I thought this was a good online article discussing some of the differences between Western and Eastern Lent. It is in layman's terms which is nice. I like this quote:
PASSOVER HORSERADISH
- 1 horseradish root - grated in food processor
- 5 beets
- 1 cup Passover apple cider vineger
- Salt
- Sugar
Boil the beets until soft. Reserve the cooking liquid. After the beets have cooled, grind them in the food processor and add to the grated horseradish. Then add the vinegar and salt and sugar to taste. If the mixture is too strong or too dry, add the cooking liquid from the beets in small amounts until the desired consistency. Adjust seasonings.
This is not the white pure stuff that kills your nose. This is a better home-made version of the red stuff you buy in the store. My mother made this every year along with Russel borsht replete with sour salt and black pepper. This recipe is the kinder, gentler version of chrein. If you like it very strong, you won't appreciate this recipe. For all others, it's delicious.
From: (cneuman1@juno.com)
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Holy Monday Evening
Jesus and the Five Wise Virgins stand on the roof of the house that they have entered for the wedding party. These five women had extra oil to keep their lamps burning until the Bridegroom, Christ, arrived.
The Five Foolish Virgins standing outside the house had no extra oil and their lamps went out just as the groom was arriving.
The extra oil is actually the good things that we do and the valuable company that we keep; this is the oil that makes sure that our lamp, our faith, is always lit, as we wait for our Bridegroom.
From : http://www.saintbarbara.org/faith/holyweek/holymondayeve.cfm
I like this picture of how to arrange a basket-I have found it at various sites around the web so I am thinking it must be passed around from parish to parish:
Here is the Paska recipe I am using this year:
http://bread.allrecipes.com/AZ/PaskaBread.asp
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I am really struggling with anger right now. The hardest thing is being wronged by someone you love and you once believed loved you. In speaking with my priest, I was counseled to pray for "Mr. X" that he would be blessed by God, and that God would give him what he needs. This is really hard to do. I had to ask Father M. for the exact words to pray because my mouth would literally freeze when I would try to pray for this person. This really showed me just how angry I am and how far into sin that anger has led me. It has been driving a wedge between me and God and ruining my prayer life.
I have honestly wished ill for this person--that he would lose everything, that he would suffer as I have. So, now who is really wretched? Yeah, I am. The hardest part is being wounded over and over again. Confrontation doesnt do anything...only prayer heals and returns me to sanity. I am very weary of it all and will be so happy to be delivered from it. I am hoping that will happen when there are thousands of miles between me and Mr. X. I want my anger to be replaced by sorrow and my own repentance!
Some writings on anger that are helping me:
My children, desire to purify your hearts from envy and from anger with each other, lest death should overcome you, and you will be counted among the murderers. For whosoever hates his brother, kills a soul. -Abba Anthony the Great.
The first step toward freedom from anger is to keep the lips silent when the heart is stirred; the next, to keep thoughts silent when the soul is upset; the last, to be totally calm when unclean winds are blowing. St. John Climacus (The Ladder of Divine Ascent: Step 8)
Anger is by nature designed for waging war with the demons and for struggling with every kind of sinful pleasure. Therefore angels, arousing spiritual pleasure in us and giving us to taste its blessedness, incline us to direct our anger against the demons. But the demons, enticing us towards worldly lusts, make us use anger to fight with men, which is against nature, so that the mind, thus stupefied and darkened, should become a traitor to virtues. Abba Evagrius the Monk(Texts on Active Life no. 15)
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As we begin Holy Week, I have been looking ahead and wondering about Pascha baskets. This is my first year to attempt such a thing, and I thought I would share a bit of what I have found. I'll add a few things each day as I go, then a few pictures of our Pascha and our Pascha basket!
First, here is the red egg dying method--one of the first things that go into the basket:
| INGREDIENTS
| |
| METHOD
Carefully wash and dry each egg. Set a large pot of water to boil. Add a red dye or food coloring and 3/4 cup of vinegar to the water, and boil for a few minutes. Slowly lower the eggs into the pot, and when the water comes to a boil, lower the heat. Let eggs simmer for 15 min., then remove them carefully from the pot. If you plan to cook more eggs, add an additional 2 tbs. vinegar to the water. Wipe cooked eggs with an oil-soaked cotton ball, then wipe each egg with a clean dry cloth. Place on a platter. Serve cold.
Why red eggs? Here is a nice little explanation on the custom: "The symbolism of the red eggs goes all the way back to the time of Christ, as tradition tells us that St. Mary Magdalene, the Myrrhbearer and Equal to the Apostles, gave a red egg to Tiberius Caesar and said,"Christ is Risen." The eggshell is dead, likened to the tomb of Christ, but inside there is life. The red color represents the blood that Christ shed to redeem us." -From The Handmaiden
More tomorrow... |
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well, i am back after a hiatus! haha!
we have been so busy. we've had company a couple times, lots of moving stuff going on, and daddy is gone for 3 weeks.
we had a wonderful time swimming with friends at Daytona Beach:
so we think we have found a nice home to move into. it has 2500 sf and 4 br 3.5 ba! it also has a nice fenced in yard, deck, and a full basement with a two car garage! i hope we get it, please pray!
the boys are keeping up with their school work and i am still planning to keep them at it through the summer.
my SIL is pregnant with her fourth baby. she is having a bug scare again, so please pray for her.
great lent has been challenging. i feel like it has been far too easy to put my sprituality on the back burner when i am stressed out. then i wonder why i dont handle things very well.
i have a97 in microbiology right now! can you believe i got a 99 on my last exam? that is the best exam grade i have ever gotten in college, save my 100% i got on my drug calc test in nursing school fundamentals! 
plan for the day:
finish homeschool
get house picked up
pack up scrapbook stuff
pack up kids books
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