New Online Video Service

HT to Catholic World News for an article about a new Christian Video service called GodTube. The website intends to provide an alternative to the popular YouTube and is designed in in similar fashion, but with Christian videos. While some of the material is decidedly anti-Catholic (so caution is in order) and a few videos are mocking (Weird Al Yankovic, etc. have not been pulled - I guess they haven't noticed these yet), I have found a few good videos. Amongst them, the below video featuring the Vespers Hymn O Joyful Light sung in Arabic. Beautiful! (The text in English is below the video.)



O Joyful Light of the holy glory of the Father immortal: heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ! Since we have come to the setting of the sun and have seen the evening light, we praise God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It is proper for You to be praised at all times by fitting melodies. O Son of God, Giver of Life, therefore the world glorifies You!

And here is the same hymn in Greek (although not the more popular tune used in most parishes)!



Finally, as a bonus, a nice Arabic language description of the traditional Byzantine Iconistasion. Perhaps someone with better Arabic skills will send me a translation of the written commentary (although it's fairly easy to see what is intended). On the other hand, I might post a description and reflection on the Iconistasion in the near future.



PS, Blessed All Souls Day to our Roman brethren! And a belated Blessed All Saints Day as well. (Byzantine Catholics and Orthodox celebrate All Saints Day on the Sunday after Pentecost and commemorate All Souls on the Saturdays of Great Lent and other occasions.)

From the Triodion, From the Menaion

The Fifth Sunday of Great Lent commemorates St Mary of Egypt. The first stichera will relate to her memory. The rest will refer to the Virgin Mary.

As you dwelt in the wilderness, you erased from your soul the fantasies of the passions in order to inscribe thereon the image of God by the light of the virtues. You shone with such radiance that you lightly walked upon the waters and were lifted up from the earth in your prayer toGod. Standing now with confidence before Christ, O blessed Mary, interced with Him for the salvation of our souls.

From O Lord, to You I Call, Great Vespers, Sunday, Fifth Week of Lent

Gabriel came to yoiu, O Maiden, and disclosed God's plan which was from all eternity. He joyfully offered you his greetings and cried out: Hail, O land without human seed! Hail, O bush untouched by fire! Hail, O depth no human eye can fathom! Hail, O bridge that leads up to heaven! Hail, O fleece receiving the heavenly manna! Hail, O dissolution of the curse! Hail, O Maiden who returned Adam to grace! the Lord is with you.

From O Lord, to You I Call, Great Vespers, 25 March, Menaion

In the sixth month, the chief ofthe angelic hosts was sent to you, pure Virgin, to declare unto you the word of salvation and to gret you, saying: Hail, O Full of Grace! The Lord is with you. You shall bring forth a Son, begotten before the ages from the Father; and he shall save His people from their sins!

From the Lete, 25 March, Menaion

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! The Son who is co-eternal with the Fahter, sharing Histhrone and like Him without beginning, in His compassion and merciful love for mankind has submitted Himself to self-emptying, according to the good pleasure and counsel of the Father. And He has gone to dwell in the virgin's womb that was sanctified beforehand by the Spirit. O maervel! God has come among men; He who cannot be contained is contained within a womb; the Timeless enters time; and -- strange wonder -- His conception is without seed, His emptying is past tellingt; so great is this mystery! For God empties Himself, takes flesh, and is fashioned as a creature, when the angel tells the pure Virgin of her coneption: Hail, O Full of Grace! the Lord, who has great mercy, is with you!

The Doxastikon of the Lete for Saturday or Sunday, 25 March, Menaion

In the sixth month after Elizabeth had conceived John the Forerunner, the Archangel Gabriel was sent to the pure Virgin. He greeted her with awe, and announced that the Redeemer would come forth from her. She accepted the greeting with faith and conceived You, O God who existed before eternity, who were pleased to be incarnate in a manner beyond all understanding, for the salvation of our souls

From the Aposticha, Great Vespers, 25 March, Menaion