tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12999728768716594682024-03-17T23:04:00.669-04:00Christ The BridegroomA blog of the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery in Burton, OhioMother Ceciliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10050827557687079068noreply@blogger.comBlogger612125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-70623251869208118012024-03-07T08:00:00.003-05:002024-03-07T08:00:00.142-05:00Reminder! The Great Canon is on March 14th!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0uwRyLFUxZNJQ0V5QKhu0uLr1PiGdNsnWR7JpfKohhWOcay9_JELvo0lAujnGSRdtEbRj9SOvYbdgWGFvoYhiXbsCCFP5IycrgODvYj4QWtGFm_3DrLIYvYcojbb_HdsrJ7rojpRDhm_j3qqNvz55r_QlrMutG6KBsdLfIButvnu0yHAKXSIG9Iw9TY/s800/nuns-prostrating.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF0uwRyLFUxZNJQ0V5QKhu0uLr1PiGdNsnWR7JpfKohhWOcay9_JELvo0lAujnGSRdtEbRj9SOvYbdgWGFvoYhiXbsCCFP5IycrgODvYj4QWtGFm_3DrLIYvYcojbb_HdsrJ7rojpRDhm_j3qqNvz55r_QlrMutG6KBsdLfIButvnu0yHAKXSIG9Iw9TY/w416-h312/nuns-prostrating.png" width="416" /></a></div>Join the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery for a special Lenten service, the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, on Thursday, March 14, at St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church, 8111 Brecksville Rd, Brecksville, Ohio. This powerful service of repentance includes beautiful melodies, plentiful Scriptural and spiritual nourishment, hundreds of prostrations, and the moving life story of the penitent St. Mary of Egypt. The evening will also be a great opportunity for the Mystery of Holy Repentance (Confession) and to venerate a relic of St. Mary of Egypt. Please bring a fasting-friendly potluck dish to share (no meat, dairy, eggs or fish) if you join us for dinner at 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the hall below the church. The Canon will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at about 9:00 p.m. All are invited to come for part or all of the Canon, even if you are not physically able to participate in the prostrations. No RSVP necessary. <p></p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-24015511232287418842024-02-21T17:59:00.000-05:002024-02-21T17:59:32.049-05:00Special Opportunities to Pray with us this Great Fast<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZRsEi-09ChcFAGSSjw5cxbs5GWNSVEA3y-8B-JZ07SIN2kE1Pzq_WxeykEpcpfBnAT9CXB_34Ez5FaQYp6zRiJnsn04ntFQi4QfjCU0RA1pDQN7XjoTVGI_xFRviKt8wPYGrw2qoPDHzES03hY49stJCOXQX-CqD0XaXPzvh7FVYJ4lKLNPMMLNa7cg/s4000/liturgical%20schedule%20banner%20option%201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="4000" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZRsEi-09ChcFAGSSjw5cxbs5GWNSVEA3y-8B-JZ07SIN2kE1Pzq_WxeykEpcpfBnAT9CXB_34Ez5FaQYp6zRiJnsn04ntFQi4QfjCU0RA1pDQN7XjoTVGI_xFRviKt8wPYGrw2qoPDHzES03hY49stJCOXQX-CqD0XaXPzvh7FVYJ4lKLNPMMLNa7cg/w771-h161/liturgical%20schedule%20banner%20option%201.jpg" width="771" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>As we begin this Fast, we'd like to share some upcoming opportunities for you to join us in prayer. </p><p><b>Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts:</b> We have this liturgy in our monastery chapel each Wednesday and Friday during the Great Fast at 3:00. Please check our <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/upcoming-events.html">Liturgy Schedule</a> tab to be sure. We'd love to have you join us. </p><p><b>Daily Prayer: </b>All are welcome to join us for any of our prayer. Please see our <a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:1471fb42-2565-438a-b32f-4244113c57df" target="_blank">Great Fast Schedule 2024</a> for the times of each service, and please note that you may want to call ahead just to be sure we haven't had to change our schedule that day. </p><p><b>The Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete: </b>Join the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery for a special Lenten service, the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, on Thursday, March 14, at St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church, 8111 Brecksville Rd, Brecksville, Ohio. This powerful service of repentance includes beautiful melodies, plentiful Scriptural and spiritual nourishment, hundreds of prostrations, and the moving life story of the penitent St. Mary of Egypt. The evening will also be a great opportunity for the Mystery of Holy Repentance (Confession) and to venerate a relic of St. Mary of Egypt. Please bring a fasting-friendly potluck dish to share (no meat, dairy, eggs or fish) if you join us for dinner at 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the hall below the church. The Canon will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at about 9:00 p.m. All are invited to come for part or all of the Canon, even if you are not physically able to participate in the prostrations.</p><p><b>Bridegroom Matins: </b>We invite you to join us for Bridegroom Matins, our patronal commemoration, on Wednesday, March 27, at 9:00 a.m. in our monastery chapel. We are looking forward to praying this service, which is so important to our monastery, with Bishop Robert for the first time. The readings and hymns of this service help us embrace a spirit of watchfulness and vigilance as we enter into the commemoration of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection in the following days. This year, we will not be having a breakfast after Bridegroom Matins, but all are welcome to spend time praying in the chapel afterwards. </p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-26804380705427651202024-02-04T14:00:00.002-05:002024-02-04T14:00:00.260-05:00New Weekly Videos from Mother Natalia<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5tdoyUwWqQjwejJ8MToSaxxJNcoHqc4cSj-20tqijY2C29FTvBa1HVf6-JElLi8hxMK_B1vpkdjb9uZAL3uLdT9Eqe9qEm_trkV9-Bl-GtZ_WaE-U5t-rDFRdbnp3nh-KlJBPJ0aTknyAR4e4hpfFAgPbVNfB8bg31FpW4I2g96nkR6PgJ6CoNLkPLQ/s2560/8971511285657260539.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5tdoyUwWqQjwejJ8MToSaxxJNcoHqc4cSj-20tqijY2C29FTvBa1HVf6-JElLi8hxMK_B1vpkdjb9uZAL3uLdT9Eqe9qEm_trkV9-Bl-GtZ_WaE-U5t-rDFRdbnp3nh-KlJBPJ0aTknyAR4e4hpfFAgPbVNfB8bg31FpW4I2g96nkR6PgJ6CoNLkPLQ/s320/8971511285657260539.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Recently, Matt Fradd asked Mother Natalia to create weekly videos for his show <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Fvmp2Lxds" target="_blank">Pints with Aquinas</a>. After some discernment, waiting until a good time, and then a full day of setting up a nice place for her to record undisturbed, we are excited that this weekly segment begins today! We hope that the fruits of our monastic life which Mother Natalia shares in the videos will be a blessing for those who watch. </p><p>In this first video, Mother Natalia talks about the Feast of Theophany and bringing our shame into the light of Christ. </p><p><br /></p><p>A new 10 to 20-minute-long video will be posted on the Pints with Aquinas YouTube channel (linked above) every Sunday. </p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-61203386218853749322024-01-13T20:33:00.000-05:002024-01-13T20:33:15.776-05:00Mother Cecilia's Institution as our Hegumena<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqiXlUA4tITJx55JKsxpLrSFFqhx5Ftt6XvQtwGc0-9Jb-A0yYPqe8JrLqsLLd38RhEF97VeWiD5xrHUFfnYOp_xA8EhmEE8AA2lXjhwZlsMRXIC2u9dt3Akgk4QiCBM9WseSbYql7mVTQZWsww4O-CGZszD2CorLIxEUVwIkw6Ry1WjhEU8rGbSzW_c/s4953/87-DSC_0933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3295" data-original-width="4953" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqiXlUA4tITJx55JKsxpLrSFFqhx5Ftt6XvQtwGc0-9Jb-A0yYPqe8JrLqsLLd38RhEF97VeWiD5xrHUFfnYOp_xA8EhmEE8AA2lXjhwZlsMRXIC2u9dt3Akgk4QiCBM9WseSbYql7mVTQZWsww4O-CGZszD2CorLIxEUVwIkw6Ry1WjhEU8rGbSzW_c/w452-h301/87-DSC_0933.jpg" width="452" /></a></div> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On Sunday, December 31st, 2023, Mother Cecilia was officially instituted as our hegumena. Below are some of her reflections on the day of the institution as well as the meaning behind the design of her staff. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">May God grant Mother Cecilia many blessed years as our shepherdess! