My Scriptorium Daily Article on Archbishop Demetrios' White House Speech

Read it here

Finding Folk Orthodoxy

By Arturo Vasquez

A couple of years ago, I wrote a provocative piece on my experiences with Eastern Orthodoxy in this country. In it, I wrote that in my past encounters with Orthodoxy, what I usually found was a boutique religion for the white middle class, or alternatively, an ethnic church closed off from the rest of society, and not much else in between. In terms of the former, the most likely suspect to convert to Orthodoxy is a (usually white) religious maverick who wants to re-discover the “New Testament Church” as founded by Jesus Christ without the “popish” baggage that Roman Catholicism has to offer. Compared to the suburban white-washed suburban mega-parishes and the “supersitious” masses of the Latino barrio parish, Orthodoxy seems to have all of it i’s dotted and t’s crossed. There is, of course, the presence of the ethnic Orthodox, who often don’t come to Divine Liturgy on time or only grace the shadow of the church for a baptism or wedding, but they are a small price to pay for being in a church that doesn’t have “idolatrous” statues or the “Filioque” (that sum of all errors). The convert can thus enjoy his “true religion” detached from all of the cultural baggage of the “old country”. He may even seek refuge in an old, long fogotten past, being nostalgic for an “Orthodox Western Europe” that never was.

My own religious project since I wrote that polemical essay two years ago has changed substantially. It is very easy to find out what the Church says about itself. One only need look at such books as Ludwig Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma or a similar book to find out what you should believe. That is the religious center of the Faith; the safe region, the core of what the clergy say is to believed by all. But what role, if any, does the periphery hold; what is the role of belief that grows spontaneously outside of the control of the “official Church”? And what relation, if any, does the official Church have with these beliefs? Living in the 21st century, and having passed through the paradigm shifts of early modernity, it is very easy to dismiss half of the things that our grandparents believed in as superstition or remnants of a pagan past. My nagging suspicion, however, is that without these things that were at the periphery ( or underground, unofficial, or quasi-forbidden), the center cannot hold. The death of the religious imagination of our forefathers is leading to the death of religion itself.

Read the rest here

The Diversity Scam

From Rod Dreher

John McWhorter, an African-American Obama-supporting Democrat who often gets mislabeled a "conservative because of his criticism of racial preferences in job placement and college admissions, talks truth about the diversity scam.

My inability to cherish my brown students as the invaluable quintessence of diverseness is in no way "conservative." For example, I am all for adjusting admissions procedures to account for class as opposed to race. If a brown student went to a school where there were no Advanced Placement classes or had a tough home life and yet gives all indication of being a hungry and diligent student, less-than-astounding SATs should not keep him from admission to a good school.

This is also true, however, of his white equivalent. By the time I left U.C. Berkeley in 2002, admissions were based not on pigment but hardship. This meant admitting brown people who had grown up the hard way - but also white ones and Asian ones. It felt right.

Hat tip to The young Fogey

Reforming the Monarchy

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Gordon Brown and Buckingham Palace have discussed plans to change the rules of succession to the throne, including giving royal women equal rights.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said:

"To bring about changes to the law on succession would be a complex undertaking involving amendment or repeal of a number of items of related legislation, as well as requiring the consent of legislatures of member nations of the Commonwealth.
"We are examining this complex area although there are no immediate plans to legislate."

Proceeding slowly is the wise course of action, given the complexities of reforming a law of succession that has been in place since Queen Anne in 1701. Still, I think ending the restriction against a monarch marrying a Roman Catholic is long overdue, given the fact that a great number of Brits today hardly go to church, with an increasing number claiming no religion and a steady growth of Islam.

But still, proceed slowly. Change is necessary, but ought to come slowly. I believe the English monarchy provides a principle of order, stability and continuity to the government. Healthy change is the means of social preservation, and the monarchy has shown itself quite able to change when it needed in order to serve the people of the realm more efficiently.

Read BBC News article here.

Rejoice, O Virgin!

