Lex Anteinternet: Tuesday, May 12, 1914. A Marian Apparition.

Lex Anteinternet: Tuesday, May 12, 1914. A Marian Apparition.: 

Tuesday, May 12, 1914. A Marian Apparition.

There will be a war. Russia will become a godless country. Ukraine, as a nation, will suffer terribly for eighty years – and will have to live through the world wars, but will be free afterwards.

Reported words of the Virgin Mary at Hrushiv, Ukraine, on this day in 1914.

On this day in 1914 twenty people reported the commencement of an apparition of the Virgin Mary in the Ukrainian village of Hrushiv.

Fatima is by far the most famous of the widely accepted Marian apparitions of the 20th Century, although there are others.  There would be a lengthy series of them at the same site in 1987.

Ukraine moves Christmas to the Julian Calendar.

So Christmas will now be officially celebrated on December 25 on the new calendar, rather than January 7 on the new calendar.

This practice had already been adopted by many Ukrainian churches.  The official change comes about due to the war.

Related Threads:

Ukrainian Orthodox Church to switch to Julian Calendar.

Churches of the West: Holy Days of Obligation.

Churches of the West: Holy Days of Obligation.: 

Holy Days of Obligation.

At one time, I assumed that the entire globe had the same Catholic Holy Days of Obligation, but this is not true.  No, not at all.

The United States has the following:

• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• Ascension of the Lord
• Assumption of the Virgin Mary
• All Saints' Day
• Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
• Christmas

In contrast, our immediate neighbor to the north, Canada, has the following:

• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• Christmas

What the heck?  This seems rather light.

Mexico has the following:

• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• The Body and Blood of Christ
• Christmas
• Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mexico is, of course, a Catholic country, but it has a history of anti-Catholic revolution, so that may explain it.  We share two of its four, one of which we also share with Canada.

I think frankly Canada should receive a couple of more.  Canada had its only sort of civil anti-Catholic revolution, quietly, which has made Quebec a mess, and perhaps an added Holy Day might be in order.

Having said that, Australia and New Zealand, which like Canada has a strong English history, also has only two.  The United Kingdom, however, has more than that.

Likewise, which devolved a strong Lutheran influence after at first having a very lukewarm one (Scandinavians have forgotten that the Reformation wasn't really that keenly received there at first, and then foisted upon them by a Swedish King who probably didn't believe at all), has only two.

But them, Sweden has the following:

• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• Epiphany
• Feast of the Ascension
• Feast of Saints Peter and Paul
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• All Saints' Day
• Christmas

That's more than the U.S.  And Qatar has the following:

• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• Thomas the Apostle
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Birth of our Lady
• Christmas

And even Saudi Arabia has the following:

• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Christmas

Serbia has only two, but it's mostly Orthodox.  So is Ukraine, but it has the following:

• Epiphany
• Presentation of the Lord
• Annunciation of the Holy Virgin Mary
• Feast of the Ascension
• Transfiguration of the Lord
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Exaltation of the Holy Cross
• Presentation of Mary
• Christmas

Ukraine, however, has a strong Eastern Rite Catholic tradition in its west, minority population though it is.  Its Catholic population persevered through Communism, even though its adherents were compelled to attend Orthodox services, which they did, before going to secret Catholic ones later.

Venezuela, in contrast, has a Catholic heritage, but like Canada, has only two Holy Days of Obligation.

The total possible Holy Days of Obligation are, currently:

Placed in the order of the liturgical calendar, the ten days (apart from Sundays) that this canon mentions are:

• 8 December: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• 25 December: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
• 1 January: Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
• 6 January: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
• 19 March: Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Thursday of the sixth week of Eastertide: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
• Thursday after Trinity Sunday: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Feast of Corpus Christi)
• 29 June: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
• 15 August: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• 1 November: Solemnity of All Saints

That's ten.

Prior to 1911, the total possible was thirty-six.   Then, as now, Bishops could reduce the number.  Today, only Vatican City and the Swiss Diocese of Lugano observe all ten, although some Dioceses have added Holy Days not on it, such as Ireland, which as St. Patrick's Day, and Germany and Hungary which have Saint Stephen's Day on 26 December, Easter Monday, and Pentecost Monday.

Now the country has fewer than two.

And two seems too few to me.

