Dante’s Infero – Video Series
I’m currently part of a book club going through Dante’s Inferno. If you’ve ever tried to read this book, you’ll know that it’s not the simplest of works. Here’s a YouTube series I found where it’s discussed:
"We are travellers…not yet in our native land" – St. Augustine
I’m currently part of a book club going through Dante’s Inferno. If you’ve ever tried to read this book, you’ll know that it’s not the simplest of works. Here’s a YouTube series I found where it’s discussed:
A while ago I wrote a post talking about the exchanges you’ll commonly hear in the Byzantine circles (e.g. “Glory to Jesus Christ/Glory Forever”). In the Ruthenian Catholic Church you’ll often hear greetings and responses in Slavonic. I couldn’t find anywhere on the Internet to help learn them, so here’s my best attempt to list them all out phonetically and record them onto MP3….

“Slava Isusu Christu” (SLA-VA EE-SUE-SUE KRI-STU)
“Slava na Veeky” (SLA-VA NA VyEE-KEE)
An alternative dialect has it as
“Slava vo V’iki” (SLA-VA VO VyEE-KEE)
“Christos Razhdajetsja” (KRIS-TOS ROZH-DA-YET-SyAH)
“Slaveety Yoho” SLA-VEE-TE YEAH-HO)
“Christos Voskres” (KRIS-TOS VOS-KRES)
“Voistynu Voskres” (VO-EE-STEE-NU VOS-KRES)
An alternative dialect has it as:
“Christos Voskrese” (KRIS-TOS VOS-KRES-E)
“Voistinu Voskrese” (VO-EE-STEE-NU VOS-KRES-E)
“Chrystos Posredi nas” (KRIS-TOS POS-RE-DI NAS)
“I yest i budet” (YEST EE BOO-DET)
I hope this helps! If anyone out there is a Slavonic expert and would like to correct my pronunciation or phonetic spelling, please leave me a comment! Also, if you’d like to teach the world the responses in Greek, Russian etc, please let me know 🙂

In anticipation of the craziness which usually manifests itself on the Internet around this time, here is a post from Douglas Beaumont discussing the Christian response to Halloween….

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”
– Desmond Tutu
One of the books I read during my sabbatical was Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, a lay Carmelite who inspired so many people by his simple, practical approach to spirituality, which focuses on always being mindful of God, even throughout everyday tasks, such as doing the washing up.

Yesterday my sabbatical ended and I start back at work. Inspired by this Carmelite’s book, I’ve decided that I’m going to begin each workday with the prayer which Brother Lawrence mentions in the book:
Before beginning any task I would say to God, with childlike trust:
“O God, since You are with me, and it is Your will that I must now apply myself to these outward duties, I beg You, assist me with Your grace that I may continue in Your Presence; and to this end, O Lord, be with me in this my work, accept the labour of my hands, and dwell within my heart with all Your Fullness”
– Brother Lawrence, Practice of the Presence of God
I’ve been hearing this song on the radio a lot recently, Hawk Nelson’s “Drops in the ocean”
I want you as you are, not as you ought to be
Won’t you lay down your guard and come to me
The shame that grips you now is crippling
It breaks my heart to see you suffering
Cause I am for you
I’m not against you
If you wanna know
How far my love can go
Just how deep, just how wide
If you wanna see
How much you mean to me
Look at my hands, look at my side
If you could count the times I’d say you are forgiven
It’s more than the drops in the ocean
Don’t think you need to settle for a substitute
When I’m the only love that changes you
And I am for you
I’m not against you
I am for you
I’m not against you
Open your heart
It’s time that we start again
Open your heart
It’s time that we start again