Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Calendars

Plan your year; look ahead twelve months ...  Where did the year 2017 go ?  Happy New Year 2018.

Need some thing new ? Try an Icon Calendar - https://www.amazon.com/2018-Orthodox-Icon-Calendar-Dates/dp/1944967257/

I use more than one calendar; my church gave out free beautiful catholic calendars for 2018 (which might be some thing you could ask your church about doing for parishioners/members) - http://www.jrcal.com/

For Catholics, there is a general edition of the Ordo for lay readers - http://www.paulistpress.com/Products/ORDE30/ordo-30--general-2018.aspx

If you want to learn more about Jewish holidays, I recommend a messianic Jewish calendar - https://ffoz.com/more/calendars/

Saint Bernard Dog Calendar (see link in caption under picture)
https://www.amazon.com/Just-Saint-Bernards-2018-Calendar/dp/1682346005/

What is a "protomartyr" ?  Answer: "the first martyr for a cause, especially the first Christian martyr, St. Stephen"

December 26 is Saint Stephen Day - http://www.liturgies.net/saints/stephen/stephen.htm 



Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Thanksgiving ...

I don't think you have to put a lot of emphasis on the "first" thanksgiving, but rather to simply understand thanksgiving, and appreciate the thanksgivings you may come across (I found two):

1.  Plymouth, Massachusetts - Calvinist separatists and Wampanoag (this is the thanksgiving that I traditionally celebrate each year) ... eastern wild turkey

2.  Saint Augustine, Florida - Catholics explorers and Timucua ... osceola wild turkey

There are many patron saints of the harvest, gardening, and agriculture considering Thanksgiving ("... day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.") 

Baltimore Sun news article - Thanksgiving's patron saint brought out the best in us

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2001-11-22/news/0111220294_1_thanksgiving-gaddy-baltimore-tradition



our traditional Green Bean Casserole recipe

http://www.frenchs.com/recipe/frenchs-green-bean-casserole-RE1511-1


experimenting with green been casserole for Thanksgiving dinner 
-with swiss cheese, white sauce, and no mushrooms (Swiss Green Bean Casserole)
-adding almonds for an almondine touch (Green Bean Almond Casserole)



documented Thanksgivings in the United States are about 500 years old !


Happy Thanksgiving !





Monday, October 30, 2017

All Saints' Day 2017 in Frostburg

November 1st - an important day for Frostburg Hagiography Group ... All Saints' Day !  (the calendar cluster of Halloween, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day)







just some vocabulary ...

"Hagiographa: the books of the Bible comprising the last of the three major divisions of the Hebrew scriptures, other than the Law and the Prophets. The books of the Hagiographa are: Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles." - google search dictionary

"The hagiographer has a threefold task: to collect all the material relevant to each particular saint, to edit the documents according to the best methods of textual criticism, and to interpret the evidence by using literary, historical, and any other pertinent criteria." - Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/topic/hagiography


Thursday, October 26, 2017

Women in Acts (New Testament Apocrypha)

I came across the New Testament Apocrypha (read more at wikipedia).



It can be purchased at amazon (see link below).




Saint Thecla (follow the links to the Acts of Paul and Thecla from wikipedia)




Saints Xantippa and Polyxena and Holy Woman Rebecca (follow wikipedia links for more information on the Acts of Xantippa, Polyxena, and Rebecca)





Interesting enough, these women (Saint Thecla, Saint Xantippa, Saint Polyxena, Holy Woman Rebecca), all have a feast day on the same day as Saint Pio - September 23rd


http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=323

http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2063
http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=311



I didn't make this post so that you get the cart before the horse ...  It's probably better to read and study the biblical Book of Acts ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_the_Apostles ) before exploring the acts genre
.




Incidentally, if you are looking for the women in the biblical Book of Acts, try the links below; there are women in Acts.
http://stronginfaith.org/article.php?page=95
http://whatdoesthismean.net/topic-24-women-in-the-book-of-acts/



Wednesday, October 18, 2017

... at the local all saints' chapel


Frostburg Hagiography Group keeps three wonderful books in the kneeling desk at Saint John Episcopal Church's All Saints' Chapel for the public to use while visiting the chapel.  The books are normally in the kneeling desk, but are shown here on the kneeling desk for photography purposes.  We hope you enjoy your visit.



