#Romanian Palm Sunday | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

barnesandco · 4 years

Text

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (2/14)

Story Masterlist

The plum seller at the farmer’s market saves Bucky from being captured for the attack in Vienna that he didn’t commit, but is she really all that she appears to be, or are ulterior motives involved?

This is an entry for @star-spangled-bingo 2020. Word count: 3061. Square filled: “Car Accident”

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Blood, wounds, car accident, angst, dead body, assassination, nightmares. Please don’t hate me.

A/N: I’m so happy with this one, so I hope you like it, too! Thank you to everyone who reads and comments - it means a lot to me. Updates on Sundays, and you can follow and turn on notifications for @ayeshaupdates to be notified when I post.

Something’s wrong. A late June morning has blossomed with a sun that seeks to burn, and he can smell the smoke already, walking down the stairs to run his weekly errands. Something’s wrong, and if he was superstitious, he’d laugh at himself, but another reminder of his time under Hydra is the instinct to follow his gut, and right now, his gut is blaring a fire alarm. He knows why the moment he steps out of his apartment, and is greeted by the woman he buys plums from at the farmer’s market. No smile in sight.

“Get back inside,” she says in Romanian, hisses, rather, pushing off the car she was leaning on, a newspaper in one hand and an urgent gesture for him to follow with the other. He’s just blindsided enough to obey this person he doesn’t know, and she starts climbing the stairs he just came down with a peek above the banister at every single one of the four landings to his apartment, with the air of someone suspecting guns blazing at each of them. A familiar gesture, to him.

“Look,” she says, opening the newspaper with a rustle of paper, huddled next to the door of his apartment. His stomach sinks. Winter Soldier kills 12 in Vienna. There’s a picture he definitely shouldn’t be in, a grainy still from CCTV footage, somehow still identifiable as him. Throat dry and blood rushing, he stumbles back until she reaches out and steadies him. A fierce grip on his right sleeve, a stronger hold on his eyes.

“I know it wasn’t you. I saw you in town yesterday. Listen, this isn’t going to make much sense, and you have no reason to believe me,” - damn right he doesn’t - “but I can help.” A pause. A dip in her voice, a nervous swallow around nothing, and he watches her eyes flit back and forth between his. Searching and desperate, and entirely untrustworthy, but something in them beckons nonetheless.

“I’m not going with you,” he says, unlocking his door and moving to the plank his emergency backpack is secure under. Pries it up and pulls the bag out, trying to tell her with his eyes what his words cannot convey. The lack of cheer on her face is almost as disconcerting as her smile was, but he has no time to dwell on that now. The frown lines on her forehead mirror his.

“Where are you going to go? And how?” She asks stepping into his apartment, her eyes frantically following his movements as he packs up the journal on the fridge, and the knives secured to the side of the sofa, under the kitchen table, and beneath his pillow. One goes in his ankle, another in his waistband, and the last in his bag. “Please, Jame-”

“Don’t.” He finishes securing his bag around his chest, and turns back towards the door just as she’s uttering his name. Just as her eyes widen at the sight of the shy person she must have gotten used to turning into this.

“James,” she says again, and he’s frozen to the spot. Doesn’t know how much more time he has, only that seconds are passing like hours in the fear in her eyes. He’s seen good actresses, and he’s seen liars, too, and she isn’t one. Not now, at least, not in her genuine pleas to aid his escape. The idea that she might be a ruse to get him out without collateral damage is swatted away quickly to the back of his mind, where it niggles unpleasantly at his brain, but he doesn’t trust her. He can’t.

Shouldering past her with a stabbing in his chest, he storms down the stairs, hears her shut the door before her footsteps are behind him again. Down the stairs, clutching desperately at the rails so as to not fall forward in her momentum, she struggles to keep up with him.

“James, you have to listen to me,” she says, as he exits the building and they arrive on the street, everything moving grey and fast and loud around them. It’s all so much, and his heart is pumping straight adrenaline around his body, and he needs to get moving. “Bucky!”

There, the world stops. Blood running red hot and mind icy cold, he turns around to look at her where she stands, chest heaving and desperate, urgent, her hand stretched out, with something shiny in them. Car keys.

“You’ll never make it out on foot and stealing a car’s going to get you caught. If you won’t let me help you out of the city, go by yourself, but take my car,” she says, coming closer. Voice low and quiet, imparting assistance in a way that, to anyone watching from across the street or a window above, would look like a lover’s quarrel. A small disagreement, about who gets to drive, in the way he hesitates to lift a shaking right hand that takes the keys from her, grazing a palm that is smooth, soft, held out to him with the patience of someone feeding a bird out of one’s hand. Right now, she could be feeding him poison and he’d take it. Maybe she’s hoping he gets in the car and she’ll follow him on another. Take him away from the city, no witnesses, no civilians. Maybe she’s working for someone else that wants him, too. Maybe she wants him for her own means.

So, he does the only thing he can think of. Picks a poison.

“I can’t leave you here,” he says, unlocking the car and opening the front passenger door. “They’ll have seen you now. They’ll catch you.” Clenching his hands into fists at his side, he waits. Watches her give a second thought to how she came to his rescue at a moment’s notice. Wonders if she’ll call in the squad that might be waiting in the shadows already. And, if she’s innocent, he allows her to contemplate the consequences of her decisions, a wheel she has already set into motion by parking her car here, by entering his building, by being seen with him. Meanwhile, he listens to the echo of his childhood nickname bounce in his head, and he wants to address it, he wants to say something or ask something because “James” is fine, but how the Hell does she know about Bucky?

“Yeah, of course. Let’s go,” she says, getting in the car, and he goes to get in the driver’s seat. He ignites the engine, and then:

“Wait, where are you planning to go? Because I was going to drive us to Popesti-Leordeni and lay low for a while, until-” he cuts her off, before she can elaborate on her intentions to stay in a small town a short distance from Bucharest, somewhere to hide in plain sight.

“I have a cabin near the Bulgarian border,” he says, adjusting his hands at ten and two, and sets the car into motion. Turning onto a road leading southeast, he hopes that they’ll make it half as far.

---

She’s fallen asleep. He doesn’t know how, given the circumstances, but he’s grateful for it. It somewhat alleviates his concerns about her having a plot to kidnap him for herself, or an employer; criminal masterminds don’t fall asleep next to their victims, and neither do spies-for-hire.

Not to mention that asleep, she can’t question him about the cabin any longer, and he honestly doesn’t know if he has it in him to tell her more than he has. The cabin is, of course, not his. Despicably so, it’s Hydra property. Or was, anyhow, till it went out of commission a few decades ago.

He didn’t even know it existed until a nightmare last month. Thunderstorms had rattled his windows, and the turbulence had made its way into his subconscious, where a mission in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv replayed in his mind like a horror movie. October of 1989. It had rained then, too, and he had been soaked, leather tac vest sticking to his body as he lay on a rooftop across from a ballroom where socialites had been mingling, alcohol in hand and orchestral music crossing the street to reach the Soldier’s unyielding ears. One shot, shattered glass, splattered blood, and chaos. Escape, for the Soldier, to a cabin north of the town, concealed by dense forests, where he had awaited extraction.

