Shovelling snow off the church roof, 1914

Shovelling snow off the church roof, 1914
Identifier: farjourne00rihb (find matches)
Title: A far journey
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Rihbany, Abraham Mitrie, 1869-
Subjects: Rihbany, Abraham Mitrie, 1869-
Publisher: Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin company
Contributing Library: Princeton Theological Seminary Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Princeton Theological Seminary Library



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orgiveyou! Then, as the priest appears through theRoyal Gate with the sacred cup, the applicantturns and faces the altar, reaches for the silknapkin hanging from the priests hand, andholds it under his chin, to guard against thepossibility of any part of the consecrated ele-ments dropping onto the floor; and, as the priestlifts the golden spoon out of the cup with itsprecious contents of bread and wine, and con-veys it to the lips of the penitent son of theChurch, the singers chant alternately and mostimpressively the solemn words: Accept methis day as partaker of thy mystic supper, OSon of God, for I will not betray thy secret tothine enemies, nor give thee a kiss as Judas did,but like the thief cry to thee. Remember me,O Lord, when thou comest into thy kingdom.Many years have elapsed since my eyes lastbeheld such a scene; I have given up beliefin the dogma of transubstantiation and theauthority of the confessional; nevertheless, thereligious feelings I experienced in my early ( 92 )
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THE RELIGION OF MY FATHERS years on such occasions remain with me, pre-cious spiritual reahties. The feasts and festivals of the Greek Churchfilled my boyish heart with delight, so spectac-ular and so full of mystery were they. TheSyrian churches do not make much of Christ-mas because originally it was not an Orientalholiday. New Years, or Good-MorningDay, as the Syrians call it, was the day whenwe exchanged presents and indulged in muchgayety. But what was of absorbing interest tome as a boy, aside from the few coppers andsugar-plums that I got for presents, was theoffering I carried to the fountain, early on New.Years morning. My older sisters went withtheir jars to carry water for the household, andI went with them. We took with us a few hand-fuls of wheat and cereals and cast them rever-ently into the water, saying Good-morning,fountain! Bless and increase our grain! Sodid we ignorantly practice the modes of wor-ship of our remote Oriental ancestors, whopoured their gifts to Astar