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Hymn for the Annunciation by Genevieve Glenn, OSB

The apple tree spread wide its shade
To shield the garden from the sun;
In dappled light the Virgin prayed
That, cloud or clear, God’s will be done.

The apple blossoms frothed and fell
In pools of white about her feet,
Wing-brushed when heaven came to tell
Of earth’s release and sin’s defeat.

She trod the blossoms to the ground,
For she would bear a finer fruit
Whose flesh would make the sick grow sound
And heal the wounded world at root.

The apples on the market stall
Are tempting to the eye and tongue,
But her fruit has surpassed them all:
High praise to Christ, our life, be sung!

Troparion Tone 4:

Today is the beginning of our salvation/ and the manifestation of the mystery which is from eternity./ The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin,/ and Gabriel announces grace./ So with him let us also cry to the Mother of God:/ Rejoice, thou who art full of grace!/ The Lord is with thee.

Kontakion Tone 8:

Queen of the Heavenly Host, Defender of our souls,/ we thy servants offer to thee songs of victory and thanksgiving,/ for thou, O Mother of God, hast delivered us from dangers./ But as thou hast invincible power, free us from conflicts of all kinds/ that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, unwedded Bride!

Happy Feast to all who come by here!

Dr. Ron Paul the Great on the Murder of Capitalism

Audit, then eliminiate, the Federal Reserve. Now!

Down with crony capitalism! Long live real capitalism!

St. Benedict Relic Found in British Museum

A sad note on the advances of modern liberalism

The last act of the French Revolution came to a close on March 12, 2009, but hardly anyone was watching. The demonic forces unleashed over two hundred years ago took on the aim of destroying all monarchial authority in Europe. The rulers of the once Christian nations of Europe, or at least their governing authority, had all been executed, except for the tine nation of Luxembourg. On March 12, without much fanfare, the parliament of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg voted to end government of their small nation by the Grand Duke.Luxembourg was the last European nation to be governed by a real monarch. Although the tiny nation has had a parliamentary chamber, that body functioned as parliaments were originally designed to function. It was an advisory body to the Grand Duke. After new legislation was voted on by the Chamber of Deputies, Article 34 of the Constitution stated: “The Grand Duke sanctions and promulgates the laws. He makes his resolve known within three months of the vote in the Chamber.” This provision permitted the Grand Duke to perform the proper function of a monarch in a mixed form of government. He served as a check on the potential excesses of political parties legislating when they encroached on the principles of the natural law. As a hereditary ruler for life, the Grand Duke is immune from elector politics. He can thus serve as an outside supervisor of the results of the legislative process. This is exactly what he did last year in an act which precipitated the March 12 vote.In 2008, the Chamber of Deputies voted to approve a law which authorized the intentional killing of human beings, commonly referred to by its morbid proponents as euthanasia. Such a law is contrary to the natural law. For, as St. Thomas observed in his Summa the civil law can not always punish everything that the natural law forbids but it may never sanction such evil. Now we know both by reason and divine authority that euthanasia is prescribed. It violates the first principle of the natural law - self preservation. The Church has confirmed this deduction of reason on several occasions by pronouncing euthanasia to be immoral. Even the sensus Catholicus of this overwhelming Catholic nation was clear; the populace of Luxembourg opposed the bill pushed through by the Socialist and Green parties.Henri, the current Grand Duke, fulfilled his moral obligation as a good Catholic monarch and refused to sanction this evil legislative act. As a reward for doing the right thing, the so called “conservative” Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, called for an amendment to the Constitution stripping the Grand Duke of his authority to sanction laws passed by the Chamber of Deputies. The March 12 vote approved the removal of the word “sanctions” from Article 34. Prime Minister Juncker made clear the intention was to remove the right of the Grand Duke to approve of or reject laws. According to Juncker he must be required to promulgate all acts passed by the Chamber. The Luxembourg monarchy has thus entered the realm of Walt Disney monarchs inhabited by the remaining figure heads of Europe such as England, Spain and Belgium. They can parade around for tourists in quaint costumes and live in nice palaces, but they have no authority to protect and defend their nation by governing it.