Bucky had awoken in as distraught a state as those standing next to his assassination victim, sweat beading on his forehead, lightning illuminating the room he walked across to get water. It had taken two cold glasses for his hands to stop shaking enough to open a journal in order to document the dream and the location of the safehouse.

He checks the map splayed across his unwanted passenger’s lap and verifies that he’s going the right way, towards the Danube river that separates Romania from Bulgaria. Flexing his hands on the steering wheel, he forces his shoulders to relax, let the ache subside so he doesn’t have more to worry about. He has enough of that, a whole seatful of concern, in fact, dozing next to him like she hasn’t just made herself an international fugitive.

Questioning her motives is a given, and he’s been doing it since she held out her keys for him that morning, but speculation has yet to produce any fruitful results. Her use of his nickname - a word he hasn’t heard since Washington D.C. two years ago - has shaken him more than he cares to admit. Clearly, she knows more than she’s telling him, and that, along with her continued assistance of him after knowing that he’s the Winter Soldier, is worrisome. He doesn’t trust her.

Perhaps it’s because of the way she used his name against him, a weapon to stop him in his tracks that has him utterly perplexed. Perhaps it’s the confusing, paradoxical mix of her soldier-like discipline and intensity coupled with the emotion, the soft, rounded corners of her words permeating his mind like fog, dulling his senses like the alcohol he can no longer drown in, and lulling him into a fallacious semblance of comfort. Whatever it is, he needs to be wary of it, and her.

Circumstances have forced him into a position where he can’t leave her behind, otherwise, he’d have dropped her off at the small town of her choice, but it isn’t safe. And whoever she is, she offered him aid, escape, and he isn’t the Soldier anymore. Can’t leave someone for dead like that, not Captain America in the river, and not this woman to fend for herself in front of law enforcement that lays special emphasis on the word force.

They wouldn’t be kind to her, and even if they didn’t hurt her, he doubts she’d see more than prison cells the rest of her life. No, he isn’t the Soldier - he can’t leave her at someone else’s mercy, or lack thereof.

“They’ll know which way we went,” she says, still in Romanian, although he is convinced that she is not, and Bucky turns his head sharply to look at her upon the first two words she has spoken in as many hours. She rubs her eyes, wiping remnants of a solid catnap away from her face, and he turns back towards the road.

“How much further?” She asks in English now, yawning, stretching, feline movement lazy and lithe. He clears his throat, and prays that his cheeks are clear of red. At least she’s stopped the Romanian pretense.

“Not long,” he answers gruffly, his peripherals observing her connect the dots between the road sign at the ramp they travel off of, and their location on the map. They’ve branched off into a smaller road, which they’ll depart from on foot close to an illegal pedestrian bridge, with no border control to worry about. He checked this route after that dream, planning an emergency exit in case of an event just like this one, and it’s paying off, but there is no pride in this preparation. The closest thing he had to a home has been snatched mercilessly from him again.

The day seems to be mocking him for his dull misery with the stark contrast of its bright sunshine, and the beautiful scenery that the Romanian countryside offers. The road is framed by lush, green flora, and the change from the greys and blues of the city is appreciable, but for the situation in which they find themselves in. Traffic is scarce, with nothing behind them in his rear-view mirror, and vehicles only occasionally passing them on the other side, in the opposite direction. This can’t last for long, he is aware. He doesn’t know how right he is, until she shouts, having been focused on the horizon far ahead than the road he was watching.

“That car is swerving, James, watch-”

It’s true, what they say about car crashes. Every millisecond before is vivid, in screaming color and molasses-thick slow motion; the sound of fear from the passenger seat to his right, the smell of burnt rubber and scorched asphalt as his car tries to decelerate rapidly, he sees it all, but the impact itself is hard to grasp, sand between his fingers. Impact is blurry, every moment after metal meets metal like he’s seeing the world through a thick layer of syrup. The airbags inflate and his neck is on fire, whiplash burning down his spine.

His ears are ringing, as he blindly fumbles for his seatbelt and then the door, stumbling out of the car and to the other side. Everything is spinning, the blue of the sky and the green of the land, and the grey of the asphalt a carousel around him, while he moves to the other side of the car. She’s conscious, bleeding profusely from a cut in her temple, but conscious and making weak efforts to get out of her seat. He helps her out, gets their bags from the back seat, and leads her to the side of the road, before going to check on whoever was in the other car.

A fair distance from the driver’s side window, he can smell alcohol. Whiskey and scotch, the burning stink of which grows stronger the closer he gets. Pushing the airbag aside, he sees that the driver is alone. Was alone, because now, all he is, is dead. A shard of glass from the windshield penetrated his carotid, and the blood is everywhere. Red, branding the inside of the car and the outside of the door, where Bucky lurches back with nausea.

Backing off quickly, he turns tail and hauls his injured partner up. Puts her arm around himself, makes himself her crutch, to guide her into the forest, away from the scene, somewhere he can stop and heal her wounds. Thinks about how he spoke too soon, how he distanced himself from the Soldier too soon. Clearly, Bucky Barnes is as capable of leaving a man for dead as the Winter Soldier was. Only difference is, this time, he didn’t kill the corpse he’s abandoning.

The road is frequented enough that the accident will be discovered within half an hour, and reports will travel to higher authorities that will swarm this area with heat-sensing cameras on helicopters and hordes of sniffer dogs. They have to hurry, but they can’t like this. She might be concussed, she’s definitely bewildered and off-balance, figuratively and literally, and he has a cut in his face that he’s starting to feel, now that the buzz of adrenaline is wearing off.

After ten more aching, gasping minutes, she lets out a plaintive sound of pain that he has to stop at.

“Just five minutes, James, please, I can’t,” she says, sitting down on a nearby boulder. They’ve been moving at as fast a pace as he could make himself go with her on his shoulder, and now he kneels beside her. First, he gives her a bottle of water, and then takes out the first aid kit and starts cleaning her wound. The sting of antiseptic has her hissing, and then gritting her teeth.

“You didn’t ask about the driver,” he says, raising his other hand to push back the hair that’s getting in the way of the wound. It’s a thin cut, along her hairline, but head wounds bleed like no tomorrow, and this one is deep, too. Surely a glass shard, too.

“Hmm?” Her eyes are closed and he repeats the question. “I thought you’d take care of it,” she says, and he doesn’t know what to make of that. That she trusts him? He really needs to check for that concussion.

“Open your eyes.” She does as she’s told, and looks at him with a startlingly clear gaze. Doesn’t look confused. However, she’s unnervingly calm for having just gone through a car crash, so he tries to test her memory.

“What’s my name?”

“James Buchanan Barnes.” Her voice is calm, a quiet, soft tone that soothes the ringing in his ears, accompanied by birdsong from the forest canopy above. She’s likely in shock.

“How do you know that?” He can’t help but ask, gently putting pressure on several points around her head, before deciding that she doesn’t have a concussion. In the time that it takes for her to formulate her answer, he’s dressed the wound, which begins staining red quicker than he’d like. Head wounds. They bleed so goddamn much.

