The liturgical color for Dormition is blue.  Can I talk about how much I just love the blue?

Our parish is always draped in a ton of fabric.  Fabric on the iconstasis.  Fabric under the icons.  Fabric everywhere.  It gives a depth and richness to the prayer space.  Whenever the liturgical season changes, it’s obvious through the abundance of the visual cues.  The priest’s vestments and the fabric everywhere right now are a soothing, powder blue.

I often turn to the Theotokos for her example of gentleness and tranquility.  Just to look at her face in icons brings a sense of peace.  A deep breath in and a cleansing exhalation of worry and trouble.  Blue is the perfect color for this time honoring her.

I’ve been busy crafting other things, so I didn’t have time to make a cloth for our icon corner table.  It’s not homemade, but I did find a tablecloth in the perfect, peaceful blue.

I’ve been experimenting with embroidery.  I developed a pattern for a Greek-style cross…in blue of course!

And on the flip side it has the colors in reverse:

I think I’m going to hang this in either the car or a window.  A nice remembrance of peace.

Joyfully, we’re able to go to church everyday during the Dormition Fast, since our parish is having Paraclesis services daily.  What a blessing it is to go to church every day!  It would be nice if we had that option all year.  You have to hand it to the Catholics…their example of daily Mass and Eucharistic Adoration is admirable.  Our Orthodox married priests couldn’t serve Liturgy everyday, so I would never expect that, but the option of Matins or Vespers or to just be able to leave the church open for the faithful to come and pray…that would indeed be nice.  A good reminder to appreciate the services that are available and an admonition to not blame lack of services for lack of prayer.  Reader’s services can be done at home any day!

The heat of summer is unrelenting lately, but today it is cloudy and a bit rainy.  The dim light and smell of the plants soaking up the rain further sets the mood for peace.  Everywhere today is a rhapsody in blue…a poem of peaceful, prayerful simplicity.  All I have to do is slow down and let the Theotokos lead the way.

“I beseech you, O Virgin, to dispel far from me

all of the distress of despair and turbulence in my soul;

for you, O Bride of God,

have given birth to the Lord Christ,

Who is the Prince of Peace, O you only All blameless One.”

Ode 3, The Service of the Small Paraclesis