Tag Archive for: Muiron

Muiron: Manger to Resurrection

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Armodoxy for Today: Muiron Manger to Resurrection

Armenia was blessed by the visit of two of Christ’s Apostles, Saint Thaddeus and Saint Bartholomew. They came to Armenia to evangelize the Gospel three to four years apart from one another, in the years 41 and 45 A.D. respectively. To put it in context, they arrived in  Armenia less than 10 years after the life-changing and history altering events of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, to which they were both eye-witnesses! Yesterday I shared the story of Thaddeus’s part in the formation of the Holy Muiron. St. Bartholomew’s story is considered apocryphal yet inspiring and is one more connection with Jesus and the Muiron.

When the Blessed Mother, the Asdvadzadzin, passed away, all of the Apostles attended her funeral except for Bartholomew. When Bartholomew returned to Jerusalem and was informed of Mother Mary’s passing, he requested to see the Blessed remains one last time. When they opened her tomb, her body was not there. She was assumed into Heaven by her Son.

During Jesus’ infancy, scripture tells us many events took place and “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) When Jesus’ umbilical cord fell off, Mary kept it in an alabaster box. When Bartholomew came to pay his respects to Holy Mother’s life, he was given the box, which he kept close to his heart.

Bartholomew brought this box with him to Armenia. He was martyred there for his faith in and commitment to Jesus Christ. Before he was executed, he was able pass along the small alabaster box to the members of the underground Church in Armenia. The box and its content – the umbilical cord of our Lord – were secretly kept by the Church until the Conversion of Armenia in the year 301 A.D. by St. Gregory the Illuminator. At that time the box was turned over to Gregory who had ascended to the Apostolic Throne as chief bishop. Gregory blessed the first batch of Holy Muiron at that time and added the content the alabaster box to the oil, along with the Oil that Jesus had sent with Thaddeus. Because in each new batch the previous batch is added, there are molecules from the time of Jesus Christ, with his DNA giving a direct physical connection to the Lord, from the Manger to the Resurrection.  Indeed, the Muiron is what binds us together into one family – the family of Christ – or Christian. Is it any wonder that Armenian names end with the suffix “ian”? The “ian” refers to “the family of…” In this case, a Christ-ian is a member of the family of Christ.

During the Blessing of the Muiron, in the prayers offered by the Catholicos, he refers to the mixture as yiugh, that is “oil” up to the point where the previous batch is added, at which time it is properly referred to as Holy Muiron.

We pray today, Lord Jesus Christ, Keep ever before my mind your precious and holy words, that “My family are those who hear the word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:21) Through the intercession of your beloved disciples Bartholomew and Thaddeus, I ask that you fortify with me the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love so that I may be worthy be called a Christian. Amen.

Muiron, the Christ Connection

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Armodoxy for today: Muiron, the Christ Connection

King Abgar, was born in the first century B.C. and died in the middle of the first century A.D.  This Armenian king is considered to be the first royal to have converted to Christianity. He suffered from a skin disease which many speculate was leprosy.

Abgar wrote a letter to Jesus, asking, “… Having heard all these things concerning you, I have concluded that one of two things must be true: either you are God, and, having come down from heaven, you do these things, or else you, who does these things, are the son of God. I have therefore written to you to ask you if you would take the trouble to come to me and heal all the ill which I suffer. For I have heard that the Jews are murmuring against you and are plotting to injure you. But I have a very small yet noble city which is great enough for us both.” With those words, Abgar invited Jesus to Armenia.

Jesus replied in a letter dictate to a scribe, “Blessed are you who has believed in me without having seen me… In regard to what you have written me, that I should come to you, it is necessary for me to fulfill all things here for which I have been sent, and after I have fulfilled them, thus to be taken up again to Him that sent me. But after I have been taken up, I will send to you one of my disciples, that he may heal your disease and give life to you and yours.” *

When the Apostle Thaddeus arrived in Armenia in the fourth decade A.D., Jesus promise to the King was fulfilled. He brought with him holy oil blessed by Jesus. It was used to heal King Abgar. Thaddeus is regarded as the first illuminator of Armenia.

