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cosmixbun · 1 year

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my favorite moments from the owl house finale OBVIOUS SPOILERS DUH (timestaps + thoughts)

EVERYTHING IS IN TIMESTAMPS IN RELATION TO THE YOUTUBE VIDEO EPISODE AND NOT THE DISNEY+ EPISODE (they might be the same but it's 2:45 am (now 3:36 am as i publish this) and the disney+ ep isn't out yet lol)

4:50- i love hunter so much he's just like me and when i saw this i think my heart killed itself oh my god.

6:36- i love him, that's it i love him every time he's on screen i get so excited he's literally me, i am him

11:14- i cannot get over how much i love this design ??? i also love raine, ik that they r literally possessed rn (it's one of my favorite tropes omg i just cant they did the belos possession with my two favorite characters in this show)

15:50- i love raine SO MUCH i literally do not care that i keep saying this i just love raine. and the sterness of them saying get out to belos ??? ur literally my fav pls.

21:37- GAHHHHH THIS WHOLE SEQUENCE ???? i love seeing monster animated ESPECIALLY big ones with little details omg i wanna redraw this version of belos so bad.

21:44- MY FAVORITE SHOT ??? i live for skull shots.

22:58-die. die. die luz why would u do this and rip my heart out and step on it i cant

24:14- die. die. die. i started sobbing i hate watching other peoples reactions to emotional moments, it makes me cry more. AND CAMILA CRYING EVEN THO SHE'S STILL A PUPPET ?? death. im being buried alive actually.

24:54- THESE CLOSE UPS. KILLED. ME. the very slight detail to the lines is all it did for me, i literally wanted to rip my eyes out and watch these close up again.

25:14- KING ???? OH MY GOD ???? sorry i just love this little guy and seeing him angry is just so good i love it.

25:19- MY WIFE ????? get angry again pls omg i love u sm her losing control is also another one of my favorite tropes to exist ever.

29:59- omg dana im kissing the ground u walk on for this. i LOVE DETAILED MONSTERS OH MY GOD ???? dana u genius you.

31:40- THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND GRIEF OR DEATH :((((( so u want me to die, so u want me dead, so u want me to cry

32:15- GRAAAAHHHHH THIS ENTERANCE ???? I LOVE LUZ SM THIS IS SUCH A LUZ MOMENT.

34:13- I LOVE ANIMATION OH MY GOD I JUST ASDFJOEIAGJEORHGIERJROFJIER HG9ERAHIU. thank you animation, for existing.

37:10- STOP I LOVE THIS. ILY RAINE. AND THE LITTLE EDA AND RAINE MOMENT ??? stop i NEED them to kiss rn, rnrnrnrnrnrn.

38:02- THIS. FUCKING. FIGHT. "how anime can we get the entire scene." AND THEN BLEW IT TO 300000X MORE.

38:33- THE CALL BACK AFJAOGFJIHSAODFJSDFN i died actually, i cannot belive this. i think someone called it and im kissing their brain rn oh my god this is just so luz and then instead of LUZURA SHE SAYS LUZ, SHE GREW INTO HERSELF HERE.

38:55- MY FAVORITE LUZ MOMENT EVER OMG THIS IS SO LUZ OMG I LOVE THE ANIMATION AND THE PRESENTAION OF THE VOICE AND THEN JUST GAH I LOVE.

41:17- "bitch please." god i loved this moment. luz could literally give less of a damn. i loved belos as a villain and just this is so satisfying to luz and to the clawthore's.

44:13- HUNTER I LOVE YOU OMG PLS U CAN BE HAPPY NOW.

44:22- he's just like me fr, ik he got that pizzazz to him too, just look at him.

45:42- EDA AND RAINE NEST ?!?!?!? crying sobbing throwing up, oh my god when is it my turn to be happy.

46:08- CAMILA AND EDA MOMENT. :'( i shed a tear i loved this moment even if it was really tiny.

46:20- HOOTY AND LILY ADIFHASDIFHASIFI god i love lilith sm

46:42- OMG KILL ME AND KISS ALREADY PLS crying i love them sm

47:00- EDA AND RAINE PLS I LOVE YOU I CANT EVEN. (also didn't mention it before but raine's scars ??? <333333 def just like me) ((where is my eda pls i want to be like them))

48:03- OLDER LUZ AND THE PICTURES FSDKFSJDOFJASIF OLDER VEE ???? cried, im graduating this year and to see the graduation picture and luz going to college is so me and i just :((

48:25- AAAAA OLDER LUZ !!!! i love this design sm i see nothing wrong tbh AND THE FLAPJACK TAT OMG :((((

49:13- SOBBING WILLOW LOOKS SO CUTE OMG

49:25- MY BOY KFJAFJDFJ HE LOOKS SO MUCH LIKE CALEB I WAS SO SHOCKED FJASDFHA AND THEN THE TALISMAN BUSINESS SIGN IS FLAPJACK AND HE ALSO HAS A TATTOO AND NO MORE EYE BAGS AND I JUST :DDDDD HIS DESIGN IS SO GOOD IT SUITS HIM SO WELL AND I JUST :D. my boy is all grown up :(

49:34- stop i love the animation and them sm omg i cant (im not a huge huntlow shipper, i can see it but i like them as friends too)

50:08- OLDER LILITH OMG MY OTHER WIFE she so cute she is also just like me (she has pizzazz bc i have pizzazz and i think all characters i like have it too bc they r just like me)

50:20- i love older amity AND HER MENTOR IS LILITH WHICH IS SO CUTE :(( god i love them sm

50:27- HARPY LILITH MY BELOVED OMG I JUST CANT UR SO JFASDFHOAJO

51:10- i need these two to kiss so bad it's not even funny oh my god fanfic writers pls GET ON THIS. i love both of these guys so much

51:15- OLDER RAINE DFJAISDFIASDHF OIADJFOSADFH OASJF sorry i died their suit is so ???? gah i love them i just cant contain myself i love them.

52:10- GUSSSSSS !!!! finally a hair change babes it looks so good. and the boiling ises and the human realm exchange program !!! gah i love gus

52:16- WIFEY MOMENT OMG HIIII whoever gave the idea for a hook is getting kisses from me oh my GOD. she is so <33333

52:30- KING !!!! he's growing into himself i love it :D

52:48- sobbing they all look so good i cant even tell u how much i love them all

53:00- THIS. this kiss means so much to me it's so like authentic ??? of course the other ones are too but something about this one being so casual, like theres no threat and they just saw eachother, it's a kiss for just being there, in the moment.

53:19- crying, shaking, screaming, crying, this pan is so cute i cant even

54:46- this. is how u end a show. omg i just, wow

#owl house #the owl house #i cant handle this #i love this show #hunter is happy now #which means im happy

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escapewriter · 4 years

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Ghost of You

pairing : jeonghan x reader

synopsis : he made a promise to always tell you that he loves you, and he intends to keep it, even if you’re not with him.

genre : angst

word count : 2.7k

warnings : slight mentions of an abusive relationship, mention of character death

posted : 12/1/20

TAGLIST : @vibecheckvernon @beomiebear5 @lightoflife @skylions-den

send me an ask/dm if you would like to be on the taglist

pieces of love masterlist // playlist // main masterlist

Day 60

My Dearest YN,

It’s me again. I know you probably don’t read these, or maybe you moved apartments and a random stranger is receiving these letters, but it’s okay, so here’s your daily ‘I love you.’

I love you.

With my whole heart.

But you knew that already, which is why you left. But don’t worry about me my love, I know deep down you love me too. Even if I haven’t heard it with my own ears, I know you do.

Love, Jeonghan

‘Will he ever stop?’ you thought to yourself as you finished reading the letter.

It’s been two months since you broke up with Jeonghan, and you regret it every single day. You fell too fast and he fell for you too which is what terrified you the most. You were scared, all because he said those three words that you wanted to so badly say back to him. But the two of you had only been going out for less than two months and it felt too fast, making you take a step back to rethink and ask yourself if you really do love him.

You will never forget the look on his face when you didn’t say it back. His body slowly falling into a slumped form, eyes avoiding yours, and smile not as bright as before. He was patient though, but you couldn’t avoid the embarrassment and sadness in his eyes as they became unbearable to look at as days began to pass. You started to build up your walls again and became very distant.

It was two weeks after he told you he loves you, he finally cracked, asking and begging you to tell him why you were avoiding him. However, he was left heartbroken as you lied straight to his face, telling him that you love another man.

How stupid of you.

But you’ll never forget the words he said as you were leaving his apartment.

“I’ll always love you YN. And I know you love me too, so I’ll wait and I’ll find a way to always remind you that I love you.”

You gripped the letter in your hand, sighing deeply to try and hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.

Why couldn’t you just tell him the truth? Why couldn’t you just go back to him when you know he will welcome you with open arms? Well to answer it truthfully, you were scared of love. Or maybe the idea of being loved. Your version of love is something that no one should ever have to experience, so maybe that terrified you because you were afraid Jeonghan would end up like that.

Well how could he when he can’t even have the guts to pull a proper prank on you, or even dare raise his voice.

You folded the paper, and put it in your box with the rest of the letters he’s sent to you. He never missed a day since you broke up, which made this more difficult for you to try and forget him.

Day 67

My Dearest YN,

I promise I’m not stalking you or anything, but I saw you at the market the other day. I’m sure you saw me too which is what caused you to drop most of your items. It was cute though, don’t worry. You’re always adorable. Anyway, I saw that you just left everything and didn’t buy them, so here you go. Always stock up on food, okay? You know better than to let someone like me stop you from having your nutrients. Anyway, I hope you’re taking care of yourself. Here is your daily ‘I love you.’

I love you. A lot.

Love, Jeonghan

You looked at the bags filled with various snacks and drinks. You already knew he put extra items in there so you wouldn’t have to go and make a second trip.

As you thought before, it’s small acts like these that make it so difficult for you to move on. Jeonghan just knows the way to your heart, and it fucking sucks because you wish he could just stop.

Day 74

My Dearest YN,

I saw this couple move in next door. They looked very happy and excited to finally have a home of their own together. Maybe get married and start a family. I dreamed about having that life with you. I wanted to give you the world, and I still do.

They were playing music the other day. They were laughing so loud that you could hear it through the walls. It reminded me of the time when we came home after your birthday and you were spending the night. I put on some music and we danced in the living room with no lights on, just the two of us.

I’m sorry, I’ll stop. I can’t help it though; I really fucking miss you. And I keep playing that same song we danced to; it’s always on repeat for me.

Anyway, here’s your daily ‘I love you’ before I continue to reminisce about the good times.

I love you. My love.

Love, Jeonghan

How could he dream about having that life with you when you both don’t know how to love. No, when you don’t know how to love. You can’t even deny it because you want that life with him, but your fear is getting in the way of that, and it frustrates you so much because all he wants to do is show you what it’s like to fall and be in love.

If you were Jeonghan, you’d do the exact same thing he was doing. This really makes you not forget a person.

Your mind wandered to the memory the two of you shared on your birthday. The song was anything but slow because he thought it was too cheesy, so he whipped out his phone and played some Rihanna.

You both jumped in the dark and attempted to sing along, then eventually were brought together at the bridge. You held each other so tight and didn’t let go even when the song was over.

That song is such a happy song, yet whenever you hear it, it makes you want to cry your eyes out. If only you weren’t such a coward, maybe you two would be together right now and living your lives filled with happiness; dancing your hearts out in the house you two shared.

Day 81

My Dearest Yn,

I had a really rough day today. I just wasn’t feeling it at all when I was at work, but I also didn’t want to go home because you wouldn’t be there to make me feel better. I probably shouldn’t be telling you things like this, it just fucks up everything, I think. I hope your day was better than mine and if it wasn’t, I hope this will make you feel better. It made me feel better buying them for you. Here’s your daily ‘I love you.’

I love you. And I’ll love you until the last flower dies.

Love, Jeonghan

You couldn’t believe that buying you a bouquet of flowers made his day better. But you did wonder what was wrong, and your first instinct was to call him and immediately check up on him, but you deleted his number. Well, you do have it memorized but you promised yourself you wouldn’t dare try to contact him unless it was an emergency.

You took the vase of flowers and put it by the window so it can live for as long as it can, secretly hoping they will never die.

It’s been five days and you haven’t received a letter. You thought that maybe it was just his schedule so he didn’t have time to send you anything. It shouldn’t really bother you because you wanted this in the first place.

However, five days soon became one week, then into two, then three, and now a month. You didn’t know what happened or what made him stop.

Did he meet someone new? Was he too busy? Was he trying to see if you would reach out to him? These questions led you up to where you were now; in front of his house.

Your heart rate increased with every step you took as you approached his front door. You took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. You waited a few seconds, thinking he was doing something. When there was no answer, you rang the bell again. You leaned onto the left side, putting most of your weight on your left leg and then switched it to the right side. Confused that there was no answer, you looked in the driveway and saw a car; it wasn’t Jeonghan’s car. You began to panic as you thought that maybe he did in fact meet someone new.

You slowly began to back away and return to your car before hearing the door open.

“YN?” You turned around to be met with the soft eyes of Chan, “What are you doing here?” You pondered about whether you should tell him the reason why you were there or just to make something up. Telling the truth was best right now.

“Oh, hi Chan. Uh, is Jeonghan around?” Chan pursed his lips, refusing to give you any information of the said man’s whereabouts. “Ah, I’m uh, I was just wondering where he is and if he’s okay. I don’t know if he told you or the rest of the guys, but he’s been writing me letters for almost four months and then they suddenly stopped. I just want to know if he’s okay.”

You took a deep breath before seeing a fire ignite in Chan’s eyes, “You want to know if he’s okay? Really? Your spoiled ass doesn’t get a letter for a month and now you come back thinking he’ll be here?” Hot tears were streaming down Chan’s face as you watched in shock, seeing Mingyu appear behind him with sadness in his eyes. “You want to know if he’s okay, YN?”

“Chan,” Mingyu reached for the youngest shoulder only for him to shake it off and step outside, into your personal bubble.

“No! She’s the reason! If he didn’t drop off those stupid letters, none of us would be mourning for him right now! You want to know what happened to Jeonghan? He crashed. He fucking crashed while trying to drop off your stupid letter. You didn’t deserve him!” Mingyu hugged Chan from behind, slowly dragging him back inside, “You didn’t deserve him!”

“I’m so sorry, YN. I think it’s best that you leave.” With that, Mingyu closed the door as you heard Chan’s ruffled cries through the walls.

Your ears couldn’t believe what they heard just moments ago. There is no way Jeonghan is gone, there’s no way.

You didn’t notice the tears falling down your face before the door opened again, this time meeting Joshua’s cold eyes.

“Here,” He held out a familiar envelope, “I know he wanted you to have this, so take it.” You softly took the envelope from his grasp.

“I’m so sorry Shua.” A small sob escaped past your lips as he nodded.

“Me too. Now go, but don’t drive with tears in your eyes. We can’t lose another, okay?” You nodded your head and attempted to slow your breathing down before saying goodbye and walking back to your car.

Looking at the envelope, you read the number on it; Day 88. You decided to open it, too impatient to wait until you got home. Ripping the fold, you took out the white paper and held your breath:

My Dearest YN,

I hope you have been taking care of the flowers I got you last week. Because if you didn’t then my love would be fading, but that’s impossible! I’m sure you noticed but one of them is fake hehe. That means that my love for you will never die. Even when I go to the grave, my love will go on and on. Like that one scene in that movie you showed me, I think it was called ‘A Walk to Remember’? Something along the lines of that. But it is true what they say. My love for you is like the wind, you can’t see it, but you can feel it.

Wow I’m writing like I’m never going to write to you again. But anyway, I’m just hoping you didn’t throw away the flowers because I want you to use those as a reminder that I’ll always love you. So here it is, your daily ‘I love you.’

I love you.

P.s. I felt extra happy today so I want you to feel happy when you read this :)

Love, Jeonghan

You slammed your hand on the steering wheel, letting out a cry of pain. The crumpled paper in your hand, hot tears of anger and sadness freely falling like a waterfall. You hated yourself. You absolutely regret everything that you have ever done. Chan was right. You didn’t deserve Jeonghan. You didn’t deserve his time, love, patience; none of it. He was a man who just wanted to love and he wanted to show it. You hated yourself with your every being because you should have just followed your heart and taken the risk, but now you had to pay the price and pain of being selfish. This letter hurt more than anything because even though it was unintentional to make it seem like a goodbye letter, it really felt like one.

Why couldn’t you just let him love you? Why couldn’t you just let yourself love him?

You were too young and immature to love a man like Jeonghan or to be loved by a man like him. Like Chan said, you didn’t deserve it.

