My World

Holy Friday is a day of mourning, fasting and prayer. Friday morning services retell the story of Christ's passion with the addition of prophecies, psalms and hymns. These services or "Royal Hours" help us keep vigil at the side of the crucified Christ, and relate Jesus' suffering to our redemption.  Friday morning service (The Apokathilosis) marks the beginning of Holy Saturday: During this service, the minister takes Christ's body from the Cross, wraps it in a white cloth and places it on the Altar as a sign of His burial by Joseph of Armiathea and Nikodimos. A cloth icon or shroud depicting Christ's sacred body, called the Epitaphios, is carried in procession and placed in a flowered bier that represents Christ's tomb. On Holy Friday evening, the Martins of Holy Saturday are chanted. At this service we chant: The Hymns Of The Lamentations "Engomia"We lament Jesus' undeserved death for our salvation. With both sorrow and joy

To take away our sins, Christ willingly en d ure d spitting, scourging, buffeting, scorn, mocking, an d purple robe; the ree d , sponge, vinegar, nails, spear, an d above all, the Cross an d D eath. The confession from the cross of the penitent thief, crucifie d with Christ, is celebrate d . This service is long, but its content is d ramatic an d d eeply moving for the d evout Christian. Participation in the prayers an d the historical sequence of the events, as relate d in the Gospels an d hymns, provi d es a vivi d foun d ation for the great events yet to com e. Following are the references of the "Twelve Gospel" rea d ings of this service: St. John 13:31 thru Ch. 18:1 2. St. John 18:1-29 3. St. Matthew 26:57-75 4. St. John 18:28 thru Ch. 19:16 5. St. Matthew 27:3-32 6. St. Mark 15:16-32 7. St. Matthew 27:33-54 8. St. Luke 23:32-49 9. St. John 19:38-42 10. St. Mark 15:43-47 11. St. John 19:38-42 12. St. Matthew 27:62-66 These rea d ings relate

The sacre d ceremony of the Mysterion of the Holy Unction takes place on this We d nes d ay evening, following an ol d custom. It is the evening of repentance, confession, an d the remission of sins by the Lor d , preparing the faithful to receive Holy Com munion, usually the next d ay, Holy Thurs d ay morning. Holy Unction is the Mysterion for cleansing sins an d renewing the bo d y an d the spirit of the faithful. Holy Unction is one of the seven Sacraments of the Church, an d it has its origin in the practice of the early Church as recor d e d in the Epistle of James (5:14-15). At the en d of the service, the priest anoints the people with Holy Oil, the visible carrier of the Grace of Go d . via http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith8432

  Holy Tuesday services urge us to be spiritually prepared to receive Christ. We should take this time to reflect on: The Parable of the Ten Virgins . The maidens who filled their lamp with oil were prepared to receive the bridegroom. Those with empty lamps were shut out of the marriage feast. So each of us should light our lives with faith and good works and be ready to receive Christ. Our Readiness to meet Christ. This is the message of the hymn proclaiming: "Thy Bridal Chamber I see adorned, O my Saviour, but I have no wedding garment that I may enter. O Giver of Light, enlighten the vesture of my soul and save me." via users.esc.net.au

Monday of Holy Week (sung by anticipation, now on Palm Sun d ay Evening) com memorates the blesse d an d noble Joseph an d the fig tree which was curse d an d withere d by the Lor d . The withering of the fig tree was a miracle of special symbolism, since the tree ha d leaves, but no fruit. It is symbolic of the many people who claim ethical an d religious i d entity, but who in reality have empty lives that yiel d no fruit. This was also the case with some of the Pharisees of that perio d . Jesus curse d the tree: "May no fruit ever com e from you again!" (Matt. 21:19) The reference to the story of the virtuous Joseph of the Ol d Testament (Genesis 37-41) is ma d e only for contrast, since the life of Joseph was a mo d el of propriety an d sincere observance of ethical principles. On this evening, we begin with the Hymn of the Bri d egroom, "Behol d the Bri d egroom com es in the mi d st of the night...beware, therefore, O my soul, lest thou be borne

A lot has been said about the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet - a healthy eating plan based on delicious foods and flavours of the Mediterranean. The traditional Mediterranean diet has been part of my eating habits for years. Lately, I've come up with some healthy ouzomezedes provided that you have only one glass of ouzo and only 2 small pieces of grilled haloumi cheese.  This is Fava - split pea purée.  Fava is Greek and has nothing to do with our louvana here in Cyprus. If you like real fava, use fava not louvana! I used Agrino Fava. Here's my recipe . Cucumber and Kalamata Olives with a pinch of salt.  Tomato salad with a splash of olive oil and salad herbs. No salt! I find that herbs and spices are much tastier than salt! Grilled Haloumi Cheese Feta Cheese light (12% fat) drizzled with olive oil and oregano. Frozen chicken nuggets cooked in the oven and my chicken fillet meatballs also cooked in the oven. Don't forget to add some fr

Sundays have a pleasant, relaxing routine for me. There's nothing that has to be done since most of the chores for the week such as marking tests or homework, laundry or house cleaning have all been completed on Friday or Saturday. This makes Sunday feel like the ultimate relaxation day because all of the tasks that hang over my head during the rest of the week have been done. Home Home While I believe in God, I don't go to church, so there is never any rush to start the day on Sunday. However, being an early riser by nature, I'm usually up and about by 6:00 a.m. People often look at me as if I were crazy when I tell them that I enjoy getting up early on Sunday mornings to go walking. I walk along the seafront at Piale Pacha six days a week and cover 5 km in an hour. This keeps me fit and it's such an invigorating activity. Piale Pacha - Larnaca Alkis and I often take a short trip to the nearby countryside and have lunch out. If we are home we have a pretty s

Biologically, there is only one quality that distinguishes us from animals: the ability to laugh ! In a universe which appears to be utterly devoid of humour , I personally enjoy this supreme luxury. And it is a luxury, for unlike any other bodily process, laughter does not seem to serve a biologically useful purpose. In a divided world, laughter is a unifying force... It can be anything from a refined tinkle to an earthquaking roar, but the effect is always the same . If happiness is one of the great goals of life, then it is laughter that provides the key.   When I was younger, I found many TV shows funny. Laurel and Hardy , for instance ,  made me chortle when I was 10. The physical actions, the verbal communication, their costumes and hilarious jokes throughout the show made me laugh my head off. As I grew older, I didn't find Laurel and Hardy funny any more. Sitcom comedy and Mr Bean would have me in stitches! I loved the expressions of his face and the fact that Mr Bea

Cooking is like blogging. Sometimes you are short of ideas or short of time or reluctant to put something on the grill for yet another day, or simply too lazy to try a complex recipe. There are days when you haven't planned your menu, take-away or delivery is not an option, yet you would like to cook something quick, something healthy and something tasty. Yesterday, I hit a dry spell and had no idea of what to cook for dinner. Finally, I came up with the following recipe which turned out to be all the above: quick to make, healthy and tasty. Psaronefri Kokkinisto - Pork Fillet in Tomato Sauce Psaronefri Kokkinisto - Pork Fillet in Tomato Sauce INGREDIENTS 1 kg pork fillet (ask your butcher to remove the visible fat) 1/2 cup pure olive oil 1 onion finely chopped 3-4 cloves garlic 1 cup tomato sauce 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon flour salt and pepper   DIRECTIONS Chop the pork fillet in medium-sized pieces. Heat the olive oil in a kitchen pot an