I have a few questions, please...

[Matrona]

But, over the years, I have pointed inquirers interested in Eastern Catholicism to Orthodox temples and those interested in Orthodoxy to Eastern Catholic temples when only one or the other was readily available to them and they were thirsting to experience the East.

That's not the case here, so don't do that.

 

[MariaRegina]

Elizabeth,

You didn't believe that story, I hope

Since Incognitus and I met at the ByzForum (although I am certain we know each other from real-life, but he won't take the paper bag off his head ), he has had a running joke that the first Melkite was Saint Colm of Melk, an early Irish monastic who was martyred and buried at Melk in Austria. Periodically, he dredges it up.

Many years,

Neil

btw, I got your invite to the recipe thread for the Fast of the Dormition. There's a great meatless chili that Theophan and I concocted last year over at ByzForum and which we've taste tested . I'll dig the recipe out and post it in a day or two.

Well, I was wondering about St. "Melk." as I had never heard about that one. I heard that the Melkites were named because the word is derived from Melik (meaning king) and the Melkites followed the king who was faithful to Christ.

 

[MariaRegina]

Are there any Irish monastics who were Melkites or Lebanese Orthodox?

The late Father Basil was also Irish.

I am of French and Irish Lebanese background myself.















PS I guess I'm wearing the KICK ME poster today again.

Hey, I'm proud of my Irish roots - part of the fighting Irish tradition.

Don't let anyone bully you around, Neil. Be proud of your Irish roots.

We rule. If it wasn't for the Irish Orthodox monks, we probably wouldn't have the faith today.

 

[Irish Melkite]

Regarding Maronite Churches:

The ones here in Los Angeles tend to be quite anti-Eastern, which seems surprising, but they are very proud of their unbroken chain of allegiance to the Pope of Rome. For this reason, some of the Maronite bishops and priest have in the past accused the Melkites of being in schism.

Elizabeth,

Yes, the Maronites are unquestionably the Latins of the East and Orient, although they are now working assiduously to restore their liturgical heritage. They're having a difficult time of it and having to look to the Syriacs, as the Church liturgically closest to what they once had, since so much of their own liturgical history was lost - literally destroyed - in their desire to demonstrate their Catholicity to the French missionaries whom they encountered after a long period of isolation from both West and East.

We're lucky in Boston, as ChorBishop Lahoud, the long-time pastor of the Maronite parish here, has a history of friendship with our Epach and the Cathedral rectors that spans decades. I have, however encountered some Maronite priests that espouse the ideas you describe; I'm surprised to hear them ascribed to a Maronite bishop however.

Bishop Shaheen, Eparch of Our Lady of Lebanon of LA for the Maronites, graduated from St Basil's (Salvatorian) Melkite Seminary, before the Maronites had their own. Bishop Mansour, Eparch of Saint Maron of Brooklyn of the Maronites, is too new in office to know much of his thinking. But Bishops Chedid, Doueihi, and Zayek, the Maronite Emeriti hierarchs, have always been close with our own hierarchs.

Many years,

Neil

 

[Irish Melkite]

Are there any Irish monastics who were Melkites or Lebanese Orthodox?

The late Father Basil was also Irish.

Elizabeth,

No, I don't think even the seafaring Irish monks got that far

You're speaking, I presume, of Father Basil Adcock, of blessed memory. I knew him when he was assistant at the Cathedral. He was a good person and a good priest whose life here was, sadly, too short. Memory eternal.

btw, you are correct as to the derivation of Melkite.

Many years,

Neil

 

[Rilian]

No, I don't think even the seafaring Irish monks got that far

There is some legend, I can't remember the details, of a direct link between the Desert Fathers and Irish monasticism. Anyone with knowledge please post.

Being both Irish (75% anyhow) and now Antiochian means we'll be having green hummus next St. Paddy's day.

 

[Irish Melkite]

Being both Irish (75% anyhow) and now Antiochian means we'll be having green hummus next St. Paddy's day.

ewwww

Well, if you're determined to have it Andrew, I recommend making it around the 1st of March and letting it sit in the refrigerator. Along about day 8 it will have a buzz to it, but the color won't have changed much; by day 16 you should have a lovely shade of green, tinged with a little blue .

