HRH Prince Phillip The Duke of Edinburgh- A Humble Tribute and A Huge Respect
Many have posted a tribute to HRH Prince Phillip The Duke of Edinburgh and many would not think much of my words, but I must say that he was truly an extraordinary human being.
Not sure what was the most touching detail for me, but there were many. That he founded the WWF – which I never knew. That he had a vision of saving the wildlife long before anyone else became awaye of it. That he remained the same Navy man till the end, despite of being Consort to The Queen. I’m amazed at how humble he was about his huge charity work, touching mostly young people. He refused a big state funeral – which he would have deserved. He has chosen – despite all his possibilities – to have a Land-Rover for a hearse, telling us all that he remembers the WW2 times and that he was British in his heart. I had a knot in my throat when I’ve seen how he thought of sugar lumps for his ponies and the Russian Kontakion of the Departed at the end of his funeral service, to remind us all that he was born a Christian Orthodox after all and he was truly Royalty himself in his own right (not losing his identity by marrying into the British royal family).
I know many people don’t belive in monarchy, but how could you not bow in respect in front of such dedication? Have you seen many politicians care as much or try to use their resources for good causes like this? What a legacy!
The world needs more people with a great sense of duty, strength and humble kindness. God rest his soul in peace, he has used his nearly 100 years wisely!❤️
Memyselfandela, Adela Clancy-Galasiu, April 2021
(more…)Happy Orthodox Easter!!!
Christ Is Risen! True He Is Risen! Христос воскрес!
“Christ is Risen from the dead
Trampling down death by death
and to those in the tombs
He is bestowing life!”
Writing Round Silences
There’s a skylight ajar
Mirroring Heaven.
Brick and mortar stop embracing each other
Where no trace of tombstones remains.
Light pours in with the sun
And sliding on the rain dripping from God’s eye.
Fire tumbles down on rose petals
Floating on His Ghost on Pentecost.
All the holy spirits
Rejoice here in His Presence.
——————————————————–
55 words, Poem and photos memyselfandela/ Adela Galasiu 2017/2018
Italy, Rome, The Pantheon. On Pentecost rose petals are dropped through the Pantheon Oculus as a symbol of the fire of the Holy Ghost.
John’s Day
It was a kind reminder of a Saint’s day
moved too soon in the life after life
where flowers never wither, and rivers are always fresh,
and the human heart is forever coherent.
John has not killed any dreadful dragons
still, in a humble sacrifice
he has blessed others and has made possible the glory
of the true Life.
I have found these faint memories
in the depths of an imaginary drawer
with fields of gold tenderly waving in the wind
like the breath of my father on his birthday.
Dedicated to my father, John, born on St. John’s day, June 24th.
90 words, Adela Galasiu, 2016
Photo: Photobuket
Life and Death
Death and life are a circle
None starts, none ends
They just continue one another.
Hope raises from pain
Growing out of darkness
Like a flower blooming.
Nobody and nothing gets lost
We are all One. We grow, we transform,
All breathing atoms of the same universe.
My hand holding yours
Through relative time and space:
Once I loved you, I’ll love you forever.
63 words, Me, Myself and Ela- Adela Galasiu, 22nd of December 2020, photo Adela Galasiu
—————————–
Dedicated to my father, Ioan, who went to God 31 years ago, and to all the people I love, have loved and I’ll ever love. We are all One.
ONE
Our lives
Intersected arteries
Entwined on spiritual levels.
Our aetheric bodies
Flow unseen
To eyesight.
We are souls inhabiting here
Physical bodies for a glimpse.
Beyond all this experience
We are all
ONE.
33 words, memyselfandela, February 2014
Photo: Adela Galasiu – On the Stairs of the Church of All Souls, Regent Street, London
Psalm
mute words speak
for the tears in my soul,
so You take them,
make them a river,
make my heart a stone,
crush me, make me a pot
to burn all the pain.
33 words, memyselfandela – August 2013
The Eyes of Love
I found love in my mother’s eyes
Keeping her baby asleep
In the shelter of her heart
And in my father’s eyes
When came back home
Late at night
I saw love in the eyes of the newly weds
Snow flowing from heaven
Dressing them in white
And in the eyes of children
Running free, smiling
Picking flowers
I saw love in the eyes of the soldier
Holding at his chest like a treasure
His killed comrade:
Tears falling endlessly
From the eyes of the living
On the cheeks of the dead
But the Eyes of Love, I have found them only once
In an old Church with heavenly doors wide open:
Endless eyes, with the irises of the sky full of stars
Endlessly loving
And endlessly healing
The wounds of our wide open eyes.
