An unexpected series of events

Sunday morning dawned bright and chilly.  Fall here is very much like in NY.  Crisp nights and mornings with sun-drenched warm days.  I expected to go to the train station to meet newly-consecrated Orthodox bishop, Vladimir.  Instead I got a call from him.  He had already arrived and wanted me to meet him and a few friends at a metro stop so we could all come back to my apartment to celebrate Divine Liturgy together, his first.  He went to visit a Metropolitan Bishop, hoping to be ordained a priest, but came home, not only ordained a priest, but also consecrated a bishop.  So, as he arrived home, he hadn't even presided at his first Mass.  The five of us came back to my apartment and set up for worship.  It was a wonderful experience.  Vladyka (title for Bishop in Ukrainian) Vladimir was really touched by the Spirit at our conference in Kiev a year ago.  He arrived having certain preconceived notions about Christianity and denominationalism and had his heart touched irrevocably.  He recognized then and practices now the importance of people being able to pray together across denominational lines.  He and I stood beside each other at the make-shift altar for the liturgy.  My apartment may well smell like incense forever!  I have a feeling that we will have liturgy together here more times before I come home. After worship, we had lunch together and laughed and generally enjoyed our time together.

Here is a link to the photos online: please do not share these photos or this link, for local security reasons: https://picasaweb.google.com/nundabud/Liturgy?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNCE5czMgrGcMA&feat=directlink 

After they left, I headed out to the metro to have dinner with Rostek.  He met me at his metro station and we walked back to his apartment, making a brief stop at the market for grapes and wine.  I was a little bit disappointed that Kostya was not home.  I was looking forward to seeing him, too.  Rostek had made a great salad and cooked a chicken/eggplant dish.  Just before we ate, Misha came in.  Misha is a very talented hair stylist/barber.  After we ate and talked and laughed and drank some wine, he cut my hair which was badly in need of it since it hadn't been cut since June when he cut it last time.  During the haircut, I felt kind of faint.  I think because I ate more than I'm used to and had wine to boot!  He finished my haircut and requested my blessing for some stuff he's been going through.  I blessed him and he hugged me very hard.  I'm always touched at the faith people display here.  It runs so deeply in their lives.  At home, people would never think to ask a blessing.  It's a pity, I think.  It made me reflect on the idea that here the priest is a sacramental - a reminder that God is present and accessible.
Rostek walked with me to the metro station and I made my way home around 8:30.  I showered to get itchy hair washed off and went to bed to read briefly until sleep.  It was a wonderful day, filled with expected surprises, sort of like all my days.  Life constantly offers me treats.  I think today was, for me, what Sundays are supposed to be like.