At my home parish yesterday, me and my wife for the Christmas liturgy according to the Julian Calendar. Few people came since here in Japan, it's just a normal day; but people still came to celebrate the Old Calendar Christmas Liturgy. As usual, I served in the altar to help the priest with various things(censer, candles, nafora/antidoron and the prosphoras/prosfora), while my wife is very active with the rest of the choir.
After the liturgy and the emergency memorial service/pomen, the Česnica was served to the remaining parishioners, along with tea and some sweets. One of the parishioners got the lucky coin, so I gave her an icon of Christ's Nativity, meaning she will have a better life for this year.
After some a few hours exiting the church and on some places, my wife and returned home to prepare for dinner/večeras. She baked a wonderful cake, while I prepared a mutton pizza, along with mutton burger patties. Then, dinner came, prayer before meals, opened a well known Serbian wine and had a great dinner, simple but very heart warming.
The reason why I thought about the Česnica, was that I got a Serbian recipe book as a present from a Serbian-American friend, and while reading through the pages, saw the recipe for the Česnica, or Christmas cake; along that a few weeks before, me and some of the male parishioners thought about the January 7 Christmas liturgy and how in our small ways, make it still a very important liturgical date. So, I hatched up with the idea about introducing it to our parish once I can make it and bring it every January 7, so that it's not just a day with a liturgy, but the spirit of Christmas, or should I say the Nativity of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, will always have a deeper meaning.
By 2024(?), January 7 will fall on a Sunday, and of course I'll prepare two Česnicas, but with one coin and a Nativity icon. I hope that some parishioners will come every January 7 when they can have the chance, because God is always waiting for us and his loving forgiveness enables us to live our lives to the very best.
Mir Božiji Hristos se Rodi, vaistinu se rodi! Мир божији Христос се роди, Ваистину се роди!
Christ is born, glorify him!
Мәсіх дүниеге келді, оны мадақтаңыз!
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