The Eastern Rite of the Catholic Church, I'd note, has the following:

• The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
• The Epiphany
• The Ascension
• The Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
• The Dormition of Holy Mary, the Mother of God

Note, however, the situation in Ukraine.  The Orthodox have a duty of worship on the following days, although what that means is not clear to me:

• The Nativity of Our Lord, December 25
• The Circumcision of Christ, January 1
• Ascension Day, 40 Days after Pascha (Easter)
• The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15
• All Saints Day, November 1
• The Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8

In noting all of this, I feel a little bad and whiny about Holy Days, as I've often felt it a burden to get to Mass on them.  But, in my defense, I've often not grasped why no noon Mass was offered for them in my Tri Parish locality.  All in all, looking at it, I think we should add a couple to that six, and that the other country of which I am a citizen, ought to double the number of theirs.

Yes, it's a bit of a burden, and yes you stand out. But perhaps that's part of it.

Lex Anteinternet: Today is Christmas on the Julian Calendar.

Lex Anteinternet: Today is Christmas on the Julian Calendar.:

Today is Christmas on the Julian Calendar.

So, as a result, it's the day which the Orthodox who follow the Julian calendar, which is not all of them, celebrate Christmas.

Emblem of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church

In Ukraine, where the majority of Christians are in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which obtained autocephalous status on December 15, 2018, Metropolitan Epiphany, its head will lead a service in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery for the first time since 1685.  In that following year, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church fell under Moscow's authority. The Metropolitanate of Kyiv actually became an ordinary diocese of the Moscow Patriarchate in 1722 

This year, however, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church gave its members the option of celebrating Christmas on December 25, which became a widely discussed topic in Ukraine itself, where celebration of a civil Christmas on December 25 had already become widespread. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, an Easter Rite Catholic Church which is the largest Eastern Rite church in the world, apparently already did.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church's having obtained autocephalous status has been an odd backdrop to the war.  The Russian Orthodox Church is the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world, and it has been one of the primary opponents to reunion with Rome.  The relationship between the various Orthodox Churches is complicated on a legal basis, but generally the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is regarded as being the  primus inter pares between the various autocephalous church's heads, although sometimes the Pope is also referred to in that fashion.  He is regarded, generally, as having the power to accord autocephalous status, which at least from the outside is problematic as it would seem to suggest that he has a sort of superior authority which the Eastern Orthodox otherwise reject as to the Pope, even though they recognized early in their history.  Anyhow, the granting of autocephalous status by the Ecumenical Patriarch was fiercely resisted by Moscow, and it has lead to a round of schisms.  Moscow continues to deny that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is autocephalous, and one of the claims of Russians in the war is that they are defending Orthodoxy.

As for the United States, about 1,200,000 Americans are reported as being in an Eastern Orthodox Church.  At least in Wyoming, most of the Eastern Orthodox Churches are Greek Orthodox, although they often have Russian Orthodox members and may be served by Priests who are from another branch of Orthodoxy.  Gillette has an Antiochean Orthodox Church, which represents a congregation which converted from Protestant fundamentalism following an intense study of the early church.

Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church. Go fund me for chaplain.

 

Transfiguration of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church

Support Our Chaplains:

At the request of Bishop Benedict, please consider supporting our military chaplains in Ukraine:

GoFundMe for Greco-Catholic Chaplains

Car for chaplain

March 25, 2022. On the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. An Act of Consecration To the Immaculate Heart of Mary. АКТ ПОСВЯЩЕНИЯ НЕПОРОЧНОМУ СЕРДЦУ МАРИИ. АКТ ПРИСВЯЧЕННЯ НЕПОРОЧНОМУ СЕРЦЮ МАРІЇ.

 ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence! You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Yet we have strayed from that path of peace. We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars. We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations. We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young. We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns. We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons. We stopped being our neighbour’s keepers and stewards of our common home. We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters. We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves. Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!

Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life. He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity. By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love.

We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart. We are your beloved children. In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion. At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort. Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?” You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times. In you we place our trust. We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.

That is what you did at Cana in Galilee, when you interceded with Jesus and he worked the first of his signs. To preserve the joy of the wedding feast, you said to him: “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3). Now, O Mother, repeat those words and that prayer, for in our own day we have run out of the wine of hope, joy has fled, fraternity has faded. We have forgotten our humanity and squandered the gift of peace. We opened our hearts to violence and destructiveness. How greatly we need your maternal help!