As you continued to cry in the car, you didn’t see the eyes watching you from the window of the house. The eyes felt sorrowful that they did this to you, but they can’t bear to watch their friend be in pain any longer.

The three have switched off everyday for the past month to make sure Jeonghan doesn’t try to get out of the house to see you. They needed a way to get Jeonghan to stop persuing for someone who doesn’t want to put in the same effort as he is willing to do.

“Jeonghan, you know it was for the best.” The man refused to look at the younger ones in front of him, “Jeonghan, please say something. I gave them the letter like you wanted.”

“Yeah, you did give them that. Except forgetting to tell them the fact that I’m not dead. It wasn’t a big accident and I made a promise to them that I will always find a way, but all of you stopped it!”

Mingyu ran his fingers through his hair, “Do you not see what they were doing to you? I get that they may have loved you, but if they were too scared to admit it, then they didn’t love you enough to tell you. You shouldn’t have to punish yourself for something that isn’t your fault because your letters say that you’re okay when you’re not.”

Jeonghan stood up from his seat, glaring hard at his friends, “Stop saying that,” His voice cracked, “please.”

Chan stood up, meeting him and putting his hands on his shoulders, “Jeonghan, you can make the same memories with someone who will give the same amount of effort as you.”

He heard the words the younger was saying, but it didn’t process at all because one thing that he knows for sure is that he won’t ever dance the same like he did with you.

“I can’t Chan. I love them.”

#seventeen #seventeen reactions #seventeen scenarios #seventeen oneshot #jeonghan #yoon jeonghan #escapewriter oneshot #pieces of love

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orthodoxydaily · 3 years

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Saints&Reading: Sat., Apr., 24, 2021

LAZARUS ATURDAY

by Archbishop Andrei (Rymarenko)

“In the same way we cry to Thee, O Conqueror of death: Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord” (Troparion (hymn) sung on Lazarus Saturday).

Great is this Holy Day, brothers and sisters! Just think of it, “Conqueror of death”! There have been many conquerors in the history of humanity: many gifted doctors have conquered many sicknesses, many military leaders have conquered tremendous armies, even entire countries. There have been conquerors of space such as the inventors of automobiles, airplanes; conquerors of distance — the inventors of the telephone, telegraph, and so on. But “Conqueror of death” — the whole world does not know of anyone else but Jesus Christ. He alone. Even the so-called “unbelieving world” cannot mention another name. No one among the most prominent people would ever even attempt to make such a claim. But He is, was, and will be — our Savior and our Lord.

During His historical evangelistic life He proved this in three instances: the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, the resurrection of the son of the widow of Nain, and here in today’s Gospel, the resurrection of Lazarus.

The death of the daughter of Jairus was a recent one. She died while Christ and her father were going to her. Even Christ called it slumber; but the people “laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And He put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise! And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and He commanded to give her meat” (Lk. 8:53-55).

In the case of the son of the widow of Nain, death, seemingly stronger, came into its own: the dead man had already been laid on the funeral bier. They had carried him not only from the house, but already through the city gates. In order to touch the bier, the Lord had to stop the carriers. And only then did He say, “Young man, I say unto thee, Arise! And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother” (Lk. 7:14-15).

And now Lazarus. The victory of death here was final, one hundred percent. Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. There was weeping, but no one had any hope of an instantaneous resurrection. Even one of the dead man’s sisters said to the Lord: “I know he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Even the Lord Himself, when He “saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,” and He wept. Finally He said, “Take ye away the stone.” Here, even the sister of the dead man could not contain herself and said to Him: “Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.” So the stone was removed from the tomb where the dead man was lying, and Christ cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth! And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go” (Jn. 11:17-44).

Besides physical death, there is mental death. Physical death is visible to everyone, but mental death is usually not noticeable to people. It is felt only by the dead person himself. Bishop Theophan the Recluse said much about this. Sometimes it happens that a sinful thought darts into your mind and awakens a sinful feeling, but the soul catches itself and calls to the Lord in repentance. And the Lord, as with the daughter of Jairus, will as if stretch out His hand and say, “Soul, arise!” And life will return to its joyous flow. But sometimes it happens that we do not catch ourselves in time and sin enters more deeply into our soul (like going out from the house) and the result will be full acceptance of the sin, and turmoil. But also here, by the prayers of our Mother, the Church of Christ, who cries before the Lord for her children, we can be alerted; and the Lord will tell us as He did the son of the widow of Nain: “Soul, I say unto thee, Arise!” This is salvation.

But what shall we do if sin completely enslaves our soul, as if covering it with a tombstone; and so day after day goes by and passions start to exude their sinful stench, just as with Lazarus? What should we do then? Well, then we need confession, the sacrament which Christ established after His Resurrection, when He said to His disciples, “Receive ye the Holy Spirit: Whose so ever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven” (Jn. 20:22-23). See how all this is reflected in the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus, on his own, could not go out from the tomb because it was blocked by a stone. He couldn’t even walk, because he was bound hand and foot with funeral bandages. And here Christ said to His disciples, “Loose him.” In application to us, this means that the Lord orders our clergy, who have received in the Sacrament of the Priesthood the gift of the Holy Spirit, to loose our sins. What joy!

And more: death is not the cause but only the result, the consequence of sin. And Christ is, first of all, the Conqueror of sin, and then along with it, the Conqueror of death. So let us triumph: “Hosanna in the highest!”

The Priest Martyr Antipas (92)

A disciple of the holy Apostle John the Theologian (Comm. 26 September), was bishop of the Church of Pergamum during the reign of the emperor Nero (54-68). During these times by order of the emperor, everyone who would not offer sacrifice to the idols lived under threat of either exile or execution. And then too on the island of Patmos (in the Aegean Sea) was imprisoned the holy Apostle John the Theologian – he to whom the Lord revealed the future judgements of the world and of Holy Church.

"And to the Angel of the Pergamum Church write: thus sayeth He having the sword sharp of both edges: I do know thine deeds, and that thou dost live there, where doth be the throne of Satan, and that thou dost cleave unto My Name nor didst renounce My faith even in those days, in which My slain faithful witness Antipas was amongst ye, where Satan dwelleth" (Rev. 2: 12-13).

By his personal example, firm faith and constant preaching about Christ, Saint Antipas began to sway the people of Pergamum from offering sacrifice to idols. The pagan priests reproached the bishop for turning the people away from their ancestral gods, and they demanded that he stop preaching about Christ and instead offer sacrifice to the idols. Saint Antipas calmly answered, that he was not about to serve the demon-gods, which flee before him who was but a mortal man; rather, it is the Lord Almighty that he worships and would continue to worship – the Creator of all, together with His Only‑Begotten and One-in-Essence Son and Holy Spirit. The pagan priests retorted, that their gods existed from of old, whereas Christ was not from of old and was crucified under Pontius Pilate as a criminal. The saint answered, that the pagan gods were the work of human hands and that everything said about them was filled with iniquities and vices. He steadfastly confessed his faith in the Son of God, incarnated of the MostHoly Virgin. The enraged pagan priests dragged the PriestMartyr Antipas to the temple of Artemis and threw him into a red-hot copper bullock, wherein usually they cast the sacrifices to the idols. In the red-hot furnace the priest-martyr prayed loudly to God, imploring to accept his soul and to fortify Christians in the faith. He expired to the Lord peacefully, as though asleep (+ c. 68). Christians by night took the body of the PriestMartyr Antipas, untouched by the fire, and with reverence they buried him at Pergamum. The tomb of the priest-martyr became a font of miracles and of healings from manifold sicknesses. Particular recourse to the PriestMartyr Antipas is made during times of tooth-ache.

John 11:1-45

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8 The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." 12 Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well." 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him. 16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." 17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You. 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." 28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."35 Jesus wept.36 Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" 37 And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" 38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."45Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

Hebrews 12:28-13:8

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them-those who are mistreated-since you yourselves are in the body also. 4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. 5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6 So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" 7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #ancientchristianity #originofchristianity #resurrection #spirituality

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ultraintrovertedgryffindor · 4 years

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The 100 AU

I just read the allegations of one of my favorite actors and I’m (de)pressed. I have no idea if I believe it myself, but if it’s true, then wtf and this dude needs a reality check fr 🙄