Read the rest here.

Biretta tip: Ad Orientem

Conservative Bullpucky

By Dylan Hales

From Taki's Blog

While a large segment of the Alternative Right believes it is time to abandon the term “conservative” altogether, I’m not so sure. From where I stand, turning over an intellectual tradition that includes men like Russell Kirk and Robert Nisbet to a movement that regards Sean Hannity as a serious thinker is surrendering far too much. The reputations of these great men should not become the property of neoconservatives or the warmongering faux-nationalists that now dominate the GOP. Efforts to stop this may be futile—or too little too late—but out of respect for our tradition, efforts should be made.

Hat tip: The young Fogey

St. Joseph, Foster-Father of Our Lord

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All hail to the man to whom the Incarnate Word would have addressed the word "abba," and from whom He learned the challenging arts of manhood. In short, this is the man who taught the God-Man how to be a man!

Et descendit cum eis et venit Nazareth, et erat subditus illis...et Iesus proficiebat sapientia aetate et gratia apud Deum et homines. Acts 2: 51, 52


Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.God the Father of Heaven, (have mercy on us.)
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, (have mercy on us.)
God the Holy Spirit, (have mercy on us.)
Holy Trinity, One God, (have mercy on us.)

Holy Mary, pray for us
St. Joseph, "
Noble scion of David, "
Light of the Patriarchs, "
Spouse of the Mother of God, "
Chaste Guardian of the Virgin, "
Foster-father of the Son of God, "
Sedulous Defender of Christ, "
Head of the Holy Family, "
Joseph most just, "
Joseph most chaste, "
Joseph most prudent, "
Joseph most valiant, "
Joseph most obedient, "
Joseph most faithful, "
Mirror of patience, "
Lover of poverty, "
Model of all who labor, "
Glory of family life, "
Protector of virgins, "
Pillar of families, "
Consolation of the afflicted, "
Hope of the sick, "
Patron of the dying, "
Terror of the demons, "
Protector of Holy Church, "

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, (spare us, O Lord.)
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, (graciously hear us, O Lord.)
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, (have mercy on us.)

He made him the lord of his household. (And prince over all his possessions.)

Let us pray. God, Who, in Thine ineffable Providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the Spouse of Thy most holy Mother; grant, we beseech Thee, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in Heaven whom, on earth, we venearate as our protector. Who livest and reignest world without end. (Amen.)



Kontakion to St. Joseph the Betrothed:

Let us bless and praise
the All-Virtuous Betrothed of the All-Holy Virgin
the Friend of God and divine Servant
the All-Worthy Joseph,
thy memory we celebrate with joy
that we my receive mercy from him Who called thee father!

Akathistos ikos 9:

Rejoice, thou wast chosen to nuture and guard the Christ-Child who nutures as God the whole world!
Rejoice, thou wast found worthy to see the God-Man face to face, to hold him in thy hands and to kiss his All-Holy Face!

This is a great feast in Italy, and among Italians everywhere, so in that spirit:
Viva San Giuseppe!!!!

Belfast Child

One more for St. Paddy's Day

The Belfast Child, by Simple Minds (my favorite piece by this 80's Scottish band)

Offered in honor of my best college chum, Stephen Ryan, who passed away in 2003

+Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetuam luceat ei.

+Requiescat in Pace

Eirin go bragh, old chum! :-(

Irish Lent

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I couldn't let this one get by:


An Irishman moved into a tiny hamlet in County Kerry, walked into the pub and promptly ordered three beers. The bartender raised his eyebrows, but served the man three beers, which he drank quietly at a table, alone.

The next evening the man again ordered and drank three beers at a time. Soon the entire town was whispering about the Man Who Orders Three Beers. Finally, a week later, the bartender broached the subject on behalf of the town. “I don’t mean to be prying but folks around here are wonderin why your always order three beers and drink them alone?”.