Many years,

Neil

 

[Irish Melkite]

That's not the case here, so don't do that.

Matrona,

I have edited out the sentence that bothered you and fiend.

Many years,

Neil

 

[Matrona]

Matrona,

I have edited out the sentence that bothered you and fiend.

You still got cleanup to do on the reply you sent to choirfiend.

 

[MariaRegina]

There is some legend, I can't remember the details, of a direct link between the Desert Fathers and Irish monasticism. Anyone with knowledge please post.

Being both Irish (75% anyhow) and now Antiochian means we'll be having green hummus next St. Paddy's day.

Would adding avocado to the hummus do this?

I love eating the two together. ... Ah, another recipe for fasting coming up.

 

[MariaRegina]

ewwww

Well, if you're determined to have it Andrew, I recommend making it around the 1st of March and letting it sit in the refrigerator. Along about day 8 it will have a buzz to it, but the color won't have changed much; by day 16 you should have a lovely shade of green, tinged with a little blue .

Many years,

Neil

On one St. Patty's day, the college cafeteria served green tortillas, green jello, and made just about everything else green with a little green food coloring.]

BTW: For those who might take offense, St. Patrick was an Orthodox hieromonk and Bishop.

P.S. I was referring to Father Basil Adcock. I went to his Trisagion service -- an Irish wake.

 

[MariaRegina]

Elizabeth,

No, I don't think even the seafaring Irish monks got that far

You're speaking, I presume, of Father Basil Adcock, of blessed memory. I knew him when he was assistant at the Cathedral. He was a good person and a good priest whose life here was, sadly, too short. Memory eternal.

btw, you are correct as to the derivation of Melkite.

Many years,

Neil

I started a thread about the Irish monks so as not to further derail this thread. And Neil I wasn't offended by your remark. I think we covered the whys and such. Otherwise we wouldn't have had this very interesting discussion.

God grant you many years.

 

[Rilian]

Would adding avocado to the hummus do this?

I love eating the two together. ... Ah, another recipe for fasting coming up.

That sounds pretty good.

 

[CopticGirl]

Thank you everyone for your input. I do appreciate it. Especially--you Neil!

I know some of you weren't happy with his reference to a Catholic Church. But to be honest with you, my friend's words to me were, "Liz do you think it's a bad idea to become Catholic?". I told him it's not a bad idea, but being an Orthodox Christian, I would of course suggest Orthodoxy first, and if that doesn't work then maybe turn to Catholicism. So, Neil's mention of a Catholic Church is not out of the question for my friend. Just thought I would let you know...

Well, I did email the priest at the Church in Cohasset, hopefully he'll get back to me.

Please pray for my friend, he really does need some spiritual guidance right now.

Thanks again!

God Bless,
Elizabeth

 

[Photini]

BTW: For those who might take offense, St. Patrick was an Orthodox hieromonk and Bishop.

My sister's parish in Kansas City has a relic of St Patrick.

 

[MariaRegina]

My sister's parish in Kansas City has a relic of St Patrick.

How big is it?

 

[Matrona]

BTW: For those who might take offense, St. Patrick was an Orthodox hieromonk and Bishop.

Who would take offense at that?

 

[Photini]

How big is it?

I'm not sure. That's not the first question that came to mind when she mentioned it.

 

[MariaRegina]

One time I was sitting in a cathedral and all of a sudden the deacon comes onto the altar and then grabs a box, places it on the altar table and then starts hammering away at something.

He takes at least 5 minutes - or so it seems. Finally he finishes.

He sees me and the confused look on my face and smiles. Then after he puts everything away, he motions for me to go outside. Once outside he explains the racket that he was making. The bishop had instructed him to take a tiny piece from a Holy Relic of one of the saints which he needed for a new antimension. The Deacon was using his surgical tools (he's a medical doctor) to do this procedure.

 

[Matrona]

The last time there was a hammering sound from behind our iconostasis, it was an altar server trying to dissect a huge clump of frankincense. Our air conditioning has been squicky and it gets hot in South Cackylacky, sooooo... the contents of the bag had melted together into a big lump the size of a grapefruit. He even tried throwing it against the wall before coming out through an angel door and grabbing a kitchen knife.