We can never be sure what is or is not a misfortune until it all plays out
Our power went out during a major wind storm at 1:20 am Sunday morning, and was off until the Little Entrance of the Nativity Liturgy. After exactly 33 hours (like the 33 years of Our Lord's ministry on earth), the lights came back on during the Little Entrance, while the monastic choir was singing the words, "...has shone upon the world the light...".
Bishop Theodosy of Seattle, one of vicar bishops under Archbishop Kyrill, came to the monastery on the 8th of January, to celebrate a Hierarchical Liturgy. Once again, the power went out, and we were left serving in a darkened church. Just as I was thinking we'd likely be without power for another lengthy period, the lights can on, just as our bishop was saying the epiclesis (the calling down of the Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine, to make them the Body and Blood of Christ). Given the moment this happened, this miracle seemed even more powerful then the Nativity Liturgy's miracle of the light.
A priest friend, upon hearing of the first miracle, suggested there are perhaps two great lessons there - first that we can never be sure what is or is not a misfortune until it all plays out. So the loss of power, at first an inconvenience, turned out to be a blessing. And secondly, our lives are full of "coincidences" that simply beg to be interpreted as "messages from God" if only we are willing to see them that way.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
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