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">About the Significance of Today’s Date</h1><p></p><p>I suggested today’s date to Bishop Robert as a possibility for my institution as hegumena because it is both the leave-taking of the feast of the Nativity (the Nativity having a lot of significance to me in my spiritual life) and because today, the Sunday after the Nativity, is the Byzantine feast of St. Joseph, the patron of my home parish. The Lord, however, had even more reasons in mind.</p><p>Recently, when I prayed and asked about the significance of the day, what immediately came to mind was that today is not only the feast of St. Joseph, but also of King David and St. James the Brother of the Lord (the day commemorates these important people in the family of Jesus). I asked what their significance is for this day. And I immediately understood: they are all shepherds, just like I am becoming! And they had shepherd’s staffs, just like I am receiving from the hand of the shepherd of our eparchy! David was literally a shepherd, and also became the king and shepherd of Israel. St. Joseph’s staff bloomed as a sign that he was to be chosen as the betrothed of Mary, and he was the shepherd of the Holy Family, protecting them and leading them to Egypt and back. And St. James was the first bishop of Jerusalem, with his bishop’s staff signifying that a bishop is a shepherd of the Church.</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">About the Design of My Staff</h1><p>My staff was carved by Kyle Rosser, seminarian for the Diocese of Cleveland. I’m really grateful for his willingness to take on this project, and for his prayerful work. I sketched a design, and he turned it into a carving. I’d like to share with you the meaning behind the design (and the Lord will probably keep showing me His meanings!).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZvqVt-kPPu08HrTOncbZSkvA218reMXRvkhjQTzhGpogZk_O9MxRM6zrAMez4y4MHwYMHcEtlwMlcE8dILQEWyDSFY24KGYaZGyUbTqA743qpInpa78wfgymrldlrfvOLNRFW5ato72yKcB-1ZHl4cS9xXhLt0YQqUK-vgOMuj5tUPteYuUKFZQ8yCw/s6048/203-DSC_1589%20small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZvqVt-kPPu08HrTOncbZSkvA218reMXRvkhjQTzhGpogZk_O9MxRM6zrAMez4y4MHwYMHcEtlwMlcE8dILQEWyDSFY24KGYaZGyUbTqA743qpInpa78wfgymrldlrfvOLNRFW5ato72yKcB-1ZHl4cS9xXhLt0YQqUK-vgOMuj5tUPteYuUKFZQ8yCw/w448-h298/203-DSC_1589%20small.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><p></p><p>The first line of Psalm 22(23) is carved into the center of the design: “The Lord is my shepherd.” Even though this staff is being handed to me as a symbol of the protection, care and guidance that I must give to this monastic flock, it is really the Lord’s staff—the staff of the Good Shepherd. He is shepherding me as I shepherd, and shepherding through and with me.</p><p>This first line of the psalm also signifies for me the entire psalm, one of my favorites. The symbols carved into the staff represent parts of the psalm. The chalice signifies for me the line, “My cup overflows,” or, in the Septuagint, “Your cup inebriates me like the best wine.” I see myself as the cup, and the wine as the love of God (which is really God Himself). I feel called to consent to being empty so that God can fill me with Himself, and to focus most especially in my spiritual life to letting myself be loved. I believe that letting myself be loved is what God truly most desires, because this is why He made us, to love us. And I believe that letting myself be loved is the most important step in loving others, because we need His love with which to love, and in this way, “my cup overflows.” I believe that even as hegumena, my first and most important call is to let myself be loved.</p><p>The branch behind the chalice is an olive branch, and the staff is also carved out of olive wood. This symbol signifies oil, and refers to the line, “You anoint my head with oil.” Oil is used in Scripture and the Holy Mysteries (Sacraments) in connection with the descent of the Holy Spirit. Kings were anointed with oil, and Christians are also anointed, chosen by God for Himself and for a special mission. Although a hegumena is not anointed with oil in the institution service, she is chosen by the Holy Spirit, and is called to “anoint” others with the other purpose of oil: healing.</p><p>Wine and oil…these are the medicines used by the Good Samaritan on the wounds of the man beaten by robbers. Wine to sanitize and oil to heal. I pray that the Lord bring healing to each of us, in the monastery and beyond, beaten by the robbers—the demons, and left half-dead by our passions. I desire to do my part to help Him bring about this healing—healing, which at its deepest level, means communion with the God who is love. This is why we nuns are in the monastery, and why each person was created. By looking at my staff, may I remember.</p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-54555285708272245712023-12-25T19:09:00.000-05:002023-12-25T19:09:06.806-05:00Christ is Born! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqJ9ZwkPPNfv4Wcot1gM8pwJEv-xzl7ePWoURN15ZiiGF31osWQ-mnMNgtdvj8xqpGkATup_ouMiWVpoKECEJF578d5XeMKnsuQhtLaxXlSPCaQlKGPRAONNNSaWZnqU_9fApKvwlGek5wanPYRN1uKp4mvEV8gyE_3oRiib4MCgMQtPlS93JOcoLPsg/s1000/IMG_20231225_103535400_HDR.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqJ9ZwkPPNfv4Wcot1gM8pwJEv-xzl7ePWoURN15ZiiGF31osWQ-mnMNgtdvj8xqpGkATup_ouMiWVpoKECEJF578d5XeMKnsuQhtLaxXlSPCaQlKGPRAONNNSaWZnqU_9fApKvwlGek5wanPYRN1uKp4mvEV8gyE_3oRiib4MCgMQtPlS93JOcoLPsg/s320/IMG_20231225_103535400_HDR.gif" width="240" /></a></div><br />Christ is Born! Glorify Him!</div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Wishing you all a merry and blessed Christmas from all of us at Christ the Bridegroom Monastery. May we all find a place around the cave in Bethlehem and meet Christ there in this festive period. </p><p>"I see a strange and marvelous mystery: heaven is a cave, the cherubic throne a virgin; the manger has become the place in which Christ the incomprehensible God lies down. Let us praise him and extol him." -Irmos of the Nativity </p><p></p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-27715697310781325672023-11-22T07:00:00.001-05:002023-11-22T10:38:16.042-05:00Watch and Read More about "The Light of His Eyes" <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2IEjT5GFOezfr2mkLdVpykYWwxnXjPWQqSr1y7hympNm-jXoGySprWzG0UkAwd1zTMupnqfhXPUB_p6zr5onzKwwS6sWjyrFK_Li2uWZmggQvNwWG3ahP2-5mwTxiUZKKibYTgQYzp9I9CyMiBD4LlOyhO-b6Wi3okpW_BWtZO2HBU8F6INkhMMX4mo/s1240/MIonPints.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1240" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2IEjT5GFOezfr2mkLdVpykYWwxnXjPWQqSr1y7hympNm-jXoGySprWzG0UkAwd1zTMupnqfhXPUB_p6zr5onzKwwS6sWjyrFK_Li2uWZmggQvNwWG3ahP2-5mwTxiUZKKibYTgQYzp9I9CyMiBD4LlOyhO-b6Wi3okpW_BWtZO2HBU8F6INkhMMX4mo/w763-h426/MIonPints.jpg" width="763" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Recently, Mother Iliana was interviewed by Matt Fradd on his show "Pints with Aquinas." Among other things in this long-form interview, she talks about her new book, </span><i style="text-align: left;">The Light of His Eyes</i><span style="text-align: left;">. You can find the video of the interview </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na-pGqq2Q5w" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="text-align: left;">. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To read more about her book, you can check out this article in the National Catholic Register, "<a href="https://www.ncregister.com/blog/in-the-light-of-his-eyes-mother-iliana-interview" target="_blank">Never Forget: God Is Your Loving Father, and He Thinks You're Worth Dying For.</a>"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We have been really blessed to hear how Mother Iliana's book is touching so many people's lives! </div><p></p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-17132574041743445442023-11-20T20:52:00.001-05:002023-11-20T20:52:25.701-05:00“A Man of Trust” -- Father Vasyl Lonchyna<p> We'd like to share with you the story of the life of our very own, Mother Iliana's, great-grandfather, Father Vasyl Lonchyna, who was martyred for the faith on November 21st, 1946. Recently, his story was translated into English by Christine Gilbert, and so we are blessed to be able to share his story with you.