a strong grounding of white are as delicate and whimsical as a bride's bouquet... A delicate pastel palette can be used in a young girl's room or a nursery. I would use it reluctantly in a master bedroom or a public space; it is too feminine and limiting."

What do you think of this?

Personally, the colors we decorate with are brown (wood), white, violet, lavender, dusty blues, a little bit of black, etc. Though I definitely don't cover our house in frou-frou girly things, I see no problem with a good balance of masculine and feminine... even when the feminine part mainly manifests itself in colors and textures, while the masculine is mostly furniture.

In some cases, the primary color combinations and floral patterns (see her company's website for some examples) that are pictured in this book seem more feminine to me that the idea of using pastel colors.

I will try to post some pictures of things in our home that illustrate what I mean as far as our home goes tomorrow, but I am interested to know what you think about this topic.

What I Wore Wednesday...

Since I just wore a boring outfit of brown petal pushers and a white tee, I've decided to showcase what the baby wore today. This little blue sweater was buried in a rubbermaid bin of hand-me- downs. Sadly, I don't know who gave it to us (I combined clothing from several different families into one bin), but I think it is just beautiful! It seems to be handmade and looks like the pattern comes from the sixties (correct me if I'm wrong, please!!) if it wasn't made then. Baby looked really cute wearing it with a pair of cotton pants with ruffles and her white headband to complete the ensemble.

What did you wear today?

Feminine Touches...

I found this small pot of roses at the market today and since they were inexpensive, I decided to purchase them. I placed them on my dressing table and have found that the green really beings the room to life! I plan on making sure that every room in our home has some sort of plant in it this Fall and Winter. It really makes a difference!

What feminine touches have you brought into your home lately?

Brownies with Highlights...

Having always been a fan of Brownies, I have never felt the burning desire to bake Blondies. However, tonight was Bible Study night and I baked Brownies last time! Blondies seemed like a great substitute, so I quickly made a pan of them while our little one was occupied. They tasted pretty good, but the chocolate chips melted too much and made them look dark brown under the crust... So I decided to rename them: Brownies with Highlights. I'll cool the butter and sugar longer next time!

New Accessories for the Babe...

Here are some baby headbands that I made for our little one this afternoon. After searching high and low for pretty headbands for bald toddlers and not finding anything satisfactory, I decided to make my own! I gathered some pretty ribbon I had tucked away, elastic, and a glue gun and whipped them up. The next ones I'll make slightly smaller so they'll be harder to pull off. It's so nice to have some hair accessories that are cheap, cute, and feminine!

Sunday's Sermon: Sunday After the Exaltation of the Cross...

Just last Sunday we spoke about the necessity of having both faith and works in our Christian lives. And we saw that in order to witness to the Gospel, or Good News, of Jesus Christ we have to not only commit ourselves to a firm trust in the Lord but also commit ourselves to practicing His life-giving commandments.

As we know, the commands of the Lord are many, and can be found throughout the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament the most famous of the commandments are the Ten which were given to the Prophet Moses on Mount Sinai. And in the New Testament the most well known are those given by the Lord Himself in His Sermon on the Mount.

The difference between these two sets of commandments is as great as the difference between the two places where the commandments were given. Moses received the Ten Commandments in the heart of the desert, in a dry and barren place, where there was no water and nature itself was all but lifeless. While Christ delivered His Sermon on a flourishing mountain which overlooked the Sea of Galilee, in a region that is not only full of life, but perhaps even the most fertile and beautiful in all of the Holy Land.

The commandments of the Old Testament were given as a means to cut of sin, as a means to purify the Israelite people before entering into the Promise Land. Remember the Israelite people had spent many years in Egypt under the influence of a pagan people. Many of them had forgotten the Lord and had turned to the worship of idols. They had digressed spiritually, forgetting that they were a chosen nation called into a special covenant with God. And so the Lord, when He had led them out of Egypt, gave them commandments to get back on track, to prepare them to enter into the Promise Land, and most importantly to prepare them for the Messiah who was to come.

Now the commandments of Christ on the other hand, which we have in the New Testament, were given not so much to cut off sin as they were to give new life by teaching mankind how to live as God Himself lives. The Lord’s commandments were given to take man to the highest level of morality and spirituality; so that man might partake of the beautify and life of God, so that man might become perfect as God Himself is perfect.