Therefore, O Mother, hear our prayer.

Star of the Sea, do not let us be shipwrecked in the tempest of war.

Ark of the New Covenant, inspire projects and paths of reconciliation.

Queen of Heaven, restore God’s peace to the world.

Eliminate hatred and the thirst for revenge, and teach us forgiveness.

Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons.

Queen of the Rosary, make us realize our need to pray and to love.

Queen of the Human Family, show people the path of fraternity.

Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.

O Mother, may your sorrowful plea stir our hardened hearts. May the tears you shed for us make this valley parched by our hatred blossom anew. Amid the thunder of weapons, may your prayer turn our thoughts to peace. May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from the rain of bombs. May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land. May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside.

Holy Mother of God, as you stood beneath the cross, Jesus, seeing the disciple at your side, said: “Behold your son” (Jn 19:26). In this way he entrusted each of us to you. To the disciple, and to each of us, he said: “Behold, your Mother” (v. 27). Mother Mary, we now desire to welcome you into our lives and our history. At this hour, a weary and distraught humanity stands with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust itself to you and, through you, to consecrate itself to Christ. The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you, even as your heart beats with compassion for them and for all those peoples decimated by war, hunger, injustice and poverty.

Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine. Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love. Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world. The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace. We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more. To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days. Our Lady of the “Fiat”, on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God. May you, our “living fountain of hope”, water the dryness of our hearts. In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion. You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace. Amen.

АКТ ПОСВЯЩЕНИЯ НЕПОРОЧНОМУ СЕРДЦУ МАРИИ

О, Мария, Матерь Божия и наша Матерь, в это тревожное время мы прибегаем к тебе. Ты Матерь, и ты любишь и знаешь нас: от тебя не скрыто ничего из того что у нас на сердце. Матерь милосердия, как часто ощущали мы твою материнскую нежность, твое умиротворяющее присутствие, ибо ты всегда ведешь нас к Иисусу, Владыке мира.

Мы сошли с мирного пути. Забыли трагические уроки минувшего века, о миллионах погибших в мировых войнах. Не сумели выполнить обязательства, что взяли на себя как Сообщество Наций и не оправдали мечты народов и чаяния молодежи. Нас ослепила алчность, мы замкнулись в своих национальных интересах, нас сковал холод равнодушия и парализовал эгоизм. Мы отвернулись от Бога и предпочли жить ложью, копить злобу, убивать жизни и наращивать оружие; мы забыли, что должны защищать ближнего и наш общий дом. Войною мы разрушаем Земной сад, грехом ранили сердце нашего Отца, Который хочет, чтобы мы были братьями и сёстрами. Мы стали безразличными ко всем и ко всему, кроме себя самих. Со стыдом взываем: прости нас, Господи!

В этой юдоли греха, скорби и страданий, перед тайной несправедливости зла и войны, Пресвятая Матерь, напомни нам, что Бог не забывает о нас, непрестанно взирает на нас с любовью, желает простить нас и спасти. Он даровал нам тебя и в твоем непорочном Сердце устроил прибежище для Церкви и человечества. Ты с нами по благости Господа и даже в самых тесных изгибах истории помогаешь нам не сойти с пути к Богу.

Посему, твои возлюбленные чада, мы прибегаем к тебе, стучим в дверь твоего Сердца. В любой час ты внимаешь нам и призываешь к обращению. В эти темные времена поддержи и утешь нас. Каждому прошепчи: «Я здесь с тобой, Матерь твоя». Ты знаешь, как развязать путаницу в наших сердцах и сложные узлы истории. Мы полностью уповаем на тебя. Мы твердо верим, что особенно в час испытаний ты не отвергнешь наши молитвы и придешь помочь нам.

Так поступила ты в Кане Галилейской, когда ускорила час явления Христа миру. Как только на пиру стало утихать веселье, ты указала Христу: «вина нет у них» (Ин 2, 3). О, Мария, скажи это еще раз Богу, ибо ныне исчерпалось у нас вино надежды, исчезла радость, растворились братские узы. Утратилась человечность, разладился мир. Отныне мы способны на любое насилие и разрушение. Нам очень нужна твоя материнская помощь.