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEHAxxBbKdYKh_eZrEHC2i8FAfmXehHV5wyfbMkA3NCJNyrLuTK4ZoqvcafSmBDNbz6pe5WV54uqPd3frF2-VNaJB7lR0HuSq6K79iMnudMFeKnsV1v5vIVqwbwTt-N-X1VIjiAtJvUc8XRFxUwItQ2mdJ7wTCLfWu5jTSECRXq_lRfEdl-HTg8xLg_s/s600/Fr_Vasyl_Lonchyna.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="390" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEHAxxBbKdYKh_eZrEHC2i8FAfmXehHV5wyfbMkA3NCJNyrLuTK4ZoqvcafSmBDNbz6pe5WV54uqPd3frF2-VNaJB7lR0HuSq6K79iMnudMFeKnsV1v5vIVqwbwTt-N-X1VIjiAtJvUc8XRFxUwItQ2mdJ7wTCLfWu5jTSECRXq_lRfEdl-HTg8xLg_s/w350-h538/Fr_Vasyl_Lonchyna.jpg" width="350" /></a></div><br />He was born on February 1, 1886, in the family of a wojt* in the village of Derniv in the Lviv region. He finished German gymnasium and Theological faculty of the Lviv University. In 1912, he got married (in marriage he had three children) and was ordained a priest. Until 1915, he was parochial vicar in the village of Hlyniany (Lviv region). After that, he labored in the church of St. Paraskeva and its daughter church of St. Nicholas, both in Lviv. He was a prisoner of Thalerhof. He was very active in church ministry. Father Lonchyna was imprisoned on October 22, 1945, and in the spring of 1946 he was condemned to ten years imprisonment and was sent to a camp in the Donetsk region. There, after a brutal beating during an interrogation, he died on November 21, 1946.<p></p><p>Humble and gentle by nature, with a soft and compassionate heart, Father Vasyl showed amazing resilience, courage and uncompromisingness when there was a concern about important things – his faith in God, Church and parishioners. He never left his faithful, he never renounced the Greco-Catholic faith, he despised threats because, as he used to say, “I know what I will die for.” He consciously accepted his arrest, exile, and, eventually, his martyr’s death.</p><p>Born in a family respected among the villagers (Father Vasyl`s father was the wojt) and the boy was raised well and obtained a good education. While he was studying at the Lviv University in Theology Faculty, he attended the Third Velehrad Congress. The young student became enamored of the idea of the union of churches towards which Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky was striving. The young man dreamed to become a genuine apostle of Christ, sacrificial and selfless…</p><p>Already in the first month of the 26-year-old priest’s ministry in the village of Hlyniany, he was noticed as the person with excellent pastoral and organizational skills. In 1915, Father Lonchyna was transferred to St. Paraskeva Church and the daughter church of St. Nicholas in Lviv, where he labored until his arrest in 1945 (first as vicar, later as a pastor). </p><p>Before long the priest faced a serious challenge: he was suspected in “russophilism” and the Austrian government sent him to Thalerhof (one of the most terrible concentration camps of the 20th Century; there, in a picturesque area at the foot of the Alps, the imprisoned died from cruelty, hunger, and inhumane conditions).Who knows if Father Lonchyna would come back if the protohegumen of the Basilian Fathers had not interfered. After almost two years of imprisonment, the priest returned again to his family and parishioners. Being thankful to God for salvation, the shepherd returned to work with zeal. At the parish, he founded fellowships and fraternities, which developed successfully, in particular, The Apostolate of Prayer, the Fraternity of St. Nicholas, the Fraternity of Good Death (the first one in Lviv), and the Marian Sisterhood. In addition to that, Father Vasyl during a long period of time was head of the “Cantors’ Mutual Help” fellowship, since he understood very well the value of the art of cantorship in the preservation of the Ukrainian tradition of liturgical singing. On the whole, Father Vasyl’s activity was multifaceted and active, and so his part in Theological Scientific Society should be mentioned here. </p><p>Father Vasyl was not only a wise and good spiritual father for his flock, but also a wonderfully practical man. St. Nicholas church was not in its best condition, so the pastor, together with the help of his faithful (mostly poor residents of Zhovkva and Krakow suburbs), did not only rebuild his church: thanks to his efforts the exterior of the church was decorated by the work of the famous painter Petro Kholodny. </p><p>Despite his comprehensive and fruitful activity, Father Lonchyna remained very mild and modest in everyday life. His daughter recalled: “Daddy was gentle, calm, noble, and very much loved by all. He always prayed with me before bed, teaching me to be good, kind, obedient, and to obey the elders…” </p><p>The priest`s calm and sincere nature did not impede him to stand for his principles, for in such cases he was completely imperturbable and unbreakable. For example, in the so called “language case” in 1930 when he and two other priests were sued for daring to use the Ukrainian language in correspondence with the government. The priests managed to win the case, which was a great rarity at that time. </p><p>Father Vasyl showed indomitable character in those difficult times when Soviet soldiers occupied Galicia and started the first persecutions of the Ukrainian Church. He did not have any illusions about the new government and said to his family that the priesthood will be in <span style="background-color: white;">relative </span>safety as long as Metropolitan Sheptytsky lives. The pastor, as his faithful, understood well the danger. More than once parishioners tried to convince the priest to leave the region. He invariably answered, saying that he will remain with his congregation until the end, and will not betray his vow. </p><p>They began to call the priest in for questioning. One day when he was at the district prosecutor’s office, he heard a loud noise behind the door – it was indignant parishioners come to free their priest. The enraged prosecutor promised to release him. Amazed by the father`s authority among those people, the prosecutor tried to persuade Father to enter the service of the new government. He asked the priest does he not fear imprisonment and death… No, Father Lonchyna was not afraid, because “he knew what he will die for”. This whole story ended with the wife of that same prosecutor (who really did release him) bringing her child to Father Vasyl to be baptized. Obviously, they decided that such priest can be trusted. </p><p>But the government didn’t leave Father Vasyl in peace, and he continued to be called in for questioning. Fr. Havryil Kostelnyk who was infamous for his“reunification” activities, tried to convince Father Vasyl to transfer to Orthodoxy. Finally, on October 22, 1945, they arrested the unbreakable priest. The “socially dangerous priest” was accused of many “sins,” such as being “a man of trust” during the German occupation (as the Ukrainian Central Committee called community representatives who protected their community’s interests). Being in that position, Father Lonchyna especially cared for poor families in need of help. </p><p>Father was convicted to ten years in prison. The priest was sent to Donetsk region in Novobutovka’s mine in the Makiyivka district where there were truly inhumane conditions: exhausting work, hunger, and dysentery, since the prisoners often ate straight from trash cans. And in all this horror, Father Vasyl preserved his human dignity and faith. He drew his strength from prayer. This made an impression on the prisoners: when they were unable to think about anything else other than finding something to eat, they saw someone next to them calmly, praying over a crumb of the daily ration and consuming it nobly as is from God’s hand. They often saw the priest as he sat tired on a bench, and having humbly bowed his head, spoke something to the Lord… </p><p>In the camp Father lost his health very quickly. But even in this state the government did not leave the nearly powerless priest in peace. They again started to call him for questioning. During one such interrogation he was beaten so hard that he could not stand on his feet again. In his 60th year of life, on the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, November 21, 1946, Father Lonchyna departed into eternity. Another wonderful person passed away, a person who knew how to love God and people and be faithful to the ideals of his own faith up until his last breath.