“Tis a wee bit odd I would be supposin” the man replied. “You see, I have two brothers, and one went to America and the other went to Australia. We promised each other that we would always order two extra beers, whenever we would partake, as a way of keeping up the family bond.”
The bartender and the whole town were pleased with his answer and with the reverence for family and soon the Man Who Orders Three Beers became a local celebrity and source of pride to the hamlet.

Then one day the man came in and ordered only two beers. The bartender served them with a heavy heart. This continued for the rest of the evening … ordering only two beers. Word flew around the hamlet quickly. Prayers were offered for the soul of one of the brothers.
The next day, the bartender said to the man, “folks around here, me first of all, want to offer our condolences to you for the death of your brother, you know - only two beers.”

The man pondered for a moment then replied, ” You’ll be happy to hear that my two brothers are alive and well. It’s just that I, meself, have decided to give up drinking for Lent.”

Biretta tip: Father Benedict Seraphim

Sanctus Patricius, ora pro nobis!

I arise todayThrough a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through the belief in the threeness,

Through the confession of the oneness

Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today

Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,

Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,

Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,

Through the strength of his descent for the Judgment Day.
I arise todayThrough the strength of the love of Cherubim,

In obedience of angels,In the service of archangels,

In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,

In prayers of patriarchs,

In predictions of prophets,

In preaching of apostles,

In faith of confessors,

In innocence of holy virgins,

In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today

Through the strength of heaven:

Light of sun,

Radiance of moon,

Splendor of fire,

Speed of lightning,

Swiftness of wind,

Depth of sea,

Stability of earth,

Firmness of rock.
I arise todayThrough God's strength to pilot me:

God's might to uphold me,

God's wisdom to guide me,

God's eye to look before me,

God's ear to hear me,

God's word to speak for me,

God's hand to guard me,

God's way to lie before me,

God's shield to protect me,

God's host to save me

From snares of demons,

From temptations of vices,

From everyone who shall wish me ill,

Afar and anear,

Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,

Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,

Against incantations of false prophets,

Against black laws of pagandom

Against false laws of heretics,

Against craft of idolatry,

Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,

Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ to shield me today

Against poison, against burning,

Against drowning, against wounding,

So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the threeness,

Through confession of the oneness,

Of the Creator of Creation.

A blessed St. Patrick's Day to all!

Now go have the perfect Lenten meal:

Theology and Liturgy

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Another divorce which needs to be mentioned is that between theology and liturgy. For an Orthodox theologian, liturgical texts are not simply the works of outstanding theologians and poets, but also the fruits of the prayerful experience of those who have attained sanctity and theosis. The theological authority of liturgical texts is, in my opinion, higher than that of the works of the Fathers of the Church, for not everything in the works of the latter is of equal theological value and not everything has been accepted by the fullness of the Church. Liturgical texts, on the contrary, have been accepted by the whole Church as a “rule of faith” (kanon pisteos), for they have been read and sung everywhere in Orthodox churches over many centuries. Throughout this time, any erroneous ideas foreign to Orthodoxy that might have crept in either through misunderstanding or oversight were eliminated by church Tradition itself, leaving only pure and authoritative doctrine clothed by the poetic forms of the Church’s hymns. - Bishop Hilarion (Alfeyev) of Vienna

Biretta tip: Mere Catholic Miscellany

The Music of the Spheres

“There’s not the smallest orb which thou behold’stBut in his motion like an angel sings,Still quiring to the young-eyed cherubins;Such harmony is in immortal souls;But whilst this muddy vesture of decayDoth grossly close it in, we cannot hear it.”- William Shakespeare, from The Merchant of Venice

A BBC program that chronicles the history of an idea.

From the hymn This is my Father's World:

This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.