О, Матерь, прими наше прошение:

Звезда над морем, помоги нам уцелеть в буре войны.

Ковчег нового завета, укажи нам пути к примирению.

«Небесная земля», верни в мир божественную гармонию.

Прекрати вражду, погаси месть, научи нас прощению.

Избавь нас от войны, сохрани мир от ядерной угрозы.

Царица Розария, пробуди в нас желание молиться и любить.

Царица человеческой семьи, укажи народам путь к братству.

Царица мира, стяжай мир для мира.

О, Матерь, своим плачем разбуди наши ожесточенные сердца. Пусть слёзы, которые ты пролила за нас, оросят эту долину, иссушенную нашей злобой чтобы она снова зацвела. И пока не смолкает лязг оружия, твоя молитва да направляет нас к миру. Пусть те, кто страдает и пытается спастись от бомб ощутят прикосновение твоих материнских рук. Пусть те, кто вынужден оставить свой дом и родину найдут утешение в твоих объятиях. Своим скорбящим Сердцем пробуди в нас сострадание, чтобы мы отворили двери, впустили и окружили заботой всех страждущих и изгнанных.

Святая Матерь Божия, когда ты стояла под крестом, Иисус, видя рядом с тобой ученика, сказал тебе: «Же́но! се, сын Твой» (Ин 19, 26), таким образом каждого из нас он вверил тебе. Затем Он сказал ученику, а в нем и каждому из нас: «се, Матерь твоя!» (Ин 19, 27). О, Матерь, ныне желаем принять тебя в своей жизни и в нашей истории. Сейчас бессильное и обескураженное человечество вместе с тобой стоит у креста. Ему нужно довериться тебе, через тебя посвятить себя Христу. Народ Украины и народ России, с любовью чтящие тебя, обращаются к тебе с мольбою, твое же сердце бьётся за них и за все народы, страдающие от войны, голода, несправедливости и нищеты.

Твоему непорочному Сердцу, Матерь Божия и наша, мы торжественно вверяем и посвящаем себя, Церковь и все человечество, особенно Россию и Украину. Призри на сие деяние, что совершаем с упованием и любовью, останови войну, обеспечь мир во всем мире. Словами согласия, исшедшими из твоего Сердца, растворились врата истории для Владыки мира, и сегодня мы верим, что через твое Сердце в мир войдет мир. Посвящаем тебе будущее всей человеческой семьи, нужды и чаяния народов, тревоги и надежды мира.

Через тебя да изольется на Землю божественное Милосердие и пусть вновь наши дни наполнятся нежным ритмом мира. Же́но, ты ответила Богу да, и на тебя сошел Святой Дух, сделай так, чтобы между нами воцарилось божественное согласие. «Живой источник надежды», смягчи наши сердца. Ты соткала человечество Христа - соделай из нас творцов единства. Как и мы ты ходила по земле - веди нас по пути мира. Аминь.

АКТ ПРИСВЯЧЕННЯ НЕПОРОЧНОМУ СЕРЦЮ МАРІЇ

О Маріє, Мати Божа і Мати наша, ми в цю скорботну годину прибігаємо до Тебе. Ти є Матір’ю, любиш і знаєш нас: від Тебе нічого не приховано з того, що лежить у наших серцях. Мати милосердя, ми багато разів досвідчили Твоєї турботливої ніжності, Твоєї присутності, яка повертає мир, тому що Ти завжди ведеш нас до Ісуса, Князя миру.

Однак ми втратили шлях миру. Ми забули урок трагедій минулого століття, про жертву мільйонів полеглих у світових війнах. Ми знехтували зобов’язаннями, взятими як Спільнота Націй, і ми зраджуємо мрії народів про мир і надії молоді. Ми захворіли на жадібність, ми замкнулися в націоналістичних інтересах, ми дозволили собі бути скованими байдужістю і паралізованими егоїзмом. Ми воліли ігнорувати Бога, співіснувати з нашою облудою, підживлювати агресію, придушувати життя та накопичувати зброю, забуваючи, що ми є хранителями нашого ближнього та нашої спільної домівки. Ми роздерли війною сад Землі, поранили гріхом серце нашого Отця, Який хоче, щоб ми були братами і сестрами. Ми стали байдужими до всіх і до всього, окрім до самих себе. І з соромом кажемо: прости нам, Господи!

