The icons, in order of appearance are: Christ (center), St. Damiano Cross (top-center), St Herman of Alaska (top left), St Seraphim of Sarov (Top right) St. Xenia of St. Petersburg (bottom left), St. Nicholas (Bottom right) with a synaxis of the angels center bottom. On the table we keep some print-out icons from the GOA and a paper diptych. The center Triptych will be going in the car, eventually.
Here's where the first of my discoveries comes in: Nothing is accidental. I've had the St. Nicholas icon for about 3 years, now. It was a present from my roommate. I got him in Grad School when I learned he was the patron saint of scholars (along with, apparently, everybody else). When I first made real steps to explore orthodoxy, some "friends" on the Monachos dot Net website told me to look into the life of St. Herman. Someone else told me to look into the life of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Lastly, when I lost my job, numerous people told me to pray to St. Xenia of St Petersburg. All of these are now currently situated in our home altar. Nothing is accidental.
I wasn't sure what we'd discover in our Eastern Orthodox year. So far, I have to say, things are really good. I feel like people are going to bat for us. Our priest is watching out for us and praying for us. People we hardly know are giving us icons of men and women who have connected themselves to our family. What a day. What a great God.
Through the prayers of Sts. Seraphim, Herman, Xenia, and Nicholas may God have mercy on us and save us.
It looks like you both are coming along well in your journey.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that one of the challenges in the Orthodox Church, depending on where you live (and how many parishes you have to choose from) is finding the right parish community. As you've seen, there's a lot of variation, and some places are just a better personal fit, and, in some cases, more suited for newcomers to Orthodoxy. It looks like you seem to have found a parish home that works for you both, which is good.
I wouldn't worry very much about the "jurisdiction" the parish is in, as long as it is one of the jurisdictions that is in communion with the rest of the Orthodox Church. There are good parishes in all of the main jurisdictions. I was received in an OCA parish in 2000, and I mostly have attended OCA parishes, but also attend AA parishes at times -- if anything, the AA and OCA have been growing much more closer together over the past decade or so, especially when it comes to the newer parishes. But there are good, English-using parishes in a variety of jurisdictions, and it makes the most sense to find the best fit, in terms of parish.
A good start to the icon corner as well. :)