Hat tip to Arturo Vasquez

Risking Fearful Judgment

By my good friend and employer, John Mark Reynolds

President Obama has a misplaced faith in humanity that is blind to history and to the crimes of the twentieth century. Capacity is not permission. We might learn many things by any number of risky and barbaric experiments, but the foundational God given rights of life and liberty prevent us from doing them. A desire to do a thing is not a good reason to do it. Our desires are easily manipulated and the loudest suffering too often draws our attention. It is so easy to do small evils, which accumulate to great wrong doing when we hope to benefit. Tenderness to human life is in short supply in this age. We abort millions of children in the name of convenience. Socialist nations in Africa pursue policies that destroy their economies and starve their peoples. China engages in the brutal suppression of whole people groups and runs slave labor camps. Sudan practices slavery and terrorists blow up buildings in the name of God. This is not the age to be sanguine about our compassion.

And:

Fortunately, God’s judgments are tempered with mercy. No president has been immune to the temptation to allow short term good to cloud his judgment. President George W. Bush allowed the torture of terrorists and this assault on human dignity was a grievous wrong. This new presidency, however, was particularly marked by promises of hope and change and so the fall from grace is bitter. Sadly, the Obama presidency is now permanently tarnished by a rejection of moderation and a Frankenstein’s confidence in science.

Fr. Coughlin on the Federal Reserve

His anti-semitic rants are morally reprehensible, and should be condemned.

Thus my disclaimer.

But this speech, given some time in the early thirties, is right on about the pernicous effects of the Federal Reserve manipulating our economy through fiat money. Fiat money invites big government manipulation of the economy and the kind of corporate welfare we are witnessing now.

Here's Father Coughlin preaching truth to power as he speaks against the Federal Reserve.

Again, dead wrong about God's elder children, but right on on this issue, stemming from a traditional and sensible view of real free market economics based on the teachings of the Salamanca Schoolmen.

Atheists Call for "Debaptism"

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From BBCNEWS.com

The Church wonders aloud why, if atheists and secularists believe baptism is so meaningless, they are letting it upset them.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, on Baptism:

Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, the person baptized is configured to Christ. Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation.[82] Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated.

Nor can it be taken back.

From the Moscow Patriarchate:

As St. Paul says, we are called upon to confess one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism (Eph. 4:5). The Church teaches one Baptism because rebirth through grace experienced by man in this Sacrament is one and unrepeatable, just as one and unrepeatable is our natural birth, our death and the Resurrection of Christ.

And again, it cannot be taken back.

This from the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, where this gentleman was baptized as an infant:

The local Anglican diocese, Southwark, refused to amend the baptismal roll as Mr Hunt had wanted, on the grounds that it was a historical record.
"You can't remove from the record something that actually happened," said the Bishop of Croydon, the Right Reverend Nick Baines.

The bottom line: If you leave the faith, you leave the faith, period! But don't expect the Church to take back what she cannot take back, pretending it didn't happen. The Anglican Bishop of Croydon gives a minimalist view of the significance of the sacrament as a public record, but it is, at the very least, that, and to pretend otherwise is like trying to remove your image from a photo through photoshop. It can be done, but it does not change the reality of what occured. That's why anyone leaving the Church is received back by way of confession and communion; he or she is never re-baptized. You can choose not to act on your baptism, but you can't undo it. The Church just considers you an excommunicate, by your own choice.

Two from the Young Fogey

Why liberals should love the free market by Vincent Patsy

Why the Global Economy Is a Ponzi Scheme and We Are All Bernie Madoffs by Joseph Romm

A Secular Person Reads the Whole Bible (and discovers both his western and Jewish cultures)

"Just as an exercise, I thought for a few minutes about the cultural markers in Daniel, a late, short, and not hugely important book. What footprints has it left on our world? First, Daniel is thrown in the "lions' den" and King Belshazzar sees 'the writing on the wall.' These are two metaphors we can't live without. The 'fiery furnace' that Daniel's friends are tossed into is the inspiration for the Fiery Furnaces, a band I listen to. The king rolls a stone in front of the lions' den, sealing in a holy man who won't stay sealed—foreshadowing the stone rolled in front of the tomb of Jesus. Daniel inspired the novel The Book of Daniel and the TV show The Book of Daniel. It's even a touchstone for one of my favorite good-bad movies, A Knight's Tale. That movie's villain belittles hero Heath Ledger by declaring, 'You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting'—which is what the writing on the wall told Belshazzar. "