“Read it in a history book. I had a crush on you in 8th grade, you know,” she says, taking the first aid kit and getting off the rock to sit next to him. He doesn’t answer, and she lifts a clean cotton pad to his cheek, just as surprised as he is that he doesn’t flinch. This, the casual tone of voice, the calm, fairy-like lilt to her previously intense tone, is probably the shock talking. Him not being repulsed by her touch must be shock as well, and so is the way he watches the shadows of the leaves above slide and shift across her face.

“It’s Murphy’s Law, by the way,” she murmurs, breath fanning out across his face. “And just our luck, too. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”

#ayesha writes #SSB2020 #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes angst

100 notes · View notes

mspysanka · 3 years

Video

Art is for Everyone:Pussy Willow or Easter Willows.

Spring flowers are a symbol of the Easter season and Pussy Willow too.The flowering shoots of pussy willow are used both in Europe and America for spring religious decoration on Palm Sunday, as a replacement for palm branches, which do not grow that far north.

Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox; Ruthenian, Polish, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, Bavarian, and Austrian Roman Catholics; Finnish and Baltic Lutherans and Orthodox; and various other Eastern European peoples carry pussy willows on Palm Sunday instead of palm branches. This custom has continued to this day among Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Romanian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Ruthenian Catholic, Ukrainian Catholic, Kashubian Catholic and Polish Catholic émigrés to North America. Sometimes, on Palm Sunday they will bless both palms and pussy willows in church. The branches will often be preserved throughout the year in the family's icon corner.

The pussy willow is the one that tells the rest of the world and all the other flora, trees and bushes it's time to wake up.

The catkins appear long before the leaves, and are one of the earliest signs of spring.

We do not know what interesting information there is about this plant in your country, you can add additional information about what is under this video in the comments. Thank you so much for watching us.

#mspysanka #easter #spring #russywillows palmsunday svitlanaborysenko bravopysanka

1 note · View note

tipsycad147 · 4 years

Text

Urtica dioica – The Stinging Nettle, “Weed of Mars” Or The Fire In The Garden

Known as the “weed of Mars” in Romanian folklore, the Stinging Nettle is considered as the “fire in the garden”, not only because of the burning sensation caused by its sting, but also because of its purging powers. Photo: Ray Wewerka.

BY RADIANA PIȚ

The world of plants and crystals is as fascinating as it is empowering. That’s why I am inviting you to take a dive into this world with me. There’s a lot there waiting to be discovered and experienced, so be my guest! Not only do I want to learn more about it myself, but I want to tell you about Romanian folklore, witchcraft, and what roles these natural wonders play in it. First on my list is the Stinging Nettle, which happens to share the name with our host.

Not only because we are in Nettle’s Garden right now, but because it is one of the most important plants in Romanian lore and traditional herbalism. It is also very important and significant to me personally, so it’s only appropriate to begin this journey by learning more about it from a unique perspective.

The Common Nettle is one of the most important plants in Romanian folklore and one of the most prominent presences in traditional herbalism for good reasons. In fact, the common nettle was my first introduction to traditional Romanian herbalism. It was so present in my life as a child that I cannot exactly pinpoint the very first memory I have of it – other than touching it and feeling its sting, but I do have one very vivid memory of my grandmother washing my hair and explaining its benefits to me. And the way she talked about it made the old “urzica” (Romanian for nettle) seem alive, almost personified in my perception.

As a child, I had very long, thick, and shiny dark hair which I received many compliments on (and I still do today). One of the main reasons my hair was so beautiful was because my grandmother used to gather nettles from the riverside, boil them in water, and then rinse my hair with said water while telling me how beautiful my hair will be because of it. In fact, growing up I realised how widespread this hair-washing technique was and how many Romanian women rely on the common nettle to beautify their hair.

Although the sting of the nettle feels like burning, the “whipping” of certain areas of the body with stinging nettles was believed to “burn” away various illnesses. In some of his texts, even Hippocrates recommended the common nettle as a treatment against certain afflictions. Photo: Kevin Thiele

Urtica dioica also known as the common or stinging nettle is part of the Urticaceae family and it is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant. It is native to Europe, northern Africa, Asia, and western North America. The name was inspired by the Latin word “urere”, which means “burning” or “to burn”, which is obviously the result of a first-hand experience with this plant. In Antiquity, the nettle was used by the Romans, Greeks, and Geto-Dacians to treat ailments, to cook, and to make certain dyes. Nettle tea was a very common remedy for the common flu, chest pain, and throat issues, and it survived as a remedy for the same afflictions to this day.

But in Romanian folklore, Nettle is more than just a plant. It is seen as a strong entity associated with the war god Mars, which is why it is also known in Romanian folklore as “the weed of Marţ”. It has distinctive qualities that make it worthy of the war god, such as the stinging hairs (trichomes) that protect it, and resistance to cold and drought. It appears as soon as the winter snow melts in the month of March, the month associated with the war god.

It has a practical and therapeutic importance even in folklore. It is a sacred plant which is eaten only on important days of the year, especially on important days during spring, such as Old Dokia’s days (1st-9th March), the Passion Week, and Easter Saturday. The first nettle meal of the year would often be accompanied by a magick formulae, similar to a prayer, that said: “may my womb hurt when the woman will birth foals, and the mare will birth children”. But the common nettle is not only consumed as a sacred meal.

According to Romanian tradition, if you wash your face during Easter morning with virgin water in which you put a red egg, a coin, and a stinging nettle leaf, your cheeks will be as red as the egg, you will be as strong as the coin, and as tough as a nettle.

Nettles are gathered with the first flowers of the spring by both girls and boys on the day when the birds are betrothed (Dragobete, 24th of February), and the gathering is accompanied by songs such as: “thread of black grass, my mother asks which labour is my dearest, I told you that no labour is, aside the one with my beloved on the meadows, when I choose a nettle to give to the chicks.” The stinging nettle is also used in ritualistic “nettling”, when young men make nettle bouquets that they whip each other with in order to revive their agility and health for the coming year. This ritualistic whipping is reserved for the sacred days of Sângiorz, Easter, and Arminden.

On the first day of May, girls gather nettles very early in the morning, and later boil them in water that they use to rinse their hair with, in order for it to grow long and strong. And similar to the “nettling” tradition, they gently whip everyone in the home with their nettles bouquet in order to awaken their agility and protect them against illnesses.

The nettle was often used as a fortifier for the people who were weak and malnourished during winter, which inspired the saying: “the nettle is fed to the mouth of starvation”. On Palm Sunday it is said that the nettles “marry” because they are blooming and they are no longer safe to eat. That’s why in the Romanian folk calendar Palm Sunday is also known as “Nettle’s Wedding Day”. This plant was truly versatile to the Romanian people because not only was it used in remedies and beauty rituals, but the stems were also used to create textile fabrics from.

Tibean thangka showing the Yogi Milarepa in green. Milarepa feeded during his fasting and retreat years in the mountains mainly on Nettle tea, which caused his skin to turn green.

The Nine Herbs Charm

The Stinging Nettle is also one of the ingredients needed for the Nine Herbs Charm recorded in the Lacnunga manuscript in the 10th-century AD. Aside from the stinging nettle, the other herbs needed for the charm were: mugwort, cockspur grass, lamb’s cress, plantain, mayweed, crab-apple, thyme, and fennel. The Nine Herbs Charm was used to treat infection and poisoning and it consisted mainly of a poem used as incantation and prose instructions on how to prepare the treatment.

