Greetings and Explanations

It surprises me a little bit that I'm entering the blog-o-sphere.  There is already such a cacophony of voices out here, and I don't really need to contribute to the noise.  But, the idea of having a place to write a little and have some focused conversations with friends is appealing, so I decided to take the plunge. 

To kick things off, I'll try to explain why I chose this blog title.  I was racking my brain for inspiration when I thought of the passage from St. Matthew's gospel that I quoted at the top of the page.  It describes a woman of remarkable faith and humility.  She was filled with compassion for her child, probably desperately fed-up with and exhausted by her daughter's condition, and knew Christ Jesus had the power to help her.  I want to be like her--the kind of person who perseveres in prayer;  the kind who is patient enough to let the Lord work in His time;  the kind who sees herself as completely unworthy and undeserving of miracles but who can persist in the battle against the demons anyway.  I want to be the kind of woman who trusts Christ Jesus with all of her own pain and problems, and who loves others enough to pray for them consistently and fervently. 

This Gentile woman was begging even for the Jews' "leftover" miracles.  And that got me to thinking a little about prosphora (the bread we offer at the Divine Liturgy, our Eucharistic service).  The whole loaf is blessed, but only a very small portion actually makes it into the chalice.   After communion, the priest and the deacon take the chalice back into the altar and eat up all that is left.  They do this with great care, making sure none is spilled or left behind.  The rest of the bread, the antidoron--the part that did not become the Lord's body--is distributed to the faithful at the end of the Liturgy.  Extra antidoron might be sent home with a person who needs extra blessings during the week, such as a pregnant woman or someone in poor health.  Even though it is still bread, it is blessed bread, and it is important not to let any crumbs fall to the floor; ideally, it should be eaten outdoors so that any crumbs that do fall may be consumed by the birds or other creatures.  Even the leftovers of the leftovers are important when it comes to such miracles and blessings, and should not be taken lightly.  I think I need the reminder to treasure even the smallest ones.

Originally published as Greetings and Explanations on  27 July 2010.