This morning we celebrated the Confession of St. Peter at St. Paul's with Matins and the Eucharist. We let St. Bede preach, since the Confessions quote him on the topic of the "rock" in Matthew 16. Missed Vicar, though, who is at the Haj in Fort Wayne.
Today promises to be full of joy: Chapel with the TSP children on St. Peter's Confession; Pericopal Study group, lunch, Confessions study; visiting David at Barnes in the p.m.; Vespers, dinner, Bible class and wrapping up with Compline.
I absolutely love these days that start with the faithful gathering to pray the Psalms in the darkness and receive the Eucharist and walking out into the light. It is the tale of our lives: from the darkness, enlightened by Christ, and into the Day without evening in the Kingdom of our Father!
The Haj! Haha!
ReplyDeleteMy pastor's there too. One of these days, I'll have to go too and see what it's all about.
What is the derivation of the word "Haj"? It is used by Greek Christians as part of a surname, e.g. Hajigeorgios, and means that they took a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Do you think it comes from the Greek word for saint/holy, Hagios? Could it have been a common term in the eastern Mediterranean of Mohammed's time that he assumed in the same way he took up various other orthodox, nestorian, and gnostic Christian practices and teachings?
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure. The dictionary traces it to Arabic, of course, but whether borrowed further, I haven't a clue.