</p><p><br /></p><p>*“A Polish senior civil administrative officer and the highest representative of the government of a rural gmina, i.e., of a commune (gmina) comprising only villages... The word wójt is derived from Latin advocatus via German Vogt.” –Wikipedia.</p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-29690182130546321302023-11-15T19:49:00.000-05:002023-11-15T19:49:04.245-05:00A Thank You Letter from Mother Cecilia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVs3WjBL4VvrL7xwqNRCNNNLZWXSYo-VtaZH6ufBLCfx6ex-uc6pixZHOKMoF9XGr4E7WsWwHZCk4TDhYsc-FRA7G-UZv9KfnZ-d1X7cLKjvXoS_24mdzCUZ_yrIRmhMEiPRJFUGtpQX4OyBP25t21tm7qOXrWn3n2bRwikcXkU_YbZCCFS3ODau3jK0/s1210/on-stage-laughing.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1210" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVs3WjBL4VvrL7xwqNRCNNNLZWXSYo-VtaZH6ufBLCfx6ex-uc6pixZHOKMoF9XGr4E7WsWwHZCk4TDhYsc-FRA7G-UZv9KfnZ-d1X7cLKjvXoS_24mdzCUZ_yrIRmhMEiPRJFUGtpQX4OyBP25t21tm7qOXrWn3n2bRwikcXkU_YbZCCFS3ODau3jK0/w679-h452/on-stage-laughing.gif" width="679" /></a></div><br /><p>Dear friends and benefactors,</p><p>Thank you for your incredible support of our monastic life! At our Bridegroom's Banquet on Saturday, November 4 (and in donations given remotely), we raised over $135,000, $100,000 of which will be matched! These funds will allow us to continue our monastic life and to save for our next building project, which may be more poustinias or an addition to the monastery building. We continue to discern the next step.</p><p>As I shared at the end of the banquet, your support is incredibly important to us, because there are few things that we do that actually bring in any income. And, as I said, the things that we do don't seem like much of anything to the world. But you believe. You believe that our life of prayer is enough. You believe that just <i>being</i> and <i>being loved by God </i>are enough. And your support allows us to continue to do this and to be an example of this to you and to others. So thank you!</p><p>The banquet was a beautiful event! Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, was our first <i>monastic</i> Emcee, and he shared some beautiful thoughts and stories about how people are encouraged simply by the knowledge that monks and nuns exist and are praying. Our video on obedience was probably the most beautiful yet of our videos. And for the first time, we nuns were the "entertainment," answering questions submitted by our guests and presented by Fr. Boniface. The questions ranged from topics such as "What saints have personally impacted you?" to "What's your favorite junk food?" Everyone enjoyed some laughs as our minds blanked and we passed the mic off to our sisters! We also just enjoyed being with 300 wonderful people, who are just some of those who make our monastic life possible.</p><p>Being hegumena for the first time at our banquet gives me an even greater appreciation for all the ways that you support us: financially, with your time and talent, and through your prayers!</p><p>God bless you! And know that you are in our hearts and prayers!</p><p>Mother Cecilia</p><p>Photos from the Bridegroom's Banquet can be found <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=ChristTheBridegroom&set=a.656992506550653" target="_blank">here</a>. </p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-35171175080964681502023-11-05T12:58:00.001-05:002023-11-05T16:19:31.551-05:00"'Be It Done unto Me': Reflections on Obedience" is on YouTube!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF1BdiPMgfT9exHThBZl9hY2sSdnT1cd6-X7gCOBvGEUBHEFUIlnGqVUIY47xu6RoLo65608hxtwYYANr_yy_7PvQ1JsG1r0zDqBcUWVnLYMw_2xE42pHGMtx8z_f1OAvf2NfW-qhxK-UYWi1u7zUzGpVbjIa1frupi4wNyO2cs75a-hFW44cu3sAW9o/s1605/Be%20it%20done%20unto%20me%20title%20page.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1605" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF1BdiPMgfT9exHThBZl9hY2sSdnT1cd6-X7gCOBvGEUBHEFUIlnGqVUIY47xu6RoLo65608hxtwYYANr_yy_7PvQ1JsG1r0zDqBcUWVnLYMw_2xE42pHGMtx8z_f1OAvf2NfW-qhxK-UYWi1u7zUzGpVbjIa1frupi4wNyO2cs75a-hFW44cu3sAW9o/w732-h328/Be%20it%20done%20unto%20me%20title%20page.jpg" width="732" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Without further ado, we are very excited to share with you our newest video, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMPgQ_OOpu8&t=102s" target="_blank">'Be It Done unto Me': Reflections on Obedience</a>." We encourage you to watch and pray with what you hear and see. We also would like to express our gratitude to David Bratnick, our filmmaker friend who did an incredible job putting this together for us. We hope that this video will bear much fruit!</p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-19410430395779813102023-11-04T07:00:00.003-04:002023-11-04T07:00:00.136-04:00You can still donate online today!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWx0RPGz5tJya5CeJ1ibX1FH7oiSaARaYJuzRUlMp6ZMX3Q6r7h8EY7FGfTa86VgAjLqEgXmE4AA1zyE0kLqb0sRKSxg88lSqewXKaR5bpfWLj663YJRTUcEhPb4mkfEBRQG6IWu5KoPaYWNlq64yye1dQ5EEQVAqzAihZw6sOACYnbhLVeXpNU43wIg/s1210/bridegroom.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1210" height="441" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWx0RPGz5tJya5CeJ1ibX1FH7oiSaARaYJuzRUlMp6ZMX3Q6r7h8EY7FGfTa86VgAjLqEgXmE4AA1zyE0kLqb0sRKSxg88lSqewXKaR5bpfWLj663YJRTUcEhPb4mkfEBRQG6IWu5KoPaYWNlq64yye1dQ5EEQVAqzAihZw6sOACYnbhLVeXpNU43wIg/w663-h441/bridegroom.gif" width="663" /></a></div><br />The day of the Bridegroom's Banquet has finally arrived, and we're busy getting ready to welcome everyone!<p></p><p>The funds we raise tonight, as well as the donations that have already been sent in, will be matched by a generous donor, up to $100,000. If you'd still like to donate and have your generosity doubled, you can donate online by this evening. Please visit <a href="https://www.osvhub.com/christthebridegroommonastery/giving/funds/bridegroom-s-banquet-2023" target="_blank">this link</a> to make a pledge or donate by credit card or EFT. </p><p>We are so grateful for your generous support of our monastic life. We're amazed by the magnitude of the generosity we receive each year at Banquet time. We couldn't live this life without you. Thank you. </p><p>Stay tuned on Sunday for the release of our new video "Be It Done unto Me: Reflections on Obedience" on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc-2L6EezhwqQFcPsgzsyag" target="_blank">YouTube</a>!</p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-8196300859660161322023-10-26T20:27:00.000-04:002023-10-26T20:27:02.407-04:00Thank you!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc-cYVyOVhkjWdlvxGayqiDVYcXVP7LbM-3EgOIWuBEzBJkyp8Y6v1U10j00FL55cPEzXkwOdTjpywbc31LX4U8fUyX5LBOg4GoFmo1yBWWYmiO7-MaX5HmJeH_HvVD9lk8nBSfEKe8kP81Q8weegVGg6m2CZpVYpO3ZW8zt1dFUsGlgaNAZ5Be4U5g4/s894/work-day-vespers.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="894" height="463" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAc-cYVyOVhkjWdlvxGayqiDVYcXVP7LbM-3EgOIWuBEzBJkyp8Y6v1U10j00FL55cPEzXkwOdTjpywbc31LX4U8fUyX5LBOg4GoFmo1yBWWYmiO7-MaX5HmJeH_HvVD9lk8nBSfEKe8kP81Q8weegVGg6m2CZpVYpO3ZW8zt1dFUsGlgaNAZ5Be4U5g4/w661-h463/work-day-vespers.gif" width="661" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We have a lot to be grateful for! </p><p>Thank you to everyone who came out and braved the cold and rain for our Fall Work Day. We were so glad to be able to welcome so many new people to our monastery. We were also amazed that we could get everything on our lists done and still have time for more jobs. We're really grateful for everyone's willingness to help us, especially when the weather was so cold and wet. The day ended with Vespers in our chapel (photo above), and then we all crammed into the monastery for the potluck dinner. It was great to be with all of you who came! Thank you!