all but the signatures

The joint committees of ROCOR and the Moscow Patriarchate have prepared and published the Act on Canonical Communion! Now it remains only to set up an official meeting so both groups can sign (expected to take place in 2007). Associated documents are also available on ROCOR's Web site. Rejoice! Wounds in the Church can be healed.

Speaking of ROCOR, I visited last night for a moleben to St. John of Kronstadt. It was good to be back there. As much as I feel like I'm on the right path by sticking with Fr. Gregory and keeping most of my attendance to one parish, I hope I can also maintain a friendly association with Fr. George and his little flock. It may be more chaotic, but everyone gets to be an intimate part of the chaos, and somehow it works. I was wondering at the beginning of the service whether I'd made the wrong choice when I decided to go there, but by the end I knew we'd really prayed before God. The conversation afterward was good as well. (I'd never been to a moleben there--it's much shorter than any other ROCOR service I've experienced.) Fr. George seemed genuinely happy for me and invited me to come back more often.

The evening ended with a bit of mystery, as one of the parishoners noticed a tool handle or table leg of some sort, resting between some bookshelves. Fr. George laughingly referred to it as a "cudgel," but he never said exactly what it was there for. I thought the metal spike sticking out near the end was a nice touch and suggested that it might come in handy if the catechumens didn't depart when they were told. I like these people. I don't know which way I would have gone if I had only myself to consider, but I still think my wife would have a harder time there. Not that she's going in any case, but I can still hope.