A year through the Twelve Great Feasts of the Church

Thursday marks the Dormition of the Theotokos (or I guess the Dormition of the Theotokos marks Thursday), and hopefully my successful conclusion of my year-long quest to attend Divine Liturgy for each of the Great Feasts of the Church in one liturgical year.  I had originally planned to post after attending each service, but I decided against it, since I already have sufficient pride.

I am  blessed that I have the opportunity to attend these festal services.  It hearkens back to the village life of the Russian peasant whence I have come, and recalls the more integrated life of the previous centuries.  Curiously, though, by being more atomized, I have found integration in a more dispersed community of Orthodox Christian.

In reading some of the more popular Orthodox blogs, I have learned a great deal about the struggles of other American Orthodox Christians.  Our struggles are the same as those that have always confronted Christianity; church attendance, proper attitudes towards Christ, how to treat others well when we feel badly, and rearing children.  These are the problems of humanity, and the problems of Christians, and, therefore, the problems of the Church.

By concentrating on attending the great feasts, I have been working on my salvation.  My major role, aside from singing and reading in the church, is driving the carpool vehicle, which I enjoy very much, not just because it saves others the effort, but for the genuine joy of helping others come to church.  Coming to church has become to me a joyous thing, because I no longer spend the time traveling from home to church worrying about the time I'm spending getting there.  I'm going to church with my fellow Christians, who are all depending on me.