Now if one were to take all these commandments from the Old and New Testaments, extracting them from the Holy Scriptures, separating them from historical events of our salvation, and placing them in their own book, one would have, if you will, a moral and spiritual handbook for Christian living. A moral and spiritual handbook instructing us to live as God Himself lives.

Of course, the first chapter of this book would correspond to the first commandment, the necessity of loving God with one’s whole mind, soul, heart, and strength. And the second chapter would correspond to the second commandment, which teaches that we must love our neighbor as our self. Likewise, the third chapter might be devoted to caring for the poor, or the benefits of fasting, or the peace and strength which come from prayer.

But what about the commandment which we heard in today’s Gospel reading, the commandment to deny oneself, take up one’s cross, and follow Christ? Where would we find this commandment?

Well the Fathers tell us that this teaching of the Lord is the call of the Gospel compacted into one sentence. It is the main gist, the very essence, of what we do as Christians. They tell us that this commandment to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Christ, must accompany us from the very beginning of the spiritual life to the very end, for everything we do in the Christian life is not only patterned after the example of Jesus Christ, but it is also empowered by His divine grace which is at work within us.

And so, if we had to place this commandment somewhere in the moral and spiritual handbook of Christian living, perhaps the most fitting place would be in the very beginning, as the introduction or preface, even before any of the other chapters.

And of course, if we think about it, this really would be the most appropriate place. For nothing in the Christian life can be accomplished without the willingness to give up our own imperfect will in order to follow God’s perfect plan, without a desire to deny the world and its ways for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.

We see this most clearly in Baptism, the Sacrament of initiation into the Christian life. When we are immersed three times in the waters of Baptism we die to the old man and put on the new Man. The first time we enter the water we die with Christ to sin, death, and the devil, the second time we are buried with Him in the tomb, and the third time we rise with Him to newness of life. And when we immerge we immediately begin our walk with Jesus Christ as the choir sings, “As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

This is the mystery of Baptism for it incorporates us into the life of Christ. First, we die to the old man, and then we enter into the life of the New Man, Jesus Christ, and He Himself enters into our life. This is exactly what St. Paul is talking about when he says in today’s epistle, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

You see, St. Paul had a most profound understanding of the Cross of Jesus Christ. And this is because he understood two very important things.

First, St. Paul understood that it is only through the Cross of Jesus Christ that we are saved. We are not saved by our good works. We are not saved by being good people. We are saved by the Cross of Jesus Christ. This is why St. Paul wrote to the Galatians that “man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ… by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me… for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” So the first thing St. Paul understood was that it is faith in the crucified Jesus Christ which justifies.

Now, the second thing St. Paul understood was that while we are saved through the Cross, the benefits of the Cross of Christ must be actualized in the life of the Christian. In other words, what Christ had accomplished in His victory over sin, death, and the devil, must be realized personally in the life of each and every one of the Lord’s followers.

This is why St. Paul asked the following question, he says “But what if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin?” And he answers the question himself saying, “Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, [and St. Paul is speaking here about a life of sin] then,” he says, “I make myself a transgressor.” That is I separate myself from the life and justification which Jesus Christ had come to give me.

This is why, as St. James says in his Epistle, both faith and works are necessary. Faith justifies and works actualizes. Faith in what Jesus Christ has accomplished justifies us, the Cross, the Tomb, the Resurrection. And the presence of Jesus Christ working within us through our Baptism actualizes this victory for us on a personal level. And so, faith in Jesus Christ justifies, and Jesus Christ working within us actualizes our salvation.

Finally, brothers and sisters, as we see the Cross before us today, let us like St. Paul have a deep and profound understanding and appreciation of how central it must be in our Christian lives.

Let us remember that the Cross is not only the means by which Jesus Christ has overcome sin, death, and the devil, 2000 years ago on Golgotha, but let us also remember that the Cross is the means by which Jesus Christ incorporates each and every one of us into His victory, every single day of our lives.

Each time we chose to turn away from sin, by letting go of anger, by being less selfish, by enduring hardship and temptation with patience, by forgiving and forgetting, by turning the other cheek, by loving our enemies, we are dying more and more to the old man. The man of sin is being crucified within us, nailed to the Cross of the Lord.

And as the old man dies, the new man is rising within us, each and every day, beginning with the day of our Baptism. And as Jesus Christ continually increases His presence within us, He teaches and helps us more and more to fulfill His life-giving commandments, the love of God, the love of one’s neighbor, and all the rest which lead us along the road to becoming perfect as God Himself is perfect.

This is what the Lord wills to accomplish within us and this is why He tells us that “whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.”