Anyway, I just wanted to write something that’ll make me feel better.

~~~~~~~~~~

(not my gif)

The years that went by were peaceful and happy, a big change from having to fight others and protect those that were friends, something Clarke was not used to. Of course, she missed her daughter and the friends she lost along the way to peace, but she was satisfied to know Madi was happy wherever transcendence was.

Everyone else seemed happy with their decision to stay behind with Clarke, she was thankful for them, and Picasso of course.

Just like “Lexa” said, no one had children, much to the dismay of Murphy and Emori, but they had each other.

Indra was the first to pass away, her being the eldest, but she died holding her daughter’s hand and everyone around her, she died loved. Even more years had to pass for the rest to pass away, Niylah being the first. It was just as painful, knowing they’d never see each other again, but everyone made sure to comfort the Grounder woman just like they did with Indra.

One by one, Clarke’s family left her, some two at a time (even in death, Murphy and Emori followed after one another). The last to leave Clarke was Raven. She noted that even in old age, the feisty mechanic looked beautiful, which she expressed to put a smile on her face one last time.

Clarke’s lip trembled as she felt Raven go stiff in her arms, a content expression on her face as her soul left her body.

There was no point in the “may we meet again’s”, not anymore, knowing that they wouldn’t. Clarke wondered if that how Jasper felt before Praimfaya.

Being an old woman, Clarke didn’t have the strength to give her friend a proper burial, but she still tried, but her frail body didn’t allow her.

Clarke slowly walked back to the beach, where she sat down on the shore to look out at the sky as was tradition after every death, but this time it was silent. She had no one to talk to about the recently passed friend, about different memories that would make her laugh. After Murphy and Emori died, the rest of the night was just conversation about how amazing they were as people, and how Murphy could make jokes at any moment and it would elicit laughter out of anyone.

Clarke looked to her right, where Raven would usually be, and frowned.

Clarke thought it was fitting. She arrived back on Earth first, she’d be the last one to leave. Yeah...it was pretty fitting.

Clarke knew she had a good life, it would end happily.

Clarke laid back on the sand, feeling the soft ground in between her fingers. She felt the Sun on her face, the trees just a few meters away, smelling the scent of wildflowers on the chill breeze. It was so beautiful. The ground, that was her dream, and she got to live her perfect dream to the very end.

“Clarke?”

Clarke opened her eyes, seeing the feisty mechanic that she saw die just moments ago softly smiling down at her. “Raven?”

“I knew you wouldn’t be too far behind.” Her smile grew wider.

Clarke looked her friend over, she looked just like she did in her twenties. “Where are we? Is this transcendence?”

Raven’s smile faltered slightly. “No. But we aren’t in Hell, that much I know.” Raven chuckled at Clarke’s confused face. “We’ve all been waiting for you.”

“Huh?”

Raven reached out her hand. “I’ll show you.”

Clarke stood up with Raven’s help, and she couldn’t help but gasp at the sight. The world around her was indescribable, she knew she could never find the right words to express how beautiful everything was. She never knew something could be more beautiful than Earth.

“Is this Heaven?”

Raven smirked. “It definitely feels that way, doesn’t it? We think it’s more like, the knockoff transcendence.” She chuckled. “I didn’t come up with that expression though, so I can’t take credit for that.”

“We?” The amount of questions Clarke had kept adding up by the second.

“Clarke. Relax.” Raven shook her friend’s shoulders slightly. “Everything’s okay. Now, come on, everyone’s getting impatient.”

Clarke huffed. “I would relax if I knew what the hell was going on.”

The two girls came up on a mansion, almost resembling Alie’s, but Clarke quickly ignored that thought.

When Raven opened the door, Clarke was instantly met with the smell of baked goods that made her mouth water instantly. The Latina led her to what she presumed was the kitchen, as the smell increased in intensity.

As soon as the girls walked in, Clarke was met with the booming sound of clapping and cheering. The sight almost made her sob then and there.

There in the middle of the kitchen with a pair of pink oven mitts was Murphy, holding a tray of freshly baked pastries, Emori right beside him wearing excited grins.

Gaia was sitting with her mother at the island opposite of the couple. Hope and Jordan were playing board games at one of the other tables. Niylah was leaning against the wall, she was obviously waiting for their arrival. Miller and Jackson were petting Picasso. Levitt was nowhere to be seen, but in his place next to Octavia was someone Clarke never thought she’d see again. Lincoln.

“There she is!” Murphy shouted much too loudly, causing everyone to laugh.

“How?” Clarke gaped. “How is this possible?”

“Clarke, what did I say? Relax!” Raven grinned, walking over to hug Echo who was just walking into the kitchen.

“Took you long enough.” Echo teased with a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth.

“Hey, princess.”

Clarke froze at the voice from behind her. Thick tears welled in her eyes as she instantly recognized the gruff voice. She didn’t have to turn around to know her best friend was standing behind her. From the look of everyone else’s faces, she knew. Murphy was the first one to shoo everyone out of the kitchen, even the dog. He knew they would need space.

“Clarke.”

Clarke knew she would have to face him eventually, so she forced herself to turn around, but she kept her eyes to the floor.

“Look at me.” He said softly.

Clarke shook her head, the movement forcing her tears to finally fall out of her eyes and landing on her boots. “I can’t...” She cried, the feeling of guilt weighing on her heart.

Clarke felt warm arms wrap around her shoulders, and she let out a shaky breath. “It’s okay.”

Clarke finally dared to look up, seeing his clean shaven face, his dark curly hair framing his face. He looked like the same boy who pulled the level with her at Mount Weather.

“Bellamy...I’m so sorry.” Clarke starting full on sobbing.

Bellamy smiled softly. “You have nothing to apologize for, Clarke.”

“I...I killed you.”

“You had to, to save Madi.”

Clarke shook her head. “I didn’t save her. She ended up dying anyway.” She sobbed.

Bellamy caressed Clarke’s hair, pulling her in for another hug. “You still did the right thing. I was dangerous. I was too brainwashed to think about anything else. If I was in your place...I wouldn’t done the same thing for Octavia.” Bellamy pulled away to wipe the tears from her face. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything. Everything’s okay now. We don’t have to worry about anything anymore.”

Clarke’s sobs finally stopped, and she felt better now that Bellamy was here and didn’t blame her.

Bellamy smiled. “There’s someone else that wants to see you.”

Clarke tilted her head in confusion. “There is?”

“Go on up the stairs and down the hall, second door to the left.” Bellamy instructed, shooing his best friend away.

The house was huge, so Clarke repeated to herself what Bellamy said. Second door to the left...

The door was already slightly ajar. Clarke felt a pit in her stomach. She wondered who could be possibly waiting for her. After seeing Bellamy again, who knows? She thought of her Mom...maybe she would finally see her mother again...or Madi.

The door groaned as it was pushed open, alerting the person inside of Clarke’s presence.

Clarke gasped. Just when she thought she was done crying for the day, the tears welled up once again. She almost didn’t recognize the woman in her casual looking attire, so used to seeing her in her Heda outfit with her typical war paint. But she was just as beautiful as the day she last saw her.

“Hello, Clarke.” Lexa smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~

don’t mind me, just crying my eyes out over what could’ve been. i want dead 😭

#The 100 #the 100 au #bellarke #clexa

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musicofglassandwords · 5 years

Text

The Past: Part One

we are now beginning a series about five hundred years before the time The Vanished Kingdom actually takes place, where the guardians are still the same age they look.

we’re going to go on the journey with them as they discover their powers and learn to work together, because contrary to popular belief, they didn’t always get along :P

Also, these snippets are totally not going to be in chronological order, so please keep that in mind.

For this particular one, the guardians came into being during a time when the skylals were the cause of a war between Valon Taivas and several other countries, which led to a lot of animosity between the skylals and their people.

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“A wedding?” Sahrina asked, stepping into Ella’s room, “What was Violet thinking?”

The blond girl looked up from her bureau, quickly knotting the sash around her soft white dress, and picking up a brush.

“I’m not sure,” Ella frowned, her expression a perfect mirror of the annoyance and confusion in Rina’s tone, “Violet said that they asked us to preside there, right? And then Prince says we have to go, because since they’re inviting the whole city and it will encourage support between the skylals and the Sources.”

“Who’s getting married anyway?” Rina jumped as the sound of Valera’s high voice came from the inside of Ella’s closet.

“Two of the skylals, Henna and Taik,” Ella said, picking up the invitation on her desk and handing it to Rina.

“The thing is that we have support, it’s the other skylals who need to face it up,” Valera said stepping out of the closet in nothing but her underclothes.

"We have to leave soon, hurry up, Val,” Ella said, “Are you ready, Sahr?”

The seven of them had been together for about a year and a half now, and Ella had grown far more comfortable with them. She was grateful to Violet to not keeping her away form her family and the ability to live a normal life, but even so. Being a guardian was far more difficult than she had originally thought.

“I am,” Rina spun around, dark green skirts shading down to black at the hem, “Do you need help with your hair?”

“Please,” Ella sat down on her bed, and Rina started to braid half of her blond hair into a crown. “What are you wearing, Val?”

“This, probably,” she held out an elegant amber gown, “Can I borrow your heels, Ell?”

“Go ahead,” she nodded peaceably, as Val slipped the dress on and started to violently brush her hair. “Are the boys almost done?”

“I saw Violet scolding them in the hallway a minute ago,” Rina said, her mouth screwed up as she tried to smooth down Ella’s hair, “So probably?”

“I heard Prince scolding Seth about not bringing weapons,” Valera added, “I have a feeling that he’s not going to listen though.”

“Finished.” Rina gave the braid a little pat, and smoothing her own hair as the girls made their way down the rickety stairs to the living room where Violet was shouting at Seth.

“Someone tell Seth that he can’t bring weapons to the wedding,” she said turning to the girls, tripping and almost knocking the small table in the living room over. Her deep purple outfit had skirts that were slightly too long for her small frame.

“You look very nice, Vi,” Ella said cheerfully, glancing warily at Seth who was glaring at Violet, a dagger in his left hand. Violet sent the other girls to fetch Prince, while trying to snatch the dagger out of Seth’s grip.

“It’s better to be prepared,” he argued, easily dodging her lunges.

“You have your spirit weapon,” she scolded, “that’s plenty.”

Ella shook her head, and grinned at Kyran who was lounging on the sofa across the room, his suit already rumpled, half of the buttons fastened in the wrong holes.

“You look pretty, Ella,” he said simply, sitting up, “Also, when are we supposed to leave, because at the rate things are going, we’re going to be hours late?”

“Soon,” she patted his head, “You look very handsome except you also look like a mess.”

“Hey, I tried,” he said indignantly, “I’ve never had an opportunity to wear these kind of clothes before.”

Ella considered his outfit for a moment, remembering how she had seen her mother help her father suit up when he had to go meet with the merchants.

“Here, stand up,” she said, and when he rose obediently, she started to put his buttons back into heir appropriate holes. After tucking in his collar and straightening his sleeves, she stared at his hair very pointedly.

“Fine, I’ll get a brush,” he said, disappearing in a puff of smoke just as the rest of the guardians came down.

Seth immediately burst into laughter, pointing at Prince, who glared icily back at him. His crisp dark suit was punctured with smoking, ragged holes exposing his white undershirt.

“Why are you laughing?” Rina asked confusedly, while Violet took this opportunity to snatch the knife away.

“He looks ridiculous!” Seth choked, falling back onto the floor, as an amber-haired boy inched his way out from the crowded entry way to stand next to Ella. She grinned up at Nato, who was neat and impeccable as usual. “He looks like thrown into the fire!”

“No,” Valera said in a matter of fact tone, “He accidentally exploded something in his room.”

“Not again!” Violet wailed, rushing to his side, and investigating the ruins of his clothing. “How many times have we talked about this!

“It’s not a big deal,” Prince said, pushing away his sister, and snapping his fingers, restoring his suit in a ripple of pale purple light.

“Are we finally ready to go?” Ella asked, as Kyran reappeared his hair properly brushed.

“Give us another few hours,” Valera rolled her eyes, “We might be almost pulled together by then.”

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

The wedding venue was in shades of spring, swathes of fine Duya silk that must have been traded for before the Age of Apathy shimmered in the air. The bride and groom stood in the front of the venue as Violet marched the guardians to their seats.

Marriages in Valon Taivas usually took place on bridges, as a sign of bloodlines joining together by the bond of marriage, and the guests were always seated on both sides. The vows began, and Ella watched, enraptured.

She loved weddings.

A few minutes later out of the corner of her eye, she saw Seth’s head lolling to the side with his eyes closed, and Kyran punching him in the arm. Seth’s jolted awake, his eyes flashing and he sighed loudly as if annoyed that the ceremony wasn’t yet over.

“Do you believe in the hope of a better future for us and our kin?” The bride and groom were currently asking the traditional set of questions that were supposed to be spoken between them before they were officially married.

“Yes,” Henna smiled radiantly, and Rina passed Valera a handkerchief, as the petite red-head was weeping openly.

“Do you–“ Henna was cut off as a Source ran up the bridge, which was considered sacred ground during a wedding. Her eyes were red, but her mouth was tight and drawn, and she was holding a slender sword.

It gleamed in the sun, deadly and intent on its target.

The Source said nothing as she lunged towards the skylals, the metal cutting deep into Taika’s long cape. Henna pulled Taika to her side, her eyes shining with a brilliant light, as she summoned her power, but before anything could happen, the Source cried out, buckling down.

A dagger protruded from the arm of the Source, and a second one followed sinking deep into her leg. Dark crimson carved its way down the Source’s pale arm, and she sobbed out loud, still scrambling towards the skylals, her sword dangling limply in her free hand.

Screaming began, and Rina rose, shaking a little, especially when she saw her parents in the audience. Violet nodded at the slender girl, and Rina took a deep breath, her eyes glowing.

She pressed a finger to her lips, and green light emanated from her, calming the audience slightly, their words quieter and less harsh.

But Seth was undeterred.

“DID YOU SEE THAT?” he hollered, and in the crowd, Ella could see his aunt standing stiffly, while his older cousins buried their faces in their hands from embarrassment. “THAT PEFECT SHOT!”

“SETH!” Violet yanked him down, “How could you do that? I told you not to bring weapons.”

“Well, I didn’t care,” he sneered, pumping his fist, right before Kyran punched him in the lower neck. he dropped to the ground like a stone, his eyes rolling back in his head.

“You are welcome,” Kyran said sitting back down, and smoothing down his hair. “Rina, care to go help them out?”

“I’ll go too,” Ella said, her heart aching for the poor bride and groom. Kyran snagged the edges of both their sleeves and the disappeared and reappeared on the bridge, where the families of both were already gathered, picking u the Source, who alternately snarled, sobbed, and screamed at the skylals.

“Shh,” Rina said gently, pressing a hand to her temple, and the young woman stilled, and Kyran set to work removing Seth’s daggers from her body, as Rina healed the gaping wounds.

“I’m sorry,” Ella turned to the skylals, “You ought to continue with the ceremony. We can take care of this.”

Henna and Taik just looked at her, and nodded, shaking the slightest bit. Kyran disappeared along with Rina with the body, and Ella ushered everyone back to their seats. But there was still one more disturbance to take care of.

Seth’s Aunt Tarla had marched over to them and was shaking him and screaming at him.

Seth was still unconscious.

“How could you do that and make such a scene!” she bellowed at him, yanking at him cruelly, “You are disgracing this House, your parents would be terribly ashamed.”

Seth’s parents had died three years ago, and his aunt had overtaken the legacy of the House of Arenciel instead of Seth himself, deeming him too young to take up the duties as the head. So Seth had run away, relying on his unwieldy powers to help him survive.

“You’re going to give him severe brain damage,” Ella turned gratefully, to find her mother standing there, gently pulling Seth away from his aunt.

“Asta,” Ella said with relief, giving her a quick hug, “Where’s Ba?”

“Trying to keep Sahrina’s parents calm.” She took Taka’s arm, and escorted her back to her seat, after giving Ella a kiss.

“Please continue,” Violet said loudly, glaring around the venue, “Right now!”

A half hours later, the ceremony had concluded, and Prince was sending of streaks of brilliant purple light into the air as the newlyweds kissed and descended down the bridge.

Prince ushered them towards the courtyard where the food and dancing were to begin. The Source had been detained and Violet was currently talking to her, but she’d instructed the guardians to enjoy themselves for the rest for the night.

The sky was darkening to a sunset of gold, rose and blood-red, a gorgeous sky for a gorgeous night.

Slipping between the crowds of silken skirts, Ella searched for the rest of the guardians who had mysteriously disappeared. Stopping by a long table of food to take a glass of star cider, she felt someone yank on the edge of her skirt.

Laughing silently as she looked around to make sure no one was watching, she slipped underneath the table cloth to find the six other guardians grinning mischievously at her. An orb of orange light lit up their faces alone with what looked like an entire table’s worth of food.

“Good wedding,” Seth said approvingly, his mouth full.

“For you maybe,” Kyran said, his head almost completely bowed over as he tried not to hit his head on the table, “How do always keep weapons on you?”

Seth looked at Kyran solemnly and handed him a fruit tart as Nato and Valera bickered over the charka, flaky honey-drizzled pastry.

Rina was already nearly asleep, her head on Prince’s shoulder, her lips stained with the bright red of raspberry pudding. Looking up, Prince caught her eye, his eyes haunting in the light, and his mouth quirked up in half a smile.

It’s going to be a long life, Ella thought to herself, but with the others, perhaps it won’t be as bad as I think.

I already love them all.

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Tagging: @lmorasey, @nomadian-novelist, @onthewingsofwords, @feathered-quill, @stories-by-rie @sunlight-and-starskies, @coffeeandcommas @notquitenovelist @whatwasmyprevioususername @writingqueensworld @feathered-inkling @extraisthmus @drowsy-quill @fictional-semantics @dowings @half-explored @writinginrosecoloredglasses @andiwriteunderthemoon @whimsicallytwisted @saxoniowrites @wordsofpaintandsmoke @peggydreadful @a-taleteller @blackcat1400 @cilly-musouka

#the vanished kingdom #writing #my writing #writeblr #violetvineyard #fantasy #the past #ella

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frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 4 years

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9th August >> Fr. Martin’s Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Matthew 14:22-33 for Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A: ‘It is I! Do not be afraid’.

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus walks on the water

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. ‘It is a ghost’ they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’ It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’

Gospel (USA)

Matthew 14:22–33

Command me to come to you on the water.

After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone. Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore, was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost, ” they said, and they cried out in fear. At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” After they got into the boat, the wind died down. Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”

Reflections (5)

(i) Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I like the opening lines of an old Breton fisherman’s prayer, ‘Your sea, O God, is so great, my boat so small’. President John F. Kennedy loved those lines. They were inscribed on a plaque he had on his desk in the White House. Those lines express our smallness before the vastness of God’s creation. As a fisherman’s prayer, they speak of his vulnerability before the powerful and unpredictable sea. We are all aware of the unpredictability of life itself and our own vulnerability before forces that we cannot control. The Covid pandemic has helped to bring that home to us. A friend of mine who had been confined to bed for many years with a serious disease before she died had a poster on her wall which read, ‘Life is fragile; handle with prayer’. She knew from experience life’s unpredictability and her own smallness and powerless before it. She was also a woman of extraordinary faith and prayer.