It is important to remember that the Christian Church in Armenia was an underground movement. Thaddeus, before his martyrdom in Armenia, hid the remaining holy oil under an evergreen birch tree in the Armenian province of Daron. After the proclamation of Christianity in Armenia in 301, St. Gregory the Illuminator discovered the oil, through a vision. That oil was mixed into the first batch of Muiron which was blessed at Holy Etchmiadzin by St. Gregory. And at each subsequent blessing of Muiron, the previous batch is mixed in with the new. Molecules from the original oil blessed by our Lord Jesus are present in the Muiron that is blessed today, thus giving us a spiritual and absolute physical connection with Jesus Christ. Every child and person who is baptized, every building that is consecrated, every khatchkar that is wiped – that is, everyone and everything that comes in contact with the Holy Muiron received a seal of incorruptible heavenly gifts.

We pray today, a prayer from the christening sacrament of the Armenian Church: Nourish me, Lord God Almighty, protect me in purity through Your Holy Spirit so that I may do your will blamelessly and may attain eternal life in freedom from sin. Amen.

 

* References: Leclercq, Henri (1913) “The Legend of Abgar” Catholic Encyclopedia, New York and The Church Father, Book 1, Euebius

Muiron Continuity

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Armodoxy for Today: Continuity

The ingredients of the Holy Muiron are mixed together prior to the day the Catholicos of All Armenians blesses the new batch. For forty days and forty nights the olive oil, essence of balsam and the flowers sit in a cauldron before the Holy Altar at Etchmiadzin, soaking in the prayers, chants and energy from that most unique sacred space at the base of Mount Ararat where Jesus Christ descended, hence the name, Etchmiadzin, the descent of the Only Begotten.

The Holy Muiron is the vehicle of the Holy Spirit and connects us directly to Jesus Christ, not only spiritually but physically as well. During the blessing service, the Catholicos will add Muiron from earlier blessings. Each blessing throughout the centuries contains muiron from the previous batch. And since the Holy Muiron dates back to the time of Christ, there are molecules in today’s Muiron from the time of Jesus Christ, containing all the oil, flowers, prayers, the tears and laughter from the all the centuries, all the blessings to this date. The history, the scriptures, the saints, the martyrs, the sacred spaces, the innocent, and the sweet wishes of mothers and fathers are in this Muiron. The Holy Spirit has a vehicle in the Muiron, but now we understand how we are connected to the whole of history through the power of God.

Furthermore, throughout the centuries, when the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin was under attack or when enemies were too close for comfort, the Catholicos and Catholicosate was moved to other cities for safety. Tvin, Ani, Aghtamar, Sis were some of those towns where Muiron was also blessed.

In 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed the Catholicos of Cilicia was invited by the Venerable Catholicos of All Armenians Vazken I, to bring the Muiron from the Catholicosate to the Mother See and add it to the mix. Giving it the name, “The Muiron of Independence” His Holiness accented the unifying power of the Muiron for a resurrected people.

The Armenian Church is Apostolic, in that its roots can be traced in a lineage to Jesus Christ and his Apostles. In the Armenian Church the Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew are referred to as the first enlighteners of Armenia. In the next two days we will learn how the Muiron that was touched by Jesus Christ is in today’s Muiron.

We pray, Lord Jesus Christ, touch my life with your presence, as you touched the lives of those throughout the centuries who were pleasing to you, by their actions to live and love. Amen.

 

What Did Jeremy Allen White Say During Bleeped Emmys Speech? (indiewire.com)

Muiron’s Beauty in Suffering

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Armodoxy for Today: Muiron’s Beauty Suffers

To the olive oil and oil of balsam is added the essence of forty different flowers to make the Muiron. This formula is one that somehow has become popularized and is recited effortlessly by most everyone who speaks of the Muiron. “Olive oil + balsam + 40 flowers = Muiron” reads like a cookbook recipe. I have intentionally waited to this point to introduce the flower ingredient so that with the background I’ve given thus far, we should not understand this as merely “recipe” for the mixture. In fact, the flowers, as we will see today, are greater than the sum of their parts.

Flowers are the beauty of nature. Their outward beauty is essential for the flow of life. Beauty and vibrant colors attract insects that pollinate the seeds which give us the food for the continuity of life. In the Holy Muiron, however, the beauty of flowers is not based on their superficial attractiveness. Rather, they are ground up, losing any resemblance to their former self standing in the field. The essence of the flower is extracted and it is that essence that is mixed into blend we call Muiron.

Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16) The life of a Christian is not flowery. It is defined by the crosses we meet and greet in our lives and the manner in which we carry those crosses. It is in the suffering that we are “ground up” so that superficial charms and beauty are inconsequential next to the essence of our being. Our lives are measured and find their worth by the sacrificial nature – the crosses – with which we live. Our Lord teaches, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20) In giving we lose the self and keep the essence which is aligned with the Divine expression of love.

The essence of forty different flowers are mixed into the Muiron. The number forty is symbolic. Whereas at one time, the flowers from Armenia were used, today, with a vast diaspora, flowers from ever country and area where Armenians live, are used.

Today we pray the prayer of the Holy Cross, Lord Jesus, I humble myself before your Holy Cross. Giving us the example of humility you instructed us to follow the path of sacrifice. In the shadow of Your Cross, may I lose myself, isolating my ego from all selfish desires and find the path of giving, sharing and loving which is the path to peace. Amen.

Muiron’s Natural Energy

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Armodoxy for today: Muiron’s Natural ingredients

The ingredients of Muiron are all natural. Forty days before the Blessing of the Holy Muiron the ingredients are placed in a large ceremonial cauldron before the Altar Table at Holy Etchmiadzin. With prayers recited by the priests and bishops, the olive oil, oil of balsam and the essence of different flowers are added and there they will stay absorbing the energy of Etchmiadzin and the prayers of the people, as we discussed in the last session with the example of the Curtain that continued to bless the homeless population on the streets.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, a Soviet dissident who helped to raise global awareness of political repression in the Gulag prison system, and won the 1970 Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote this beautiful short prose poem dedicated to a duckling.

A little yellow duckling, flopping comically on its white belly in the wet grass and scarcely able to stand on its thin, feeble legs, runs in front of me and quacks: “Where’s my mommy? Where’s my family?”

… this one is lost Come on then, little thing, let me take you in my hand.

What keeps it alive? It weighs nothing; its little black eyes are like beads, its feet are like sparrows’ feet, the slightest squeeze and it would be no more. Yet it is warm with life. Its little beak is pale pink and slightly splayed, like a manicured fingernail. Its feet are already webbed, there is yellow among its feathers, and its downy wings are starting to protrude. Its personality already sets it apart …

And we men will soon be flying to Venus; if we a pooled our efforts, we could plough up the whole world in twenty minutes. Yet, with all our atomic might, we shall never-never! — be able to make this feeble speck of a yellow duckling in a test tube; even if we were given the feathers and bones, we could never put such a creature together.*

Like the life in our breath, the cells of a trees, the splash of an ocean wave or in the feather of the duckling Solzhenitsyn describes here, everything is of God. Here we understand the lifeforce that is essence of Holy Muiron, as the ingredients from nature enter the mix.

We pray, from the Book of Sirach,  From the beginning good things were created for the good, but for sinners good things and bad. The basic necessities of human life are water and fire and iron and salt and wheat flour and milk and honey, the blood of the grape and oil and clothing. All these are good for the godly, but for sinners they turn into evils.

*Excerpt from Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s Short Stories and Prose Poems. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 1971. Bantam 1972

Muiron: Objects and Curtains with Blessings

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Armodoxy for Today: Muiron participation through a Curtain

The Blessing of Holy Muiron is an event that brings together blessings from the centuries – from the time of Christ – to the present, and in that present we – you and I – stand. As we heard the “noises from the ridge” (yesterday’s lesson), the members of the here and now – you and I – are now part of the living history of the Church.

Several years ago, while I was serving as Parish Priest of the Armenian Church Youth Ministries Center in Glendale, a generous individual donated a new altar curtain to the church. It was ornate and donned two large, embroidered crosses. The curtain we were using had served us well since the time we installed it when we first opened the center. It was made of a heavy upholstery-type material, in a nice dark royal red shade.

