Short and sweet – some things that I’ve been thinking about the past few days.

* My oldest nephew (5) swallowed a paint ball yesterday. Apparently there was paint everywhere but a call to the Poison Control confirmed they are non-toxic. My favorite part is that when he was asked why he did it, he said “I thought it was a piece of candy and I wanted to get it first” Bwahahahahahahaaha


* Xavier interviewed me for a class biography (why he didn’t choose a family member who is, shall we say, more aged to perfection than I, I don’t know). He threw a fit because I was too boring and then told me that it was sad that when he said “What is your proudest accomplishment and it can’t be kids, family, or church” all I could come up with was that I’ve seen Duran Duran twice in concert

* I’m all of the sudden overwhelmed with the idea of getting everything done before the Nativity. I haven’t put up the tree, my cards are addressed and signed, but my letter isn’t done and the notes aren’t written on them, none of my gifts are wrapped and I need to mail half of them to California, I have a Secret Santa gift to wrap and mail (and one part hasn’t arrived yet), and I have several ornaments to make.

* A parish member gave me a Saveur magazine with an article about the Basque community in Boise. Since I’m of Basque extraction, it was lovely to read and so sweet of him to think of me. Now, I’d love to go to Boise.

* My cousin’s daughter, who has XP, was featured on Sunday’s “Extreme Home Makeover”. (hey, I just saw that they will rerun it tonight, in case you missed it). She got to go to Disney World at night. So, whohoooo Aimee, We love you!

* I actually made the comment to Eddie that I’d not talked to my mom lately, but I knew that she was ok because she posted on my Blog. It’s truly the 21st Century isn’t it?

* May today be peaceful and blessed. It seems so easy to focus on the small annoyances of getting everything done, and I know that is not the most important part of this lovely season. Prayers for comfort and joy to all my friends, family and Blog readers!

The next in Huw Raphael’s O Antiphon Challenge *

O King of the Nations,
and the one they desired,
keystone,
who makes both peoples one,
come and save mankind,
whom you shaped from the mud.


I am intrigued by this reading as there is so much I’d like to talk about. Philippa spoke very eloquently about the keystone who is Christ, so I won't add anything to that point.

One of the things that catches me the most about this antiphon is the ending line “whom you shaped from the mud”, for as Genesis 2:7 tells us:

the LORD God formed the man [g] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7).


When I read of the creation, I am reminded of one of my favorite Gospel passages is the healing of the man born blind in John 6

1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
6Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
Icon from Archangel Books



I am struck by how the forming of man and the healing of the blind man are very similar in form. How God creates a whole man from the dust and uses his breath (or spittle) to complete the healing. Yesterday's Dynamis reading explored blindness in the scriptures and how we apply it to our life.


Orthodoxy affirms that we are blind and do not see
perfectly even when the Lord heals one or another aspect of our lives.
The life in Christ is a process of continuing growth in faith. We pray,
receive the Holy Mysteries, study Scripture and the Fathers, and His
light grows within us. He continues to take us beyond the familiar, to
heal us in small steps as we are able to bear the Light, and then He
sends us back home into the Church.

So, in conclusion, remember that our creation, our healing, and our salvation cannot be completed without Christ, who is the King of All Nations and our cornerstone. Our journey to the Nativity quickens as we draw near.

*Deb asked me about the O Antiphon Challenge. The O Antiphons are a series of prayers used in the Western Liturgical Rite (Catholic, Anglicans and Western Rite Orthodox) in the days preceding Christmas. Huw Raphael issued a challenge to bloggers to post a meditation on each antiphon. He had a great schedule worked out, and I have basically missed every date, my apologies.
The entire series is here and Huw’s mediations have been posted on his blog, you can read each of them from the link on the right side of his blog.

Another note – would someone from the Western Rite send me to a link to an online recording of these? I’ve never heard them. Thanks!

Yesterday, after I picked up Xavier from school, he was chewing and I realized it smelled like Big Red.

That smell brought me back to sixteen years ago today, when I gave a cute wrestler who I knew was sending me “I think you are cute” vibes a pack of Big Red for his 18th Birthday (because he always chewed it). It was the first gift I ever gave my now husband, Eddie.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sweet and amazing husband who is my friend, lover, helper, sounding board, cook, dancing partner, and most importantly, my heart. I love you!
Eddie and Xavier in Portland