Let us, like St. Paul, and all the true followers of Jesus, be crucified with Christ, willingly losing the life subject to corruption by dying to the ways of sin, so that we might save our life by rising with the Lord to newness of life, both now and in the age to come. Amen.

Rising from the Ashes...

Rebuilding St. Nicholas Orthodox Church at Ground Zero...
Watch the video!

Ironing...

I finally had the opportunity to buy a bottle of Mrs. Meyer's Ironing Spray (in Geranium) a few weeks ago. What a pleasure to work with! Using that spray makes ironing a joy rather than the torture it was previously!

Here's a question for you though: would you use an obviously flowery scented spray on your husband's clothing? I've only been using it on my clothes, the baby's clothes, and our linens.

May Their Memories Be Eternal...

The Make Mine Pink Tea Party: Tea for Three...

Here is the tray of tea and cookies I prepared for our little tea party today. I took several "perfect" pictures, but decided to post this "realistic" one of our little one snagging a cookie just as I hit the button to take the last picture!

We had a pot of English Breakfast Tea and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Joy of Cooking) and enjoyed sitting on our newly tidied screened in porch.

How were your tea parties?

September 9th...

It's time for another Commitment to Loveliness! This is a fun way to increase femininity and beauty in our lives each week without even trying! All you have to do is choose five things that you would like to work on or do during the week that will increase the loveliness in your life!

Here is my list for this week:

1. Make dental appointments for Hubby and Self. Check to see if Baby needs one too.
2. Write in Family Journal at least four times this week (I am keeping a journal rather than a baby book for individual children, and have been slacking on writing my entries lately).
3. Reduce the amount of money spent at the grocery store by better planning.
4. Orgnaize front closet BEFORE Wednesday (more guests!!).
5. Get a hair cut.

Once you have chosen five simple things, post them on your blog and link to this post in your post, and then post the direct link to your Commitment to Loveliness post below. If you do not have a blog, but have a commitment to share, please post them in the comments section.

Sunday's Sermon: A Loving Witness Even Unto Death...

This coming Friday the Church celebrates the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On this day is commemorated the finding of the Cross of Christ by the saintly Empress Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great.

It is a feast of great significance in our liturgical year, and for this reason the Church gives us special Epistle and Gospel readings on the Sundays both before and after the Feast.

Today, the Gospel reading was taken from St. John the Theologian, and it included one of the most famous verses in all of Holy Scripture, that world renown verse of John 3:16.

Even in today’s largely secular world one cannot go long without seeing someone holding a sign saying John 3:16, whether it be at a religious demonstration, sporting event, or some other televised affair. People want to get the word out that “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

What a beautiful and powerful message. It’s a message of love, self-sacrifice, and hope. It’s a message which reveals both how good our God is and also how good our life can become should we be willing to believe in Jesus Christ, the One Who came “not to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved.”

If there was ever an introduction to Christianity – this verse, John 3:16 is it. It is a call to eternal life, it is the invitation to the wedding feast which we heard about in last week’s parable. It is truly a verse worthy of being shared with the whole world, for God wills that all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.

And so the question becomes, “How am I, how are we, carrying this message into the world?” “How are we sharing our faith that Jesus Christ has come to give us eternal life?” “How are we witnessing to this Good News, this Gospel?”

Well, first it should be said that whether we know it or not, we all are witnesses to Jesus Christ in one way or another. In fact, one cannot even come to church on Sunday morning without providing a witness to the world.

In the same way, when people see us wearing crosses around our necks or making the sign of the Cross in a restaurant we are witnessing to our faith.

But how else do we witness to our faith?

Well we witness to our faith in how we live our lives – the decisions we make, they way we speak, what we do, how we do it, where we go, where we don’t go, etc. The ordinary actions of our lives, out day-to-day activities, witness to what is in our minds and hearts, to what we believe.

Theologically speaking this is that great connection between faith and works. If our faith is alive, if it is real, then it will manifest itself in our works. If we truly believe in Jesus Christ then we will act upon this faith – we will live out our lives, in every minute detail, in a manner befitting our high calling as Christians. And just the same, if our faith is somehow not what it should be, then our works will follow – we will live out our lives in a manner which does not witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

St. James, the Brother of the Lord and first bishop of Jerusalem, writes extensively in his Epistle about the relationship between faith and works. And he tells us the necessity of having both – that we must have faith and we must show our faith by our works. Otherwise, he says, our faith will be like that of the demons, who believe and tremble but do not practice the ways of God. And then to understand this relationship between faith and works better, St. James gives us an image. He says consider how the body lives when it is energized by the soul. Well what happens when the soul departs? The body dies. So too faith without works is dead.