The herbs mentioned above were crushed and mixed with old soap, apple juice and a paste from water and ashes. The fennel was boiled into the paste and bathed in beaten egg both before and after the ointment was applied. The lyrical part of the charm was used as an incantation sung 3 times over each of the 9 herbs, as well as into the mouth, ears, and wound of the patient before the ointment was applied. The poem refers to each herb in part as if to a personified entity and describes their powerful qualities. The strophe dedicated to the stinging nettle reads:

Nettle it is called, it attacks against poison, it drives out the hostile one, it casts out poison. This is the herb that fought against the serpent, it has power against poison, it has power against infection, it has power against the loathsome foe roving through the land. Put to flight now, Venom-loather, the greater poisons, though you are the lesser, until he is cured of both.

Nowadays, many people tend to think that the Stinging Nettle is mostly surrounded by superstition and not actual facts. Because it can grow in almost anyone’s backyard, although it is often weeded out and thrown away. But the truth is that the common nettle has many wonderful benefits and it is one of the most documented plants in history.

The powers of the Stinging Nettle are not only acknowledged in the 9 Herbs Charm, but also in Agrippa’s De Occulta Philosophia. According to him, nettles are Martial plants that by touching the skin, they “burn it, prick it, or make it swell”.

Rheumatoid Arthritis – That ritualistic nettle beating is a testimony to this plant’s ability to aid with joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology acknowledges the stinging nettle’s anti-inflammatory powers and that is why it is often used in professional medical treatments.

Hair Growth – The stinging nettle is also said to stimulate hair growth, which is why our grandmothers and the other women before them used “nettle water” to rinse their hair. Nowadays, there are hair care products that contain stinging nettle extract that claim to not only stimulate hair growth but make your hair thicker and shinier.

Blood Flow – Whenever I complain about a nettle’s sting, someone is there to remind that “it is good for your circulation.” And indeed, studies have shown that it increases blood flow and improves your energy levels. However, you should not pick nettles with your bare hands for this purpose. Always wear gloves when you do that!

Feminine Health – Nettle tea is often used during painful child labour because it can act as a coagulant. Post-labour it can help stimulate lactation. Additionally, it helps relieve menstrual symptoms, minimises blood flow, and it can help smooth the transition for women undergoing menopause.

The stinging nettle, although common, truly has healing and beautifying powers. And I am not just saying this because I am an Old Crow in Nettle’s Garden. This “Hail Marry” to the stinging nettle comes from my own experience with the ancient plant and its very endearing significance. You can use various forms of nettle tea for better health, beautiful hair, and to bring you a chance of good luck throughout the year.

To me, the stinging nettle is more than just a medicinal herb. It is a strong presence in Romanian folklore that emanates an ancient aura and its association with the war god Mars only makes it more intriguing to me. It is definitely a herb that should not be missing from any witch’s kitchen and that should be treated with the respect it deserves

nettlesgarden.com/2018/04/03/urtica-dioica-stinging-nettle-weed-mars-fire-garden/

1 note · View note

dailybiblelessons · 5 years

Text

Thursday: Preparation for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Roman Catholic Proper 19 Revised Common Lectionary Proper 14

Complementary Hebrew Scripture Lesson from the Writings: Job 21:1-16

[Zohar has just described the fate of the wicked.]

Then Job answered: “Listen carefully to my words, and let this be your consolation. Bear with me, and I will speak; then after I have spoken, mock on. As for me, is my complaint addressed to mortals? Why should I not be impatient? Look at me, and be appalled, and lay your hand upon your mouth. When I think of it I am dismayed, and shuddering seizes my flesh. Why do the wicked live on, reach old age, and grow mighty in power? Their children are established in their presence, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them. Their bull breeds without fail; their cow calves and never miscarries. They send out their little ones like a flock, and their children dance around. They sing to the tambourine and the lyre, and rejoice to the sound of the pipe. They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol. They say to God, ‘Leave us alone! We do not desire to know your ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?’ Is not their prosperity indeed their own achievement? The plans of the wicked are repugnant to me.

Semi-continuous Hebrew Scripture Lesson from the Latter Prophets: Isaiah 9:8-17

[This immediately follows the passage in which Isaiah declares "For a child has been born to us … Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.]

The Lord sent a word against Jacob, and it fell on Israel; and all the people knew it— Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria— but in pride and arrogance of heart they said: “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” So the Lord raised adversaries against them, and stirred up their enemies, the Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west, and they devoured Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is stretched out still.

The people did not turn to him who struck them, or seek the Lord of hosts. So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day— elders and dignitaries are the head, and prophets who teach lies are the tail; for those who led this people led them astray, and those who were led by them were left in confusion. That is why the Lord did not have pity on their young people, or compassion on their orphans and widows; for everyone was godless and an evildoer, and every mouth spoke folly. For all this his anger has not turned away, his hand is stretched out still.

Complementary Psalm 33:12-22

Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage. The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all humankind. From where he sits enthroned he watches all the inhabitants of the earth— he who fashions the hearts of them all, and observes all their deeds. A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save.

Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

Semi-continuous Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23

The mighty one, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.

Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: “Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!” The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge.

“Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God. Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.

“Mark this, then, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver. Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me; to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God.”

New Testament Epistle Lesson: Romans 9:1-9

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel, and not all of Abraham's children are his true descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.”¹ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. For this is what the promise said, “About this time I will return and Sarah shall have a son.”²

¹Genesis 21:12 ¹Genesis 18:10, 14

Year C Ordinary 19, Roman Catholic Proper 19, RCL Proper 14, Thursday

Selections are from Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings copyright © 1995 by the Consultation on Common Texts. Unless otherwise indicated, Bible text is from New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV) copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Image Credit: A Romanian 18th century fresco downloaded from a European Orthodox site

#C Ordinary 19 Thursday #promise #patriarchs #Israelites #Job #punishment of the wicked #Israel's punishment #God's anger

0 notes

travelguideworldtour-blog · 5 years

Text

Bucharest Travel Guide – Tips for Visiting Bucharest

Bucharest Travel Guide

Certainly one of the primary cities in Europe, Bucharest can be a up-and-coming destination that provides unique architecture, diverse neighbourhoods to research, quirky street-art, a beautifully renovated Old Town filled up with cafés and pubs, and enough museums to help keep any culture-lover joyful. If you should be interested in seeing or are planning your journey, our knowledgeable local Bucharest tour-guides have the inside scoop on all you want to understand to get a memorable adventure from the metropolis.

10 Top Tourist Attractions in Bucharest

Dealul Mitropoliei

South of Union Square is actually really just a smaller increase where Romania’s Orthodox religious associations are seen in buildings that are upholstered. The Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral is just one, and we’re going to cover the following.

However, this stands at a outfit with the Palace of the Patriarchate, having its striking design columns. For 90 years by its conclusion in 1907 the palace has been the chair of consecutive Romanian parliaments, by the Meeting of Deputies throughout the monarchy, throughout the Great National Assembly into the Chamber of Deputies following the 1989 Revolution.

