Valaam Monastery - Psalm 103

[TheKomando007]

"All things shall be filled with goodness"

and there ist no more to say..

[meusisto]

Which image is this?

[valkeakorppi]

@meusisto Holy Trinity. This is the way to depict it - as the angels visiting Abraham.

[meusisto]

@valkeakorppi

Why is this the way to depict it? Also, I can't see Abraham in it. How do I interpret?

Thanks for the reply

[valkeakorppi]

@meusisto Abraham is not depicted as the icon represents Holy Trinity, i.e. God, not Abraham. Depicting the three angels visiting is the most common convention for Trinity in Eastern Orthodox art. There are representations showing Father as an old man with grey beard, Son sitting next to him, the Holy Spirit as a dove above them (in early versions Son as an infant sitting on His lap) but this is regarded as improper because no one has seen the Father and He has no likeness we could comprehend.

[meusisto]

@valkeakorppi

Thank you for your reply. The representation of the Father as an old man, and I always find it somewhat strange, as he is too glorious and different so no earthly being would resemble Him in any way. Nevertheless I always understood this as one of our human limited possibilities to try to represent Him.

About the icon discussed below, is there a reason why they're depicted as angels or why it depicts the visit? Because Abraham was the "father" of the religion or sth like that?

TX

[valkeakorppi]

@meusisto Genesis 18-19 - the three men visiting Abraham, two visiting Lot - has sometimes been interpreted as Trinitarian text. While the Church is not supporting this view, the three visitors became a symbol of Trinity in the icons. Remembering the icon is not for depicting sacral matters, it is sacral in itself as "a window to the heaven". (Hard to explain in my poor English). Andrei Rublev painted this particular icon of Holy Trinity.

[meusisto]

@valkeakorppi

Andrei Rublev... I didnt know him. He was a saint and an artist. Am I not confusing two people as one, am I?

Interesting what you said about it being sacral in itself. I thought that if I say some bad words to a living saint, I commit the sin of saying bad words. However, as long as the person becomes a saint (after dying), and is depicted, if I spit on it, I commit blasphemy. Sorry for the horrible ex. i'm just trying to understand.

[fan2jnrc]

Enchanting melody, celestial voices...

BUT for God!!! What an inept idea to sing an orthodox psalm in english!!!! It doesn't make any sense, english is definitively not an orthodox liturgical langage...

And soon "Dixie" sung in arabic, why not...????

[OrthodoxAmerican]

@fan2jnrc

Orthodoxy has never had an "official" or "accepted" language. There has been a long tradition of adapting to the region Orthodoxy moves to. If this were not so, the Russians would worship in Greek! Why is it only permissible to worship God in some languages?

[meusisto]

@OrthodoxAmerican

Please, are they from Russia? If so, why do they sing in English?

Thanks

[OrthodoxAmerican]

@meusisto To evangelize? To provide beautiful chants that the Orthodox who speak English can understand? The reason matters not, I think. It certainly cannot be a bad one.

[meusisto]

@OrthodoxAmerican

I agree the reason must not be a bad one, very probably. But I think that in Ortodox/Catholic Christianism music is a form of praising God, not to make people understand/like or whatever, isnt it?

Thanks

[valkeakorppi]

@fan2jnrc English is an orthodox liturgical language like any other. I hear quite often English, besides with Russian, Swedish and (mostly) Finnish in the service - just according to the native languages of people present.

[fan2jnrc]

@valkeakorppi Maybe... But it's not a traditional orthodox liturgical languages... Nothing in the orthodoxy has something to do with English... It's just translation without authenticity... In Paris, in the cathedral St-Alexander-Nevsky, the wonderful ceremonies are in slavonic, not in french! I would'nt like to hear that liturgy in french...(???!!!) It just would be fiddle about with orthodox tradition... And it's the same in english...

[valkeakorppi]

@fan2jnrc My dear friend. There is no such a thing as traditional orthodox liturgical language(s). God understands all languages, the service has always, from the very beginnings, been in vernacular, for people attending. In Greece it is in Greek, in Lebanon it is in Arabic, in Russia it is in Russian - in Paris St. Alexander Nevsky the language is Church Slavonic because of the emigrant roots of that particular church, because of their tradition, not of the Orthodox Church. - Christ is risen!

[Entiremind]

Все-таки этот язык не для молитвы! По-церковно-славянски совсем иначе... Но как поют... Пение для молитвы.

[belladeballe]

I saw the Valaam choir sing when they came to Oregon State University back in 2005. It was wonderful. I wasn't Orthodox then but I believe the music was one of many things that drew me to the faith. I'm now a catechumen and preparing for Chrismas on Pascha 2011. Glory to God in all things!

[alexfo7o]

@belladeballe Very nice. May the Lord and bless you. you will be illumined on Christmas?

[Bahama3mama3]

where can i find psalm 104 chanted in english.??

[PARAAPAPAPARAPACHIN]

soy un catolico enamorado de la iglesia ortodoxa, ¿Cuando nos uniremos en Cristo?

[fotonel]

can you insert the lyrics too? thank you very much!

[pjdraud]

@fotonel I edited the video description to include the Psalm verses. Hope this helps.

[fotonel]

thank you pdjraud, it's very nice here the version on romanian h ttp :// w ww.youtube.com/watch?v=qi_k0Ey­Dhis Doamne Slava Tie! (the same like TheSerja wrote, on Romanian)

[TheSerja]

Господи слава ТЕБЕ .