Blessed Feast of St. Herman!

ISN'T IT LOVELY when you have a productive day! Today on the eve of the Feast of St. Herman was one of those days. I'm finally getting things in order so we can begin our school year in week or so and just finishing up the final touches.

Today was baking day and while I bake each week, for some reason today my prosphora loaves just turned out nice. Maybe because I'm finally getting back into balance and things were more joyful and prayerful today. All the kids cooperated and we were able to get so much done! It felt good!

St. Herman is a special saint for our family so we always try to do something special. Usually we would make a pilgrimage to Port Townsend to the parish of St. Herman to celebrate the feast, and then enjoy the day at the beach. The services there are so lovely and then have a fabulous salmon lunch. If you can make it there it's well worth the drive. It's absolutely beautiful!! Unfortunately we won't make it this year.

If you haven't read the life of St. Herman, you really should take the time. He was a simple man and lived close to the earth. While he was a hermit, he helped all those he came in contact with and lived a quiet, gentle life. I have been told that if you are able to visit the church of St. Herman on Spruce Island in Kodiak, Alaska you can strongly feel his presence. I would love to make a pilgrimage there and experience it!

There is a wonderful children's book my children love about St. Herman called North Star: St. Herman of Alaska.The illustrations are beautiful and it's such a lovely story to share.

So on this glorious feast of St. Herman I leave you with his troparions and kontakion. God bless your day!

Troparion - Tone 7

Joyful North Star of the Church of Christ,
Guiding all people to the Heavenly Heavenly Kingdom;
Teacher and apostle of the True Faith;
Intercessor and defender of the oppressed;
Adornment of the Orthodox adornment of the Orthodox Church in America:
Blessed Father Herman of Alaska,
Pray to our Lord Jesus Christ
For the salvation of our souls!

Troparion - Tone 4

O blessed Father Herman of Alaska,
North star of Christ's holy Church,
The light of your holy life and great deeds
Guides those who follow the Orthodox way.
Together we lift high the Holy Cross
You planted firmly in America.
Let all behold and glorify Jesus Christ,
Singing his holy Resurrection.

Kontakion - Tone 3

The eternal light of Christ our Savior
guided you, blessed Father Herman,
on your evangelical your evangelical journey to America
to proclaim the Gospel of peace.
Now you stand before the throne of glory;
intercede for your land and its people:
Peace for the world and salvation for our souls!

Transformation...

IN MY KITCHEN... Today was baking day. I love my Prosphora baking days. I try to keep them as calm and serene as I can, with 4 kids in the house. I always start in prayer, since I am making something that will be transformed into something holy.

For those of you who don't know what Prosphora is here is a brief explanation. A prosphoron (Greek: πρόσφορον, offering) is a small loaf of leavened bread used in Orthodox Christian and Greek Catholic (Byzantine) liturgies. The plural form is prosphora (πρόσφορα). The term originally meant any offering made to a temple, but in Orthodox Christianity it has come to mean specifically the bread offered at the Divine Liturgy (Eucharist). To read more click here...

I guess the thing I enjoy the most about being a Prosphora baker is the honor of making something so ordinary as bread that will be later transformed into a great sacrifice and made holy. For me that is the key to life itself. To know that we are just merely human beings, but with God's help and our obedience we can be transformed into something holy! To me that is an AWESOME thought.

In the season of motherhood of having small children again, I can not always be as consistent as I'd like with my church attendance and participation in the life cycle of the church year. By making prosphora I am able to, in away, take part even when I physically can not be there. I can make my offering and while I can not always be a witness to it, something I created is there. I have been blessed to bake for the church for the last 7 years and now it is such a part of my prayer life, I don't know what I'd do with out it. It keeps me humble and keeps me connected to the thought that even the ordinary through God's handiwork can be transformed. What a blessing indeed!!