Welcome!

With the blessing of the LORD GOD: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

You can find introductory material about me and this website by scrolling below, in this column.

NEW!  English-language Typikon of the Holy Services of the Orthodox-Catholic and Apostolic Church, according to the tradition of the Great Church of Christ (Constantinopolitan usage).

I am now placing the entire translation and recompilation project of the Systema Typikou, the exhaustive and detailed Typikon of the Holy Services of the Holy OrthodoxChurch, published by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.   Since this work has not yet received hierarchical blessing for use in the churches, we are under an obligation to limit access to its contents.  Liturgists, scholars, and others with credentials from a hierarch are usually welcome to view our work, after screening.

If you wish to gain security access, please contact me by placing a comment on this post.

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OTHER CONTENT ON THIS SITE:   Orthodox liturgics, ecclesiastical and biblical Greek, or just more information about Fr Patrick–all are treated on this site with new posts, periodically added. Just click on the subject area in the column you see to your left. For example, click on “Commentary on Divine Liturgy for Laity” to get ONLY those posts. If you want to contact about anything, leave a comment after this post with your email. Christ is risen!

Psalm 50

Here is my revision of Psalm 50 according to the criteria given here.

Psalm 50

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy;

and according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgression.

Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.

Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight,

that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and prevail when thou dost judge.

For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother get me.

But behold, thou lovest truth; the hidden and secret things of thy wisdom hast thou made manifest unto me.

Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Thou shalt make me to hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast humbled may rejoice.

Turn thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and with thy governing spirit establish me.

Then shall I teach transgressors thy ways, and the ungodly shall be converted unto thee.

Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness.

O Lord, thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it: but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.

A sacrifice unto God is a troubled spirit; a heart that is troubled and humbled God will not despise.

Do good, O Lord, in thy good pleasure unto Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built.

Then shalt thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings.

Then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Orthodox hierarch endorses “bikers”

Ok, the header might be a bit over the top.

Thanks to one of the faithful in my parish, Dr Bill Green, now serving abroad for our country (keep him in your prayers, “Theodore”!), a news article came to my attention, “New Orthodox Patriarch Pulls no Punches” (NY Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/world/europe/10iht-orthodox10web.html?pagewanted=1&emc=eta1

The article introduces us to the personal style of His Beatitude, Patriarch Kirill, of the Church of Russia. Here is the relevant material for this blog post:

“One of his appointees, the Reverend Vsevolod Chaplin, has proposed creating “Orthodox nightclubs,” where young people would gather for late-night fellowship and discussion. There are even Orthodox bikers, and Patriarch Kirill reminded the crowd in St. Petersburg that he used to ride a motorbike.”

Hey, for a simple priest motoring around on a motorscooter in SoCal, that aint a bad endorsement!