For chapel visitor use ... please return these books to the kneeling desk when you are finished using them (please do not remove them from the chapel).  Do not write or draw in them.  They contain holy material, so do not destroy them.  We hope these books will aid the public in prayer, meditation, and spirituality during their chapel visit.





  • English Standard Version Holy Bible
  • Rejoice (Psalms for the year with a list of Episcopal saint feast days at the beginning of each month)
  • Thomas Kinkade (book of paintings with scripture)




This is a very nice chapel in Frostburg, located on Broadway Street, open 24 hours a day and open to the public.  The church's website is http://stjohnsfrostburg.org/  Visitors are not required to use these books, but the books are there for visitor enlightenment and assistance (we are not affiliated with or connected to the church).

Have any comments, questions, suggestions, or concerns ? Find us on facebook (Frostburg Hagiography) and make a post.  We would love to hear from you.

Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Memorizing Prayers

I think memorizing a prayer makes the prayer more precious ... no fumbling with paper and books - to know it by heart

I was looking for ways to memorize prayers (I have trouble with remembering certain prayers), and I came across this article on memorizing prayers:


How I Memorized My Favorite Prayer in Sixty Seconds

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jennifer-fulwiler/how-i-memorized-my-favorite-prayer-in-sixty-seconds




Did you memorize this prayer?  How long did it take you to memorize the mass collect prayer for Saint Ignatius of Antioch? (October 17 feast day)


Almighty ever-living God, who adorn the sacred body of your Church with the confessions of holy Martyrs, grant, we pray, that, just as the glorious passion of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, which we celebrate today, brought him eternal splendor, so it may be for us unending protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.



Saturday, August 5, 2017

Church History and Hagiography

Church history lends a great deal to hagiography and vice versa ... here are some books if you can read well and can afford to buy the books - Saint Ignatius and Saint Cyril




The Didache Bible: With Commentaries Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church by James Socias
The Didache Bible: With Commentaries Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church
by James Socias
Link: http://a.co/dPkJFDm











Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Second Series, Volume VII Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory Nazianzen by Philip Schaff
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Second Series, Volume VII Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory Nazianzen
by Philip Schaff
Link: http://a.co/iVhuLhG






wishes for my library ...

The Early Church Fathers--Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: First Series: 14 Volumes (The Early Church Fathers, First Series , So14) by Schaff et al.
The Early Church Fathers--Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: First Series: 14 Volumes (The Early Church Fathers, First Series , So14)
by Schaff et al.
Link: http://a.co/bPAKaOz












Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Second Series by Alexander Roberts et al.
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Second Series
by Alexander Roberts et al.
Link: http://a.co/1b22657


Monday, May 29, 2017

Memorial Day 2017 in Frostburg - catholic church

The Frosts were the founders of Frostburg.  Their grave is at Saint Michael Catholic Church on Main Street.



Saint of the Day for Monday, May 29, 2017, (Memorial Day in the USA) is Saint Maximinus of Trier

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Happy Valentine's Day !


Happy Valentine's Day (see last year's post http://fbhygp.blogspot.com/2016/02/saint-valentines-day-february-14th.html )

Saint Valentine was just to legendary and more than one Valentine ( http://www.churchyear.net/stvalentine.html ) 

February 14th is also the feast day of Saints Cyril and Methodius ( http://www.liturgies.net/saints/cyrilandmethodius/cyrilandmethodius.htm )

On February 14th was the second apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes ( http://365rosaries.blogspot.com/2013/02/february-14-2013-our-lady-of-lourdes.html )


I did have a valentine.  I gave him Hershey's Kisses for Valentine's Day.  Happy Valentine's Day, Michael, I love you.  Enjoy !



My valentine bought me dinner, and I bought myself to a red heart finger ring.  (my heart finger ring collection got bigger)