I was reminded of the opening words of that Breton fisherman’s prayer by the scene in today’s gospel reading. There we find the disciples in a small, frail, boat, struggling with a heavy sea and a strong headwind. The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by hills and strong winds can come down the valleys and stir up the sea. In all sorts of ways we can all find ourselves struggling with a heavy sea and a strong headwind. We sense our frailty and vulnerability; the odds against us seem stronger than our resources. In today’s second reading, Paul seems to be speaking out of that kind of overwhelming situation. He says, ‘my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish is endless’. What was threatening to engulf him was the realization that his own Jewish people, in whom he took such pride, were rejecting Jesus as their long awaited Messiah. He felt helpless before their refusal to believe and he almost sank under the weight of it all. Those we love and cherish don’t always take a path we believe would be life-giving for them. Our sense of helplessness before such a situation can cause us great anguish and sorrow. It can threaten to drag us down.

As the disciples in today’s gospel reading struggled with the elements, they may have wondered, ‘Where is Jesus?’ He was the one who had made them get into the boat and sail across the sea to the other shore. The answer to their question was ‘Jesus was praying’. Having sent his disciples across the sea in a boat, he went up into the hills to pray. He was alone in prayer, and, yet, his prayer did not remove him from his disciples. While praying, he became aware of their struggle in their small boat with the great sea, and he came to them in their struggle. In our own struggles with what life can throw up, we can find ourselves asking, ‘Where is the Lord?’ At such times the Lord is never far from us. In his letter to the Romans, Paul speaks of Jesus as one ‘who is at the right hand of God interceding for us’. It is reassuring to think that the Lord is always praying for us. He is prayerfully present to us in our struggles, as he was prayerfully present to the disciples as their boat was tossed about. When the disciples first had a sense of the Lord’s physical presence to them in the storm, they thought he was a ghost, and they were terrified. Yet, there is nothing ghostly about the Lord’s presence to us. It is not the kind of presence that generates fear. His presence to us at those moments when we sense our frailty is always a supportive, loving presence, and, as Saint John says in one of his letters, ‘perfect love casts out fear’. Even after we have become aware of the Lord’s presence, we can still feel ourselves sinking. Like Peter in the gospel reading, having called out to the Lord, we begin to lose sight of him again and we sense that we are going under. At such times, all we can do is to pray the prayer of Peter, ‘Lord! Save me!’. We have all prayed a version of that prayer. It is a prayer out of the depths. One of the psalms in the Old Testament begins, ‘Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord! Lord, hear my voice!’ The gospel reading suggests that this is a prayer the Lord will always answer. As he did for Peter, the Lord will put out his hand and hold us.

A question that today’s gospel reading prompts us to ask is, ‘What keeps me afloat when life is a struggle?’ We could answer that question in different ways – our family, good friends. As people of faith we would add, ‘knowing that the Lord walks with us on the stormy waters, which he alone can calm’. The Lord comes to us in the noisy, tumultuous, storm, but today’s first reading suggests that he also comes to us in the calm, in what the reading calls, ‘the sound of a gentle breeze’. The Lord whispers to us in silence. If we can learn to hear him whispering in the silence, we will become more attuned to his powerful voice in the storm.

And/Or

(ii) Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We all need to take time out from our day to day routine. We need to find ways to relax from time to time. Different people relax in different ways. One of the ways I relax is by walking, either on my own or with someone. Walking has its own rhythm, and it can take you out of other rhythms that can be experienced as stressful. I am not a very adventurous walker. Steep climbs through difficult terrain are not my idea of a relaxing walk. I prefer reasonably level ground that is firm under foot, whether that be in a city, in a pleasing landscape or along by the sea. Others prefer more of a challenge when they go walking. They head for the hills, and the higher and steeper the better.

In today’s gospel reading, Peter goes one better than most in terms of being adventurous. He steps out of his boat and begins to walk towards Jesus across the water. Walking on water is not something any of us would attempt. We need solid ground under us, even if it is steep solid ground. Yet, at a more symbolic level, Peter’s walking on water can be an image of our lives from time to time. There are times in our lives when we can feel that the ground on which we stand is not all that solid. We often use expressions related to walking or standing to express this. We sometimes say, for example, ‘I’m not sure of my ground’ or ‘I don’t know where I stand’, when we are perplexed or confused about something. You hear people saying that it was like ‘walking on egg shells’ to describe a difficult conversation or meeting that they had with someone. Others speak about feeling as if the rug was pulled from under them to describe some deeply hurtful experience. Most of the time, we try to avoid these kind of experiences that leave us feeling vulnerable. We often feel the urge to seek out solid ground and stay there at all costs.

Yet, there are times when we may need to step off our solid ground onto something that appears less secure. In the gospel reading, in response to Peter’s invitation, Jesus called Peter to step out of the boat and to come towards him across the water. Surely it would have been safer for Peter to stay in the boat, even if the sea was rough and the wind was strong. Why would Peter want to step out of the relative safety of his boat and to walk towards Jesus, and why would Jesus encourage him to do so, calling on him to ‘come’? Was this not a little foolhardy? Perhaps the evangelist is reminding us through this story that following Jesus, walking after him or towards him, will sometimes mean stepping out of our boat, the place where we feel relatively secure, and launching out into the deep, as it were. Paul is a very good example of that. He was very secure in his Jewish religion, In today’s second reading, he speaks of his brothers of Israel in very emotional tones. Yet, in response to the Lord’s call, he left the security of the Jewish tradition, where he was completely at home, and he headed out into something that must have seemed much less secure. Paul stepped out of the boat, like Peter, in response to the Lord’s call.

Today’s gospel reading invites us to reflect on the ways that the Lord may be calling us to take some new step in our relationship with him. When it comes to our faith, to our relationship with the Lord, it can be tempting to stay put, to keep to what we know, to hold on to what is familiar to us. Yet, the Lord is always calling us to ‘come’; he is constantly inviting us to grow in our relationship with him, to offer ourselves to him in new ways, to step out of our familiar boat and to test the water, so to speak. The Lord’s call to ‘come’ will take different forms for different people. It may be an invitation to grow in our understanding of our faith through reading, reflection and study, or to use our gifts in a new way within the parish community. It might take the form of a call to become more prayerful, more attuned to the gentle breeze of the Lord’s voice, referred to in today’s first reading, or a call to take some step to become reconciled with someone from whom we have been estranged for a long time.

When we respond to that call of the Lord, when we step out into a new domain, our experience can be a little like that of Peter in the gospel reading. We might sense that we are now out of our depth; we can begin to feel that we are sinking. We wonder why we ever left the boat in the first place, why we did not just stay put. Today’s gospel reading, however, assures us that whenever we respond to the Lord’s invitation to ‘come’, he will be there to support us when the journey becomes difficult. Even when we show ourselves to be people of little faith along the way and begin to doubt him, the Lord does not loose faith in us. He will hear us when we cry out to him, ‘Lord save me’, and he will reach out to hold us firm and prevent us from sinking. The one who calls us to journey towards him does not then leave us to our own devices when we respond to his call. He journeys with us, and if we keep turning towards him, we too, like Peter and the disciples, will find ourselves exclaiming, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God’.

And/Or

(iii) Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We can use a great variety of expressions to refer to people who take on more than they are able for. We speak of someone biting off more than they can chew, or of someone going out on a limb. Any of us can find ourselves in that situation. We stretch ourselves too far and come bang up against our limitations, and then we have to make some readjustments. However, in many ways it is better to stretch too far and discover our limitations than not to have stretched ourselves sufficiently and, so, never to have really discovered the extent of our abilities. It can be better to have striven for something without gaining it than never to have striven for it at all, because it is often in the striving, more than in the attaining, that we learn and receive most.

In stepping out of the boat to walk towards Jesus, Peter, in a sense, overreached himself. In the midst of a storm, Jesus had come towards Peter and the other disciples across the lake of Galilee. Now Peter wanted to come towards Jesus across that same lake. Surely what Jesus did, he Peter could also do. However, he had no sooner set out on that precarious journey than he faltered. Feeling the force of the wind, fear took hold of him, and he began to sink. We perhaps fine it easy to identify with Peter in this scene. The image of Peter sinking beneath the waves can perhaps speak to us in a variety of ways. We have all known our own versions of that sinking feeling. We start out on some journey, some enterprise, with great enthusiasm, and before long we reach the point where problems threaten to overwhelm us. When Peter reached that point, his immediate response was to pray. ‘Lord, save me!’ is the prayer of a desperate person. It is the prayer of all of us from time to time. Peter instinctively realized that he needed help from outside himself if his sinking was to be reversed, and he knew that such help could and would come from the Lord. In our own desperate situations, we can find ourselves resorting to prayer, the kind of prayer that Peter prayed, ‘Lord, save me!’. Even if we do not have the habit of regular prayer, we will reach for that prayer of Peter when we sense that we are falling beneath the waves. We can be assured that we will experience the same response from Jesus that Peter received, ‘Jesus put out his hand at once and held him’. The prayer of the desperate person does not go unanswered. When we cannot hold ourselves, the Lord will hold us if we reach out towards him.

At the beginning of the gospel reading, we are given a picture of Jesus going up into the hills by himself to pray. While Jesus was praying among the hills, his disciples were struggling out on the lake. It was out of his prayer that Jesus came towards his struggling disciples. Jesus’ prayer did not remove him from his disciples; it made him more aware of their plight. Jesus was praying for his struggling disciples, and his prayer for them made him present to them. The risen Lord is praying for all of us. St Paul in his letter to the Romans speaks of Jesus as one who ‘is at the right hand of the Father, who, indeed, intercedes for us’. The Lord is always praying for us, and, out of that prayer for us he is always present to us, especially when we find ourselves struggling with a strong headwind, like the disciples in the boat. The Lord’s praying for us is always prior to our prayer to him. Before we cry out in prayer, ‘Lord, save me’, the Lord has been prayerfully present to us. Our prayer then is not a desperate effort to catch the attention of someone whose attention is elsewhere. Rather, it is an opening of ourselves to the Lord’s prayerful and attentive presence to us.

The Lord who is present to us in the storms of life is, of course, equally present to us in the calm of life. In the first reading, Elijah experienced the Lord’s coming, not in the great wind or in the earthquake or in the fire, but, rather, in the sound of a gentle breeze. In a very hot climate, a gentle breeze can be wonderfully invigorating, just as strong wind at sea can be terrifying. The Lord is with us in those gentle, quiet times when we feel very much alive and at peace, just as much as in those disturbed times when we feel we are sinking. Our prayer will be different in those quiet and peaceful times. It will be like the prayer of the disciples in the gospel reading, after the storm had passed. We are told that they bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God’. The earlier desperate prayer of petition had given way to the quiet prayer of wonder and awe in God’s presence. That kind of prayer too can be part of all of our lives. It is the prayer of recognition, a form of prayer that very often needs no words at all.

And/Or

(iv) Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

We have all known discouragement in the course of our lives. We attempt something and it doesn’t work out for us. The efforts we put into something seems to give very little return. We hear a lot of negative comments about ourselves or what we are engaged in. For all sorts of reasons we can find ourselves loosing heart. When that happens, it can be a struggle to summon up the energy to engage with the day to day tasks of life. Elijah the prophet finds himself in that kind of a space in today’s first reading. He had been meeting with a great deal of opposition in the course of his work of proclaiming God’s word, in particular from the wife of the king of Israel, Jezebel. His reaction was to take flight and to head out into the wilderness. Eventually he came to the holy mountain, Mount Horeb. There he had an experience of the Lord, not in the wind or the earthquake or the fire, but in what today’s first reading calls a ‘gentle breeze’. It was in that moment of stillness that Elijah found the courage to head back into the work that the Lord had asked him to do. Very often the circumstances of our lives do not allow us to head off into the wilderness or towards some holy mountain. Yet, we can all find moments of stillness in our lives and where the Lord can speak to us. It is in such moments that we can bring our weakness to the Lord and experience his strength. We may find such moments of stillness in a church, or perhaps walking by ourselves along by the sea or in some park or other. These are moments when we can turn to the Lord in our hearts and say in the words of the response to today’s psalm, ‘Let us see, O Lord, your mercy and give us your saving help’.

If Elijah was discouraged in the first reading, Paul expresses great sadness in the second reading. He is sad because his own people, the people of Israel, have not welcomed the gospel. Paul understood himself to be the apostles to the Gentiles, but his hope was always that the people of Israel would hear the gospel and accept Jesus as the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. However, by the time he wrote the letter to the Romans it was becoming clear to him that this was not likely to happen, at least to any great extent. He had a great sadness of heart about this, as he says in that reading. ‘my sorrow is so great, my mental anguish so endless’. We can often find ourselves sad for similar reasons to Paul. We want something for others that we know will serve them well and yet they do not seem open to it. We make a gift to someone, perhaps the gift of our friendship, and it is not received. We realize that for all our good intentions towards the person, we are helpless before the mysterious exercise of their freedom. If we care about the person deeply that can leave us sad. Parents can be saddened by their apparent inability to pass on to their children the gift of faith which has meant so much to them in their lives. As such times we simply have to live with that sense of helplessness that Paul experienced before his own people. We have to leave matters in God’s hands and trust that God will work in the lives of those we seem incapable of reaching in spite of our best efforts. This was Paul’s own eventual response to his frustration with his own people. He simply surrendered himself to the mysterious workings of God. ‘O the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God... how inscrutable his ways’.

If Elijah is struggling with discouragement and Paul with sadness, in the gospel reading the disciples, and, in particular, Peter, are struggling with doubt, as powerful forces threaten to destroy them. The gospel reading says that the disciples in the boat were ‘struggling with a heavy sea, for there was a headwind’. Then as Peter started walking towards Jesus, ‘as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he began to sink’. Jesus addresses him as a man of little faith, and asks why he doubted. At certain times we too can sense that we are battling with a headwind. Like Peter, we may even have a sense of ourselves as sinking beneath the waves. Like Peter, we might feel as if we are losing our faith. In the gospel reading, the Lord came towards his battling disciples in the boat, and he put out his hand and held Peter as he was sinking. The gospel is telling us that when our faith seems weak, because of the storms and waves that threaten us, the Lord is there to keep our faith alive. When we cry out like Peter, ‘Lord! Save me!’, we can be sure of a response. A more elaborate version of Peter’s prayer is traditionally associated with Saint Brendan, ‘Help me, O God, for my boat is so small and your sea is so great’. That is a prayer we can all make to the Lord in the assurance that it will be heard.

And/Or

(v) Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

I always think it is a great shame to see churches closed during the day. Our own church is open every day until 6.00 pm at the earliest. Not a great deal happens in the church from mid morning onwards. Yet, people are constantly coming into the church to pray. They kneel or sit in silence; they light at candle at one of the shrines. The church is a place of peace and quiet in the midst of the busyness of life. To step into the parish church during the day is to step into a space where the rhythm of life is different. The Lord is present to us in the Blessed Sacrament which is contained within the church’s tabernacle. The silence of the church invites us to enter into that presence in a very personal way. It calls us to share our hearts with the Lord present to us in the Eucharist.

I was reminded of that role the parish church plays in our lives by this morning’s first reading. Elijah fled to Mount Horeb from the murderous anger of Jezebel, the wife of the king of Israel. On the mountain, Elijah experienced a mighty wind, an earthquake and fire. These were traditional ways in which the Lord was understood to be present to his people. However, Elijah sensed that the Lord was not present to him in any of these extraordinary phenomena. There came the sound of a gentle breeze and it was in that sound that Elijah immediately sensed the presence of God. The ‘sound of a gentle breeze’ is often translated as ‘the sound of sheer silence’. In that gentle, wordless, sound that Elijah heard the Lord call out to him. He experienced God not in the loud statements of nature, but in nature’s silence.

It can be very difficult to find spaces and times of silence in our busy world. It is even more difficult than it used to be because of the tremendous expansion of social networking. Yet, we all need silence in our lives, and as followers of the Lord, we need the kind of silence that is charged with the Lord’s presence, the kind of silence that you often find in a church. The silence of our own particular parish church during the day has a special quality to it. Our church is nearly one hundred and eighty years old. The generations of people who have prayed here over those years has given the silence a special prayerful quality. We sense the Lord is near to us in this place.

During his short public ministry, Jesus was constantly approached by people in need. The day was never long enough for the work that came his way. Yet, he regularly sought out times and places of silence so that he could be nourished by his Father’s presence to him. This is what we find Jesus doing at the beginning of this morning’s gospel reading. He had just spent the day with a huge multitude in the wilderness. Afterwards, our gospel reading tells, he headed off by himself into the hills to pray. He sought out that sound of silence which touched Elijah so deeply, just as we might call into our parish church in the course of our day. Our time of silent prayer alone before the Lord does not cut us off from others; it does not turn us in on ourselves in any unhealthy way. Indeed, when we go to some silent place to prayer, people invariably flood into our hearts and minds. We find ourselves praying not only for ourselves but for others, lighting a candle for them perhaps. In a similar way, when Jesus went off by himself to pray in this morning’s gospel reading, he soon became aware of his disciples who at that very time were struggling in a boat on the lake, battling with a heavy sea and a headwind. As he opened himself to God’s presence on the mountain top, he became aware of his distressed disciples on the sea. Genuine prayer does not isolate us or remove us from others.