And this:

"The Bible has brought me no closer to God, if that means either believing in a deity acting in the world or experiencing the transcendent. But perhaps I'm closer to God in the sense that the Bible has put me on high alert. I came to the Bible hoping to be inspired and awed. I have been, sometimes. But mostly I've ended up in a yearlong argument with God. Why would He kill the innocent Egyptian children? And why would He delight in it? What wrong did we do Him that He should send the flood? Which of His Ten Commandments do we actually need? Yet the argument itself represents a kind of belief, because it commits me to engage with God."

Hat tip: The Young Fogey

God in a Broken Frame and Shattered Glass: Another Look at Sacred Imagery

by Arturo Vasquez














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“Catholicism in the end is a religion of the concrete: a religion filled with ceremony, trinkets, and daily things used for extraordinary purposes. Bread and wine, rosaries, cloth, incense, and old, worn pages come together to create a religion that you can touch, taste, and smell. At times, these things can compel us to be better than what we are now; they often lead us to repentance and to a life committed to a God who is above all human sense and thought. It can appear to be magic to the casual observer, but the real magic here is not in the plaster or the paint, but rather in faith.”

Biretta tip: Mere Catholic Miscellany

Ash Wednesday

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Today, we have heard the solemn sentence: “Remember, Man, that thou art dust, and to dust shalt thou return.” We stand with Adam, lamenting the loss of Paradise, but looking forward with the hope of redemption and the ultimate goal of why we were created: to be deified in Christ, becoming by grace what He is by nature. The Church proclaims this reminder of our mortality not to be morbid, but to awaken us to the reality of the fact that sin has caused the corruption of our nature, and therefore we have but a little time left in this life. She seeks to awaken us with a hard and necessary reality check. If you seek warm fuzzies, the Church has none to offer you. What she gives you instead is a cross to bear, made lighter by His sacrifice, surely, but one which we must bear in this life in order to reach our ultimate destiny. Lent is a reminder of the nature of the sojourn in this life we are all called upon to undertake. But this “vale of tears” leads ultimately to victory and the joy of resurrection. We have heard the cold, hard sentence that sin has brought upon us, but thank God, that is not where the story ends. It ends with the joyous proclamation of paschal joy, for in Christ’s resurrection, we too have the hope of rising with glorified bodies, and seeing Him face to face.



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A blessed Lenten journey to all!

Orthodox Shrove Tuesday

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Yup! It's here, that celebratory day where all is prepared for the solemn observance of that "bright sadness" known as Great Lent.

But this celebratory atmosphere preceding Great Lent is not just something we crazy Western Rite Orthodox do, though you would never know it reading some blog enteries like this one: "The Great Fast, as the Orthodox also call it, begins not with parties, suppers or benders, but with one of the most moving services in all of Christianity. In the evening of Cheesefare Sunday, the church serves Forgiveness Vespers."

What the good author seems to forget is that in Russia, Cheesefare week is a festive time, with "parties, suppers and benders," chilled vodka and champagne flowing everywhere and pastry shops open almost around the clock, in addition to a generous consumption of pancakes, or blinis. This festive week is known as Maslenitsa, or "butter week." As the above photo shows, it can be somewhat "carnivalesque" (this is a Maslenitsa festival in Melbourne, Australia).

For parishes observing the Latin and English rites in the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate and ROCOR, Shrove Tuesday is a time for making one's confession before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent for the Western Rite. Celebration marks this special Tuesday before the imposition of ashes on Wednesday, when we will hear the solemn sentence "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust shalt thou return." Shrove Tuesday is a day of pancake suppers, a day to have that last celebratory dinner before the beginning of the solemn season of the Great Fast, on the way to resurrection glory.

Confession, pancakes, celebration: not a bad way to begin the Great Fast, whether you call it Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras (without the excesses, of course) or Maslenitsa.