When I see the moon floating in the sky above me, I find my emotions filled with delight and gratitude. For me, the moon is an ever-present sign of God’s goodness and faithfulness to us. Astrophysicist Hugh Ross, summarizing his chapter on the moon in his book, Designed to the Core, writes: “Earth’s Moon is unlike […]
Sins seem to be more manageable in the dark. We prefer to keep them, and the shame they produce, tucked out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind. But keeping our sins concealed enslaves us. Secrecy empowers sins and shame. It allows them to fester and enforce patterns of darkness in our lives. Exposing […]
In his book, An Unhurried Life, Alan Fadling wrote, “Greatness of soul requires an unhurried life.” An unhurried life. A contemplative life. A reflective life. Call it what you want. When you practice slowing down and looking for God in the moment, what you eventually have is a fuller life. A flourishing life. A thriving life. […]
Journeying Home 
Me too, I love this one.
This beautiful hymn, invariably sung after the 2nd antiphon in every liturgy, is the work of the Roman Vasilefs (“emperor”), St Justinian I, who lived in the midst of the 6th century. He loved God very much and had a very long reign, serving God as a Christian sovereign. Besides his theological offerings, he sponsored the building of the largest Christian church in the world, Holy Wisdom (Aghia Sophia, in Constantinople–still standing after 15 centuries). Also, he sponsored the erection of the Monastery of St Catherine (the oldest Christian monastery in the world, continuously functioning) at the foot of Mt Sinai.
Truly, a great man of God and a great hymn to God!
Thank you for the background, Fr Patrick. You can sense St Justinian’s deep faith and love of God embedded in that song. I’m moved to tears virtually every time we sing this song.
Absolutely beautiful.
A 6th century Non-Chalcedonian Saint wrongfully accused of heresy added more theological prose to this previously written hymn of ‘O Monogenis’ first penned by St John Chrysostom. Their is the legend that Emperor Justinian sang this hymn off the top of his head, but a Syrian Patriarch named Severus of Antioch had deliberately interpreted the theological doctrine at the time used this. So the earlier refrain “Only Begotten Son and Word of God” in One Person in Jesus Christ was used an example to refute Nestorianism and Monophysites. It’s a complicated theolgical history but never the less the hymn goes on:
Only begotten Son and Word of God, although immortal You humbled Yourself for our salvation, taking flesh from the holy Theotokos and ever virgin Mary and, without change, becoming man. Christ, our God, You were crucified but conquered death by death. You are one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit-save us.
I prefer the Coptic style chanted in Greek as it might be a myth that he wrote it in Alexandria. He was in exile on orders of execution by Emperor Justinian accused of heresy.
Ahhh shucks! I lost the Coptic link of the O Monogenis but the Cherubic Hymn is chanted in the similar style.
The Cherubim worship You, and the Seraphim glorify You, proclaiming and saying: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your holy glory.
http://www.esnips.com/doc/b0f06e42-2973-455c-88e7-536daad046f8/Nisherobim—Coptic—Fast—Ibrahim-Ayad