Out of his prayer, Jesus came to his struggling disciples, reassuring them with his words, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid’, and keeping a firm grip on Peter as he felt himself slip beneath the waves. The disciples discovered that the Lord was present to them in the storm. The Lord is present to all of us in the storms of life as much as in the calm of life. Sometimes when the storms of life batter us, like Peter we focus on the storm and lose sight of the Lord and we sense ourselves going under. Yet, the Lord never loses sight of us and is always there to hold us when we need him. Our attentiveness to the Lord in the calm of life, in the sound of silence, will help us to recognize his presence more easily in the storms of life.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

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arthur-his-hat · 5 years

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modern-day dad!arthur :

SFW

jesus he literally LOVES having his kids friends over for play dates

he likes being able to make his kids little snacks like pigs in a blanket and all that— but mostly he likes making them happy :-))

he has a two sons and a daughter. his youngest is one of the sons, he’s in elementary school and his best friend is ALWAYS over.

as arthur’s S/O, you’ll have to put up with his constantly panicking over whether or not he’s a good dad and lemme tell ya

he is

he never puts ANYTHING over his children. he’s always making sure they’re happy, healthy, and flurousing.

you and arthur don’t punish your kids for having bad grades, you punish them for not trying.

your oldest son has a little bit of trouble with his grades but it isn’t bc he doesn’t try rlly hard it’s just bc he’s one of those people that just doesn’t learn easily

arthur helps him with his homework whenever he needs help

your daughter is the oldest, she’s in high school and she’s actually valedictorian for her senior year !!!! a lot of that has to do with the fact that you and arthur encourage your kids to be happy :-))) so she works hard to live up to that

okay so arthur has a pickup truck we have ALL established that, so when the kids are at their friends houses or whatever you and arthur lay blankets down in the bed of the truck and watch the stars

arthur likes to hold your hand and talk about what it was like when he was growing up, how hard it was

he never imagined he would be as happy as he is. he always thought that he would end up in prison or on the street

you always hold his hand when y’all are out— you could be grocery shopping and just slip your hand into his

HE SMILES EVERY FUCKING TIME AH

arthur literally adores having family photos taken of you guys bc he loves to keep them around the house

that’s a normal thing to have pictures of your family in your house— but he just really likes seeing them

sometimes he has bad days and he just walks around the house to look at the pictures and it makes him happier

can’t really cook for shit but you help him

you guys are that couple that literally make dinner together

like you get everything out and divide up the work and sometimes you have to help arthur but that’s okay

eventually he gets really good at cooking and low key surpasses you which is okay lol bc it makes him happy

he can cook the hell out of some steak seriously this man has some barbecue skills that are unheard of

SPEAKING OF BABRECUES

he loves them

he lives in a neighborhood with john and abigale and jack and charles and they always have barbecues on the weekend

charles makes really good potato boats

and abigale makes really good homemade bread so she brings it :-)

john cant cook for shit so they don’t let him near the grill

the best part about arthur being a dad is probably him loving his kids unconditionally

his oldest daughter credits her valedictorian speach to arthur

he cries when she graduates

he cries when she goes to college

he CRIES WHEN SHE GRADUATES FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL SO HARD HES SO PROUD OF HER OMG

he’s proud of his oldest son too omg bc he becomes a drama STAR in high school like he gets all the male leads it makes arthur so happy

his youngest son comes out to you and arthur as gay when he gets into 7th grade and arthur is confused as to why his son was panicking over telling y’all bc he’s like “idgaf who you love as long as ur happy”

literally super open minded

not to turn this whole thing gay but his daughter is bi and married a woman in the future yay :-)

NSFT

lots and lots of quiet sex like seriously

y’all intentionally have the room furthest away from your kids rooms so you could still have sex when they’re home

don’t get me wrong i totally get sub!arthur and everything but arthur is mainly a dom on this blog sorry i’ll still write for sub!arthur if it’s requested

arthur likes to tie you up a lot fr

he grins a lot during sex it’s funny lol bc he’ll be on top of you giving you the fucking of your life and he’ll just be grinning the entire time thinking ab how lucky he is to have u

IT DOWSNT MATTER OF UR A BOY OR A GIRL OR NEITHER OR BOTH HES GONNA DI C K U DO W N

he likes getting oral almost as much as he likes giving tbh

his favorite position is cowgirl bc he likes to see your face but he always like to clearly see where you are connected mmhm he’s one of those

HATES quickies

on weekends in the morning he fucks you lazilly and in a spooning position bc he probably woke up hard spooning u anyway so yeah

really likes when u ride him

RLLY LIKES WHEN YOU BEG

a dark side of him likes when you cry because he’s edged you for so long

but the soft side of him doesn’t give a damn about cuffs, rope, choking, all those different positions

he just wants soft missionary sex where you tell him you love him and grip his arms for dear life

really wants to show you he loves you unconditionally

side note hIS KIDS CANT CALL HIM DADDY BC OT MAKES HIM CRINGE BC U CALL HIM DADDY AND HE KINDA L I K E S I T

so his kids call him pop or dad and papa or something like that bc he can’t do the whole “my kids call me daddy” thing

but yeah

scratch his back when he fucks u in missionary he mELTS

call his name against his ear he’ll shiver bc he loves it sm

will blow your back out as per request

seriously is an ass man don’t @ me

if u don’t have a big booty he doesn’t give a damn bc it’s still a booty

he still wants to grab it and he still wants to touch it and he still wants to slap it

LOVESLOVESLOVES doggy style

also doesn’t really care for the lingerie scene as much as he does the whole u wear his shirt and no panties/boxers to bed scene

#rdr2 #rdr #arthur morgan #arthur morgan/reader #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan hc #arthur morgan fic #charles smith #john marston #jack marston #abigail roberts #abigail marston #rdr/reader #rdr x reader #rdr2/reader #rdr2 x reader

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pixel-playstation · 5 years

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Blood is Thicker than Water

CHAPTER 1 SUCKAS, OMAR’S REVENGE

Omar rolled his eyes as Aasim and Louis bickered like the 15 year olds they were. It was embarrassing that the 14 year old teen was more mature than these two idiots combined.

“I’m just saying we should live life while we can, Aasim! What do you think Omar?” Louis asked, looking back. This action startled the younger teen. He hadn’t expected him to bring him into this. “I really don’t care… I just cook the food.” He was only here because Mitch had gotten sick from being dared by Sophie to eat a raw fish.

It’s a miracle he’s still alive honestly.

Omar looked up, and was surprised to see both boys gone. “You fucking assholes.” He scowled, shaking his head. So much for never splitting up.

An angered huff left him, the boy walking around as he looked for the two. “Fucking assholes, leaving me out here….alone…” Even though it was morning, he was scared… he...he had never gone hunting alone. The rule was always have someone with you… the boy nervously gulped, holding his knife close. Where were these goddamn assholes?

He walked around for a while, and quickly realized something that scared him. He had already passed that tree thrice now.

“Wait...that’s, shit.” Omar shook his head, shivering as a strong gust of wind passed. “How long have I been out here? Where are those two idiots..?” He was started to get scared, looking around in fear. “Aasim! Louis! Shit, where are you two?!” Fear laced the young boy’s voice, trembling.

Where...where were they..? They didn’t leave him...did they…

His eyes widened in terror hearing familiar growls, trembling. “Wh-whoever you are, stay back…!” Omar cried out, holding his knife in his trembling hands. The young boy looked around panicked, tensing as walkers began to appear. “Shit…” He gasped out, turning around, expecting to run to safety, only to find two tall figures standing before him.

“S-Stay back..!” Omar panicked, throwing the knife. “FUCK!” The female called out, and Omar rushed off in the other direction, hoping to find either his friends, or somewhere safe..!

Wait, the fish shack! It was nearby, that had to be his safe haven!

The familiar building came into view after a while, and he was home free. Or so he thought, as a walker grabbed his leg making him fall. He landed on the dirt with a cry of pain, looking back in fear as the undead creature tried to sink its teeth into his leg. “No, no let go..!” Omar exclaimed, trying to kick it off. The walker growled, ready to sink its teeth into his leg when a bullet tore through its skull.

Brown eyes widened in absolute shock, staring at the dead, well more dead, creature latched onto his leg. A startled cry left him as he kicked it off, trembling lightly as he looked up to the two figures approached him.

“Please. Please don’t hurt me…” Omar whimpered softly, tilting his head down, holding the rabbit’s foot securely to his chest. The woman pointed the gun at him, but the much larger man stopped her. He crouched down, looking at the scared boy. The large man crouched down, observing the boy and the rabbit foot he held.

“Why are you sending me away..?” Omar asked, looking at the large school gates. His mother pinched the bridge of her nose, heavily sighing. “Omar sweetie, you set that boy’s house on fire.” His mother sighed out, turning to look at it. “He made fun of Nana dropping me off! Nana is one of the nicest people I know!” Omar snapped out.

His father shook his head, “Your lucky they aren’t suing us. He has really bad burns. This is why we hid the matches from you!” His father’s voice raised with each word, making Omar flinch.

Noticing this, his mother sighed aloud, pulling something out of the glove box. The young boy looked up hesitantly, seeing his mother hold something out. His eyes widened like saucers, staring at the rabbit’s foot in her grasp. “That’s..”.

“It’s nana’s. We all know how she is with her superstition, and she wanted you to have it while your here.” His mother explained, leaving the boy stunned.

Omar let out an anguished gasp as the man took the rabbit’s foot from his hand, inspecting in. “Where did you get this?” The man gruffly asked. A chill ran down the boy’s spine, keeping his eyes on the floor, before slowly raising his head. “I-I got it fr-from my nan…” Omar managed to muttered out, trembling lightly, keeping her eyes clamped shut in fear.

A surprised gasp left the woman, and she even stepped forward. Omar slowly opened his eyes, trembling in fear. The woman stared at him for a moment, before pulling down the bandana that covered her mouth. The young boy gasped in shock.

“Mama…papa…?” Was all he could muster out, looking at the two with wide eyes.

“Holy shit, Omar?” Michael lowered the gun, hugging his son, and soon Dorian followed. The young boy flinched, not expecting this at all. After a moment's hesitation, the young boy hugged his parents back, in a state of shock.

Seconds ago they were trying to shoot him, only for him to realize they were his parents…

Dorian was the first to let go, looking over her son’s features. She seemed relieved, but the maternal care also appeared...distant. “How have you survived this long?” Dorian asked, the relief fading from her voice. This worried him. “T-the sc-school…” Was all he could quiver out.

D-did he d-do something wrong..? Were...were they still upset with him? Were they still mad about the fire?

The two adults noticed, and caught onto something that could be helpful to their cause. “The school? Ericson’s right?” Michael questioned, to which the boy hesitantly nodded, “So, for the past five years you��ve been held up at the school? The adults must’ve been taking good care of you.”.

“All the adults left…” Omar meekly replied, still worried they were upset at him. What the poor boy didn’t realize is how horrible his parents had become. Joining DELTA, a horrible raider group that took what they wanted when they wanted. And what they wanted...was new soldiers to help protect their war. The couple shared a knowing smile with each other, and Dorian put a comforting hand on her boys shoulder.

“So all you’ve been all by yourself through this?” She questioned. “N-no...there’s a few kids, at least 20 of us or something…” A few had died over the past few years, but there was a good amount of them still.

Perfect.

Dorian looked at Michael, then their son. “Sweetheart, we’re in this new community. It’s a really good one, lots of food, warm showers, beds, and power. All the old stuff we missed. We need people to fight for it though. Our community needs a lot of supplies to keep it strong, or else we’ll lose it.” Dorian spoke.

“Y-you want us to join…?” Omar questioned.

“Yes, but you kids are too young right now. That’s why we need you to make them strong, cook good foods, we know you only got better as a cook.” Michael explained, smirking at how easily their son fell for it.

“We’ll help by giving you supplies. We’ll give you whatever you want. You just need to help us Omar however you can. We’ll give you whatever you need, just help us sweetheart. Make them tough so we have strong soldiers.” Dorian stated.

Omar nervously looked back, he couldn’t do that to his friends...could he?

Dorian noticed his inner struggle, and decided to toy with it. “Sweetheart, you do this and you’ll have the whole Delta on your side. That’s more than your friends have done.”

Those words struck Omar deeply, the boy looking back nervously.

“You’ve been out here for hours, Omar. They should have been here to get you by now, but they aren’t. Those two left you out in the woods with walkers. If you help us, one of our people will always be around when you need us.” Dorian stated.

His fist tightened, a new found anger building in him. They didn’t care..none...none of those fuckers cared! They only cared when they needed him or wanted to teased him…

No more.

“I’ll help.” The two smiled. “Good boy.”.

After discussing some remaining details, they sent Omar off on his way. The young boy brandishing a new knife as she approached the school. Louis and Aasim were at the front gates, both boys gasping seeing the younger one return. “Holy shit, you’re okay, Omar!” Louis ran over, hugging him, “We thought you were inside the school! I swear I thought you were home already.”.

Omar gelt his heart stop, staring at the two, “You...didn’t notice I was gone..?”

“He didn’t mean it like that. Well maybe he did since Louis is an idiot. What we mean is, we thought you ended up heading home because we lost sight of you. It’s just how you are.” Aasim remarked. Louis gave an awkward nod as he let go, “Sorry dude, we’ll keep a better eye next time.”.

Omar stared at the ground, before raising his head and smiled. “No hard feelings guys, I’m just glad we’re all be safe.”

#twdg #twdg omar #my au #my stories

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downwithwritersblock · 7 years

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Monsters and Mythological Creatures

So, someone asked about monsters, and since I’ve been hoarding this long list of mythical beings for one of my own stories for the last like, three years, I decided to finally share it! This list is divided into categories for specific types of creatures. Each creature is accompanied by a definition or description, where it’s from, and other useful information.

Here we go:

SPIRITS AND GHOSTS:

Arae(Greek Mythology): Female spirits of curses, particularly curses that are placed by the dead, on the person responsible for their death.

Banshee(Gaelic Lore): A female spirit who brings death to her victim by screeching or wailing. Often depicted wearing green or red robes, with hair being described as either orange, red or yellow to mimic the flicker of flames. Can appear as a young beautiful women, or an old and frightening ‘hag’

Black Dog/Hell Hounds: Usually depicted as large, ghostly looking black dogs that come from hell. Typically, they roam the streets at night looking for pray to drag back to hell or devour.

Bogle(Gaelic Lore): A ghost like being whose sole purpose is to frighten and confuse humans and other creatures.

(El) Coco/ Cucuí (Typically Hispanic or Latin american Folklore) : A ghost like monster, much like the american boogeyman, used to strike fear into children. The description changes among different cultures. Sometimes described as ghosts with pumpkin heads, as large rattling skeletons, a female humanoid alligator like creature, or even a dragon like creature. (as a child, I imagined them more like skeleton ghosts)

Demons : Malevolent spirits from Hell

Fox Spirits (Popular among Asian Folklore) : The Fox Spirit or the Nine Tailed Fox is a common spirit among east Asian cultures, usually depicted as a familiar with great magic power. They are often devious or mischievous, with a bad habit of tricking people. Usually, they are also capable of shape shifting into beautiful women. They can be a good, or a bad omen. Known as the húli jīng (fox spirit) in China, the kitsune (fox) in Japan, and the kumiho (nine-tailed fox) in Korea.

Gashadokuro(Japanese Mythology): Spirits of people who died of starvation or in battle, and did not receive a proper burial. They take the form of massive skeletons, apparently 15 times taller then the average human. They roam the world after midnight, capturing lone travelers, and biting off their heads to drink their blood. They are said to be invisible and invincible. Though they can be warded off with Shinto charms, and it’s said you can sense their presence if you hear a loud ringing in your ear.

Ghosts: Spirits of the undead that are trapped in the world of the living. Often resemble what they looked like alive, can be good, bad or neutral.

Grim Reaper: The Physical embodiment of death, arrives to take your soul to the after life.

Hulder or Huldra (Scandanvian Folklore) : Beautiful, seductive, female forest spirits that are primarily human with the exception of having a cows tail. Apparently come from beneath the earth, sometimes claimed to be a forgotten child of adam and eve. They are known as coal kindles, they would watch the fires of travelers while they slept, and ensure they would not go out. Males of this species are said to be hideous, with grotesquely long noses.

Ifrit (Middle Eastern): A death spirit believed to be drawn in by the life force or blood of the murdered. They tend to be fiery in nature(literally), and are said to either take the form of the deceased they were attracted to, or the form of Satan himself. Can be good or evil or neutral, but mainly considered to be malevolent, vengeful, evil, ruthless, or wicked.

Ittan-momen (Japanese Mythology): Now, this one sounds pretty harmless, but do not be fooled. Ittan-Momen is a sentient roll of cotton that flies through the air at night, and attacks and kills people by smothering them.

Incubus: No, I do not mean the Rock Band. An Incubus is a male demon that lies upon it’s victim, and supposedly steals their life force by having repeated sex with them. Their female counterpart is called a succubus.

Jinn (Arabian and Islamic mythology and theology) : Jinn, or more popularly known in western culture; the Genie, is a powerful spirit with free will, and thus can be good, evil, or neutral. Usually depicted with no spiritual form, or as humans with different animal parts, or as shadowy ghosts. Jinn play many different roles in different cultures. They are often seen as living in a parallel world to the human world.

Keres (Greek Mythology) : Daughters of the goddess Nyx, spirits of violent or unpeaceful death.

Kobalos (Greek Mythology) : Depicted as small, mischievous creatures that took to messing with people. They often pranked, frightened, or stole from people. In myth, they stole from Heracles while he slept. In one version, he gives them away as a present to the Lydian Queen. In another version, he forgives them, and lets them off the hook simply because he finds them amusing. Greek myths depict the kobaloi as "impudent, thieving, droll, idle, mischievous, gnome-dwarfs", and as "funny, little triksy elves" of a phallic nature. So they’re essentially annoying yet sort of funny gnome/elf/dwarves that resemble erect penises. Isnt mythology fun.

La Llorona aka The Weeping Women (Popular in northern and southern american folklore) : Usually the Ghost of either a women who was scorned by a man, and now she hunts for other awful men. Or, the Ghost of a women who cries as she searches for her dead children. The most traditional or typical story tells of a women who drowns her children in the river out of spite when her husband leaves her for a younger women. After realizing her children are dead, and she can not find them, she drowns herself as well. In the after life, she is not permitted to move onto heaven. Her soul will not be able to find peace until she finds her children, and thus she is doomed to wander the earth in search of them. In some stories, she will take lone children that resemble her own, and drown them in the river so they can take her children's place.

