In birth, you preserved your virginity; in death, you did not abandon the world, O Theotokos. As mother of life, you departed to the source of life, delivering our souls from death by your intercessions.

Shudder, O ye heavens! and, O earth, give ear unto these words:
God descended once before for our sake; He descends again today for His Mother.

This is a mite early, as we still have two days of the fast before the feast. However, the Dormition (or Assumption, in the West - this is the same feast, but the title emphasizes a different aspect) is the fourth highest feast in the Church year, following the Paschal feast, Pentecost, and the feast of the Nativity. Church teaching is that all the apostles but Thomas were gathered mystically around the Blessed Mother as she died, and were there for her burial. Thomas, arriving three days later, was taken to her tomb, only to find that it was empty. This Church teaching of the assumption of her body into heaven is not just a pious tradition, but holds some deep spiritual and physical truths for us. It is a sign and reminder to us that not only Christ resurrected bodily, but that we all will rise. Also, we now know, as they didn't then, that all women bear the DNA of each and every child borne to them in their bodies forever. So, by raising His mother, our Lord made sure that His resurrection was complete on this earth. If this had not happened, then He would not be completely risen. What a wonder and miracle!

So many times, when people deny the honor to the Theotokos, it is really a dishonor to the Lord. Even denying her the title Theotokos ends up declaring that Christ was either not God in her womb, or that He is not God incarnate. It is not intentional, but I think a good question to ask oneself when putting her "in her place" is what does this mean about Christ and His divinity? If it ends up dishonoring Him, calling His divinity into question, or lessening Him, it isn't a good thing. Likewise, so many people say that there is too much honor given her, without actually considering whether or not they honor her enough or even at all. What is just the right amount of honor? Surely it isn't debasing the woman who bore and raised our Lord? Jesus was born a Jew and fulfilled the law. He loved and honored His mother, and as we could not have had Him without her, why would we want that, instead of following His example?

The Archangel Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke hails her and says that God calls her blessed. Her cousin Elizabeth's unborn son, Saint John the Forerunner, leaps at the sound of Mary's voice, and by this does Elizabeth know and proclaim that Mary is the Mother of her Lord. Mary replies by saying that ALL generations will call her blessed. It is in the Scriptures that we are to bless her, that God Himself magnifies her, so why should we not do the same? How can we do less?

Besides the Dormition feast, it is also fair week and it is Jerome's birthday this week and it is a rather busy week for us all. Everyone but Nejat will be working our neighborhood fair booth at some point or other, and we will have shifts of people at fair and at home. We're trying to schedule it so we can have a birthday celebration for Jerome at home, but we may be doing something together at the fairgrounds. Aside from entering some of my knitting, herbs from the garden, and a houseplant, I also entered a salsa making contest. There are only 10 contestants, which gives me a better chance, but we have a sizeable Mexican population here, so it may be a fruitless endeavor. Regardless, I thought it would be fun.

We will not have any of our Bible studies or knit nights or anything like that this week. We used to host a fair food night the Monday before fair, but as we have learned more and try to follow the fast, that is sometimes not possible because of that, but also, now we are busy getting entries into the fair and going back and forth for that, while also doing work preparing the booth. So, I will put on fair food night later this month.

• Sunday
  Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Tomato and Cheese, Toast, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Salmon Chowder with Summer Squash, Watermelon, Fudge Brownie Bites
• Monday
  Breakfast: Fried Halloum, Sliced Radishes and Cucumbers, Toast, Plums, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Tomato and Olive Pasta, Cucumber Salad, Fruit Plate
• Tuesday - Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Theotokos
  Breakfast: Blueberry Coffee Cake, Hard Boiled Eggs, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Beef Tacos, Cabbage Salad, Fried Peppers, Summer Squash and Onions, Pineapple Refrigerator Cake
• Wednesday
  Breakfast: Wheatena with Apples and Cinnamon, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Croatian Roux Soup with Croutons, Croatian Style Marinated Cucumbers, Sliced Watermelon
• Thursday
  Breakfast: Sausage and Egg Scramble, Toast, Sliced Pears, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Egg Salad Sandwiches, Pickles, Veggie Sticks, Fruit Plate
• Friday
  Breakfast: Peanut Butter Toast, Fruit Plate, Tea with Honey
  Dinner: Vegetarian Ranchero Beans and Rice, Lenten Chocolate Orange Cake
• Saturday
  Breakfast: Breakfast Burritos with Leftovers from Dinner, Fruit Plate, Milk and Coffee
  Dinner: Oyster Loaves, Sautéed Summer Squash, Corn and Spring Onions, Fruit Plate

What is on your menu this week? If you want a recipe, ask and I will provide it as soon as I can. If there are any starred recipes, I will follow up separately with a weekly recipe round up on Saturday.

Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee! Blessed art though amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the savior of our souls.

Dominic said that when we pray this prayer, or any other Marian prayers like the Hail Mary, which are based on the text of Luke, we are placing ourselves in the prophecy from Mary's own lips: "For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed" Luke 1:48

Labels: Birthday, Blessed Virgin, Church Year, Faith and Morality, Fasting as a Family, Governor Inslee Needs a Frozen Fish to the Forehead, Homemaking, Homesteading, Menu Plans, Tales from the Kitchen, Theotokos