У нещасті гріха, у наших зусиллях та слабкостях, у таємниці несправедливості зла і війни Ти, Пресвята Мати, нагадуєш нам, що Бог не покидає нас, але продовжує дивитися на нас з любов’ю, прагнучи пробачити і знову піднести нас. Це Він дарував нам Тебе і розмістив у Твоєму Непорочному Серці пристановище для Церкви і для людства. Завдяки Божественній доброті Ти є з нами і ведеш нас з ніжністю, навіть через найтісніші вигини історії.

Тож прибігаємо до Тебе, стукаємо у двері Твого Серця, ми, Твої дорогі діти, яких Ти не втомлюєшся відвідувати і запрошувати до навернення. У цю темну годину прийди, щоб допомогти нам і втішити нас. Повторюй кожному з нас: «Хіба Я не тут, Я, котра удостоїлася бути твоєю Матір’ю?» Ти знаєш як розв’язувати плутанину у наших серцях та вузли нашого часу. Ми покладаємо нашу довіру в Тобі. Ми впевнені, що Ти, особливо в хвилині випробування, не знехтуєш нашими благаннями і прийдеш нам на допомогу.

Саме так Ти вчинила в Кані Галілейській, коли прискорила годину втручання Ісуса і впровадила його перший знак у світі. Коли свято перетворилося на смуток, Ти сказала йому: «Не мають вина» (Йн 2, 3). Повтори це ще раз Богу, о Мати, бо сьогодні у нас вичерпалося вино надії, зникла радість, розчинилося братерство. Ми втратили людяність, ми зруйнували мир. Ми стали здатними на будь-яке насильство і знищення. Нам терміново потрібне Твоє материнське втручання.

Тому прийми, о Мати, це наше благання.

Ти, зірко моря, не допусти, щоб ми потонули в бурі війни.

Ти, Ковчегу Нового Завіту, надихай плани та шляхи примирення.

Ти, «небесна земле», поверни у світ Божу злагоду.

Погаси ненависть, вгамуй помсту, навчи нас прощати.

Визволи нас від війни, вбережи світ від ядерної загрози.

Царице Розарію, пробуди в нас потребу молитися і любити.

Царице людського роду, вкажи народам шлях братерства.

Царице миру, виклопотай мир для усього світу.

Твій плач, о Мати, нехай зворушить наші зачерствілі серця. Нехай сльози, які Ти пролила за нас, зроблять квітучою долину, яку висушила наша ненависть. І поки не стихає гуркіт зброї, нехай Твоя молитва налаштує нас до миру. Нехай Твої материнські руки голублять тих, хто страждає і втікає під гнітом бомб. Твої материнські обійми нехай втішають тих, хто змушений покинути власні домівки та свою країну. Нехай Твоє Скорботне Серце мотивує нас до співчуття і спонукає нас відчинити двері та подбати про поранене й відкинуте людство.

Пресвята Богородице, коли Ти стояла під хрестом, Ісус, побачивши учня поруч із Тобою, сказав Тобі: «Ось Син Твій» (Йн 19, 26), таким чином довіривши Тобі кожного з нас. Потім до учня, до кожного з нас, Він сказав: «Ось мати твоя» (Йн 19, 27). Мамо, ми прагнемо зараз прийняти Тебе у нашому житті та нашій історії. У цю годину з Тобою під хрестом перебуває виснажене і збентежене людство. І йому потрібно довіритися Тобі, щоб через Тебе присвятити себе Христу. Український народ та російський народ, які вшановують Тебе з любов’ю, прибігають до Тебе, а серце Твоє б’ється за них і за всі народи, підкошені війною, голодом, несправедливістю і нещастям.

Тому ми, о Мати Божа і наша, урочисто ввіряємо і присвячуємо Твоєму Непорочному Серцю себе, Церкву і все людство, а особливо Росію та Україну. Прийми цей наш акт, який ми здійснюємо з довірою і любов’ю, вчини так, щоб закінчилася війна, наповни світ миром. Твоє «так», що вийшло з Твого Серця, відкрило двері історії для Князя миру; ми віримо, що знову через Твоє серце прийде мир. Тому ми присвячуємо Тобі майбутнє всієї людської родини, потреби та очікування народів, тривоги та надії світу.