When vestments, or items used for the Sacraments, have reached their end-of-life cycle, ordinarily they are disposed of by burning them. But the weight of this curtain was measured by much more than the fabric from which it was made. For ten years it had collected the smoke of the incense and the candles, but its true weight came from the thousands of prayers that had been offered around it. They were filled with the prayers of a community of immigrants who, having come to this new land, shared their thanksgiving as well as disappointments, their fears and their strengths, their faith and their doubts, in conversations with Christ. The prayers of repentant hearts, who knowing their wrongs had turned for forgiveness in a spirit of, “As we forgive those who trespass against us.” This curtain was much too heavy to burn!

The next day, I put out a call to all available sewing machines and their owners to come to the church. A dozen or so ladies arrived with sharp scissors in their hands, sewing machines in tow, and a love for their fellow human being. They cut up the curtain and sewed the edges. The curtain would now live on as individual blankets for our homeless population – the least of our brothers and sisters on the streets. We went down to Los Angeles’ “skid row” and passed out these blankets filled with prayers and incense, knowing the recipients would be comforted and sheltered by a powerful force. And we had the satisfaction of knowing that night, there were homeless individuals walking around the streets as royalty, donning the Armenian Church curtain as a cape and would later fall asleep in its comfort.

Objects carry blessings, manifesting the power of the Holy Spirit. The curtain transferred blessings to the indigents on the streets. The priest holds a cross in his hand and blesses a family or a grave. The woman touches the hem of Jesus’ robe and is healed. (Matt. 9) Jesus makes a paste with his saliva and “anoints the eyes of the blind man with the clay,” and he sees. (John 9). Bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Muiron is the oil which carries the blessings of the Holy Spirit.

Today’s prayer comes to us from the sharagan – the hymn of the Armenian Church dedicated to the Holy Spirit: Source of light, distributor of graces, O Spirit, who has come down from on high. You have divided Your incorruptible gifts among the apostles. May I be worthy to receive the same. Amen.

Read an article by the Very Rev. Fr. Zaven Arzoumanian about: A Blessed Fate of the Blessed Curtain

Muiron: Through the Cassocks

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Armodoxy for Today: Muiron from the Center

At the Blessing of the Holy Muiron, thousands of people come from throughout the world to witness this event which occurs once every seven years. For many who attend it is a once-in-a-lifetime event, something they have only heard about. Today, thanks to technology, the Blessing is streamed live and remains as a memory forever as a recording on digital platforms. With digital broadcasts, people anywhere on earth, with even humble means are able to witness this event. Today we will mark our scorecards with more hints of who’s who, based on their attire.

Not all who wear black are priests. The black cassock is the attire of the monastery. Deacons, priests and bishops – all three of the main orders – wear the black cassock. The priest – the kahana – may wear a pectoral cross if granted by his bishop, or upon passing his doctoral examine. Those wearing the hood – veghar – but without crosses are likely to be apegha-s. Those with hoods and the pectoral cross are the vartabeds. The ones with the hood, but wearing a panake – an oval medallion with the Holy Virgin and Child Jesus pictured on it are the bishops. The one with the diamond studded cross on his hood is the Catholicos of All Armenians. He may wear a panake or sometimes, the double-headed eagle as a symbol of authority.

A bishop is ordained for the purpose of overseeing a diocese. Those bishops assigned to a diocese are referred to as arachnort, Primates or Prelates. Dioceses are geographic areas that exist in Armenia and throughout the world. The Armenian Church has three other geographic areas outside of Armenia, that also have historic relevance, these have their own rules of governance. The Catholicosate of the See of Cilicia, today functioning out of Lebanon, has a Catholicos who heads it and consecrates bishops for service to the See. Jerusalem, because of its significance in Christianity, has an archbishop whose title is Patriarch. Likewise, in Istanbul, once Constantinople, the archbishop who is the ecclesiastical head of this geography is referred to as a Patriarch. Technically, use of the double-headed eagle was reserved for the Patriarch of Constantinople, because it was the “Center” of the world. The two heads of the eagle point right and left, as to signify from one end to the other end of the earth.

During the Blessing of Muiron ceremony, the Catholicos of All Armenians stands in the center, surrounded by the bishops of the church. Their order is not random. They line up according to their seniority within the Church, is based on their date of ordination. Standing next to the Catholicos are either the Catholicos of Cilicia or his representative, followed by the Patriarchs of Jerusalem and Constantinople or their representative. Bishops participate by holding many of the relics and artifacts   that are held at Etchmiadzin, including the lance – the spear – which pierce the side of Jesus while he was on the Cross, and the holy relic of St. Gregory the Illuminator.