</p><p>We are also very glad to see that we were able to reach exactly the number of people we hoped for for our Bridegroom's Banquet. Registration ended on October 16th, and we have just over three hundred people registered! This year's banquet is going to be the biggest yet, and we're praying that the evening will be a blessing for all of you who come. We're looking forward to it! </p><p>For those who are unable to attend the banquet, if you'd like to make a donation to our monastery and have it matched by our matching donor, you can donate online <a href="https://www.osvhub.com/christthebridegroommonastery/giving/funds/bridegroom-s-banquet-2023" target="_blank">here</a>. Donations can also be sent in by mail. Please write out the check to "Christ the Bridegroom Monastery" and mark it as "Bridegroom's Banquet," and your donation will be doubled. Our address is 17485 Mumford Road, Burton, OH 44021. To have your donation matched, please send it in by the evening of November 4th. We're so grateful for your support of our monastic life! </p><p><br /></p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-66660170348852508042023-10-18T19:25:00.001-04:002023-10-18T19:25:36.727-04:00Hear Mother Petra's Story on "The Journey Home"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWurkCWmDTB73kSdGAo3-zfZVWFKZYClr9K85jUabc5ULXDJrmpJsddF7E_93lkSOw09-KkoH0t_xH5pCfO9pDRojtduvs7Rp2G_tFs1FI5RetrCX_v07bEIzBM9TrUF15fY3DJLIFkg4pAUnlE5KW45PqfN559tMROn-rw1IvMC4-sZ7bWy5vUTrV7Y/s1000/MPonTheJourneyHome.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWurkCWmDTB73kSdGAo3-zfZVWFKZYClr9K85jUabc5ULXDJrmpJsddF7E_93lkSOw09-KkoH0t_xH5pCfO9pDRojtduvs7Rp2G_tFs1FI5RetrCX_v07bEIzBM9TrUF15fY3DJLIFkg4pAUnlE5KW45PqfN559tMROn-rw1IvMC4-sZ7bWy5vUTrV7Y/w642-h482/MPonTheJourneyHome.gif" width="642" /></a></div><br /><p>Mother Petra's interview on <a href="https://chnetwork.org/" target="_blank">The Coming Home Network</a>'s show, "The Journey Home" recently aired. She tells her story of growing up Wesleyan and how she came into the Catholic Church. Mother Petra was especially grateful to get to visit The Coming Home Network because their ministry was very helpful to her as a new Catholic, and she hopes that others struggling with questions like hers will find resources and accompaniment through the CHN. </p><p>You can find her interview <a href="https://chnetwork.org/journey-home/mother-petra-former-wesleyan/#:~:text=Mother%20Petra%20was%20raised%20in,even%20stopped%20going%20to%20church." target="_blank">here</a>. </p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-68210157389204880402023-10-14T10:00:00.001-04:002023-10-14T10:00:00.133-04:00Banquet Registration Ends on Monday! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszq8sXcy0nC50ekzPd6HwBrehTf39tf9svpSZhb94ZrRy4mdr_yVOzN3MAsBdYUcfHCz16j4qE5rdKruyrAMz-KcfHHsJlZW-OqdBZZnLYIX9KF2e4DHDKAp7ju_Z7-ZuuiEhyphenhyphenKotb5UaIfnPdSiHUVj0nDRrgZba-TIjXw_kFiaqaBZ_JSCj0DEdFxI/s1210/MG-at-banquet.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1210" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszq8sXcy0nC50ekzPd6HwBrehTf39tf9svpSZhb94ZrRy4mdr_yVOzN3MAsBdYUcfHCz16j4qE5rdKruyrAMz-KcfHHsJlZW-OqdBZZnLYIX9KF2e4DHDKAp7ju_Z7-ZuuiEhyphenhyphenKotb5UaIfnPdSiHUVj0nDRrgZba-TIjXw_kFiaqaBZ_JSCj0DEdFxI/w604-h402/MG-at-banquet.gif" width="604" /></a></div><br />Glory to Jesus Christ!<p></p><p>Here's one last reminder to register for our Bridegroom's Banquet! It's on November 4th, and the registration deadline is October 16th, this Monday! WE ARE UNABLE TO EXTEND THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE THIS YEAR, so please register as soon as you can if you haven't yet. </p><p>You can find all of the details about the evening as well as the online registration form <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/the-bridegrooms-banquet.html">here</a>. </p><p>We hope to be with you at our Banquet! </p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-33125871288240668492023-10-11T17:00:00.036-04:002023-10-11T17:00:00.149-04:00Come and connect with us at our Bridegroom's Banquet!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnB3vg2nXDrp0LE4C-9W2f07NlbfYJcUzAoJCq6VHlZqS8pipjTvybH0EDg83zLeD4w5BlBbAddJvYjtEyDLPbbrwMEptNLZJ3JC91j9IFlnmOC9TrkDZBTmOYp-H8sq8hHUriBd4qzR7eADNNjlzCYJpV2YUaeQ5-SfUb8bjhKEvk8mzNPD1qMJDNuI/s1210/mcandmz.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1210" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnB3vg2nXDrp0LE4C-9W2f07NlbfYJcUzAoJCq6VHlZqS8pipjTvybH0EDg83zLeD4w5BlBbAddJvYjtEyDLPbbrwMEptNLZJ3JC91j9IFlnmOC9TrkDZBTmOYp-H8sq8hHUriBd4qzR7eADNNjlzCYJpV2YUaeQ5-SfUb8bjhKEvk8mzNPD1qMJDNuI/w652-h434/mcandmz.gif" width="652" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">There are just a few days left to register! </div><div style="text-align: center;">Come and connect with us at our Bridegroom's Banquet!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This past year, as we've been transitioning into Mother Cecilia's service to our community as hegumena, we've had to say no to many requests to spend time with people, in order to focus more fully on our relationships with Christ and each other as a monastic community. However, the Banquet is an open invitation for you to come and be with us for an evening. We hope as many people as possible will be able to come and be a part of this beautiful event with so many amazing people who support our monastic life. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This year's Banquet is on Saturday, November 4th, starting with Vespers at 4pm at St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral. Then, we'll head over, across the parking lot to the Astrodome Event Center for the rest of the evening which includes dinner, the premier of our new video on Obedience, Q & A with the nuns, and the opportunity to support our monastic life. We are also very glad to welcome Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, as our emcee this year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">All of the details about the evening can be found <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/the-bridegrooms-banquet.html">here</a>, as well as a link to reserve your spot. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We hope to see you there!</div><p></p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-56730763633759439082023-10-07T17:00:00.044-04:002023-10-07T17:00:00.131-04:00There's just about a week left until the Banquet doors close!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYedC6kznw0AKS0zmB5mAalKG-wyslRRZKx2VOu5VVGlZuiit9HeZlwOKXwP7EUD5QB_yVPyxHjc3bMv8sn0QmVuaAERjr2WouO8-_rHimSPbtPYo1G2z340u0XDxvkumM2CJ2ijBE8JMz3ZXZNS_KiogFfW7lyq8QnmddSw9bz3FTJCZhslFzYcl_Pw/s1210/MNdoor.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1210" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYedC6kznw0AKS0zmB5mAalKG-wyslRRZKx2VOu5VVGlZuiit9HeZlwOKXwP7EUD5QB_yVPyxHjc3bMv8sn0QmVuaAERjr2WouO8-_rHimSPbtPYo1G2z340u0XDxvkumM2CJ2ijBE8JMz3ZXZNS_KiogFfW7lyq8QnmddSw9bz3FTJCZhslFzYcl_Pw/w640-h425/MNdoor.gif" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Our Bridegroom's Banquet is less than a month away, and the deadline to RSVP is quickly approaching! We want to be sure that everyone registers by the end of the day on October 16th because this year, <b>we are unable to extend the deadline like we have in years past.</b> </p><p>The Banquet is on Saturday, November 4th, in Parma, Ohio, and it is free to attend. All donations given at the banquet or designated ahead of time will be matched up to $100,000. By attending the banquet, you have the unique opportunity to be in a room of a couple hundred amazing people who all love Christ, our Bridegroom, and to grow closer to Him together as He leads us all to Himself. We'll get the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of obedience together through our new video, as well as the opportunity to ask the nuns your questions while the donations are counted. We really hope to be able to be with you at the banquet to experience these things, and more!</p><p>Please visit <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/the-bridegrooms-banquet.html">The Bridegroom's Banquet</a> page above for details and to register. </p><p>For those who are unable to attend the event, donations can still be made <a href="https://www.osvhub.com/christthebridegroommonastery/giving/funds/bridegroom-s-banquet-2023" target="_blank">online</a> or by mail. You may send a donation and/or pledge marked "Bridegroom's Banquet" by cash or check payable to "Christ the Bridegroom Monastery" to:</p><p>The Bridegroom's Banquet</p><p>Christ the Bridegroom Monastery</p><p>17485 Mumford Rd.