The mountain is still actually just really a sight to marvel at Palm Sunday and Easter (Pascha), if it’s filled with worshippers, a convention which continued under communist regimen.

Palace of Parliament

Subsequent to the Pentagonthe Palace of Parliament could be the planet’s second largest Profession construction. Construction with this lavish and massive construction, which had been the brain child of Nicolae Ceausescu, began in 1984. But, it’s not been completed for the very day.

The neo classical building, that includes a lot more than 3,000 chambers, is — at a great deal of manners — a reminder into the Romanian individuals of this excesses of this Greek period, notably as it was constructed during a period when a lot of its taxpayers have been desperately poor.

This really is among the very popular attractions in Bucharest, therefore it is suggested that people purchase their tickets beforehand.

Stavropoleos Church

Located at the Old City, Stavropoleos Church is just a small, reasonably church which has been constructed in 1724. It’s famous for its exceptional Brancovan architectural model and for its own exquisite, carved doors. Stavropoleous Church additionally comprises some intriguing artifacts, for example Lord Nicolae Mavrocordat’s throne.

The church had been originally a portion of a inn and had a monastery, however both were made by the late 19th century.” Stavropoleos Church is one of those very few churches located from the oldtown which survived the excellent Fire of Bucharest, which happened in 1847, which totaled a sizable section of the metropolis.

Romanian Athenaeum

Founded in 1888, this magnificent, neo-classical domed building is just one of Romania’s greatest secret milestone and home to the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s moreover one of those web sites used throughout the biennial George Enescu Music Festival, that’s the greatest international cultural event held in Romania.

The Romanian Athenaeum chairs approximately 800 guests, and also the inner wall has been decorated with a fresco that portrays significant minutes in the annals of Romania. If at all possible, travelers should make an effort to acquire tickets to your performance here, however if that is not feasible, they ought to still get an attempt to go to the construction and its own exquisite gardens.

Hanul Manuc

Nevertheless, the hotel’s restaurant — that was remodeled — is available for business. Through time, Manuc’s Inn has become the site of some range of events. By way of instance, the peace treaty which ended the Russo-Turkish warfare in 1812 occured in this construction. Manuc’s Inn can be a extraordinary, three-level arrangement and also a gorgeous cultural milestone.

Earlier it was closed down for is recovery, this historical inn was usually put to use as a backdrop for Romanian tv folklore shows. As a result of its recovery, it’s estimated that Manuc’s Inn is going to be returned into its entire glory and beauty.

Victoriei Street

This can be Bucharest’s best selling thoroughfare. Therefore it is not surprising that a Number of the town’s attractions are located here, such as the Cantacuzino Palace, which houses the George Enescu Museum, the National Museum of Art of Romania, Odeon Theatre, Revolution Square and the Kretzulescu Church.

Additionally, there are many hotels, shopping and restaurants options available on this route. Victoriei Street runs between Piata Victoriei from the north west and also Piata Natiunilor Unite and also the Dambovita River.

This street was originally called Podul Mogosoaiei, but its name has been changed into Calea Victoriei (Victory Avenue) on October 12, 1878 later Romania gained its freedom from the Ottoman Empire.

Cismigiu Gardens

The earliest diversion space within the middle of Bucharest, Cismigiu Gardens took shape at the exact middle of the 19th century and so were organized by Italian landscape architect Carl Meyer.

About that which was always a vineyard, he implanted tens of thousands of plant and tree species acquired out of Vienna’s botanical gardens and Romania’s upland regions. The lake itself could also be navigated by row boat at summer time, of course whether or not it freezes over in winter it will be likely to really go skating on its own surface.

Even the Rondul Român can be really just actually a tradition garden, together with busts of all Romania’s 1 2 best-loved authors, while there’s also different monuments into the French troops that perished in Romania at First World War, along with Americans who perished from the nation at the next World War.

Village Museum

On the beaches of Lake Herastrauthis open minded museum hosts several hundred historical houses, farms as well as other structures which were transferred out of their original locations across Romania and re built with this website.

The Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum premiered in 1936, & almost all of its arrangements date back to the mid 19th century. There are several, nevertheless, which are actually older. By way of instance, some structures in Berbesti, a spot found in the center of Romania, back to 1775.

The Village Museum is really actually just a mustsee for anybody that doesn’t need an opportunity to venture from Bucharest to observe that exactly the Romanian countryside.

Herastrau Park

This playground, that’s the largest in Bucharest, is situated round Herastrau Lake and can also be home to the Village Museum. First opened in 1936, Herastrau Park offers people a lovely getaway from the metropolis. One of its many features are walking paths, a Japanese garden and a openair theatre which hosts performances.

Visitors may also enjoy boat rides on the lake or rent bicycles to bicycle across the playground. Additionally, there are lots of restaurants located round Herastrau Park. Even though this park is quite popular with local residents, it’s large enough it not feels bloated.

Revolution Square

The atmosphere for several kinds of Romanian associations, Revolution Square obtained its name in the violent unrest from 1989 that deposed Nicolae Ceaușescu and overthrew the Socialist Republic of Romania. An intriguing building to contemplate for a minute may be that the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

This was assembled since the Central Committee of the Communist Party, and at 1989 Ceaușescu along with his wife Elena fled by helicopter from the roof until finally being attempted and implemented on Christmas day of the season.

Another milestone event happened here twenty five years before when Ceaușescu declared Romania’s coverage of autonomy in the Kremlin after condemning the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Shopping in Bucharest

Like every major city, Bucharest has cafes and shops, and you will discover all types of stores on Calea Victoriei, the historical thoroughfare. However, the ideal assortment of Romanian memorabilia — Folkart, religious icons, sheepskin Watches, jewelry, woven rugs, embroidered table runners — could be discovered at gift shops at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant and also the National Village Museum. (make sure you look at the museums’ opening hours prior to going.) Prices are the cheap to this lavish. Exotic wines in the Prahova Valley, widely accessible wine shops and food markets, may also be a excellent purchase.

Bucharest has quite a few departmental stores. AFI Palace Cotroceni, situated on Boulevard Timisoara, boasts not just a huge array of shops (including recognizable names such as Calvin Klein and Sephora) but in addition an IMAX theatre, casino, gokarts and laser label. The Unirea Shopping Center (Piata Unirii inch ) is just another massive mall that offers clothing, electronic equipment and household products and a supermarket.

When to Go

With a nearby climate, summers are hot and winters freezing cold, using significant snow fall. While summer brings most traffic, avoid July and August if it’s too hot. Late April or May is the ideal time to see with the city spinning green and booming with magnolias, hyacinth, and lilies. September is just another excellent alternative, if it’s warm still for al fresco dining room and abundant with vibrant foliage.

Celebrate

Festival season starts in April Together with Spotlight Festival, Ongoing with Art Safari and Also Romanian Design Week in Might and Also Street Delivery in Middle June. Additionally in May is nights the Museum–certainly one of the most useful days to find the beaten trail Bucharest, visiting dwelling temples or temples perhaps maybe not usually available. September is just another fantastic time to see, such as the monthlong bi annual George Enescu Classical Music Festival.