Lamia(Greek Mythology) : A beautiful queen of Lybia. It’s said that she was a mistress of Zues. In one version, Zues’ Jealous wife Hera steals all of Lamias children, and turns her into a demon that hunts and devours others children. Other versions say that Hera killed all of Lamias children, and driven by the grief and suffering of her loss, goes insane, and starts stealing and eating others children out of envy. The repeated horrid act turns her into a monster. There is also a myth that Hera forced her to eat her own children, then cursed her to never be able to close her eyes, so that the image of her children's death will forever haunt her. Zues later grants her the ability to remove her eyes to appease her grief. In some descriptions, she has serpent like features, or the lower half of a snake. In others, her face is distorted. No matter the story however, it’s Hera’s fault.

Lares (Roman Mythology) : House hold or guardian spirits that each family traditionally has around their grounds. Statues of domestic Lares were typically placed at the table for family meals. Their presence and worship seemed to be very important.

Mare(Germanic or slavic Folklore) : a Ghost/ Spirirt or Goblin that sits on the chest of sleeping victims, and forces nightmares upon them. Other legends depict them as beautiful women that go into the dreams of men and seduce them before killing them. I personally prefer the sitting goblins.

Neck or Nokken (Germanic and Scandinavian Folklore) : Water Spirits usually depicted as a a shadowy monster lurking in the water, it’s eyes just above the surface. Other times, it’s described as a beautiful young man playing the fiddle or violin while resting in the water. Their enchanting songs drew women, men and children to them. Sometimes they are said to be peaceful, and will simply play for the humans, or possibly even move into the home of one who has fallen in love with them (though they often do not stay long), and sometimes they are said to lure people to their death with their beautiful song. Don’t know about you, but I would totally take a cute guy playing the violin underneath a water fall over a creepy water submerged shadow, any day.

Nymph (Greek Mythology) : Minor Nature Gods or spirits that tend to animate nature, and are viewed as beautiful, and free young (typically) women. There are several different types of Nymphs; Celestial Nymphs, Land Nymphs, Wood or Forest Nymphs, Plant/Flower Nymphs, Water Nymphs, and Underworld Nymphs. The most common are Dryads, that are Nymphs of the trees. Naiads, which are fresh Water Nymphs(ponds, fountains, springs, etc), and Auras which are basically air nymphs, or breezes.

Poltergeist: (German for Noisy Spirit or Noisy Ghost) A Ghost that is capable of physicaly capable of sitrubing the human world. They are known for hitting, biting, pinching, scratching and tripping humans. They are also known for moving or levitating objects, and making loud knocking sounds.

Sprites: Elemental, fairy like beings that are invisible to humans. Can be good or evil or neutral. Sylphs are sprites dedicate solely to the element of Air.

Tikoloshe (Zulu Mythology) : A goblin, or dwarf like water spirit that can become invisible by drinking water. It is regarded as mischievous and evil. They can be called upon to cause trouble or to harm others. Best case scenario, they scare kids. Worst case scenario, they can bring you serious illness or even death. It’s usually described as a gremlin like demon with gauged out eyes.

HALF HUMAN/ HUMANOID CREATURES:

Aeternae: Creatures who supposedly attacked Alexander the Great, and killed many of his men with their bony, saw like protuberances that came from their head.

Asanbosam (West African Folklore) : Hairy, ogre like vampiric creatures with iron teeth and iron hooks for feet. They live in the trees, and attack their victims from above.

Adze (Ewe Folklore) : Another vampire like being in the form of a firefly, but will transform into a human if captured. In human form, they will possess people. People who are possessed are thought to be witches, and the people around the possessed with be affected negatively. As a firefly, they can phase through doors, and will suck the blood of sleeping people. The victims will eventually fall ill and die.

Bisimbi Bi Masa (African Folklore) : Water Nymphs that reside in the Congo. They’re described as beautiful and seductive spirits that live in natural watery areas. They are known to cause awful skin diseases, which only their own haunting cries can cure. Which is weirdly twisted and cool?

Brownies(Scottish FolkLore): Small, humanoid like creatures that sneak into peoples houses at night to do chores in exchange for their favorite foods. They will stop tending to a house if the owner misues them, or if their gifts of food are instead called payment.

Changeling: A fairy infant left in the place of a human infant that was kidnapped by fairies.

Centaur (Greek Mythology) : Upper half of a man, lower half of a horse. Wild and free creatures, that tend to be good in nature. The most popular is Chiron, who was refered to as the wisest and most just of all centaurs. He trained the some of the most famous greek Heroes, such as; Achilles, Jason, Perseus, Theseus, Ajax, and some stories portray him training Heracles as well. There are several different types of Centaurs; Ichthyocentaurs, which are centaurs who have the tails of fish, Winged Centaurs, Onocentaur which has the bottom half of a donkey, rather then a horse, Cyprian Centaurs, which are bull-horned centaurs, Lamian Centaurs, which had Ox horns.

Cyclops(Greek Mythology) : Giant One eyed humanoid monsters that typically captured and ate people. Legend says no one was able to escape or hurt them.

Dwarf: A Short, stocky, scraggly looking humanoids that typically live underground in mining communities.

Elf: A race of humanoid creatures who typically have pointy ears, and excel in magic.

Empusa (Greek Mythology) : A demigod or monster that drinks the blood and eating the flesh of sleeping men. They are depicted with flaming hair, and are said to have one bronze leg, and one leg of a donkey.

Erinyes or Furies (Greek Mythology) : Female deities of vengeance, there are typically three of them; Alecto or Alekto ("endless"), Megaera ("jealous rage"), and Tisiphone or Tilphousia ("vengeful destruction"). They are depicted in several different ways. Sometime they are said to have snakes for hair, or dogs heads in place of human heads. Sometimes their skin or eyes are said to be as black as coal, and sometimes they are portrayed with bat wings. Their victims die in torture, and they are more ancient then most of the Olympian gods themselves.

Fairy: Humanoids with great magical abilities. Legends and myths about fairies vary greatly from culture to culture. They are not always good. They have free will, and are often mischievous. Never trust a fairy.

Futakuchi-onna (Japanese Mythology) : A women with two mouths. One where it normally should be, and a second, fully functioning mouth on the back of her head, beneath her hair. It’s said that the hair parts, and the skull splits open into a mouth, and demands food. If it is not fed, it will shriek, and cause the women awful pain. This myth is apparently derived from ‘how little women eat’.

Gegenees (Greek Mythology) : Six Armed Giants

Gnome : A small, humanoid creature who lives and moves beneath the earth. I once had a whole book on gnomes, and this thing was written like they were observing some kind of animal?? Like they talked about Gnomes like they were real creatures and I was entirely shook. Did you know Gnomes only gave birth to twins? Cause I didnt. There was a whole section on the sex lives and birthing system of gnomes. I’ll never unsee that section. I gave the book to my friend, cause I’m 99% sure she’s a gnome. Never piss off a Gnome.

Goblin : A grotesque, troublesome little creature with a strong greed for gold and jewels. Very Mischievous. Goblin is probably still one of my favorite words. Say it ten times, really fast, do it.

Golem(Jewish Folklore) : A humanoid(ish) like creature made from clay, mud, or stone that is magically animated.

Gorgon (Greek Mythology) : The snake haired (and sometimes snake-bodied) women who could turn people to stone just by looking at them. The most Famous being Medusa.

Graeae (Greek Mythology) : Three old women who shared one tooth and one eye among them. They took turn using it. In mythology, Perseus held their eye for ransom until they told him the whereabouts of the items he needed to kill Medusa.

Harpies( Greek Mythology) : Half bird, half human, embodiment of storm winds. They typically swooped down and dragged away (bad) humans, and carried them to their punishment.

Hecatoncheires (Greek Mythology); Because those guys with the six arms just arent enough, let me introduce you to Hecatoncheires, aka the hundred handed ones. That’s right. One Hundred Hands. They also have fifty heads, and have unimaginable strength. Thankfully, there are only three of these guys.

Hobgoblin : A type of Brownie who is inherently less helpful and more mischievous, even to the point of causing harm if antagonized.

Imp : Small, mischievous creatures who liked to play pranks on people.

Jorōgumo (Japanese Mythology): A spirit that can shape-shift into a beautiful women. Often Depicted as being half pretty lady, half terrifying spider. She’s sometimes shown controlling small, fire breathing spiders. This is the thing of my nightmares; a hot lady who turns into a partial spider, that controls other, smaller spiders that breath fire. Because pretty girls arent intimidating enough, you gotta go and mix them with spiders, right?

Manticore ( Persian Folklore) : Head of a human, body of a lion, tail of a poisonous porcupine, or a scorpion.

Mermaids and Sirens : Sea creatures with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish. Sometimes good, sometimes evil. The evil ones are known for (sometimes singing) and luring sailors to their deaths, and dragging them down to the bottom of the ocean to devour them.

Minotaur (Greek Mythology): The creature with the head and legs of a bull and the torso of a man, who guarded the exit to The Labyrinth.

Moirai (Greek Mythology): The Fates. There are three of them, typically seen in white robes, and are the incarnation of Destiny. They control the thread of life for everything. They ensured the birth, life, and death of everything. Every being was at their control.

Ogre : An ugly, oversized humanoid creature with great physical strength and little intelligence. No shrek jokes, please, None.

Orc : A large, ugly humanoid similar to Goblins. They tend to be evil, brutish, aggressive and repulsive monsters. Though they are based off many other mythical beings, Orcs stem more from J.R.R Tolkeins books, and rise in fantasy games like Dungeons and Dragons and World of Warcraft.

Penanggalan (South East Asian FolkLore) : a detached female head that fly's about on its own. As it flies, the stomach and entrails dangle below it, which apparently are apparently hit by the night light in such a way that makes them appear like fireflies.. During the day, it appears as a normal, human women. It’s said to usually be caused by witchcraft of pacts with demons.

Pixie : A small humanoid creature with pointy ears who likes to cause mischief.

Sasquatch : Large, hairy, man-like beasts that live in the woods. Types of Sasquatch include Bigfoot, and the Yeti.

Satyr :Half-men, half-goats who were wild, lustful, and all around fun. The god Pan was one of these. Pan was the god of the wild, and apparently liked to scare the crap out of people in the forest, and that’s where the word panic comes from.

Scorpion Man : They have another name, but it’s way long, and I can’t find it right now. But they’re men who have the head and torso of a human, and the lower half of a scorpion. They are featured in the Babylonian version of The Epic of Gilgamesh.

Shapeshifters :Humans who can willingly take the form of any animal. Honestly, the idea of shape-shifting has always weirded me out. Because honestly, it sounds painful. Like, if you shape shift into something much smaller and structurally different then you, say, a bird for example, where do your bones go? Like, i figure some of your bones shrink or stretch with you to fit the animal, but some animals don’t have the exact same amount of bones as humans, so like, where do the bones go?? I’ve been asking this since I was like then, I have received no answers. I am concerned.

Sirens : Man-eating beautiful women whose song compels men to them. Not always mermaid like creatures. Sometimes depicted as fully human, or as partially bird like.

Sphinx(Greek Mythology) : The half-human, half-lion that forces those it meets to answer its riddles, or die. In the story of Oedipus, the riddle it gives is “What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?” the answer to which is Humans. As we crawl on all fours as infants, on two legs for most of our lives, and with a cane in our old age.

Valkyries (Norse Mythology) : female divinities who choose people who died a heroic death in battle, and then guide them to Valhalla.

Vampire: Probably one of the most famous of monsters. The undead human like creature that drinks the blood of the living.

Wendigo/ Windigo ( Algonquian folklore) : A monster or spirit that is associated with Cannibalism, murder, and greed. They are often seen as either Humans turned into monsters by their sins, or humans that are possessed by evil spirits. Wendigos are associated with winter, wilderness, cold, cannibalism, greed, murder, famine, and starvation. They are often depicted with human, deer, or tree like features to imitate the wilderness.

WereWolf: Yet another Classic. A human being who transforms into a wolf, or a wolf-human hybrid creature either by night, or by the full moon.

Wraith(Scottish/ Gaelic folklore): Evil Spirits who can not pass on, and torment the living. Usually depicted as Shadow like figures.

Zombies: The animated undead, rotting corpses who consume the flesh of the living.

ANIMAL AND BEAST LIKE MONSTERS:

Airavata (Hindu Mythology) : The Mythical white elephant that carries the Hindu God Indrua. It is said to be spotless white, have five trunks and ten tusks.

Basilisk : A legendary reptile who could kill a man with its stare, it’s said to be hatched by a chicken from a reptilian egg.

Bake-kujira (Japanese mythology) : The ghostly skeleton of a dead whale that surfaces the water. It’s said that it’s presence brings a curse to either the area it’s seen, or to anyone who spots it.

Catoblepas (Greek Mythology/Ethiopia) : A creature from Ethiopia, resembling that of a buffalo or a wilder beast. It’s always looking downward, because it’s head is too heavy. In some descriptions, it’s gaze could kill you, and in others, it only ate poison vegetation, that made it’s breath poisonous as well.

Cerastes (Greek Mythology) : A serpant so flexible, it had no spine. It’s depicted as either having two large ram horns, or as having four small horns. It’s said to hide in the sand, with only it’s horns peeking through the surface, waiting for unsuspecting Prey to approach it.

Chupacabra (Latin American Folk Lore) : A monster known for feeding off of livestock, especially goats. It’s name translates to ‘Goat Sucker’. The two most common descriptions of El Chupacabre are that of a strange wild dog that is mainly hairless, with a prominent spinal ridge, sunken in eyes, and large fangs and claws. The other descriptions shows it as a large reptilian creature with leathery or scaly green/gray skin, and sharp porcupine like needles going down it’s spine. Unlike most predators, El Chupacabre drains it’s pray off their blood, and sometimes their organs, rather then eating the flesh.

Cerberus(Greek Mythology) :The three-headed dog that guards the entrance to Hades. It’s name is supposedly derived from the greek word for ‘Spotted’ or ‘Spot’. The capturing of Cerberus is claimed to be the final, and most difficult task of Heracles 12 trials.

Chimera (Greek Mythology): A monstrous hybrid that was Part-lion, part-goat, part-snake. In some descriptions, it has the head of all three, in others, it has the head of the lion and the goat, the lions body with the goat hooves, and a snake for a tail. In another description, it might be the head of one, the body of another, and the tail of the other. It’s really one big game of mix and match. Sometimes they also breath fire or have wings.

Cockatrice :A flying creature that is part-rooster and part snake that could supposedly kill with it’s stare. It’s said to be hatched by a reptile from a chickens egg. Pretty much the opposite of the Basilisk.

Dragon : Giant, flying, fire-breathing reptiles that are known for stealing and hording treasure. There are many, many different types of dragons that range from culture to culture. I could probably make a whole different post, just on the different types of dragons.

Griffin : A creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Sometimes, it also has the tail of a snake. Griffins are popular among several different cultural mythologies.

Hippalectryon (Greek Mythology) : An odd hybrid of a horse and a chicken. It’s front half is the horse, its back half is the chicken, including tail and wings. There is no solid idea of why such a myth exists. Some say it’s a creature of Poseidon, and meant to protect ships, others say it’s just a grotesque hybrid to amuse children. Some say it’s a pointless creature with no real purpose other then for decoration. Why else would someone make a rooster horse?

Hippocampus (Greek Mythology) : A sea creature with the upper body of a horse, and the lower body of a fish. So, it is yet another odd horse hybrid from greek mythology.

Hippogriff (Greek Mythology): Because there’s no such thing as too many weird horse hybrids, meet the Hippogriff. Which has the front half and wings on an eagle, and the back half of a horse.

Huallepen (South American Folklore): A weird creature that lurks in lakes and ponds. It has the body of a (usually hairless) sheep, the head of a calf, and the twisted feet of a seal. It only comes out at night, and it’s said that if a pregnant women sees one, her child will come out with a muzzle and twisted limbs.

Hydra (Greek Mythology) : The giant nine-headed serpent who grew two new heads for every one that was cut of. The task of killing this beast was given to Heracles during his twelve trials. The only way to kill it, without it’s head growing back, was to smash the heads, and then catch them on fire.

Ladon (Greek Mythology) : The large snake like dragon that wrapped itself around the tree of golden apples in the garden of the Hesperides. Apparently slain by Heracles.

Isonade (Japanese Mythology) : An enormous, shark like sea monster that hides beneath the waves in the oceans of Japan. It’s massive hook like tail and it’s fins are covered in sharp barbs.

Nemean Lion (Greek Mythology) : The giant lion with impenetrable hide. This creature is killed by Heracles during his twelve trials, he later wears the skin of the creature as an indestructible cloak.

Kamaitachi (Japanese Mythology) : Also known as the sickle weasels. These mischievous creatures are thought of as either wind spirits, or spirits that ride in on dust devils. They slash as people with their long, sickle like nails.

Kappa (Japanese Mythology) : Typically means ‘River Child’, these creatures are demons or imps that reside in the fresh water. They are often described as having a pool of water above their hand, that reflects their habitat and their own life force and their power. They are said to be about the size of a child, and somewhat human like in figure, with reptile like scales, a shell, a beak, and webbed hands and feet. They are usually either green, yellow or blue. Kappa are used to warn children about the dangerous of wandering near the water alone, as legends say the creatures will lure people to water before dragging them in and drowning them. They’re also said to peak up women's skirts, play pranks on human, attack humans, and even eat human flesh. All around, probably safe to stay away from Kappas.

Kraken (Norse Mythology) : A famous gigantic sea monster that’s known for attacking and sinking ships. It’s often depicted as a massive octopus or squid, sometimes with terribly sharp teeth.

Orthros (Greek Mythology) : The lesser known, but probably just as adorable, monster sibling to Cerberus. Orthros is the dog with two heads, instead of three like it’s more famous sibling. It guards the giant Geryon ‘s cattle.

Odontotyrannos: A beast that supposedly killed or incapacitated many of Alexander the Greats men. it had a black, horse-like head, with three horns protruding from its forehead, and it exceeded the size of an elephant. Locals apparently called this beat the ‘Tooth-Tyrant’

Ophiotaurus (Greek Mythology) : The Cow Serpent. So the Greeks gave horses a rest, and made up this thing, which has the upper body of a black bull, and the tail of a serpent. It’s said that whoever could kill this beast and sacrificially burn it’s entrails would gain the power to destroy Olympus and it’s gods.

Pegasus: The Winged Horse.

Phoenix :The golden bird who, at the end of its life, burst into flames only to be reborn again from it’s own ashes.

Thunderbird : The giant bird that creates storms by flapping it’s wings.

Tikbalang (Philippines Folklore) : A tall, bony humanoid creature with the head and hooves of a horse and disproportionately long limbs, to the point that its knees reach above its head when it squats. It’s said to lurk in the forests and mountains of the Philippines. They like to scare or play tricks on travelers. They can apparently be avoided by wearing your shirt inside out, verbally asking for passage, or being as quite as possible so as not to disturb them.

Unicorn: A magical Horse with a single horn protruding from it’s forehead.

Uchchaihshravas (Hindu Mythology) : A snow white, flying horse with seven heads. It’s said to be the best, or the king of horses.

Yacumama (South American Folklore) : A massive sea serpent believed to live in the mouth of the Amazon river, and near by lagoons. It would apparently suck up and devour anything with in a hundred passes of it. Local natives would blow a large conch shell before entering the water, believing the sound would force the monster to show itself if it was present.

That’s all I’ve got! I hope you liked it, and I hope people find it useful, because honestly, this thing took wayyyyy more time then I thought It would!

If anyone would like to add on any creatures I missed, or if you’d like to add something to any of the creatures that are already on the list, feel free too!

Note: I’ve gone ahead and edited, and added a couple new creatures from African Mythology that someone recommended!