</p><p>Burton, OH 44021</p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-86591357581729702322023-10-04T17:00:00.001-04:002023-10-04T17:00:00.156-04:00Come and Pray with us November 4th!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kti0nnlyUS_Sv7JUXbG7N4XiU_RQ1xkrGQTeRSixKR0YrZh5m1v-QZhxIQ6RacIcrxuvRfcU_vip2UxiBNm7IEZMMkMcKnubgYzzH5w1gQBcBBcV_s8LwQ8YEwxXenwVrhS_B2BpCpSzk91Qv1pI6BRO6FPv21sxVh2Y34zXKXTdahvG9fKiHMdz33M/s1152/Vespers-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="1152" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kti0nnlyUS_Sv7JUXbG7N4XiU_RQ1xkrGQTeRSixKR0YrZh5m1v-QZhxIQ6RacIcrxuvRfcU_vip2UxiBNm7IEZMMkMcKnubgYzzH5w1gQBcBBcV_s8LwQ8YEwxXenwVrhS_B2BpCpSzk91Qv1pI6BRO6FPv21sxVh2Y34zXKXTdahvG9fKiHMdz33M/w371-h208/Vespers-1.gif" width="371" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Glory to Jesus Christ!<p></p><p>The Bridegroom's Banquet is exactly a month away! One of the things we're really looking forward to is praying Vespers in a beautiful place with so many beautiful people to begin the evening the best way we can. </p><p>We'd love to welcome you into our weekly experience of transitioning into the Lord's Day (Sunday) in a very intentional and traditional way by praying Byzantine Vespers.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJ020Hae1ct1u1wTyduf-15S6PLO7dXNpTjfflp7sZan47H0B-Wi00k0eT9Nqv1TwWWZBVYBk8p60Tj1WIj-Flq6sFddUA4zdlr80h3nBzyWHElDzE99-kZbWh8LsedfMCFkA3JWC2UY9pg9Da_Jx8a2qEMZGajU_nx8-18IfeTem2uLs_sQL35nO-Vw/s1210/Vespers-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1210" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJ020Hae1ct1u1wTyduf-15S6PLO7dXNpTjfflp7sZan47H0B-Wi00k0eT9Nqv1TwWWZBVYBk8p60Tj1WIj-Flq6sFddUA4zdlr80h3nBzyWHElDzE99-kZbWh8LsedfMCFkA3JWC2UY9pg9Da_Jx8a2qEMZGajU_nx8-18IfeTem2uLs_sQL35nO-Vw/w507-h337/Vespers-2.gif" width="507" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Vespers will be at 4:00 pm on Saturday, November 4th, at St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Parma. We are really grateful that the Cathedral has allowed us to host Vespers there before our banquets the last few years. It's a really awesome place to pray, and we hope you'll be able to join us. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmOCy2pAWswTq4vqCP0CFarDxXsYASRXM4PbJC8IMCSg5TdEeSmutyeucIeLsw1_q94rQpdgwVq8OOf5C-6O9p7q2kEBcXEhcc16e-s1IF55x5qmN9YQNPx1egKUEkVulFFhcz3OWERq4qXHEXXN_Wz4PzGu946sK6Z-4WJ7E5LoBofhctUzYlj7zqd8/s1210/Vespers-3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1210" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmOCy2pAWswTq4vqCP0CFarDxXsYASRXM4PbJC8IMCSg5TdEeSmutyeucIeLsw1_q94rQpdgwVq8OOf5C-6O9p7q2kEBcXEhcc16e-s1IF55x5qmN9YQNPx1egKUEkVulFFhcz3OWERq4qXHEXXN_Wz4PzGu946sK6Z-4WJ7E5LoBofhctUzYlj7zqd8/w370-h246/Vespers-3.gif" width="370" /></a></div>After Vespers, we'll head over, across the parking lot to the Astrodome Event Center for the rest of the evening. <p></p><p>We hope you'll be able to come and pray with us!</p><p>For more information and to register for the banquet, please visit <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/the-bridegrooms-banquet.html">The Bridegroom's Banquet</a> page above. </p><p> If you haven't RSVPed yet, please do it soon! The deadline is October 16th, and we are unable to extend the deadline as we have in years past. </p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-89986769992069307292023-09-30T17:00:00.001-04:002023-09-30T20:54:22.155-04:00Invite your friends and family!<p style="text-align: center;"> Have you invited anyone to the Banquet yet? Please consider taking a moment to send this poster to a few people who you think would be interested in supporting our monastic life. </p><p style="text-align: center;">We're really grateful to everyone who has reserved their spot so far, and we're eager to welcome more people to the Bridegroom's Banquet! </p><p style="text-align: center;">For details about the event and to let us know you're coming, please visit <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/the-bridegrooms-banquet.html">The Bridegroom's Banquet page</a>. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Thank you so much for your support of our life! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish_ALP0XjotUGGCAtL7TjuZxTbRZBbYPrEWOWp-FXcmPpJMaSxSUhSt91MFpFTQ33okGPUXZmqaJLVfqiuDBBIP8cureYmFIgsu8Zq2HU7ElamgbPmWGlFcro8Ylk_PIpkc715cghP1ZBy_rNw2LKZA7V4_128mcV-vnSrEIGWb-Sbzn2DGSjvO4dYPw/s1183/poster-2023-without-border.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1183" data-original-width="908" height="761" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish_ALP0XjotUGGCAtL7TjuZxTbRZBbYPrEWOWp-FXcmPpJMaSxSUhSt91MFpFTQ33okGPUXZmqaJLVfqiuDBBIP8cureYmFIgsu8Zq2HU7ElamgbPmWGlFcro8Ylk_PIpkc715cghP1ZBy_rNw2LKZA7V4_128mcV-vnSrEIGWb-Sbzn2DGSjvO4dYPw/w585-h761/poster-2023-without-border.jpeg" width="585" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-56962856457384352132023-09-20T15:10:00.000-04:002023-09-20T15:10:11.931-04:00A Season of Feasts!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwj71IwBUFIwTE7kixau3Gu6Wlu9fIvAiZcQSP3hYEvgKD81Onrsp86Ib5BZAO40qWtewqPKqAdepYDX0PB3a4PXyZG055Dhfi-o5-lTXxH9858CrvtCjAxEcCT1OiNVLNlE-vnKdm0Ctx0cTuyZuZkH-FzD3Bgddm1rqxNZ4rBbLFgXyOI8wAfIsJlnU/s925/SO-rocks.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="925" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwj71IwBUFIwTE7kixau3Gu6Wlu9fIvAiZcQSP3hYEvgKD81Onrsp86Ib5BZAO40qWtewqPKqAdepYDX0PB3a4PXyZG055Dhfi-o5-lTXxH9858CrvtCjAxEcCT1OiNVLNlE-vnKdm0Ctx0cTuyZuZkH-FzD3Bgddm1rqxNZ4rBbLFgXyOI8wAfIsJlnU/w766-h460/SO-rocks.gif" width="766" /></a></div><p>Glory to Jesus Christ!</p><p></p><p>We were recently remarking on how many great feasts there are this time of year (Transfiguration, Dormition, the Nativity of the Theotokos, and Exaltation of the Cross) and how wonderful it is to have everything that goes along with them: beautiful liturgical services, private prayer, and days off from our usual work. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7wf9mheZcUHYtO1w4FBnSKiuqqjfilhZ8-k7VL044Z3UBWnDekd5RP7xKLxaU4iLHORHtQ-uxzL44LbmMekD_fLMtbMO3XW1YdlObw_MR70hVYmc12IGSTIR8-7Xgr5iq-rKPX-P1z9FWe17dPE_vfhoeHMFMlQCxdndPhktwmN7mLJnChc9sGX6YdQ/s1000/dormition-chapel.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7wf9mheZcUHYtO1w4FBnSKiuqqjfilhZ8-k7VL044Z3UBWnDekd5RP7xKLxaU4iLHORHtQ-uxzL44LbmMekD_fLMtbMO3XW1YdlObw_MR70hVYmc12IGSTIR8-7Xgr5iq-rKPX-P1z9FWe17dPE_vfhoeHMFMlQCxdndPhktwmN7mLJnChc9sGX6YdQ/w501-h376/dormition-chapel.gif" width="501" /></a></div><br />Last month, on the Feast of the Dormition, we were blessed to have a beautiful group of people come to pray Matins and Divine Liturgy with us. Occasions like this fill us with gratitude for the gift of those who come to pray and that we now have a beautiful chapel to welcome them into. It's crazy to think that a year ago, we were "wandering in the wilderness," praying in a tent in our parking lot! <p></p><p>After the Liturgy on Dormition, Sister Onuphria combed through the gravel by our front porch and found many of the beautiful rocks Mother Petra has collected and spread among the gravel. She arranged them into the burial shroud for Dormition on the front porch. You can see a photo above. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MsUImqCY_xXl-JVddvfTOy8xrneGC1CLvLGOTftYWnkFupoGVMP_LvDyx3xBWmjyvFwBgl4M6l_jaQZx-2C5PtIu0_psbmxynz2UGaQ2tTFC75qHnDiy-99g16ggc7aaBlBNhFi_4h_fEWrP_hOd93Mu-vzJCdqR8qocp_E6_dH-RewNr55HE2IMacA/s1000/pilgrimage-mariapoch.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MsUImqCY_xXl-JVddvfTOy8xrneGC1CLvLGOTftYWnkFupoGVMP_LvDyx3xBWmjyvFwBgl4M6l_jaQZx-2C5PtIu0_psbmxynz2UGaQ2tTFC75qHnDiy-99g16ggc7aaBlBNhFi_4h_fEWrP_hOd93Mu-vzJCdqR8qocp_E6_dH-RewNr55HE2IMacA/w500-h375/pilgrimage-mariapoch.gif" width="500" /></a></div><br />A few days later, came the Eparchial Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch. This year, we were really happy to be able to just be there and cantor some of the services (instead of being busy with many tasks). We were so moved by the conversations that we had with so many different people during the pilgrimage. It was a beautiful pilgrimage. Bishop Kurt joined in Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. We are so grateful for everything he's been doing to shepherd our eparchy through this time of transition between bishops. (We are looking forward to welcoming <a href="https://parma.org/eparchy-of-parma-welcomes-a-new-bishop" target="_blank">Fr. Robert Pipta</a> as the next bishop of the Eparchy of Parma on Nov. 8!)