We pray today, Remember Lord, all the faithful everywhere, of men and women, old and young, who in faith and holiness come to you for strength and courage, to lead and guide your Holy Church. Amen.

Cover: Aghtamar/Holy Cross 2014 Epostle

Muiron Scorecard

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Armodoxy for Today: Score Card for Muiron Blessing

“You can’t tell the players without a scorecard,” is a phrase that comes to us from a time long ago, before large-screen monitors at stadiums, way back when baseball players didn’t even have their names written on their shirts, those fans sitting way up in the bleachers at a baseball games were too far away to identify the players. The only way to tell who was who was by purchasing a scorecard.

As we continue in this deep dive into the Muiron Blessing, today’s message is to help you identify who’s who at the Blessing. Among the thousands of pilgrims attending the ceremony, there will be clergy from throughout the world, and those participating in the ceremony will be donning special ornate vestments of the occasion. Get your scorecard ready and let’s start with the very basics.

In the Christian Church there are three orders of clergy: deacon, priest and bishop. All the prefixes that are added to these orders, such as “avak” or “arch” are honorary titles. The orders are conferred through ordination and, in the case of priests and bishops, through consecration with Holy Muiron. In the Armenian Church, we have a fourth order, that of Catholicos – the chief bishop of the Church – who is consecrated to his order.

Deacons, sagavac in Armenian, are ordained to serve at the “table” as noted in Holy Scripture (Acts 6) and many of the deacons today limit their work to serving at the holy altar on Sundays. There are deacons who are assigned to positions such as chaplaincies.

The priest is ordained and consecrated to minister within the Church. The priest may officiate at all of the Sacraments except ordination, which is reserved for the bishop. All priests, kahana in Armenian, are ordained in the same manner. The monastics, that is the monks, take a vow of celibacy following their ordination and are assigned to one of the monastic brotherhoods of the Church. They are referred to as abegha in Armenian. The outward appearance of monastic clergy is highlighted by the head covering in the shape of the Armenian dome and referred to as a veghar.

A priest who finishes his doctoral dissertation may then receive a doctoral degree and accordingly is referred to as a vartabed, a “doctor” of Church. The degree of vartabed and, after more study, the degree of dzayrkouyn vartabed (higher level) is conferred through an ecclesiastical service. These degrees were given on scholastic merit and not on marital status, as is popularly assumed because following the massacres of the 1800s and the Genocide in 1915, many of the monastic institutions and these traditions were skewed due to the massive clergy shortage and the necessity to place monastics in the parishes. Today, with the increasing demands put upon the priests to engage with their parishioners, parish priests graduate with degrees, yet the Church has been slow to return to its early form.

From the monastic community bishops are selected. They are consecrated by the Catholicos. They are the overseers and assigned to dioceses – geographic areas – to oversee and direct the Church. They are referred to by their Greek name, episcopos. On the small finger of their right hand they wear an episcopal ring.

From the bishops, a Catholicos is selected and consecrated. The position, which is an administrative one, is for life. The Catholicos of All Armenians, has a small diamond cross on his veghar and the ring of authority is on his right ring finger.

Tomorrow we will fill your score card with the different functions these clergy hold within the church. Let us pray, Lord, you created order out of chaos, and paradise is a reflection of that order. We thank you for the order you have given to your Holy Church to meet the needs of our world. Amen.

Healing Muiron

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Armodoxy for Today: Healing Muiron

When I arrived at the St. Garabed Armenian Church in Rancho Mirage, California, the Pastor, Deacon Gevork, upon greeting me, introduced me to Gina Anzor. I was at St. Garabed on that Sunday morning to celebrate the Divine Liturgy. It was the Feast of the Assumption of the Holy Asdvadzadzin. Deacon Gevork also asked that I celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing, that is Consecration with Holy Muiron on Gina. Little did I realize that I would also be witnessing a double miracle.

Gina had come to the church at the direction of priest Fr. Ronald, a retired member of the Roman Catholic Church clergy. She had no ties to the Armenian Church, neither ethnically nor through marriage, but it was obvious that the Spirit had driven her to this Church. She had come this day to be accepted as a full consecrated member of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church. In preparation for this moment, Deacon Gevork had instructed Gina on the heart and teaching of the Armenian Church, and he served as her godfather.