——————————————–
memyselfandela, 2013
Happy Easter Dear Friends
Today many of you celebrate Easter. I am Christian Orthodox and we celebrate Easter in May, but nevertheless everybody else celebrates today.
Easter is the most important Christian Holiday, filled with the hope of life, the joy of goodness and the unconditional love offered by God to all of us. It teaches us about the value of love, sacrifice, commitment, faith, patience, wisdom, forgiveness.
May your day be blessed. If you have family be happy with your family. If you have children, make them feel loved. If you are alone feel that you are loved. If you have no friends, take my hand to feel my friendship. If you feel like a nobody, I am here, just another nobody like you, you are not the only one, just smile and embrace the day.
I offer you in this day of light the smiles of my girls. My girls are my flowers, my quiet friends and companions, the ones that share the feelings and the air here with me in my quiet corner of the world. Enjoy their smiles, they are as sincere as mine or as the ones of children. All pictures are from today, this sunny morning.
Have a blessed day.
Much love to you all,
Ela
The Journal of Happiness, Nicolae Steinhardt (6)
https://memyselfandela.wordpress.com/2012/12/17/the-journal-of-happiness-nicolae-steinhardt-5/
What does it have to do with that fact that I broke it or not? It has. Something tells me strongly that it has.
Persistent, but in the background. I understand too well – better and better as the
long confrontation goes forward with bandaged gloves – that now will be taken the decision, that from now all will be triggered. And the devilish thing is that no matter how I toss and turn I still remain trapped. Wether the path of truth or the fog of slipping in futility, I am still lost, I will still have to admit it. Just that I am more tempted by and it seams more mercyful on the path of oblivion, the path of confusion, where all are equal, and nonsensical and lack importance.
I’m lost!
Lost? Ah! No. Look as from the depths of Panteleimon and Cluceresa – the
slum and the village – suddenly dawns another thought, a third solution.
Ah! no, not the humility of giving in comes from the devil. Around me there’s not fog, in me no delirium: I am in full reality, what I see is true. Panteleimon and Clucereasa whisper to me: – just like great scholl colleagues that whisper the answer precisely: why get caught by phantasmagoria? Come take your senses. Yes, she is. Yes, all is true. To be calm and cynical and skilful. Repeat after me : skilful. Yes, it exists, there is an unthinkable third solution. Your duty this very moment is to be in a vulgar way calm , skilful, careless. Be a peasant, you little jew. Be as coming out of the slum. Old Sickness, who was robbed by the maid; Old Feud that was to be deceived by the neighbor; Old John that is not mislead by his wife; Uncle Pandele that tangles the whole world. I am not on the Venusberg and this is not the Valpurgia night. I am in a Security Investigation office, on the Plevnei road (needless, putting me dark glasses, you drove me round and round in the barracks yard of Malmaison), and this is T., who passed on their side … Why? How is that? No way! Why, I don’t know and do not care. And as for the impossibility, well look, it’s possible. Let me not be scholastic, oil freezes, whatever Aristotle says.
The glass? Of course I did it. Of course I broke it. (An awkward gesture and how
ashamed I felt. Ah, shards bring luck only in German.) But my only duty now is to be calm, smart and stubborn. Tough. Headstrong. Crabby. Laconic. Miffed.
The third solution: Not to recognize that I broke it, nor to let myself caught in dizziness.
Nor the stupidity of fear, neither the spell of dizziness. But something else: the lie. The peaceful and skilful lie.
This remains for me, that’s the third way; to be clever peasant and
cunning gossiper. Calm and Steadfast. At their height. Hers and theirs. Not above. I don’t remember, point and end of story. And I do not know. And I am quiet. And speechless. I do not admit. I do not give up. I don’t know, sir. I do not remember anything. Like a stupid goat. Neither in bed, nor under the bed. Neither the carriage nor in the cart. Like the beans on Easter day. Like old Lache at the fair: does not negociate any dime; like old Simache in court: he does not allow others to block him. Like old Gruia at the bargain: no , no and again no.
– to be continued
———————————————
translation: memyselfandela, 2012
Music for the Soul
Christmas is a holiday of great spiritual meaning for me as a soul, it’s a time of reflection, memory, tear, prayer and joy. It is also a time to listen again to the same music of the soul that I have always loved. And when I say music of the soul, I am speaking about genuine Christian Orthodox music/ Eastern Orthodox chant/Byzantine music and about Romanian carols. Listening to this fantastic music provides me an extraordinary peace and joy. I find myself in the middle of my spiritual journey and experience and I am greatful for every moment of it for I know that the meaning and purpose of this life is far higher than just live in the material world and enjoy worldly pleasures.