Now, as Orthodox Christians, we know all of this. We know that our faith must be acted upon for it to be of benefit to us – for our faith to be a saving faith. So the question for us today is, “How can we better put our faith into practice? How can we better live out and witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that others will themselves be encouraged to turn to the Lord?

This is a question that has as many answers as there are people here today. Each of us must examine our lives to see if how we live reflects what we believe – and for those of us who are clergy, if we practice what we preach.

And most likely, if we examine ourselves we’ll see that while in some areas of our lives we do witness to the Gospel, in other areas there might be some room for improvement. Recognizing this fact, by the way, is a sign of spiritual maturity because it shows humility. And this type of self-examination also paves the way for spiritual growth because none of us wants anything weighing on our conscience and we know that the only way to alleviate our conscience is to correct whatever shortcomings we may have.

Now when we make this spiritual inventory with honesty and humility, most likely, we’ll find that we fall short in a number of ways. And usually we fall short in keeping the hardest of commandments – the commandments to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, to forgive and forget, and to deny ourselves, take up of Cross and follow Christ.

These are the hardest types of commandments because they go against what the world teaches us. The world says to strike back at those who strike you, to destroy your enemies or at least avoid them as much as possible, to seek justice or revenge rather than forgiving and forgetting, and to pursue whatever makes us happy no matter what the cost or who it hurts.

Yet, if we can bring ourselves to practice these commandments of Christ, we will find that through God’s help and our own steadfast determination, not only will we little by little take hold of that eternal life which is offered to us, but we will also find that we will be giving what is quite possibly the best witness we ever could to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We will be giving the best witness because people will see something different about us, they will see that we are not living our lives after the ways of the world, but rather according to a higher standard, according to the ways of God. This is the type of witness that has the power to change lives because it this is the type of witness which catches peoples’ attention.

When people see us forgiving and forgetting even when someone has hurt us badly, or offering to those in need with no hope of receiving anything in return, or turning the other cheek to someone who was cut us off on the road, or fasting from certain types of food in honor of the sufferings of our Lord, they say to themselves, why are they doing this? What is going on in their lives that let’s them live this way? And then they begin to sense something otherworldly, they begin to see the power of the Gospel, they begin to glimpse the Kingdom of God already present in this world.

This is how we can provide a true witness to Jesus Christ, by putting into practice the commandments of the Lord even when it hurts to do so. By doing this we show that we are committed to the Lord’s Kingdom and His ways, even when it is unpopular to do so or when it means that we will have to suffer a little for His sake.

Remember, what is so jolting about the verse John 3:16 is that God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son up to death upon the Cross. This is the true witness, this is true martyrdom. And why is this necessary? Because this is the only thing which can lead a person to leave behind the world – love to the point of death.

This is why the Lord said that when He is lifted up on the Cross He would draw all men to Himself. For people would see His obedience and self-sacrificial love even to the point of death, and they like the centurion, who stood by the Cross, would cry out, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

Brothers and sisters, through the Cross the Lord Jesus Christ became the First Witness to His Father’s love. Let us follow the Lord’s example, exhibiting that love, which empowers us to fulfill the commandments even to the point of death. If we are able to do this, if we are able to fulfill this commandment of love even when it hurts to do so, two things will happen. We will taste the sweetness of eternal life, and we will provide that witness to the Lord which alone can help lead others to leave behind the world and its ways for the sake of God’s Heavenly Kingdom.

The Nice Matters Award...

Mimi has very sweetly nominated me for the Nice Matters award! What a wonderful end to a long week!

“This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. "

Here are four (of many) people I feel deserve this award:

• Courtney: Over the past few months, Courtney and I have truly become kindred spirits! I have really enjoyed getting to know her better!
  
• Elizabeth: Working with Elizabeth on the Finishing School has been so easy because she has been so flexible and caring throughout!
  
• Mrs. Elliott: Though her blog is new to me, I have really enjoyed reading about the way Mrs. Elliot balances homemaking with her work as a teacher. I love how she gives her best to everything she works on!
  
• Ladyscott: I have been impressed with how Ladyscott handles the difficult situations she encounters with complete poise and grace.
  

Nesting...

