Keeping the kids home
Andriy Khomyk -"Theophany"- oil on glass
Tomorrow is one of those culture-clash kinda days for many Orthodox Christians. Theophany is one of the holiest days of the year and we have not yet capitulated to popular culture enough to switch the celebration of this day to the nearest Sunday.
Consequently, the kids will stay home, I will take off from work and we will gather at a nearby stream (perhaps even having to break through ice) and we'll bless the waters. Unfortunately I was unable to convince our priest to make the trek up to my favorite steelhead river for this festivity. Anyway, afterwards we will caravan through a number of local homes and splash some of the half-frozen holy water around our homes, upon our pets, and upon one another.
All the while - hopefully - contemplating the truth of this skirmish in the war of creation restoration. An interesting little article I read once made this simple point: we bless things in order to reclaim them for the Kingdom of God. Oh what a mighty victory it was (is? will be?) when Christ is Baptized in the Jordan.
By the way, click the image above to see more of Andriy Khomyk's Ukranian Artwork.
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and in your post today we see a part of the answer: "Theophany is one of the holiest days of the year.... Consequently, the kids will stay home, I will take off from work and we will gather at a nearby stream (perhaps even having to break through ice) and we'll bless the waters."
be encouraged my brother and fellow dad!
Of course, as you say it is only PART of the equation...let me paraphrase St. Paul:
"If I pull my children out of school and take precious vacation time from work for feastdays, and if I drench my home and myself with holy water, yea though I attend EVERY service and have everyone over to my house to eat and have not love, then I am but a clanging gong, albeit a busy and wet one."
Sounds wonderful! Wish i could join you, wish we had something so fun, so penetrating, so sacramental!
Your echo of St. Paul's sentiment is something i've been thinking about and often failing in this season.
not that it means anything, but interesting that the priest is beardless...
blessed Theophany to you!
)( seraphim