Нехай через Тебе проливається на Землю Боже Милосердя і повертається лагідний ритм миру, щоб відмірювати наші дні. Жінко, що сказала «так», на яку зійшов Святий Дух, поверни нам Божу гармонію. Втамуй спрагу наших засохлих сердець, Ти, яка є «живим джерелом надії». Ти сплела людську натуру Ісусу, вчини нас ремісниками єдності. Ти ходила нашими шляхами, веди нас стежками миру. Амінь.

Lex Anteinternet: An etymological note on Russian and Ukrainian, sort of.

Lex Anteinternet: An etymological note on Russian and Ukrainian, sor...: 

An etymological note on Russian and Ukrainian, sort of. The lingering Greek influcence in the Black Sea.

Both languages are, of course, Slavic Indo-European languages.  I don't speak them, of course.  But I'm often struck by how bits and pieces of them appear to be similar to Greek.

I don't know the reason for this, but of course the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) did stretch up into the Ukrainian region and influenced.  Russia remained beyond it, but it was Eastern Christianity that Christianized the entire region, rather than Western for the most part (although the further west you go, the less true this is).

I was thinking of this in regard to the besieged city of Mariupol.

What's that mean?

Well, "pol", means city.  Pretty Greek.  As in "póli" (πόλη).  As in, more specifically, for example, Thermopoli.

For those here in Wyoming, that reminds us of "polis".  Polis ( πόλις) is a Greek word too, but it means a city state.

Does "pol" mean city in Russian and Ukrainian.

Nope.

What that tells us is that this lingering use goes way back.  But the naming of the city does not.  It goes back to 1779, and was originally named Marianopol, being named for the Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna, sort of, but also after the Greek city of Mariampol, which was a suburb of Bakhcisarai in Crimea.  That Greek village was named for the Virgin Mary.  The Russians forcibly removed a lot of Greek Orthodox Christians from Crimea to there, in fact.

"Mary's City".

Mariupol actually had a small remaining Greek population, part of a complicated story which has to do with what was once a fairly large Greek presence in the greater region, stretching from the Black Sea, through Anatolia, and into Palestine.  That widely spread population has greatly decreased in modern times, dating back to a retreat in presence that's now a century old as populations began to concentrate following World War One, often due to force and war.  Prior to the Russian invasion this year, about 90,000 ethnic Greeks remained in the city, but many more Ukrainians have Greek ancestors due to intermarriage.

At noon Eastern Time, Pope Francis will  engage in an Act of Consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, this is the Feast of the Annunciation.  He's invited Bishops round the world to join him in the same.

Mural of the Sacred Heart of Mary in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lex Anteinternet: January 23, 1921. The Murder of Микола Дмитрович (Mykola Leontovych)

Lex Anteinternet: January 23, 1921. The Murder of Микола Дмитрович ...: 

January 23, 1921. The Murder of Микола Дмитрович Леонтович (Mykola Leontovych).

Leontovych with his wife and one of his two daughters.

Soviet state security murdered Mykola Leontovych, a Ukrainian composer, in his parents home.

Leontovych was a deeply religious man who had studied to become a Ukrainian Orthodox Priest, a station that was well represented in his family.  Having great musical talent, while a seminary student, he determined to become a composer instead.  He's remembered in the West for his Carol of the Bells, a Christmas piece, but he also composed liturgies.

He was staying at his parents home on the eve prior to Orthodox Christmas.  His parents took in boarders and the Chekist agents asked to stay in the home as well.  They murdered him that night.  The reasons remain vague, but it seems that it was connected with his support for Ukrainian independence as well as his intent to relocate personally to Romania.  Of course, there's also the fact that the Communists were a bunch of homicidal bastards as well.

He is regarded as a martyr in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Another interesting Orthodox figure, Fr. Ingram Nathaniel Irvine, died on this day in 1921.  Fr. Irvine was an Irish born Episcopal Priest who had immigrated to the U.S. For reasons that are unclear, he was defrocked by his bishop in 1900 for "conduct unbecoming a clergyman", but whatever that conduct was, isn't really discernable.  Apparently he didn't accept it as he fought for a period of five years for reinstatement before becoming ordained as a Russian Orthodox Priest.  In that capacity, he was apparently controversial and was an advocate for the use of English in services in the United States.