What to Eat in Bucharest

GULAȘ DE CARTOFI CU AFUMĂTURĂ

Soup is soulfood for me personally and that I couldn’t get enough of curry goulash with smoked meat. It’s really a traditional noodle soup very similar to gulaš individuals ate from Czech Republic or even Hungary nevertheless the Romanian variant is filled using ingredients.

SARMALE

Sarmale is noodle cabbage leaves filled with meaty goodnessrice and some times veggies. They state cabbage rolls left 2-3 days taste much better.

MOLDAVIAN MEAT PIE

Exotic cuisine is a mix of Impacts Such as Italian, Bulgarian, Serbian, as Well as Hungarian. Meat pies that stem from Moldavian civilization, are very popular with locals.

MITITEI

Mititei or mici can be actually really just a jam packaged sausage with three distinct kinds — an awesome-ness mixture of ground beef, lamb, and pork with garlic, black pepper and paprika spice. It’s sometimes functioned with marginally sexy adjika sauce.

PAPANAȘI

Papanași is a standard donut dessert served with fruit shake, also tender cheese (like sour cream). You may even attempt gogoși that will be really a donut pocket (with no gap ) full of fruit jam.

COVRIGI

Covrigi could be your greatest street food! They truly have been salty-sweet, rolled rings up injected with sweet fresh fruit shake and sometimes chocolate. How will you withstand? The top ones are out of Gigi close Kilometre Zero. It is possible to see the bakers roll out them from the heaps in their store front window. This shop was too near our apartment.

Bucharest Travel Guide – Tips for Visiting Bucharest

0 notes

mymiracleeveryday · 5 years

Text

HOW TO PRAY

The Top 5 ways to increase the power of your prayers

Get to Know Jesus Personally

Use the Bible

Develop Regular Prayer Times

Find Prayer Ideas that Work for You

Get Connected with Others

Our Most Popular Articles

Final Exam Prayer

Prayer for Adult Children with Problems

A Prayer for Your Boss

Prayer for Those in Prison Using Scripture

Finding Your Soul Mate Prayer

How to Pray

Standing in the Gap in Prayer

Praying for Direction

Developing Your Prayer Life

Praying Scriptures

Prayer to Accept Jesus

Group Prayer Ideas

Prayer Breakfast Ideas

Starting a Prayer Group

Using a Conference Call Prayer Line

Starting an Email Prayer Chain

Starting a Healing Prayer Service

My Prayer Experiences

Young Adult Writers Opportunities Online on Prayerideas.org

Prayer by Proxy When the Person You’re Praying for Isn’t Present

Take Our Survey So We Can Develop Helpful Personal Prayer Content Articles for Those 18-30

Poem for Heroes “You Covered Me” by Merissa Lee Kelley

Jump Starter Prayers: When You Need Something and You Haven’t Prayed to God Recently

Crying on Palm Sunday? Follow Jesus Down the Mount of Olives

Would You Like to Try Fasting and Prayer?

Praying on Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday? Surprising Reasons Why

How much do you need a prayer chapel?

Praying about Tragedy? How do you do it?

Basics

Creating Prayer Places

Finding Answers

Hearing God

Historical

Intercession

Jesus on Prayer

Meditation

Parts of Prayer

Prayer Groups

Prayer Lifestyle

Prayer Problems

Prayer Project Blueprints

Prayer Scriptures

Ways to Pray

Top Five Secrets of How to Pray to God Effectively

What Is The Secret of Prayer?

How to Increase the Power of Your Prayers by Finding Ways of Praying that Fit Your Personality and Learning Style

How to Increase the Power of Your Prayers by Using the Bible to pray

How to Increase the Power of Your Prayers by Getting to Know Jesus Personally

Increasing the Power of Your Prayers by Developing Regular Prayer Time

Fast Track on Prayer

How to Develop Your Personal Prayer Life

Ten Tips on Prayer

The Basics of Christian Prayer in Scriptures

Quotes on Prayer

Finding Your Personal Space at College for Meditation and Prayer

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Christmas Tree

Creating a Place of Prayer in Your Home

Creating a Prayer Labyrinth by Mowing a Field

Soaking Prayer

Creating a Christmas Prayer Focal Point

Unanswered Prayer: Finding God's Prayer Answer Poem by Francis Scott Key

Waiting Like Daniel for God to Move to Answer Prayers

Finding Answers to Prayer Bible Verse Video

Praying When You Receive a "No" Answer from God

Finding Answers to Prayer During Long Term Problems

Waiting for Answers

Praying for the Wrong Thing

Finding an Answer to Every Prayer

Hearing God's Voice So You Can Follow God's Direction

Journaling as a Form of Prayer

Knowing Your Spiritual Seasons through Prayer

"O Let Me Hear Thee Speaking" Prayer

Praying for Direction and Discernment

Praying for Direction "Lord Show Me Your Good Way."

Prayer for a Word of Truth

Finding Ideas and Solutions

Glory Be Prayer or the Gloria Patri Prayer Meaning and Uses

Prayer for the Enlightenment of the Holy Spirit

What is Prayer? Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire

How to Get Up Early to Pray

Quotes on Prayer from St. Teresa of Avila

A Busy Life Prayer

Praying the Apostles Creed

Daily Prayers from the Journals of George Washington

Praying the Names of God in O Come O Come Emmanuel

Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

St. Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians Filmed in Ephesus, Turkey

John Wesley's Covenant Prayer

The Prayers of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Saint Theresa's Prayer of Daily Trust and Joy

Saint Patrick's Breastplate Prayer

Saint Augustine on Prayer

John Wesley's Teaching on Praying Continually

The Aaronic or Priestly Blessing

Prayer for a Word of Truth

Seeking God in Prayer - Anselm of Canterbury

Anima Christi Prayer

Roosevelt's D-Day Prayer

O Burning Mountain

Prayer by Proxy When the Person You're Praying for Isn't Present

How to Pray for Your Church Using a Prayer Walk and Posted Prayer Notes

How to Start, Organize and Run an Email Prayer Chain

Mission Trip Prayer Outreach Ideas

How to Let Go of Things Using Prayer

How to Pray for Each Other Using a Written Prayer Sharing Sheet

How to Request and Receive Confidential Prayer

How to Stand in the Gap in Prayer

How to Pray Scriptures

How to Care for Intercessory Prayer Team Members

Freedom and Confidence Approaching God in Prayer

How to Pray Together Daily Using a Conference Call Prayer Line

How to Pray Crossing Over Prayers with the Dying

"Hang in There" Prayers

"On the Spot" Praying with Others

Offering "Living Prayers" for Those Whose Child Is Acutely or Chronically Ill

Travailing in Prayer for Yourself and Others

Praying with Your Spouse

Intercessory Prayer - Praying Your Pain with Christ's

The "Lord's Prayer" or the "Our Father" Prayer

The Teachings of Jesus on Prayer

The Lord's Prayer In Romanian

The Secret of Doing Christian Meditation While Traveling

How to Do Christian Meditation Using Art

Prayer Painting: How to Meditate and Pray While Doing Art

Connecting with God Using Prayer Art Meditation

Using Christian Reflection Meditation in Nature to Receive Insights from God

How to Do Meditation Using the Bible with Lectio Divina

Meditation Flying Over Iceland

Secrets to Developing Powerful Christian Meditation Time

Online Meditation Practice for Christian Reverie

How to Meditate on a Nature walk

How to Do Meditation in Nature in Christian Meditation

How to Start a Christian Meditation Prayer Group

Prayer to "Be Still and Know that I Am God" Psalm 46:10

Angel Prayer Cloud over the Sea of Galilee

How to Meditate from St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Praying for Direction "Lord Show Me Your Good Way."