As we prepared for the Sacrament, I introduced Gina to the congregation and congratulated them on this most auspicious occasion. The first miracle occured that day was when we reflected on our history, that only one hundred years ago, Armenians were on the verge of extinction. They had risen to the cross to be crucified! But today, not only has the nation resurrected, but the Church is attracting from outside the Armenian nation converts! I explained that this was not a conversion of Faith. Gina was baptized in the Roman Catholic Church. Our consecration with the Holy Muiron is to give her the essentials and the strength with which to grow and mature in her faith and in Orthodox Tradition.

Dripping the Holy Muiron from its container, we sang a hymn addressed to the Holy Spirit. I proceeded to consecrate all her senses, as explained in this series a few days ago. At the end of the service, the congregation welcomed her with applause and well wishes.

A few days later, Gina wrote a note to Deacon Gevork and herein we find the second miracle.

Nine years ago I lost the vision in my left eye and feeling in my left hand. Problems from being a life-long insulin dependent diabetic. I was told by retinal specialists that nothing would improve my vision. I’ve had 3 hand surgeries in the past 2 years and it has helped a little.  Since the anointing, the vision in my left eye is so much better.  I am typing this and can read the words!  My left hand is free from pain.  Thank you so much for supporting me in the journey.  At 74 years old I feel like a new human being.  Healthy, happy and I have a church home. See you Sunday. – Gina

The Holy Spirit touches us daily and in many different ways. The Sacraments are the means by which the Holy Spirit reaches out to us and the anointing by Holy Muiron is a tangible expression of the Spirit’s touch.

We pray, from the Mashdots, the prayer following Chrismation, Blessed are You provident God that has clothed Your child with a garment of salvation and with a robe of gladness and place a helmet of redemption and a crown of grace on their head as an indestructible armor against the Adversary. Amen.

The Chrism

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Armodoxy for Today: The Chrism

Chrism is a special oil used for anointing. The word Christ comes from the Chrism. Christ means “the anointed one.” Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is Jesus, the anointed one.

Chrism is sometimes referred to as myrrh (as in one of the gifts brought to Baby Jesus by the Wise Men) or in our case, in the Armenian Church, we call it Holy Muiron. It is used in the traditional churches, such as in the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches, to anoint, that is, to seal, much like the “Amen” that finishes our prayers. With it, faith is sealed. While the preparation of Holy Murion differs among the churches, the Armenian Church’s use of symbolism is as unique as is the fact that the Muiron from previous blessings, from the time of Christ, is added to the new batch, thus tying the present community to the eternal group of believers proclaiming a unifying message of love and peace for humankind. At Jesus’ birth, the angels proclaimed, “Peace on Earth and goodwill toward one another” and with each anointing we seal and say Amen to those words as our direction in Faith.

The make up of Muiron is olive oil, balsam and the essence of fragrant flowers, each of which has special meaning and purpose as we will learn.

Muiron is used to consecrate people, objects and sacred spaces. Each of these consecrations is the responsibility of different orders within the Church. For instance a priest may consecrate one who is baptized. A Bishop may consecrate priests for service within the Church and may consecrate buildings and objects for service within the Church. And the Chief Bishop, or Catholicos, has the authority to bless the Holy Muiron as well as consecrate bishops for service within the Church.

The Muiron is consecrated every seven years. Seven is a mystical number within Armodoxy. In the Armenian alphabet the seventh letter “eh” which is the present tense of the verb “to be.” It is the name of God, “He is” who exists in the eternal present. The Catholicos, on being elected and consecrated, may decide to bless Muiron on the first year of his pontificate after which the clock counts up, seven years to the next blessing.

God speaks to us through the Sacraments and especially through the Holy Muiron. He is speaking to you today, and He always has. It is up to us listen, hear, and make the choice to follow or act. The beginning of that action is with an affirmation – and Amen – an anointing.

Tomorrow, we’ll listen and hear how he speaks to us through the Muiron.

Let us pray, Lord our God, according to Your Good Will, fill my heart with Your peace. Cleanse me from all blemishes, guile and hypocrisy, malice and the remembrance of evil. Amen.