I had the unique chance to visit authentic monasteries that spread their spiritual light. In Romania, Serbia and Macedonia there are many such sanctuaries of soul and heart. Annonimous monks and nuns spread their light and love by prayer, unconditional help, dedication and by their unique music. One must stand in a church and listen to the echoes of a choir of pure voices to understand what I mean. Music is pleasure for the outer world, but for them music is prayer, an energy of the highest vibration that allows you to touch the peace and joy of Heaven for a brief time. It is the clarity of sound, the pure music expressed by human voices, the unity of a choir that creats those moments of spiritual revelation for those open to receive them. But in order to hear all this one should forget for a moment the echoes of the stressful life from the outside.
I will share with you three fantastic examples of music of the soul: Divna Ljbojevic/ Serbia, the Madrigal Choir/ Romania and Mizar & Harmosini Choir/ Macedonia.
“Blessed Virgin, rejoice/ Cuvine-se cu adevarat sa te fericim”
Divna Lubojevic is an outstanding Serbian Orthodox singer. After her voice was discovered by a very talented nun in the Monastery Vavedenje, Divna was initiated in the art of religious music. At 17 she was worldwide recognized after performing as the youngest conductor in the history in front of the oldest Serbian choir in the Saint Sava Cathedral in Belgrade. After years of study and cultural exchange with many musicians, Divna has created her own choir, called Melodi.
“You we praise, You we bless, to you we thank, Lord, and we pray to You, our Lord”.
The Madrigal Choir is one of the most famous Romanian proffesional choirs, belonging to the Music University in Bucharest. It’s name comes from a type of song called madrigal, a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras and traditionally polyphonic. Under the lead of the famous Marin Constantin has become a worldwide symbol for Romania. Their music is a brilliant fusion of Romanian musical traditions and culture, merged to create a most pure rafined cultivated form of sound.
The Song of Christ’s Birth : “The Virgin today gives birth to the One above being, and the Earth brings the cave to the One Not Near. Because for us was born as young Child, God before eternity.”
Mizar (Macedonian: Мизар) is a Macedonian rock band from Skopje. They achieved a status of a cult band, especially in Macedonia and across the former Yugoslavia. Mizar was formed in 1983 in the then Socialist Republic of Macedonia, a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Because of the band’s avant-garde sound and image, its Orthodox Christian leanings and support for Macedonian self-determination, they were viewed with certain degree of suspicion by the former communist regime. Mizar’s musical style is post-punk, darkwave and gothic rock. Beside influences such as Joy Division for instance, Mizar also uses elements of Traditional Macedonian folklore and Byzantine music. Another main part of their music is Goran’s (both Tanevski and Trajkoski) vocals which are based on Eastern Orthodox church chants. Most of their songs are in Macedonian. The last album’s vocals are performed by a male choir, Harmosini, which sings in traditional byzantine style.
Mizar – Zdiv / Breath
Take a moment to listen to this vibration regardless of gender, colour or religion.
May it elevate you. And if it’s even for 1 minute, the message has reached your soul.
———————————————————————————————-
memyselfandela, 2012
Quiet Romania – A Photographic Journey / Romania Linistita – O Calatorie in Fotografii
Photograpy: Adela Galasiu
Locations: Sibiu, Sighisoara, Cluj Napoca, Cartisoara, Ploiesti, Romania.
Roses and Saints
“Patience, patience, patience… ” Elder Cleopa
Elder Cleopa was one of the most beloved Romanian Orthodox Elder Fathers, he is considered to be a modern Saint.
Born in a very poor family, he became a monk and dedicated all his life to faith. He spent more than five years in the desert and was close to many monks living secluded in the desert or in the Sinai Mountain or in Mount Athos. He became confessor for the entire community and gave spiritual guidance to both monks and lay people for more than 34 years.
It is said that, just like other Elders, Father Cleopa had met and faught many times the devil. He was very kind, patient and he greeted all the people with the same unique expression “May Heaven Eat You!!!!”
In the first video, teaching about faith and patience he used to say:
” And I learned from Father Vicentie:
– Patience, patience, patience, patience, patience, patience, patience… and when it seams to you that it’s finished, you start again from the beginining and again: Patience, patience, patience, patience…
And I, not having better things to do, I asked:
– For how long we must be patient, father?
– Not till the weeding time!!!!! This is not what the Gospel sais. The one that will be patient till the end, that one will be saved”
In the second video Elder Cleopa talks about Prayer.
This post is dedicated to all those who go through hardship, pain and problems, but also to the wonderful souls that pray for us all every day. In Romania, Russia, Serbia, Greece there are many unknown Christian Orthodox monks and nuns that dedicate their whole life to God and prayer for all people. They give their life and energy for this world for which they are dead.
“Oh Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners.”
Amin.
———————————————————-
memyselfandela, 2012
memyselfandela 