Since our parish church is under renovation, the entire All Saints congregation worshipped at our sister church, St. George's, site of the miraculous weeping icon of the Theotokos. The interior of the church, having been completely renovated after a devastating fire in 1997, is absolutely amazing. The iconography is most definitely inspiring. And the iconastasis and other woodwork, only serve to highlight the icons even more.
Our own parish is being worked on. Gone will be the pews and the stadium-style slanted floor. The floor will be leveled, and there will be chairs around the perimeter of the nave, otherwise there will be the traditional open space. Anna and I are looking forward to it, as we will be able to move out of the "parents-with-small-children" area at the back of the nave, and mingle once more among the other parishioners.
The service today was half in Arabic, so although I'm familiar enough with the Liturgy to have had an idea where we were at, otherwise, I was doing more spectating than engaging in worship. If I were to make St. George's, or another ethnic-language parish, my home church, I'd definitely have to learn the language. I couldn't imagine going through services just watching.
I didn't have time to find out much about the miraculous icon. I know that Khouria Frederica mentions it in one of her books. And I've read the proclamation from His Eminence, Metropolitan Philip, declaring the icon a miracle, but I don't know much more about it. Anna, when told about the icon after we got home, remained skeptical. I, myself, certainly can't argue with those who know better than me about the history of the icon and the manifestation of its tears. And in any case, it's not about my sifting through every single thing that comes my way. I should be able to trust the Church. And I do.
Posted by Clifton at March 7, 2004 01:45 PM | TrackBackI don't know if it's the same icon or not, but Father Gregory has some of the collected "tears" from a Weeping Theotokos icon. He mixes them with oil and then parishoners who need healing are annointed with it. My husband recently brought some home for our children who were both sick...they were annointed and then both recovered fairly quickly from their illnesses. It's pretty cool if you ask me...
...she who was once skeptical...
Posted by: Laura at March 7, 2004 06:20 PMDid you know that Fr. Doug, the first pastor at All Saints, the former Protestant who led them into Orthodoxy, was the first person who noticed the Theotokos icon was weeping?
The fire that devastated the church stopped right when it got to the weeping Theotokos icon. That's why she is still on the iconostasis, and different in style from the rest of the new icons.
You remember reading in Frederica's book about the man who came to basically live at the church after his wife died? He is the Monk Symeon whose picture is on the stairs to the basement at All Saints, as well as the one always mentioned during Litanies for the dead.
Posted by: Theodora Elizabeth at March 7, 2004 06:40 PMTheodora Elizabeth:
You are a wealth of information. Thanks!
Posted by: Clifton D. Healy at March 7, 2004 09:04 PM