Seeking God in Prayer - Anselm of Canterbury

Soaking Prayer

What is Prayer? Five Dynamic Ways Prayer Moves Between God and Us

What is Prayer? Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire

The Awesome God Prayer

How to Use Worship as a Way to Move Toward God during Life Challenges

Praying with Joy in all Circumstances

Living and Praying a Thankful Life

How to Pray for God's Protection Using the Scriptures on the Armor of God

Prayers of Encouragement

Spending Quality Time with God...Just Because He's God

The Benedicite Prayer Praising God

A Biblical Prayer of Confession

Balancing Your Prayers Using Different Aspects or Parts of Prayer

How to Pray for Others Using a Prayer Promise Circle

How to Pray for Each Other Using a Written Prayer Sharing Sheet

How to Start a Healing Prayer Service

Mission Trip Prayer Preparation Guide

How to Start a Christian Meditation Prayer Group

How to Start a Prayer Group for Mutual Support and Care

How to Decide the Type of Prayer Group to Start

How to Start an Intercessory Prayer Group or Partnership

Unpacking Your Emotional Backpack Prayer

Covering Large Numbers of Prayer Requests in Big Groups

How to Care for Intercessory Prayer Team Members

Prayer Breakfast Ideas

How to Pray Together Daily Using a Conference Call Prayer Line

Praying for Missions and Missionaries

Guided Prayer for the National Day of Prayer

A Prayer Vigil Guide for Visioning

Afraid to Pray About the Small Stuff

Charismatic Prayer - Resting in the Spirit

How to Pray with Others

Daily Prayer Top Ten Secrets

Two Simple Secrets to Prayer: Conversation and Relationship

Improving Your Prayer Life by Writing Down Lists and Prayers

How To Have a Prayer Breakthrough by Honestly Talking to God

Self Discipline Prayer

Mission Trip Prayer Preparation Guide

Cell Phone Prayer Mode

How to Get Up Early to Pray

How to Pray for Your Children

How to Pray Without Ceasing

How to Do a Prayer Drive

How to Use the Sign of the Cross in Prayer

Praying Your "To Do" List

The Power of Praying Beyond Your Personal Wants and Needs

Good Morning Presence Prayers

Having a Running Conversation with God

Pathway Praying

Quotes on Prayer

My Prayer Bloopers

How to Use Prayer as the Fountain of Youth

John Wesley's Teaching on Praying Continually

Personal Morning Workplace Prayer

Not Enough Time to Concentrate on Prayer

Smart Phone Prayer List

Prayer Walks Praying for Neighborhoods

How to Request and Receive Confidential Prayer

Starting to Pray Again after Years without Talking to God

Waiting Like Daniel for God to Move to Answer Prayers

Spiritual Discipline - a Lifestyle

Cell Phone Prayer Mode

Approaching God in Prayer

How to Pray When You Can't Let Go

Overcoming Distractions When Praying

Praying for the Person Who Has Hurt You

Going Beyond Always Asking for Things in Prayer

Spending Quality Time with God...Just Because He's God

Praying Through Anger

Praying When You Receive a "No" Answer from God

Praying to Get Past Discouragement

My Prayer Bloopers

Feeling Unworthy to Pray or Ask

Waiting for Answers

Weakness and Helplessness

Afraid to Pray About the Small Stuff

Praying for the Wrong Thing

Not Enough Time to Concentrate on Prayer

When You're Not Good at Finding the Right Words

Prayer Promise Circle Project Blueprint

Prayer Sharing Sheet for Making Prayer Requests and Receiving a Written Prayer

Prayer Walking through a Book Store

Starting a Christian Meditation Prayer Group

Starting a Mutual Support and Care Prayer Group

How to Start an Intercessory Prayer Group

How to Prayer Walk

Pill Box Daily Prayer Gift Project

Praying One-Sentence Prayers in a Group

Top Ten Scriptures on Prayer

How to Pray for Others Using a Prayer Promise Circle

Strong Biblical Prayer for Healing for You and Your Loved One

How to Pray Scriptures

Bible Verse Prayer for Unity

Praying Bible Verse Prayers from Heaven from the Book of Revelation

Using Laments to Offer Prayers Complaining about Loss and Injustice

Freedom and Confidence Approaching God in Prayer

Praying During Your Darkest Hours

The "I Can't Go There" Prayer for God's Help in Tough Situations

St. Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians Filmed in Ephesus, Turkey

A Prayer for Favor with the King by Nehemiah

Powerful Biblical Prayers of Individuals

The Early Believers' Prayer for Boldness to Speak

Collected Scriptures on Prayer

Praying "Let There Be Light"

Scripture Prayers of Dedication to God

Bible Verse Prayers for Success

Prayer Bowls in Heaven

Praying Scriptures about God and Our Relationship to Him

Scriptures to Pray

PRAYERS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL—Ephesians 3-14-21

Praying the Prayers of the Apostle Paul--Ephesians 1

A Collection of Often Quoted Scriptures on Prayer

Hezekiah's Prayer for Healing

Prayer Idea after a Mass Killing Tragedy

Using Powerful, Quick Arrow Prayers

What to Pray in a Public Meeting

Crisis Praying: Hiding Place Prayer

How to Use Supportive Prayer with Someone Going through a Life Crisis

How to Love God Using the Spirituality of the "Little Way" of St. Therese

Praying in Communion with the Saints

Creating a Celtic Prayer Table to Celebrate the Seasons

How to Create a Prayer Pill Box to Encourage Someone Daily for a Week

Spiritual Adrenaline Prayer

Praying Your Problems into God's Hands

How to Pray the Rosary

Praying Your Worries Away

How to Use the Sign of the Cross in Prayer

Using the Meaning of the Greek Orthodox Sign of the Cross in Prayer

Expressing Your Prayers for Others in the Language of Flowers

Pathway Praying

Praying to the Chiming of a Clock

Charismatic Prayer - Resting in the Spirit

How to Pray with Others

Fasting and Prayer How To

Praying for Healing Using Physical and Spiritual Power

Praying for Healing through the Laying on of Hands

Smart Phone Prayer List

Praying with Your Spouse

0 notes

mrmichaelchadler · 6 years

Text

RIFF 2018: Iceland, Donbass and Swimming with The Fifth Element

“Mighty heartbeat of the ocean’s cold depths,

my strength and peace I drink from your sound.”