<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Photos from the pilgrimage can be found <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=ChristTheBridegroom&set=a.625750249674879" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">The final of several icons from Greece finally arrived, and our chapel walls are filling out more. The icons on the left side of the chapel are (starting near the holy place and moving back toward the vestibule) St. Macrina, St. Basil and his family of many Saints, St. Elizabeth the New Martyr, St. Photina, our patronal Bridegroom icon, and then St. Mary of Egypt. On the right side of the chapel, we have Blessed Theodore Romzha, St. Nektarios of Aegina, St. Anthony of the Desert, St. Elijah the Prophet, and St. Porphyrios. The chandelier in the center on the nave has icons of the Twelve Apostles around it. It's awesome to be surrounded by these icons, and the presence of the Saints they are, as we pray each day!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">We're enjoying the shift toward autumn very much. Mother Cecilia bought a couple beautiful pumpkins from one of our Amish neighbors around the corner on Exaltation of the Cross. She remarked that she doesn't want to waste any time in enjoying the season, and we are grateful! We're looking forward to other ways of enjoying the fall in this beautiful part of the country. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">In the midst of all of the glories of the last couple of months, there have been many heartaches as well. We are so honored to be welcomed into the lives of so many people as they ask us for prayers. All of these beautiful feasts, combined with all of the prayer requests, often for very difficult and tragic situations, have been showing us different dimensions of the Feasts of our Church. It's a great blessing to get to be here, at the heart of the Church, "apart from the world," but also one with all of you. </span></p><p>As we wrap up this blog post, just a couple of reminders: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Our Fall Work Day is coming up on October 14th. Details and the link to RSVP can be found <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/2023/08/fall-work-day-registration-is-open.html">here</a>. </li><li>The registration deadline for the Bridegroom's Banquet is less than a month away (October 16th). To find details for the event and more information, please visit the <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/the-bridegrooms-banquet.html">Bridegroom's Banquet page</a> above. We're looking forward to being with you! </li></ul><p></p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-16925891405172654082023-09-16T20:21:00.000-04:002023-09-16T20:21:39.407-04:00Behold! Fr. Boniface is coming! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQvr07-sg7oF25VC13cOh1RZ4yf8bn-GrMIa4z8C1aIYi2UUDut1cZylW9LErrSCMfACGPFpeD9aI2E_UUPymOY2KP_bTiZCsknuQuWCNvCR2an-w4fGdtqxoOVh7yrNdU7f7V2o5mRBRvSC3AMOS3fG5H1bwsZCr1yt3aYYfTHga9qkMP3_8Hgax2os/s1000/group-w-fr-boniface.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQvr07-sg7oF25VC13cOh1RZ4yf8bn-GrMIa4z8C1aIYi2UUDut1cZylW9LErrSCMfACGPFpeD9aI2E_UUPymOY2KP_bTiZCsknuQuWCNvCR2an-w4fGdtqxoOVh7yrNdU7f7V2o5mRBRvSC3AMOS3fG5H1bwsZCr1yt3aYYfTHga9qkMP3_8Hgax2os/w488-h366/group-w-fr-boniface.gif" width="488" /></a></div>Glory to Jesus Christ!<p></p><p><br /></p><p>Behold! The Bridegroom's Banquet is coming! </p><p>It's on November 4th, starting with Vespers at 4:00pm at St. Josaphat's Cathedral, and then we'll move over to the Astrodome for the banquet. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywXs2saOGsZp4MK6jzRdxxKtHm04aAVQxDA2T2dstZzE14VgsqtoUIcqfy0iJw32-Tlr7GA8cUMAGxHbIeI6ZwNj_RVieRfDbXViN0wWf1FR3JMf1DYM7gcnN0YNR_keN86WU6_-eJpafZhqv-Y4Zde-KEXx6swFiIgbdIkVYOCCQY2t4OtoN2OaX1-M/s975/three-nuns-and-fr-boniface.gif" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="975" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhywXs2saOGsZp4MK6jzRdxxKtHm04aAVQxDA2T2dstZzE14VgsqtoUIcqfy0iJw32-Tlr7GA8cUMAGxHbIeI6ZwNj_RVieRfDbXViN0wWf1FR3JMf1DYM7gcnN0YNR_keN86WU6_-eJpafZhqv-Y4Zde-KEXx6swFiIgbdIkVYOCCQY2t4OtoN2OaX1-M/w356-h234/three-nuns-and-fr-boniface.gif" width="356" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of these monastics is not like the others!</td></tr></tbody></table>We're very glad to welcome Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB, as this year's emcee. He's a good friend of our community, and we're sure you'll all love him. You can read more about Fr. Boniface, find more details about the Banquet, and reserve your spot <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/the-bridegrooms-banquet.html">here</a>. <p></p><p></p>The registration deadline is October 16th. Please keep inviting your friends and family! We still have more room!<br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-14714131216832722732023-09-02T18:00:00.009-04:002023-09-02T18:00:00.137-04:00It's Video Filming Day! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfFN0ic35C5KxdpMVIvisqefFMSwnXo54kOxIqnrBdQbWTlrh5UxWpmQCa_D5ZaGVg6E6Gbzz7gIUcXRgST19hpdm0xj__KMnvMnPz8LZQovqhxoTJkJFtMtch6FjANiqjZU7WhoZ5ASirkA0SMKiLt-mecXXSWmrYG9wT0giNk8cL-YVj4IUOFu85js/s1000/filming.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwfFN0ic35C5KxdpMVIvisqefFMSwnXo54kOxIqnrBdQbWTlrh5UxWpmQCa_D5ZaGVg6E6Gbzz7gIUcXRgST19hpdm0xj__KMnvMnPz8LZQovqhxoTJkJFtMtch6FjANiqjZU7WhoZ5ASirkA0SMKiLt-mecXXSWmrYG9wT0giNk8cL-YVj4IUOFu85js/w563-h421/filming.gif" width="563" /></a></div><p> As of yesterday, we already have 102 people registered for The Bridegroom's Banquet! Keep inviting your friends and family! We have a lot more space still available. </p><p>We're excited to be filming our new video on obedience this weekend. Here's a photo from a full day of filming. It's always so amazing to see the video come together each year, from all the hours that go into discerning an outline for it, each of us praying with our particular parts, to working with David Bratnick on actually filming, and giving feedback during the editing process. We are really glad to get to share these fruits of our monastic life with you again this year. </p><p>The new video will be premiered at this year's Bridegroom's Banquet on Saturday, November 4th, at the Astrodome in Parma, Ohio. Registration is totally free. For all of the information on the event and to register, please visit the <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/the-bridegrooms-banquet.html">Bridegroom's Banquet</a> tab above. </p><p>For those who are unable to attend the banquet in person, the video will be posted on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc-2L6EezhwqQFcPsgzsyag" target="_blank">our YouTube channel</a> the day after the premier. </p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-1230792657753568382023-08-28T19:23:00.000-04:002023-08-28T19:23:03.403-04:00Fall Work Day Registration is Open! <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7m8oJ-8qcaLTbPPHwtQpMvpmrkhVQBKr1YDWDSGQXzKStMl2k__X6ccmxLM8FgyxRtfmJEzVY3wgi6TqRK4N7ATRqYj1DAV13OWy18SFaKe89AaGwvj3PLAbADy64L3LKuPdf-IghlhoiWcDPgAuyqPLO5Sfth7ZX2mKrkKKly9KwH8LD7gh4lnQLVMo/s1000/yard-.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7m8oJ-8qcaLTbPPHwtQpMvpmrkhVQBKr1YDWDSGQXzKStMl2k__X6ccmxLM8FgyxRtfmJEzVY3wgi6TqRK4N7ATRqYj1DAV13OWy18SFaKe89AaGwvj3PLAbADy64L3LKuPdf-IghlhoiWcDPgAuyqPLO5Sfth7ZX2mKrkKKly9KwH8LD7gh4lnQLVMo/w425-h319/yard-.png" width="425" /></a></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">You're invited to join us for a day of work projects (mostly outdoor), prayer, food and fun at the monastery on Saturday, October 14th. Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome!</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">The day begins at 1 p.m. and closes with Vespers at 5 p.m., followed by a cookout. Come whenever available, and bring a side dish to share if you can.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">Please RSVP using <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCMK_sIEwZWv2LLOwhepg5jWRSROloQ2pYFptOp5_cVe24Jw/viewform?usp=sf_link" target="_blank">this link</a> by Tuesday, October 10th, so that the appropriate amount of food can be prepared. