Christos anesti

Today the Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter - Christos Anesti...lets celebrate with them and understand the history.

Introduction

Greek Orthodox Easter corresponds to the Biblical series of events leading to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

The Date of Orthodox Easter: Since AD 1582 October (when the Gregorian Calendar was adopted by much of Catholic Europe), the Orthodox Easter usually falls on dates different than the Western Christian Easter, although apparently the Churches are discussing using the same formula to determine Easter -probably a formula different than that currently used by either Church.

Easter

Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that the Orthodox Church is:The authentic and original Christian Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles. Easter begins on the Saturday of Lazarus (the Saturday before Palm Sunday, 1 week before Easter Sunday) with children going from door to door singing the hymn of "Lazaros" and collecting money and eggs.

Date

Easter Sunday is the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon (PFM) date for the year.

Every few years, "Western" (Catholic and Protestant) Easter and Greek Orthodox Easter coincide; these years are indicated by (same) following the date. For example, this occurred in 1990 because the Western Easter Sunday date of (Gregorian calendar) April 15, 1990 is the same as the Orthodox Easter Sunday date of (Julian calendar) April 2, 1990.

Holy

Holy Thursday is the day for dyeing eggs. Holy Saturday is the only Saturday of the year where a strict fast is kept. Then they will go to a priest for confession, and are so allowed to partake in the Holy Communion. At midnight the priest announces the resurrection of Christ ("Christos anesti") and lets the people light their candles of the Holy Flame taken from Christ's nativity cave in Jerusalem. This is because all of these churches were originally one church calling itself the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Historically and theologically, Orthodox Christians use the adjective "Catholic" or "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church" to refer to the Church body which holds to the Orthodox faith. Large Christian Orthodox communities exist in the middle eastern countries of Israel (and West Bank and Gaza), Lebanon, Syria and Jordan (some families can trace their ancestry to the earliest Christians of the Holy Land). [9] The faith taught by Jesus to the apostles, given life by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and passed down to future generations uncorrupted, is known as Holy Tradition.

Russian

The personal, idiosyncratic and creative traditions of Western European religious art are largely lacking in Orthodox iconography before the 17th century, when Russian iconography was strongly influenced by religious paintings and engravings from both Protestant and Catholic Europe. An article by a Russian Orthodox Father that states several reasons for the use of the Old Calendar.

Getting Rich in these Uncertain Times

Getting Rich

We live in turbulent economic times and the headlines are full of alarms. Of course, that's what sells newspapers and attracts attention. After all, the networks won't sell many ads for a broadcast that headlines, "Nice Day, Millions are Safe and Happy!"

At the same time, I've received an astounding number of calls and emails from people facing real panic over home foreclosures, lay-offs, health or education costs. I have no idea why I'm suddenly getting these emails--it's a new thing compared to past years--but they concern me. While I hope the fear is largely based on media hype, for individual families, the anxiety is real.

Obviously, millions around the world (this is not just an American problem) are faced with rising prices, especially for food. We're faced with economic uncertainty and in too many cases, with real emergencies. Some of us are losing our jobs, our homes, even our hope. This is not acceptable!

Fortunately, history shows that over time things tend to get better, but what about the family who needs help today? As individuals and as groups, I think we should be upset about this. We need to get involved.

We need community conversations about globalization, housing costs, health care and job training. Fortunately, most TIPS subscribers live in democracies where we can voice our opinions. We can agree, or disagree. We can share our point of view--especially if we are willing to listen to opposing viewpoints. In this election year, get involved. I'm not suggesting any particular candidate, party or perspective, but I think democracy is a good thing and it works best when people get in the game.

On a personal level, however, I think we also need to be dramatically more aggressive about individual responsibility. I'm going to say some very blunt things, and some of you will disagree. Good for you! But here's my point of view:

1. Debt is bad. Most of us live beyond our means. As individuals and as a nation, we are addicted to spending money we don't have. Consumer and credit card debt is nuts! Pay off debt and set yourself free.

2. Greed is bad. Many (not all!) foreclosures happen because buyers got caught-up with brokers and took "leverage" to ridiculous extremes. People bought homes, cars, vacations, and other things counting on rising incomes and luck to bail them out. Like any form of gambling, over time the casino wins and the players lose. Every time.

3. Ambition is good. I love setting goals and having big dreams. A healthy desire to create, to have more and live better is good and it's best when based on solid plans, hard work, and patience. In building a great life, some boredom and routine are good. Adrenalin is usually a bad sign.

4. Saving is good. The hardest part of getting rich is accumulating the first $20,000 in savings. Week by week, putting money in a savings account is something any child can learn, and it's the first step to wealth. Live below your means, save a little every month. Getting rich fast is exciting, but rare. Getting rich slowly is easy and absolutely reliable.

5. Investing is good. The second step to getting rich (after learning to save) is investing for growth. I'm talking about Warren Buffet's attitude of steady, predictable growth over a lifetime. If you want to speculate with some of your hard-earned savings, I suppose that's alright, but never confuse speculation with investment. They are different games and have different results.

These are turbulent times and the news media may bring bad news for a long time to come. I don't know about that. But I do know each of us is in charge of our own decisions. We have the power to live well and we can encourage others to do the same. We can do our work and build a great life. We can save for the future and make a difference in our community. And along the way we can love well, and maybe have some fun!




Written & Published by Philip E. Humbert, PhD

Visit our website at:
http://www.philiphumbert.com

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm first appeared in English in 1603 with the meaning "possession by a god." The source of the word is the Greek enthousiasmos, which ultimately comes from the adjective entheos, "having the god within," formed from en, "in, within," and theos, "god."

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“Is enthusiasm important in selling? Yes, genuine,
heartfelt enthusiasm is one of the most potent factors of success in
almost any undertaking.”

- Dale Carnegie

This is Your Life!

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The One-Minute TIP

This is your life. Don't blow it! It's been said that time is the only resource any of us truly has, and once it's gone, it's gone forever. Work as hard and as much as you choose, then quit! Work can be rewarding and delightful, but don't let it be an addiction. Earning money, building our businesses and "getting ahead" are things we DO, not something we ARE. Remember the distinction.

Written & Published by Philip E. Humbert, PhD
Visit our website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
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