Now that things are unpacked from our move and we've gotten back into our daily routines, I have a little time for my favorite activity: nesting. When we put this rickety glass fronted bookshelf back together after the move, some of the brackets that hold the shelves in place were missing. After weeks of looking at books lined up neatly on two shelves and then some piled haphazardly on the others, I finally took a trip to the hardware store and got what we needed. My new favorite way to organize books is by color... don't they look pretty?

A Treat...

Since we missed out on planting flowers at our old home because we were about to move and it was too late to do much once we got to the new house, planting winter pansies sounded like a good idea. I found these white wire hanging baskets at Walmart for under five dollars each. The pansies were about two dollars a pot (I have three in each basket). What are you doing for decoration outside your house?

Just Whistle While You Work...

Earlier this week, we got a very special package from our good friends: a complete child-sized cleaning set for our wee one! We had so much fun sweeping, swiffering, spraying and wiping... Now, all we have to do is to encourage this enthusiasm for cleaning throughout her childhood!

I signed up for this, too...

From: The Homespun Heart

When browsing blogs this morning, I came across this on Biblical Womanhood - and wanted to pass it along to all of you.

Kelli of There is No Place Like Home is launching a new quarterly magazine. The magazine is "designed for young ladies and their mothers, but can be enjoyed by anyone who loves celebrating the joys of each passing season."

They are offering a one-year free on-line subscription from now through the end of September! Click here to become a subscriber!

I've just signed up...

Fill your week with Tea Parties !!!
Starting Monday September 10, have a fun filled week with the make Mine Pink Bloggers as they host a virtual Tea Party.
Visit the Mine Pink Blog for all the information and a list of participating
Make Mine Pink Blogs.

Why Tea Party? Well what can be more fun, tea for two, tea for one, a princess tea, a mother/daughter tea, best friends tea, long lost friends tea, or to just take a moment to slow down and enjoy the tea.

Join in on the fun and host a virtual tea party too. We will be visiting all the Make Mine Pink blogs and yours too if you decide to host your own party.

You will see beautiful and unique tables set for tea; many will have a special theme. Will you join us and post a photo of your Tea Party on your very own blog? Please invite all your friends, post a link to the MMP blog and feel free to add the small graphic in my sidebar to your blog.

Post a comment on Make Mine Pink’s Blog and we will include you on the list. This is going to be a fun event-- expect many visitors~ please have cookies ready!

Happy Labor Day!

I hope everyone enjoyed Labor Day and had a good rest! I know that we did!

Pretty new kitchen cloths...

I f0und these washcloths on clearance at Target and decided to get them in lieu of the white and blue striped dishcloths I normally get. They are quite handy to wipe counters, clean faces, and sop up spills! We go through a lot less in the paper towel department when we have plenty on hand. Plus, they remind me of Neapolitan ice cream... always a good thing!

September 2nd...

It's time for another Commitment to Loveliness! This is a fun way to increase femininity and beauty in our lives each week without even trying! All you have to do is choose five things that you would like to work on or do during the week that will increase the loveliness in your life!

Here is my list for this week:

1. Purchase baskets for underneath the sink in the guest bathroom to
hold baby pajamas and washcloths
2. Finish September by Rosamond Pilcher (I am almost done!)
3. Stick to daily routines and cleaning jobs
4. Try to find a secret way to help husband every day
5. Catch up on ironing

Once you have chosen five simple things, post them on your blog and link to this post in your post, and then post the direct link to your Commitment to Loveliness post below. If you do not have a blog, but have a commitment to share, please post them in the comments section.

A Year Acceptable to the Lord...

Though I don't usually post my husband's sermons on this blog, I thought that today's was particularly good and thought that some of you might enjoy it...

A Year Acceptable to the Lord

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Each year on September 1st the Church celebrates the beginning of another liturgical year. This has been the case since the year 325AD when the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council established this date as the beginning of the ecclesiastical year.

Yet, as we may know, September 1st was not a date chosen at random for in the Old Testament times the month of September marked the beginning of the civil year for the Jewish people. On this day the Jews celebrated the Feast of Trumpets – a feast which marked not only the civil new year but also the beginning of another agricultural cycle since September was the time for harvesting the fruits of the earth and for making the ground ready for new planting.

And so on September 1st the Jews offered to God both thanksgiving and supplication – they thanked the Lord for the fruits of their harvest and they asked His blessing for the new civil and agricultural year.