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">Please share this and invite your friends and family! </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.85px;">The monastery is located at 17485 Mumford Rd. Burton, Ohio.</span></span></div>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-21253236332635476872023-08-19T10:17:00.000-04:002023-08-19T10:17:06.506-04:00Have you seen last year's banquet video? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aesLuSZGy5ubNgKtYs9lPcqGYZvu13oSCDLaTjClmZozX-hyP9J8IxLLEPAjd24fZ08bZVp23qecBqbkFBwcGn4m89lKG-vQze9KbrNcSz36gR2Nt4Ea00pf8EJ9MrWRGcFcmHeyAGT9FTT3gnxQ0wRpiaMHrLVPy_MCGHNCjTPOcTYe5VadWLETets/s884/chastity-video-title.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="884" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1aesLuSZGy5ubNgKtYs9lPcqGYZvu13oSCDLaTjClmZozX-hyP9J8IxLLEPAjd24fZ08bZVp23qecBqbkFBwcGn4m89lKG-vQze9KbrNcSz36gR2Nt4Ea00pf8EJ9MrWRGcFcmHeyAGT9FTT3gnxQ0wRpiaMHrLVPy_MCGHNCjTPOcTYe5VadWLETets/w771-h379/chastity-video-title.gif" width="771" /></a></div><br /><p> Glory to Jesus Christ!</p><p>As summer is reaching it's climax, and the subtle feel of fall can occasionally be felt, we're preparing for this year's Bridegroom's Banquet which will be on Saturday, November 4th. We're getting ready to film another video, and we wanted to make sure we share our video from last year, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0iDBXPmPmc&t=108s" target="_blank">"Receive the Gift: Reflections on Chastity"</a>.</p><p>We are all currently in the process of praying about what each of us would like to say in this year's video which will complete our three part series on poverty, chastity, and obedience. We are really blessed to be able to create these videos with our filmmaker friend David Bratnick. It's a really incredible way for us to get to share the fruit of our prayer and to show you a glimpse of our life. Our hope is always that the videos will inspire you to follow Christ our Bridegroom with your whole life, whatever that may mean for each person. </p><p>We look forward to premiering a new video with you this year at the Bridegroom's Banquet. Please pray that it will bear much fruit! </p><p>For details about the banquet and to register, please visit "<a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/the-bridegrooms-banquet.html">The Bridegroom's Banquet</a>" tab at the top of this page. </p><p><br /></p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-38780868715764620612023-08-09T19:41:00.004-04:002023-08-09T19:41:45.579-04:00Guest Speakers for Mariapoch Pilgrimage!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We hope to see you at this year's pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch on August 19th and 20th. We're looking forward to hearing our Apostolic Administrator, Bishop Kurt's, talk as well as Bishop Malesic's homily.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We'll see you soon!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can find more information about the pilgrimage <a href="https://www.parma.org/pilgrimage" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5q4BVpaI2smsKE7pXNtSVUfY16YnIje1bqLyRcibzW3DfY7Ye5XuZ7fzUjqb7Ke8eAVGVf7T1-KvuwBiqXJCrTxE1QeYwd2clsyvDrvfNabh8zNySU5GGL6n3fibUv5abLX5jBC0d8HpYKGe41MZreu9pnsPMtp3N2jnFu8gYJImrM7rdmAb_fFiDdDE/s588/365307031_677677301054075_8172072580380560632_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="588" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5q4BVpaI2smsKE7pXNtSVUfY16YnIje1bqLyRcibzW3DfY7Ye5XuZ7fzUjqb7Ke8eAVGVf7T1-KvuwBiqXJCrTxE1QeYwd2clsyvDrvfNabh8zNySU5GGL6n3fibUv5abLX5jBC0d8HpYKGe41MZreu9pnsPMtp3N2jnFu8gYJImrM7rdmAb_fFiDdDE/w566-h566/365307031_677677301054075_8172072580380560632_n.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-79652084169411204202023-08-08T13:08:00.000-04:002023-08-08T13:08:57.262-04:00Reserve your spot at the Bridegroom's Banquet! <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXsRK2HlLMTwgDeSwl55Z7YXEtUewx3fETt4pQ2d6mvzjzZJWsAWaz2GrjIFjkYzkQ88YvlIUSzrPXkA_QAMCLZW9ONnWwwHc1LLPl3y3iyjYYjLL5ZdnNfkkTozH1TiIyk0rzos-j3c9MqvXfxyWJqOmoiEiGCZI4VjIeVZ7aFTYehP5EXjEDnVXn6c/s1183/poster-2023-without-border.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1183" data-original-width="908" height="785" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXsRK2HlLMTwgDeSwl55Z7YXEtUewx3fETt4pQ2d6mvzjzZJWsAWaz2GrjIFjkYzkQ88YvlIUSzrPXkA_QAMCLZW9ONnWwwHc1LLPl3y3iyjYYjLL5ZdnNfkkTozH1TiIyk0rzos-j3c9MqvXfxyWJqOmoiEiGCZI4VjIeVZ7aFTYehP5EXjEDnVXn6c/w603-h785/poster-2023-without-border.jpeg" width="603" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Visit the <a href="http://www.christthebridegroom.org/p/the-bridegrooms-banquet.html">Bridegroom's Banquet tab</a> above for all of the information for the evening as well as the link to register. </p>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1299972876871659468.post-27235090118540284662023-07-26T08:00:00.003-04:002023-07-26T08:00:00.130-04:00New Book by Mother Iliana: The Light of His Eyes<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1_W0HL9Wtu24PQcFnA7UYx5nN-PCE_hLQZZ6_bcYABMPs0-gtJWIAQpiLUKUnnfoKH39g3Rze6bjV4cdlqWflPg96x_e0qPx5VCO2orVR1Si_bYHxvTUvIx6pVoM-h5nMfg2wtd2xCAHWCCHeG14dDPyoQ83nZs0bhNrIQNHXXVpme8G2WQ2_c24J-A/s1000/Mother-Iliana-with-her-book.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1_W0HL9Wtu24PQcFnA7UYx5nN-PCE_hLQZZ6_bcYABMPs0-gtJWIAQpiLUKUnnfoKH39g3Rze6bjV4cdlqWflPg96x_e0qPx5VCO2orVR1Si_bYHxvTUvIx6pVoM-h5nMfg2wtd2xCAHWCCHeG14dDPyoQ83nZs0bhNrIQNHXXVpme8G2WQ2_c24J-A/w276-h368/Mother-Iliana-with-her-book.gif" width="276" /></a></div>We have an author among us! <p></p><p>Mother Iliana was blessed to have the opportunity to publish a book which has been six years, or really a lifetime, in the making. It was released last week, and we're so excited to get to share it with all of you. </p><p><br /></p><p><i>The Light of His Eyes: Journeying from Self-Contempt to the Father's Delight</i> is a beautiful compilation of stories of how she has come to know the Father's love for her. We have all loved hearing Mother Iliana's stories, both the beautiful and the hilarious for many years now, and now, you can read them. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCNXQC4yGej4Zzru1Da0PvkB-wxCQ7Pd0_02mZZtEVUYv_1WGNTvL1KIGg4SZG0tvs9JRsSphV0T0b8qdv7e5p-9lHbZHSG-kkmrP1Ez7i13bbAFed17nMeZ-RXszlXhQjorNARG_uZRefS1PuRT1pBIUi6PAaIHallOqM2zkbgjt410WXq6_MIfKBLQ/s1650/The%20Light%20of%20His%20Eyes%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1028" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCNXQC4yGej4Zzru1Da0PvkB-wxCQ7Pd0_02mZZtEVUYv_1WGNTvL1KIGg4SZG0tvs9JRsSphV0T0b8qdv7e5p-9lHbZHSG-kkmrP1Ez7i13bbAFed17nMeZ-RXszlXhQjorNARG_uZRefS1PuRT1pBIUi6PAaIHallOqM2zkbgjt410WXq6_MIfKBLQ/w277-h445/The%20Light%20of%20His%20Eyes%20cover.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>Reading Mother Iliana's stories helps us to recognize that we are also beloved children of the Father. As we read, we begin to interiorly write our own stories of how we've been given glimpses of the Father's delight in us. Since we received the first copies of the book, all of us nuns have been reading them and this has very much been our experience. We're so glad to get to share this fruit of our life of prayer with you. <p></p><p><br /></p><p>Story telling isn't the only talent Mother Iliana poured into this book though. Each chapter has a print of an icon she's written and closes with one of her original poems. </p><p><br /></p>If you'd like to purchase a copy, we'd encourage you to support <a href="https://sophiainstitute.com/product/the-light-of-his-eyes/" target="_blank">Sophia Institute Press</a> directly, to help them in their ministry of publishing works like this one. <div><br /></div><div><br /><p>You can hear Mother Iliana talk about <i>The Light of His Eyes</i> and read its introduction on the <a href="https://whatgodisnot.com/" target="_blank">What God is Not Podcast</a> with Father Michael O'Loughlin and Mother Natalia on Wednesday, August 16th. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Christ the Bridegroom Monasteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16342698108177515158noreply@blogger.com1