What is Happiness?

"What is Happiness?" 

. . . "It is to live as we do now, with L., just the two of us, savoring every hour -- morning coffee, two, three hours of quiet in the evenings.  No special conversation.  All is clear and therefore so good.  If we were to start trying to define the essence of that obvious happiness, we would each do it differently; we might even have an argument!  My words would not seem right to her and visa-versa. Misunderstanding!  And happiness would become clouded.  As one approaches the essence of a thing, fewer and fewer words are needed.  In eternity, in the kingdom, only "Holy, Holy, Holy" will be needed, only words of prayer and thanks, only prayer and the brightness of fullness and joy."

From the Journals of Fr. Alexander Schmemann ; pg10

http://www.amazon.com/Journals-Father-Alexander-Schmemann-1973-1983/dp/0881412007

Be Inspired With Hope!



St. Theophan the Recluse
(1815-1894)



“Labor with all your strength; bring to the Lord all your concerns about success. Trust in God is the foundation of spiritual life. Nothing will happen all of a sudden; everything will come about in its own time. Everything you seek with faith will come. But when? When the Lord is ready to grant it. Be patient, remaining steadfast in the ways you have begun. Be inspired with the hope that the day will come when the light of joy will glow in the heart and it will be emancipated from all bonds, bringing freedom of movement and raising you to that place where the noble images of spirit ascend. Then you will soar in the realm of the spirit like a bird that has been freed from its cage.”

http://www.orthodoxprayer.org/Theophan-Prayer.html

“May the blessing of the Lord be upon you. May your Guardian Angel protect you from all attacks of the enemy!”






"If you are not successful in your prayer, you will not be
successful in anything, for prayer is the root of everything."
 – Theophan the Recluse

VIP's Visit

Admiral Tidd, our Navy Chief of Chaplains, visited last week with his wife Jennifer and a team of other chaplains for what we call in the Navy - the annual P.D.T.C. (Professional Development Training Course).

This is a picture of Papa (Fr. Phil) and Admiral Tidd in front of the chapel just after our service and before the next service, where he was introduced to the congregation of the Contemporary Christian Service.

The purpose of this PDTC was to instruct everyone regarding a new governing document that makes Navy Chaplains on the same professional level as any other Staff Corps in the Navy. (i.e., Medical Corps, Supply Corps, JAG Corps, etc.) In other words, chaplains will have a more clearly defined career path like all other officers in the Navy, so they will know how to plan their next assignments, when and where to go for more education, etc.

This is exactly what WE needed many years ago!  It's about time that the Chaplain Corps is finally establishing standards for itself!

J

Me, Jennifer Tidd, and Lois Marshall



Dinner with the local Admiral's and the Marine General at Cafe' Europa
about 50 yards from the exact spot where St. Paul came ashore in Pozzuoli
on his way Rome.





A visit to the Herculaneum



An ancient McDonald's (as the tour guide said). A place
where the citizens could get hot food to-go - 2000 years ago!!!
Wow!



Herculaneum was destroyed in 79 A.D. along with Pompeii, but is much more will preserved.  The look, therefore, into the past in the town was absolutely amazing!

Jaroslav Pelikan

The first time I met “Jary” (which is the way he introduced himself to me), was at the campus of Yale University the fall of 1989 when Phil was in Chaplain’s School in Newport, Rhode Island. He was exactly as I imagined him. A C.S. Lewis type fellow – tweed jacket … suede elbow patches and all! His office was full off books and papers; stacked high in every nook and cranny, in no particular order it seemed to me, reminiscent of Indiana Jones’ office in the movie, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” But he assured me that it all made perfect sense to him—and chuckled! We had an interesting lunch in the teacher’s lounge and spoke of family and theology and the future of our lives. It is a precious memory.


I meant to post a few words and this picture of him on the May 13th, which is the day of his repose but time got away from me—therefore I’m doing it today.

Jaroslav Jan Pelikan (December 17, 1923–May 13, 2006)

May his memory be eternal!


Fr. Philip's cousin Jaroslav





Super Busy

Be Back Soon ~