pretty- well, the cell phone photo is not pretty at all, and the icons aren't perfectly proportioned, but I still think they are beautiful.
happy- I was so happy to come home from teaching my college class to see these! They have been in the works for a long time. I am also happy that we won't need to transport our 'real' wooden six foot icons when we celebrate away from our normal venue. These roll up and fit into two 3 foot long cases. It will be so much easier to celebrate a Divine Liturgy 'out and about.'
funny- hmmm....the kids have commented that baby Jesus looks a bit older than usual here with his comb-over, but I've seen babies like that...
real- The 'real' part of these icons is a bit depressing. Out here in the wild west, there really is little need or want for Byzantine traditions. I see my husband breaking his back, working so hard at the hospital so that we can be here to minister to these missions. I am a bit tired of people saying "Your husband is such a holy priest!" (then why don't you worship with us occasionally?) or "I was raised Byzantine Catholic and we love the Liturgy, but now the Roman-rite is more convenient" (um- we are here now)...ah well- I think that the Great Fast is getting me down! I probably need to pray more and take some iron tablets!
Oh, they are pretty and how wonderful for you to have them.
ReplyDeleteAnd, thank you for mentioning Thirty Steps to Heaven in an earlier post. I finally got it and it is just as good as I expected it to be based on what you had said. It is very Salesian and fits in great with my formation reading during Lent.
blessings
Karen
karen- I'm glad the book has been helpful for you- I love big theological ideas written for us lay people, don't you? (I need to re-read Intro to a devout life....it is awesome)
DeleteThose are beautiful icons! God bless you family and your works!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Please keep us in prayer :) we need all the help we can get!
ReplyDeleteThanks for having the icons on your blog. You are correct, the icons are better on the blog than the cell phone images you sent out. They look proportional to me,but what do I know. I hope you bring them with you on future trips to relative's homes.
ReplyDeleteMary should have been a bit smaller- she is missing the letters above her....but we won't let perfection be the enemy of the good!
DeleteWith the greatest respect, have you considered that maybe the frequent complaining about how people are not being good enough parishioners or appreciative enough of your Byzantine mission is perhaps not the best public witness? I sometimes attend a Byzantine parish myself and I love it. But the guilt tripping and complaining and smothering desperation to get more bodies in the pews is very off-putting to me. Not to mention the mixed message between "oh woe, why don't they appreciate us more?? Why don't more people come here??" and "ugh, Romans, visit but don't stay!" which I find very confusing. I have enough trouble coping with the social dynamics of a small parish where I will always be an "outsider" to start with. It is difficult and painful and sometimes exhausting, for deeply personal reasons I won't get into here. But hearing these berating posts online just make me feel all the more suffocated. I understand you are frustrated, but maybe projecting this anger and desperation is only making the problem worse.
ReplyDeleteC- I get what you are saying- and I do try to stay positive- but if I am always 'happy happy' I get accused of being less than authentic. Like many things in life- it is hard to get this right! This is my story, and I am trying to charitable and holier.
DeleteOh thing 9I guess I feel the need to defend myself)- I NEVER say 'ugh, Romans...' I became Catholic in the Roman rite and I think that I am clear in my admiration for all aspects of the faith. My family on my side is completely Roman-rite yes, I have said a sort of 'visit but don't stay' if you are referring to my 'don't change your rite' blog post.
Thank you for taking the time to write a response to my post- I see where you are coming from- but it does feel like- as a clergy wife- I am never permitted to say anything less than positive because it is not a 'good witness.' I hope you can imagine how exhausting that is! There are many many issues (thank god, not in my immediate family) that I cannot even touch on here or in my day to day life with even my devoutly Catholic extended family for fear of scandal and destroying their faith. So, it is hard when I touch on some hard part of life and this comes back to me. Sorry for writing a 'book' back- I just wanted to defend my blogging choices a bit....
Christ is risen!
ReplyDeleteYour posts never come across as "guilt tripping and complaining and smothering desperation" to this reader. I appreciate your honesty and find your blog very uplifting. God bless you and your family!
Beautiful icons! How lovely.
ReplyDelete