Today was another exceptional day at the monastery, due to the blessing of a 15 year marriage. The blessing was for a youngish couple from Romania who have been married for 15 years, but not in church. They felt that this anniversary of their marriage would be the perfect time for a proper church blessing of their union, which includes a 12 year old son.
Their arrival came with not much fanfare but a chance to sit with tea for a brief chat while awaiting the arrival of Archbishop Lazar, who would serve the blessing service. Fr Moses served tea and had a chance to become acquainted with the couple who happen to be friends of our own Annisoara. They are familiar with the services we have been presenting on Zoom and had mentioned viewing them and how much these are appreciated.
Following the service, which went smoothly, there was another chance to have tea and share in some of the treats they brought for sharing after the blessing. In the place of wine, they brought juice of cranberry/raspberry which was delicious and wonderful for making a toast! During the conversation, we also learned that they come from a small town which is near the Serbian border and that they have been in Canada for a number of years. Both speak excellent English so the conversation was easy and relaxed, making for a pleasant ending of the day for everyone involved.