This except from the poem “Surf” can be found on a plaque near the statue of its author, Einar Benediktsson, in Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavík. Revered for his Neo-Romantic portrayal of natural wonders, the poet is immortalized in stone on the lawn of his former home, where presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev held their historic summit in 1986. Benediktsson’s monument is framed against a range of snow-capped mountains, the sheer awesomeness of which no picture could adequately capture. One of the most enticing aspects of the Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF), currently running through Sunday, October 7th, is inarguably the landscape itself. During my lengthy bus ride from the Keflavík airport to Reykjavík, I was struck by how the rugged, largely barren terrain still appeared to be untouched by man. On multiple occasions, I spotted what appeared to be human figures perched at the edge of cliffs. Only as they grew clearer in the misty, rain-drenched air did the figures reveal themselves to be nothing more than large rocks, with a small rock stacked on top of each. With its citizens numbering well below 350,000—the majority of which are located in the capital city—Iceland remains Europe’s most sparsely populated country, yet there is no lack of vibrant humanity in its culture.

Americans disillusioned by the current state of governmental affairs will likely find Icelandic society to be a welcome reprieve. It runs almost completely on renewable energy (my bus ride included), provides universal health care, has the strongest journalist protection law in the world and—most importantly—is almost entirely free of mosquitoes. The country’s support for environmental protection is embodied by its current prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, a member of the Left-Green Movement and the second female to serve in that position. Preceding her was Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, the first-ever openly lesbian head of government, who amended Iceland’s marriage law to make it gender-neutral in 2010. Not only is Iceland’s highly approved president, Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, well-schooled in history, he’s also famous for translating Stephen King books into the national dialect. The spiritual linkage between Reykjavík’s striking architecture and the prominent figures of its past is perhaps best expressed in the image posted above, showing how a statue of Norse explorer Leif Erikson blends seamlessly into Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral, a towering structure serving as the city’s North Star.

Kicking off the 15th installment of RIFF on September 27th was “Donbass,” a punishing yet vital work from Ukrainian filmmaker Sergey Loznitsa that seeks to illustrate how our current era of alternative facts has reduced everyday citizens to expendable extras in the celebrated stories of tyrants. The picture is particularly impressive in terms of its scope, as the narrative baton is passed from one character to the next in 13 plot threads that circle back to the beginning, like a snake engulfing its own tale. Since there is no central protagonist to become fully invested in, the film functions as less of a searing drama than an absurdist allegory about the escalating insanity in eastern Ukraine, as local nationalists clash with the Russian-backed Donetsk People’s Republic. The recurring theme of fake news materializes as sincerely delivered statements are repeatedly debunked as acts of political theater, such as when a man utilizes hastily placed items in a storeroom to prove that a hospital is fully stocked, only to be applauded after going “backstage” to the doctor’s office. There’s a “Catch-22” level of maddening surrealism to the sequence in which a poor guy tries to pick up his stolen car at a police station, only to be shamed and threatened into giving it up as a necessary sacrifice supporting the fight against fascism (“It’s not robbery, it’s expropriation,” the officer explains).

Time and again, the severing of an empathetic connection between strangers is magnified. A wealthy woman struggles to remove her mother out of a musty bomb shelter, less out of concern for her mother’s well-being than to avoid personal embarrassment, while referring to the surrounding impoverished inhabitants as “scum.” An old man branded a “Ukrainian exterminator” is publicly beaten with such unrelenting cruelty, one expects a lynching to break out, and it’s in moments like these where the camerawork is unflinching to the point of bordering on excruciating. Of course, the real star of the film is its Romanian DP, Oleg Mutu, one of the greatest living cinematographers, whose lensing fully immerses us in the characters’ plight, whether it be through a static wide shot or a snaking unbroken take (a prime example would be the intimate stroll through the labyrinthine bomb shelter). His sense of composition is impeccable, often building tension or crafting poignance by holding on the protagonist’s face in the midst of a crowd, such as the young woman seeking an illegal abortion in Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or-winner “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” or the girl dancing defiantly at her friend’s wedding in Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’s masterpiece, “In Bloom.” Here, Mutu’s approach is more akin to the cinema of Michael Haneke, culminating with an 11-minute shot that serves as a fitting bookend, affirming the scripted nature of modern truth.

After enduring the horrors of “Donbass,” not to mention the icy temperatures one can easily weather when sightseeing, nothing could possibly offer more welcome relief than watching Luc Besson’s 1997 cult classic “The Fifth Element” from the comfort of a heated swimming pool. This is how I chose to end my first full day in Iceland on the evening of September 29th at Sundhöllin pool, and the experience was utterly euphoric, not in the least due to the film itself. Besson’s playful sci-fi fantasy is an ideal choice for such a venue because it is pure lightweight fun unencumbered by the self-important exposition that mars so many contemporary blockbusters. It isn’t beholden to any preexisting franchise or comic book, and therefore has the freedom to take risks without treating itself with the seriousness typically reserved for Biblical scripture. Besson’s film only pretends to be a cheesy bore at first, but as soon as its lovably nonchalant hero, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), enters the yarn, it makes no secret of the fact that it is, in essence, a full-on comedy in the vein of “The Princess Bride.” Each new character proves to be more uproariously outlandish than the last, from Milla Jovovich’s multipass-brandishing Leeloo and Gary Oldman’s twangy thug Zorg to Chris Tucker’s manic blur of a talk show host, who exclaims, “Bzzzt!”, as if his finger is perpetually stuck in an outlet.

Though the special effects never overwhelm the charm of the characters, Besson’s portrayal of airborne traffic interrupted by hurtling bodies is infinitely superior to their ripped-off variation in “Star Wars: Episode II—Attack of the Clones,” primarily because the universe crafted for “The Fifth Element” feels infinitely more lived-in. One of the most transcendent moments in ’90s cinema occurs when the blue-skinned Diva (voiced by Albanian soprano Inva Mula) sings a haunting aria that erupts into an exuberant fusion of hip-hop and opera, requiring her to hit notes so high, they would even prove formidable for “The Magic Flute”’s Queen of the Night. As the song reaches its climax, editor Sylvie Landra juxtaposes the Diva’s performance with Leeloo effortlessly taking on a roomful of goons with her fists. The sequence is such a timeless crowd-pleaser that it prompted the entire swimming pool to break out into thunderous, frothy applause. There’s no question the audience had been anticipating it, since the Diva’s vocals could also be heard over the speakers in the shower room, as a performer dressed as Korben Dallas jumped out at random swimmers, armed with a replica of Willis’ gun. Another performer dressed as Leeloo interacted with participants in the cavernous indoor pool area prior to the film playing on a full-sized theater screen, and there was even a robotic DJ wearing a silver skullcap evocative of Zorg’s plastic headpiece.

Many Icelandic locations were utilized for “The Fifth Element,” including the country’s largest ice cap, Vatnajökull, another potential reason why the film was selected for this year’s installment of the festival’s annual Swim-in-Cinema event. Besson would’ve undoubtedly been pleased with the screening, especially since he had originally intended on being a marine biologist (both of his parents were scuba diving instructors). Among the benefits of watching movies in a location this freeing is it gives audiences the opportunity to react not just with their guffaws and clapping hands, but with their entire bodies. Bad films will cause participants to amble distractedly around the water within minutes, so it’s a testament to “The Fifth Element”’s ageless appeal that for the entirety of its two-hour-plus running time, it left the crowded pool of moviegoers transfixed with delight.

from All Content https://ift.tt/2P29GbE

0 notes