Therefore, when the Fathers met in Council and established the Church New Year on September 1st, they were following a long established practice dating back to the time of Moses. Yet, the Fathers were not simply adhering to Jewish custom because they knew that in Christ everything had become new – the people of God, the New Israel, were no longer under the law but under grace. With the Lord Jesus’s entrance into the world, everything had changed, for Christ had fulfilled the Law, established a New Covenant in His Blood, and had given His Spirit as a pledge of the Kingdom to come.

When we look at the life of the Lord, it is very easy to see how the Jewish feasts of the Old Testament found their fulfillment in Christ. Take the events of Holy Week for example:

On Holy Friday, while the Jews were sacrificing the lambs for the Passover, the Lord Jesus Christ hung upon the Cross as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Then on Holy Saturday, while the Jews rested keeping the Sabbath, the Lord Himself rested bodily in the grave. And then on Pascha, as the Jews were celebrating their deliverance from bondage to Pharaoh through Moses, Christ was delivering all of mankind from the bondage to death and the devil.

Likewise, on Pentecost when the Jews were celebrating how Moses received the Law of God inscribed on stone tablets, the Christians were also receiving the Law of God but this time inscribed by the Holy Spirit on the fleshly tablets of the heart as had been prophesied.

Now on this day, the 1st of September, the Lord also fulfilled the Jewish Law by elevating it to something higher, by transforming and fulfilling it. What did the Lord do? Well on this day, as we read in the Gospel of St. Luke, the Lord began His public ministry. St. Luke records how Christ entered the Synagogue and was handed the book of Isaiah, and then read the following passage:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

You see, on this day, when the Jews were celebrating the beginning of the new civil year, and nature itself was about to unfold anew, the Lord Himself saw it fit to begin revealing the newness of life which He had come to grant – He saw it fit to renew creation by the power of His Gospel teaching and His life bestowing ministry.

And so, for us Christians, September 1st marks something much more important than the beginning of a civil or agricultural year – September 1st marks the beginning of our spiritual year, our liturgical year, a year that is truly acceptable to the Lord because it begins with the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is sanctified throughout by the events of the Lord’s life.

We know that the Lord in becoming man and dwelling among us, has sanctified all of creation. He has made all things new. He has dramatically altered the way in which we live, how we think, what we do or say, and most importantly what we live for. No longer are we people whose minds and hearts cannot rise above the things of the world for we have become people whose focus is on the eternal Kingdom of God.

Yet, as we know, this new life, this more abundant life, is not forced upon us – it is simply offered, and it is up to us to decide whether or not we want to receive this great gift.

In today’s Gospel reading we just heard the parable of the Lord’s wedding feast. And we heard how though many were called few chose to accept the invitation. Instead they chose to make light of the invite, going their own ways – one to his business and another to his farm. And in their stead, the Master of the House welcomed others so that the wedding hall might be filled with guests.

This parable, like last week’s parable of the vineyard and the unjust stewards, reveals the unwillingness of the Old Testament Jewish people to accept their Messiah. Yet this parable is also instructional for us, for we are now the ones who have been invited to the eternal marriage feast, we are the ones called to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. But in order for this to happen we need to accept the invitation, we need to receive the gift.

Brothers and sisters, as we set out on this new church year, let us resolve to do just two simple things, let us make two simple resolutions. Let us, like the Old Testament Israelite people, offer to the Lord two things: thanksgiving and supplication.

Let us thank the Lord for all He has given us – for the blessings of the material world, for the food we eat, the air we breath, and for the beauty of nature. Let us thank the Lord for the people in our lives, our families and friends, for our parish community, for those who love us and even those who hate us.

And let us ask the Lord for all things necessary in this New Church Year – for whatever it is He knows we need in the months to come both individually and as a community. And most importantly let us ask the Lord to continually fill us with newness of life, with His Holy Spirit. To do this, to receive this Spirit, we will have to make some changes, we will have to become more spiritual people, we will have to open our eyes more widely to the eternal realities before us. But if we can do these things, if we can pass this New Year with gratitude and thanksgiving, and with the desire for newness of life, then not only will this year be acceptable to the Lord, but it will also be acceptable to us for our lives will be transformed and transfigured by the presence of Jesus Christ, the One who alone can give us not only life but life more abundantly, both now and in the Age to come.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Glory to Jesus Christ!

The Sound of Music...

Don't forget to tune into The Sound of Music Sunday night on the ABC Family channel (cable)... 7pm EST!

Another Abandoned Church...

We spotted this one on the way to our recent doctor appointment...