When the Homily is about Immunology

Kelsey Anna (Sierra)
Someone pulled the old "switcheroo"!

In two ways. First, we have changed Kelsey's nameday. When one's patron is a fairly "important" figure such as St. Anna (the mother of the mother of God...so ummm, the theotokos-tokos?) then there are typically a number of feastdays in their honor. However, in most cases a Saint is remembered primarily on the day they reposed and so we decided that Kelsey's nameday should be celebrated then, whereas before we did so on the date of St. Anna's conception of the Theotokos which was December 9th. Of course, the switch was not without utilitarian purpose, December 9th is ALWAYS during the Advent fast. No Cake, Ice Cream, or wine for Dad. Yuck!

Anyway, July 25th is the new date. The OTHER "switcheroo" is in Kelsey's name. Her middle name is legally "Sierra", but it is never used. Not intentially, but actually quite naturally she has come to be known as Kelsey Anna and we often have to sit down to remind oursleves that it is not her "real" name.

The mosaic of St. Anna above is from the 11th century Monastary called Neo Moni on Chios in Greece. St. Anna along with her husband St. Joachim are remembered at the end of every Orthodoxy Liturgy, being called...amazingly...the ancestors of God.

Let us celebrate the memory of the ancestors of Christ
And fervently beseech their aid;
Thus salvation is given to all those who cry out:
O God who glorified them according to Your will, ever remain with us!