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fromthefriars · 7 years

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Awakening (blog by Fr. Jeremiah, CFR)

I was 17 years old when I first encountered death. My grandmother died one night peacefully in her sleep at the age of 84 with a set of rosary beads next to her bed, which she most likely prayed before slipping away into eternity. A simple woman, she lived on a farm her entire life. She bore three children, including my mother, and had spent her whole life working hard, going to church, and seeking to unite a family that, as time went on, appeared prone to division.

That morning my sister and I had gone to school like we did every morning. My mother walked across the street to my grandmother’s farm to make sure she had made it downstairs for breakfast. Even though my grandmother was declining both physically and mentally, she had lost none of her willpower.

When my mother walked into her house that morning, she immediately knew that something was wrong. My grandmother was not downstairs sitting in her rocking chair eating her breakfast as usual, and there was no sound of her anywhere throughout the house. My mother imagined the worst, that she had fallen down the stairs or in the bathroom and was lying unconscious. But my mom did not find her by the stairs or in the bathroom. She finally looked in her room and there was my grandmother, lying on her back, hands folded, appearing to be in a very deep sleep. In fact, my mother thought that she was still sleeping until she moved closer and realized that she was not breathing. My grandmother had died during the night.

We buried her a few days later at Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Bally, Pennsylvania, where she spent her entire life as a parishioner. I can’t remember what the priest said during the homily, and I can’t remember if anybody in my family cried during the Mass. All I can remember is looking at the stained glass windows in the church that depicted moments in the life of Christ. There were windows of his Passion, from his betrayal, his scourging, and his carrying the cross to his crucifixition. The last window showed the empty tomb, filled with rays of light shining from every direction.

Before I knew it I snapped out of my daydreaming because the Mass had finished, and the time had come to take my grandmother to the cemetery. The ceremony was brief, probably only 10 minutes or so and soon after people began to leave because it started to rain. Suddenly, at this moment, kneeling on the frozen December ground before my grandmother’s casket, it hit me. My grandmother was dead. I would never see her again. “Never see her again,” I thought. What did those words mean? Why did they sound so violent to my ears?

As I knelt there on the ground, tears began to fall from my eyes.

“Is this it? This must be a sick joke,” I thought. “Grandma,” I cried out, “Grandma!” There was no response. Everything was mocking me: the hard ground, the casket staring me in the face, and the rain falling from the sky. I wanted to run away from this dismal place. But where could I go? I wanted to see my grandmother again and tell her that I love her. But I couldn’t. She was gone.

I knelt there for a long time until everything became silent. The ground, the casket, even the rain stopped, leaving a calm and quiet presence in the air around me. I was not accustomed to such silence, and the weight of it quickly overwhelmed me. I did not address God or even try to speak to him. Kneeling before my grandmother’s casket, I was speechless before this incredible mystery while questions rattled through my brain: What is the purpose of life? Why is there suffering? What is death? Where do people go when they die?

All of sudden I felt as if I had woken up from a dream. These questions opened my eyes to something beyond myself. I was immediately filled with a sense that life has a purpose. My tears ceased while the sadness in my heart began to dissipate. I looked up at her casket again and knew that somehow and in some way my grandmother was alive. A gentle smile began to cover my face. I stood there for a few more minutes trying to understand this sudden change that had occurred in me. It was pointless; my mind had failed me.

I kissed her casket a final time and walked with my parents to the car. As we drove away from the cemetery I didn’t feel the need to look back at her grave. I knew, in some mysterious way, that she wasn’t there. I pulled out her rosary beads from my pocket and squeezed them in my hand. A new set of tears began to form, but this time they were tears of joy.

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romancatholicreflections · 7 years

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2nd April >> Fr. Martin’s Reflection on Today’s Gospel Reading (John 11:1-45/John 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45) for Fifth Sunday of Lent, Cycle A: ‘I am the resurrection and the life’.

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Cycle A Gospel (Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & Southern Africa) John 11:1-45 There was a man named Lazarus who lived in the village of Bethany with the two sisters, Mary and Martha, and he was ill. It was the same Mary, the sister of the sick man Lazarus, who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. The sisters sent this message to Jesus, ‘Lord, the man you love is ill.’ On receiving the message, Jesus said, ‘This sickness will end not in death but in God’s glory, and through it the Son of God will be glorified.’ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, yet when he heard that Lazarus was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judaea.’ The disciples said, ‘Rabbi, it is not long since the Jews wanted to stone you; are you going back again?’ Jesus replied: ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? A man can walk in the daytime without stumbling because he has the light of this world to see by; but if he walks at night he stumbles, because there is no light to guide him.’ He said that and then added, ‘Our friend Lazarus is resting, I am going to wake him.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he is able to rest he is sure to get better.’ The phrase Jesus used referred to the death of Lazarus, but they thought that by ‘rest’ he meant ‘sleep’, so Jesus put it plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there because now you will believe. But let us go to him.’ Then Thomas – known as the Twin – said to the other disciples, ‘Let us go too, and die with him.’ On arriving, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. Bethany is only about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’ When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in a low voice, ‘The Master is here and wants to see you.’ Hearing this, Mary got up quickly and went to him. Jesus had not yet come into the village; he was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were in the house sympathising with Mary saw her get up so quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight from the heart, ‘Where have you put him?’ They said, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!’ But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man’s death?’ Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.’ Martha said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day.’ Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said: ‘Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer. I knew indeed that you always hear me, but I speak for the sake of all these who stand round me, so that they may believe it was you who sent me.’ When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, here! Come out!’ The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.’ Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what he did believed in him. Gospel (USA) John 11:1–45 I am the resurrection and the life. Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill. So the sisters sent word to Jesus saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.” When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” He said this, and then told them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” So the disciples said to him, “Master, if he is asleep, he will be saved.” But Jesus was talking about his death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep. So then Jesus said to them clearly, “Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.” So Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go to die with him.” When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, “The teacher is here and is asking for you.” As soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still where Martha had met him. So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?” So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.” And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him. Reflections (4) (i) Fifth Sunday of Lent As the days get longer and the signs of growth in nature become more obvious, we can begin to feel that winter is loosening its grip on us. The signs of new life in nature are the promise of more to come. Nature’s awakening from its sleep will mean more work for some. The growing grass will eventually need its first cut. The weeds that come with the flowers will need to be managed. However, the prospect of some extra gardening does not diminish our longing for the new life we associate with spring and summer. As nature begins to come alive again, many people also feel more alive at this time of the year. The longer evenings call us forth, and we find ourselves doing more walking than we have done for some months. Yet, not everyone will be feeling more alive in these early days of spring. Those who have been recently bereaved will be feeling drained of life and energy. Others may be struggling with illness or trying to cope with some rejection or deep disappointment. Some may be struggling to come to terms with an experience of personal failure; others may be just overworked and overtired. For a variety of reason, as individuals, as families, as a community, we can be feeling less alive than we want to be. In today’s gospel reading, a family who were struggling with the serious illness of one of their members sent to Jesus, their friend, for help, ‘He whom you love is ill’. By the time Jesus arrived, this family’s struggle with illness had given way to the more life-draining struggle with death. Their message to Jesus now was, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died’. We can sense in that statement their anguish, disappointment, and, perhaps, anger. Yet, Jesus entered fully into that family’s deep grief, and went on to call Lazarus out of his tomb, to bring him from death to life, and to bring his family from darkness to light. In doing so, he revealed himself as the resurrection and the life. When Jesus said to Martha, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’, he immediately went on to ask her, ‘Do you believe this?’ The evangelist intends that we, the readers of his gospel, would hear this question as addressed to us. We are each asked to believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life for us, and that he has the power to call us out of our various tombs, to lead us from death to life. Those words of Jesus have given many of us hope in the face of the death of loved ones. We trust that our loved ones who have believed in Jesus will live beyond death; we believe that we ourselves, in virtue of our relationship with Jesus, already live with a life that will endure beyond death. Yet, we also believe that the Lord who calls us out of the tomb of physical death is also calling us out of other tombs we may have built for ourselves or others may have built for us. In the first reading, the Lord, speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, says: ‘I mean to raise you from your graves, my people, and lead you back to the soil of Israel’. The grave or the tomb in question was the tomb of exile in a foreign land. In the second reading, St. Paul mentions that our body may be dead because of sin. Certain lifestyles can entomb us, and drain us of life. The choices we make as individuals can damage and diminish us, both physically and spiritually. Other people can also build tombs for us by what they do and say. The Lord declares earlier in John’s gospel that he came that we may have life, and have it to the full. He is constantly working within us and among us to lead us out of our various tombs, out of those situations that rob us of what St. Paul calls, in his letter to the Romans, the glorious freedom of the children of God. In drawing people out of their tombs, the Lord also looks to us to help him in this work. When Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus, he first called on people to ‘Take the stone away’. He then called on them to ‘Unbind him, let him go free’. The Lord involved others in his life-giving work. He continues to look to us today to be channels of his life-giving presence to others. We have the awesome capacity to give life to others or to take life from them. Today’s gospel challenges to be the Lord’s life-givers in a world where the taking of life has become much more common than it used to be. If the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead is living in us, as Paul states in the second reading, we cannot underestimate our capacity to be life-givers for others. There is some life-giving work that, with the Lord’s help, we can do for someone or for some group, and, which, if we do not do it, may never get done. And/Or (ii) Fifth Sunday of Lent Some of us will be familiar with this gospel reading from funerals we may have attended. In particular, the words of Jesus to Martha can continue to speak powerfully to us as we struggle with the loss of a loved one and as we contemplate our own mortality, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though they die, they will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die’. The question that is addressed to Martha, ‘Do you believe this?’ is addressed to each one of us. In response to that question we strive to make our own the wonderful response of Martha, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world’. She articulates for us the response we all called to make to Jesus identifying himself as the resurrection and the life. The experience of death is one that affects us more deeply than any other human experience. The death of Lazarus affected his sisters Martha and Mary very deeply. We can sense Martha’s disappointment at the absence of Jesus when their brother died, even her anger, in her words to Jesus, ‘If you had been here my brother would not have died’. It was as if she was saying to him, ‘Why couldn’t you have prevented this?’ It is a question that many of us may have found ourselves asking in the face of the death of a loved one. We pray for someone who is ill to be cured and it doesn’t happen; they die. We wonder why the Lord did not hear our prayer, just as Martha and Mary wondered why Jesus did not respond immediately to their request to come, instead of staying where he was for two more days. The experience of death brings out strong emotions in us, anger, deep sorrow, guilt and regret, despondency and discouragement. When Jesus finally arrived at Bethany, the death of Lazarus and the great grief surrounding his death brought out great emotions in him. The gospel reading says that Jesus had great distress and spoke with a sigh that came straight from the heart and that he burst into tears. He entered fully into the emotional trauma that death brought to this family. Jesus and the two sisters of Lazarus show us that, even for those of deep faith, death is a dark and disturbing experience. When we lose someone close to us we will be deeply traumatized, no matter how strong our faith is, and we will always need to give ourselves plenty of time to heal and to be restored. That can be just as true of the other experiences of loss that we have to negotiate in life, because there is more than one form of death. As well as a loved one dying, a relationship that has been central to our identity can die, and we find ourselves in a very similar place to where Martha and Mary are in today’s gospel reading. The emotions around such an experience of loss can be just as strong as the emotions around the death of a loved one; the time it takes to heal and recover can be just as long. This morning’s gospel reading suggests that the risen Lord knows our own experiences of loss from within. He not only shared the experience of loss of Mary and Martha, he himself knew what it was to lose everything. Even his clothes were taken from him, as he hung from the cross. Today’s gospel reading acknowledges the dark side of human experience for believers, for people like Martha and Mary who believe in Jesus and love him. The gospel shows Jesus entering into their darkness and working from within it, bringing light out of the darkness and life out of death. That is how the Lord relates to all of us in those times when we struggle with disturbing and traumatic loses. Although the experience of death may seem to indicate that the Lord is absent, just as he was physically absent at the moment of Lazarus’s death, in reality, at such times he is powerfully present to us as the resurrection and the life, as the one who keeps assuring us that for those who believe in him where there is death there is also life. Martha found it hard to believe that where there death seemed to reign there could also be life. When Jesus called on people to take the stone away from the tomb of Lazarus she strongly objected. As a faithful Jew she could conceive of life for her brother only in the distant future on the last day, but not here and now. The action of Jesus in raising her brother showed her that there is life in the midst of death, and not just after death in some indeterminate future. As we struggle with our own experiences of death, whatever form they may take, the gospel reading assures us that the Lord is not absent at such times but is present as the resurrection and the life, working here and now to bring new life out of our various deaths. And/Or (iii) Fifth Sunday of Lent When we find ourselves in a vulnerable place, perhaps due to illness or some other cause, we appreciate the presence of family and friends. When we are weak, we depend on the strength of others. When we are immobile we rely on the mobility of others. At the beginning of today’s gospel reading we find a family of two sisters and a brother who are in a very vulnerable place. The brother of the two sisters, Lazarus, is seriously ill. Jesus is a friend of this family. We are told that he loved, Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary. Yet, when the sisters sent word to Jesus that their brother was seriously ill, Jesus did not respond immediately, in spite of the urgency of the situation. So often in the gospels, Jesus responds immediately to total strangers who approach him for help. On this occasion, however, he does not respond immediately to those who were his close friends. By the time Jesus finally arrives, Lazarus has died. We can hear the disappointment of the two sisters with Jesus, and perhaps even their anger, in the way that they greet him, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died’. We can almost hear the question, ‘Why did you delay?’ ‘Where were you when we needed you?’ In our own lives, we can find ourselves asking those same questions of the Lord. We pray for someone we love and our prayer seems to go unanswered. We desperately want the Lord to heal our loved one who is seriously ill and close to death and the Lord does not respond to our cry for help. Like Martha and Mary we are left wondering why the Lord seems so silent and so absent. The gospels suggest that this was Jesus’ own experience as he hung from the cross. As he cried out, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ he was asking where God his Father was when he needed him most. Why was God so absent and so silent? Yet, even though to Jesus God seemed absent, God’s love for his Son as he hung from the cross was as strong as it had ever been. God’s love brought his Son through death to new life, the life of God. Even though to Mary and Martha Jesus was absent when their brother was dying, Jesus’ love for them and for Lazarus was as strong as it had always been. He went on to show his love for this family by going to their home, even though it would put his life in danger, and releasing Lazarus from the bonds of death. Even though the Lord may seem absent when we call upon him in prayer, especially in the face of death, his love for us and our loved one for whom we have been praying has in no sense diminished. The Lord may not answer our prayer in the way that we had hoped, but our prayer does not go unanswered, just as Jesus’ prayer on the cross did not ultimately go unanswered, and Mary and Martha’s prayer for their brother Lazarus did not go unanswered either. The message of this morning’s gospel is that, although the Lord does not prevent death, even the death of those most precious to us, he is always at work bringing new life out of death. That is the promise he makes to Martha when he says, ‘if anyone believes in me, even though they die, they will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die’. Jesus does not promise to save those who believe in him from death – ‘even though they die’. He does promise, however, that those who respond to his offer of friendship, those who believe in him, will live beyond death, ‘even though they die, they will live’. They will not experience ultimate or final death, they ‘will never die’ in that sense. His love for us is stronger than death. He assures Martha and all of us that physical death will not break the bond that our faith creates with him. Our union with the Lord through faith is not severed by death. Having made this powerful promise to Martha, Jesus then asks her, ‘Do you believe this?’ The same question is asked of us all. It is a question that allows us to renew our faith in Jesus the resurrection and the life, whose life-giving love for us is stronger than death. The risen Lord will not only deliver us from the experience of death that brings our earthly life to a close, he also works to deliver us from the various experiences of death that come our way in the midst of life. Whenever we indulge ourselves to the neglect of others, we end up less alive. Whenever we open ourselves up to the Spirit of the risen Lord, the Holy Spirit, and allow the Spirit to bear the fruit of love in our lives, we begin to live again. We pass from death to live. We strive to reach the end of our earthly lives as alive as possible, alive with the life of the Spirit. Then our passing over into eternal life will be seamless. And/Or (iv) Fifth Sunday of Lent As the days get longer and the signs of growth in nature become more obvious, we can begin to feel that winter is loosening its grip on us. The weather may still be cold, but, somehow, we sense that the worst is over. The signs of new life in nature are the promise of more to come. Nature’s awakening from its sleep will mean more work for some. The growing grass will eventually need its first cut. The weeds that come with the flowers will need to be managed. However, the prospect of some extra gardening does not diminish our longing for the new life we associate with spring and summer. As nature begins to come alive again, many people also feel more alive at this time of the year. The longer evenings call us forth, and we find ourselves doing more walking than we have done for some months. Yet, not everyone will be feeling more alive in these early days of spring. Those who have been recently bereaved will be feeling drained of life and energy. They may feel that a part of themselves has died, and that in a very real sense they are less alive now. Others among us may be feeling drained of life for a host of other reasons. Some may be struggling with some kind of illness; others may be trying to cope with an experience of rejection or deep disappointment; some may be struggling to come to terms with an experience of personal failure; others may be overworked and overtired. For a variety of reason, as individuals, as families, as a community, we can be feeling less alive than we want to be and are capable of being. In today’s gospel reading, a family who were struggling with the serious illness of one of their members sent to Jesus, their friend, for help. ‘He whom you love is ill’, was the message from this distraught family. By the time Jesus arrived, this family’s struggle with serious illness had given way to the more life-draining struggle with death. The message to Jesus now was, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died’. We can sense in that statement the family’s anguish, disappointment, and, perhaps, anger. Yet, Jesus entered fully into that family’s deep grief, and went on to call Lazarus out of his tomb, to bring him from death to life, and to bring his family from darkness to light. In doing so, he revealed himself as the resurrection and the life. When Jesus said to Martha, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’, he immediately went on to ask her, ‘Do you believe this?’ The evangelist intends that the readers of his gospel would hear this question as addressed to them. We are each asked to belief that Jesus is the resurrection and the life for us, and that he has the power to call us out of our tombs, to lead us from death to life. Those words of Jesus have given many of us hope in the face of the death of loved ones. We trust that our loved ones who have believed in Jesus will live beyond death; we believe that we ourselves, in virtue of our relationship with Jesus, already live with a life that physical death will not diminish or, much less, destroy. Yet, we also believe that the Lord who calls us out of the tomb of physical death is also calling us out of other tombs we may have built for ourselves. In the first reading, the Lord, speaking through the prophet Ezekiel, says: ‘I mean to raise you from your graves, my people, and lead you back to the soil of Israel’. The grave or the tomb in question was the tomb of exile in a foreign land. In the second reading, St. Paulmentions that our body may be dead because of sin. Certain lifestyles can entomb us, and drain us of life. The choices we make as individuals can damage and diminish us, both physically and spiritually. We are more aware today than ever before that our various institutions can also entomb us, by acting in ways that are not respectful of our dignity as people made in the image and likeness of God. The Lord came that we may have life and have it to the full. He is constantly calling us out of our various tombs, out of those situations that diminish us and that rob us of what St. Paul calls the glorious freedom of the children of God. This is the freedom of those whose lives are in tune with the Spirit of God. In calling people out of their tombs, the Lord looks to us to help him in this work. When Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus, he first called on people to ‘Take the stone away’. Having called Lazarus forth from his tomb, he then called on those present to ‘Unbind him, let him go free’. The Lord involved others in his life-giving work. He looks to us today to be channels of his life-giving presence to others. We have the awesome capacity to give life to others or to take life from them. We are too well aware of the growing number of murders in our land. Today’s gospel challenges to be life-givers in a world where the taking of life has become much more common than it used to be. We might reflect today on what the Lord’s words in the gospel reading could mean for each of us concretely - ‘Take the stone away’, ‘Unbind him, let him go free’. If the Spirit of God has made his home in us, as Paul states in the second reading, we cannot underestimate our capacity to be life-givers for others. There is some life-giving work that, with the Lord’s help, we can do for someone or for some group, and, which, if we do not do it, may never get done. Fr Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland. Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ieJoinus via our webcam. Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC. Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf. Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.

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orthodoxydaily · 3 years

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Saints&Reading: Mon., May, 17, 2021

May4/May17

The Holy Virgin Pelagia (287)

The Holy Virgin Pelagia lived during the III Century in the city of Tarsis in the Cilician district of Asia Minor. She was the daughter of illustrious pagans and when she heard preaching from her Christian acquaintances about Jesus Christ the Son of God, she believed in Him and desired to preserve her chastity, dedicating her whole life to the Lord. The heir of emperor Diocletian (a youth adopted by him), having seen the maiden Pelagia, was captivated by her beauty and wanted to take her to be his wife. But the holy virgin told the youth, that she was betrothed to the Immortal Bridegroom, – the Son of God, and therefore she had renounced earthly marriage. This answer of Pelagia caused great anger in the imperial youth, but he decided to leave her in peace for awhile, hoping, that she would change her frame of mind. This same while Pelagia convinced her mother to send her off to her nurse who had raised her in childhood – secretly hoping to locate the bishop of Tarsis Klinon, who had fled to a mountain during a time of persecution against Christians, and to accept Holy Baptism from him. In a dream vision there appeared the form of the bishop – Klinon, profoundly impressing itself upon her memory. Saint Pelagia set off to her nurse in a chariot, in rich clothes and accompanied by a whole retinue of servants, as her mother had desired her to. Along the way Saint Pelagia, through some particular ordering of events by God, met bishop Klinon. Pelagia immediately recognised the bishop, whose image had appeared to her in the dream. She fell at his feet, requesting baptism. At the prayer of the bishop there flowed from the ground a spring of water. Bishop Klinon made the sign of the cross over Saint Pelagia, and during the time of the mystery (sacrament) Angels appeared and covered the chosen one of God with a bright mantle. Having communed the pious virgin with the Holy Mysteries, bishop Klinon raised himself up in prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord together with her, and then sent her off to continue her journey. Having returned to the servants awaiting her, Saint Pelagia preached to them about Christ, and many of them were converted and believed. She tried to convert her own mother to faith in Christ, but the obdurate woman sent a message to the imperial youth, – that Pelagia was a Christian and did not wish to be his spouse. The youth comprehended that Pelagia was lost for him, and not wishing to give her over to torture, he fell upon his sword. Pelagia's mother thereupon became fearful of the wrath of the emperor, tied her daughter and led her to the court of Diocletian as being a Christian and also the probable cause of the death of the heir to the throne. The emperor was captivated by the unusual beauty of the maiden and tried to sway her from her faith in Christ, promising her every earthly blessing and to make her his own wife. But the holy maiden refused the offer of the emperor with contempt and said: "Thou art insane, emperor, telling me such a speech. Know, that I wilt not do thine bidding, and I loathe thy vile marriage, since I have a Bridegroom – Christ, the King of Heaven. I desire not thy imperial, worldly, short-durationed crowns, since my Lord in the Heavenly Kingdom has prepared for me three imperishable crowns. The first for faith – since I have believed with all my heart in the True God; the second for purity – because I have entrusted to Him my virginity; the third for martyrdom – since I want to accept for Him every suffering and to offer up my soul because of my love for Him". Diocletian thereupon sentenced Pelagia to be burnt in a glowing red-hot copper oven. Not permitting the executioners to touch her body, the holy martyress herself – signing herself with the sign of the cross, went with a prayer into the red-hot oven – in which her flesh melted like myrh, filling all the city with fragrance; the bones of Saint Pelagia remained unharmed and were removed by the pagans to outside the city. Four lions then came from out of the wilderness and sat around the bones – letting get at them neither bird nor wild beast. The lions protected the remains of the saint until such time as bishop Klinon came to that place. He gathered them up and buried them with honour. During the reign of emperor Constantine (306-337), when the persecutions against Christians had stopped, there was built a church at the place of burial of Saint Pelagia.

The Monk Nicephoros (1340)

The Monk Nicephoros was the teacher of Saint Gregory Palamas (Comm. 14 November). Saint Nicephoros pursued asceticism on Athos in the XIV Century and left after him the profound spiritual work "The Wise Method of the Jesus Prayer".

John 4:46-54

46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." 49 The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" 50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!" 52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household. 54 This again is the second sign Jesus did

Acts 6:8-7:5, 47-60

8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. 13 They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

1 Then the high priest said, "Are these things so?" 2 And he said, "Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 3 and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.' 4 Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. 5 And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. 47 But Solomon built Him a house. 48 However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: 49 Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest? 50 Has My hand not made all these things?' 51 You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it. 54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

#orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #originofchristianity #spirituality #holyscriptures #gospel #wisdom

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ivory-keen · 3 years

Text

Destiny Mark

From the moment I was born, it was clear that I was no ordinary human.

Born with blazing red hair and eyes the colour of spring grass, nobody knew what to make of me. My village had never seen such vibrant colours on a human before.

But the strangest thing was the absence of a Mark on my dominant hand.

No Destiny Mark.

No destiny.

No future.

The elders had me marked as Undetermined. Without a Destiny Mark, my future could not be foreseen, not even by the strongest of seers.

The chieftain had me betrothed to his son, the heir, for only the future chieftain was worthy of an exotic treasure such as myself.

The nuns had me baptized in the purest of Holy Waters. It was decided that if my future was untold, then their blessings should be able to at the very least guide it, keep it from turning to the Darkness.

If only they'd known.

My mother, bless her soul, raised me to the best of her ability. I learned so much from her. How to get a sewing needle through even the thickest leathers, how to tell edible plants apart from the non-edibles, how to brew healing solutions for even the deadliest of wounds.

My father, while he loved me dearly, was clearly unsure of how to care for such a strange child. He poured his emotions into his work, disappearing for weeks at a time. On the rare occasion he stayed home, he was distant. He was loud and harsh. I preferred to stay out in the garden when he was home. That way I could be alone with my friends.

Mother would speak of Father as though he were some noble hero who had come and swept her away from a dark fate. Her eyes always had that same dreamy expression when she spoke of him.

She was lying to herself. I knew the truth. Everyone did.

Her Destiny Mark said it all.

When I was five, my mother took me deep into the forest to gather herbs. I had a lot of fun picking different flowers and berries. I made lots of new friends there.

When I was seven, the butcher's daughter invited me to her birthday party. I was confused. We were in the same class at school, but we had never really interacted much. I wasn't sure if I should go, but my friends encouraged it, so I went.

The party was interesting. There was a large feast, with delicacies from all over. The mystery kababs were popular, but the harpy wings had to be my favourite.

I made a new friend at the party. I found them hiding in a corner, away from everyone else. They didn't speak much, which I was fine with. I spoke enough for both of us.

When I was nine, I saw a dog die. It had been caught in a hunter's trap. I couldn't bear to see it in pain. I wanted to help it, but I couldn't do anything. All I could do was stay with it. My friends stayed too.

When I was ten, we were visited by a nun. Father had died in an incident at work.

Mother was distraught. She cried for days, I could hear her sobbing in the basement from my room.

There was no funeral for Father. There was no body to bury. The priest said Father would rot in Hell, as he had forsaken his Destiny and Heaven would never take him. Mother screamed at them and cursed their names. As for me, I didn't dwell on Father's death for very long.

I was never too fond of him anyway.

When I was eleven, a boy asked me for help with schoolwork. I wasn't sure, so I asked my friends. At their encouragement, I agreed to help.

The boy and I ended up talking a lot. He said I was weird, but he thought I was funny. I wasn't sure whether he meant it as an insult or a compliment, so I said I felt the same about him. He gave me an odd look.

We kept talking, and a few days later, he was calling me his friend.

I tried to correct him, but he didn't listen. My friends said it was okay, however, so I accepted it for what it was.

When I was twelve, I had a nightmare. Bad people came and took all my friends away, leaving me alone.

It was the first time I remember crying. It was so scary, I refused to leave my friends for weeks afterward. I remember the boy asking if I was okay. He was worried, but I couldn't tell him. He wouldn't believe me.

When I was fourteen, the chieftain's son began to court me. He brought me roses, which made me sneeze. He brought me chocolates to make up for it.

I thought he was okay, but my friends didn't like him. I trusted their judgement and was very careful with him from thereon.

When I was sixteen, the boy had a fight with the chieftain's son in the middle of the village. They were fighting over me. The boy wanted to court me.

The boy lost. He was sentenced to execution.

I didn't want the boy to die. He wasn't my friend, but I was his. I pleaded with the chieftain's son to let the boy live.

The boy only lived because of me.

When I was eighteen, I was wed to the chieftain's son. I wore Mother's dress. The white satin turned black as the night the moment the chieftain's son kissed me.

That night, I realized why my friends didn't like the chieftain's son.

He hurt me. He hurt me on the outside, and on the inside. I was scared, I thought I would die.

My friends came and saved me. The moment the chieftain's son saw them, he screamed. He cursed my name and called me a freak.

I ran to the boy's house. He let me stay with him. He let me cry into his arms.

A few days later, an exorcist came to the village.

He tried to force his way into the boy's house. The boy wouldn't let him. He told me to hide in a bunker hidden in the basement. I was scared. My friends kept me safe.

From that day on, the boy kept me hidden and safe. I couldn't leave the bunker, but he didn't mind. The boy, and soon, the man, let me and my friends live with him.

The man was ostracized by the village. It made me angry.

One day, the man brought me harpy wings. They were just like I remembered.

While we ate, the man asked about my friends. I was surprised. He had never mentioned them before, no one had ever really acknowledged them at all.

My friends said I could, so I told him about them as simply as possible. They were my friends. Others couldn't usually see them, because of their Destiny Marks. It took a lot of strength for my friends to make themselves visible. The chieftain's son had really angered them.

In return, I asked about the man's Destiny Mark.

He showed it to me. It was a simple destiny, but it meant everything.

The man was silent about it for a few days. He seemed okay about it, though. So I figured it was okay for my friends to be around him. He had helped us. He wasn't going to hurt us.

One day, the man came home and told me that Mother was sick. He said she was being taken away to get help.

The night before she left, the man helped me sneak into my old house to say goodbye. We ran into the chieftain's son. He was hurting the butcher's daughter the same way he hurt me.

The man punched him, and the butcher's daughter ran away.

When I saw Mother, I was scared.

Mother...

Mother wasn't Mother anymore.

She was feral, hissing and screeching like a banshee. She screamed curses at me and the man. Called me a freak, a demon. She said it was my fault Father had died.

She was right. It was my fault. If not for me, Father would have never betrayed his destiny.

I stayed quiet and let her speak.

Mother cursed my name and existence. I should never have been born, they should never have let me live. They should have killed me the moment they saw my lack of a Destiny Mark. It would have been a mercy.

The man was right. She was sick. She was hurting. Her body was falling apart, red oozing from the boils and blisters that covered her skin.

It could only have been caused by one thing.

Her Destiny Mark had exploded.

I don't remember much of what happened after, but the man said my friends had saved our lives. They had taken us away from the village, far away, where no one could hurt us.

My friends had saved us.

Not me.

Us.

When I asked them why they told me they found the man worthy. Unlike the chieftain's son, he was loyal.

I agreed. The man was a fool, but he was a loyal fool.

We made a new home deep in the forests I loved so much. There were so many friends for me to make. They were so friendly. Even the man had to agree.

The man couldn't see or hear my friends, but that didn't stop him or them from figuring out other ways to communicate. It was funny to watch them fool around.

Time passed. I didn't know the date or year anymore, but it didn't matter. I didn't need to know the time. I had my friends and I had the man.

The man taught me that what the chieftain's son did was wrong. It was something that had to be done together, and that doing it alone was a sin.

He proved it to me. I was scared at first, but the man was right. It didn't hurt when the man did it, because we were doing it together.

After that night, I got sick. I was scared at first, but the man and my friends assured me everything was okay.

The sickness soon passed and I got fat. I got tired and cranky. I had never acted this way before, and looking back, my actions confuse me.

Then I had my children.

My friends didn't have children the way humans did. Friends are born from the wishes, secrets, and desires of humans. Still, they were with me the whole way.

My children were beautiful. They were pure, without Destiny Marks marring their bodies and trapping their souls. They could see and talk with my friends. And, to our surprise, they could do much more.

My daughter could light up the sky with a simple smile. It was beautiful, watching the light dance across her. My friends called her 'the Princess'. She could weave shadow and light together to create her dreams.

My son was one with nature. He could speak the language of the beasts and command the Earth itself. He was 'the Prince'.

As the years passed, the man grew old and weary. His olive skin paled with age. His black hair became white, and his brown eyes lost their youthful shine.

Yet my children and I stayed young and beautiful. Unlike the man, we never lost our youth.

As his time on this planet came to an end, I finally told the man the truth.

Everything had happened as it was meant to. From the very beginning, it was decided. Written on his hand and woven into my soul.

It wasn't destiny, but fate.

My friends were fairies.

And I was their Queen.

#original story #short story #original work #fairies #dark fantasy #writeblr #creative writing #i wrote this in one sitting #sort of #fantasy short story #writing

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