Saints Mary & Martha Orthodox Monastery
Orthodox Church in America
Diocese of the South
65 Spinner Lane
Wagener, SC 29164 - USA
telephone: 803-564-6894
email address:
Mary_MarthaM@pbtcomm.net

Looking out the window at one of our pink weigela bushes in full bloom and seeing butterflies and a ruby-throated hummingbird feasting on its nectar, we can only praise God for His greatness in such beauty and goodness and thank Him for His many and great gifts. He is our most loving Father who longs to "draw us to Himself as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings" and seeks only what is good for us. Spring is always a time of renewal and refreshment. So it is with us. All the love, care, and labor that we and those who help us have put into our gardens, yields much in lifting our souls toward our heavenly Father. As it takes many years for gardens to grow and mature, so it also takes many years for us to grow and mature in the spiritual gardens of our hearts. Our labors are made fruitful only through God's tender and loving grace. Sometimes we bask in sunlight to be followed by wind, rain and thunder. We enjoy the spring and summer with the harvest of late summer and fall, which is followed by the cold and rest of winter only to be renewed again in the Spring. God sees all and there is nothing hidden, and He gives us the increase which comes with being pruned and fertilized as He, the Good Husbandman, sees fit. The more we submit our will to Him, the more we know that He seeks only our good.

Toward the end of January we attended a one-man dramatization of the Gospel of John at Seven Oaks Presbyterian Church in Irmo, South Carolina. Brad Sherrill, an actor who is Methodist by faith and from Atlanta, Georgia, had memorized the entire Gospel of John (New International Version) and presented it in a dramatic manner under the direction of Scott Cowart. When we decided to attend, it was with an attitude of "let us see what they do with it", for we are fully aware of how often God's word is twisted. We were most pleased to find that he simply spoke the words of Saint John the Theologian and brought those words to life through simple props like a pitcher of water and a water basin. It was amazing how many times water and the use thereof is mentioned in the Gospel of John. A long table was used in many ways - two of which were the tomb of Lazarus and then, by drawing a white cross on the black surface and setting the table on end, a poignant symbol of the crucifixion. If you have the opportunity to see this performance, it is well worth the time and effort to attend.

The azaleas at the Shrine to Christ

The Theotokos the Eldress Hermitage continues to be used on a regular basis. On really cold days (for us that means from 20 to 40 F.), we discovered that the heat from the fireplace was escaping through the eaves; therefore, we had to add more insulation. Mother Helena made Roman shades for the windows. A firewood rack has now been constructed from steel pipes and with a tarp over it, keeps the firewood dry and, thus more useful in the cold and wet of South Carolina winters. In addition to these changes, our brick mason, Kirk Summers, finished the stone path that starts beside the Hermitage and leads around to the steps.

While Kirk Summers was here, he built a 21-foot, chocolate-brown brick pathway which leads from our driveway to the ramp of the doublewide. Then he built a platform at the bottom of the steps of the Barne Shoppes and a pathway connecting it to the ramp in the back. To all this, we asked him to build two steps leading up to the covered entrance at the back door of the Barne Shoppes. We had been using two half-blocks for over two years, which was an accident waiting to happen. Although we were on his waiting list and for several months, our name finally came to the top of his list. Good workmen are worth the wait.

Many things happened in January. One was the addition of a Manx cat, Vivaldi by name. We knew nothing about this breed till he showed up. This one is a tan-blond and, true to his breed, tailless. They are known as the dog-cat. Vivaldi gets along with the dogs far better than with the two other cats through no fault of his own, as he is non-aggressive and very laidback. He is gentle and likes to work a crowd.

The spiritual exercises of the Lenten season are varied by the situations we find ourselves in and, therefore, God customizes Lent for each of us. However, one thing that seems to remain constant is that every year we know that the ducks will start laying eggs as soon as Lent begins. This year we thought that they would start at the beginning of Western Lent. Well we rocked on with one or two eggs a day for five weeks. Then Orthodox Lent begins, and they started laying six to nine eggs a day. As happens each year, it becomes our Lenten task to make Pascha Bread, Quiches,Cheese Pascha, and other egg dishes without being able to eat any until after Pascha (The Feast of the Resurrection of Christ) is celebrated.

We are most grateful to Fr. Thomas Moore, Hieromonk James, and Father Peter Baktis for their willingness to serve Divine Liturgy here. Having Liturgy served on the monastery grounds and continuing in our daily life of prayer and loving hospitality and care for what God has given us, this monastery becomes more and more sanctified to God, and He blesses us.

We have celebrated the Sunday of the Cross and are fast approaching Holy Week so let us reflect on our fast thus far. The church in her wisdom continues to remind us of the Pharisee and the Publican as in the Monday Vespers Aposticha for the fourth week of Lent: "The proud-speaking Pharisee was rejected for his boasting, but the humble-minded Publican was justified through his silent prayer. Learn, O my soul, the difference between the two. Choose humble mindedness and accept it in thine heart: for Christ has promised to give grace to the humble, in His love for mankind."

The fast is not about food and prostrations although for many of us it is the focus of our conversations and thoughts. How much time have we spent on Lenten recipes and talking about food. The fast is not about how many services we have attended. All of the activities of Great Lent are to help us to a change of heart - to a humble, prayerful heart. If our food fast makes us more irritable and more impatient, of what value is it? We will not be judged on our fasting but on our love.

How has our praying of the Prayer of St. Ephraim helped us? It is not the way we prostrate (or do not prostrate) that should be the focus but Jesus as the Lord and Master of our life who is able to take our sinful spirit and give us His Spirit - a spirit of meekness and humility - a spirit which does not judge our brothers and sisters.

Let us refocus our Lenten eyes on the Lord who so loved us to be born a man, to live a life to show us the Father and how to love each other to the point of suffering and dying for us so we might rise with Him as He promised us.

The power for our change of heart is in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Master, not in our own power. Let us spend the remaining days of Lent (and our lives) focused on Him, begging His grace to change our hearts so we may love each other better and truly celebrate His resurrection.

Priests' wives are the unsung heroines of the Orthodox Church. Because of their unique position, the intelligence, stamina and dedication of these women are oftentimes ignored or abused. Inordinate demands are frequently made upon them. They could easily be expected to serve as wife, mother, chauffeur, secretary, teacher, choir director, counselor, florist, interior decorator, caretaker, maid, cook and/or baker - all in one day. Although little is recorded about the daily life of the priest's wife, St. Maxima (also Maximina), she must have been a humble woman, placing her husband first, supporting his priestly vocation in any way possible, and growing spiritually through the marital process. Her inspiring defense of the Christian faith in the face of certain death offers a glimpse into the qualities of a priest's wife and the sacredness of her calling. Ultimately, that apostolic fervor would empower the relics of St. Maxima with countless miracles down through the centuries.

At the time of Diocletian's fierce persecution of Christians in the early fourth century, St. Maxima and her priest-husband, St. Montanus, lived in Singidunum (present-day Belgrade in Serbia) in the Roman province of Moesia Superior. The Emperor's deputy, Galerius, issued an edict requiring Christians to offer sacrifices to the Emperor and to the Roman pantheon of gods. The pious couple's manner of life would not allow them to offer the required sacrifices. In the face of mounting pressures, they continued conducting their lives according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Unwilling to live hypocritically, they were placed in a dangerous position. They knew the opinion of the early Church with regard to martyrdom - that it should not be actively sought, but rather would take place according to the will of God. With this in mind, they decided to travel to Sirmium (present-day Sremska Mitrovica, located on the Sava River some 45 miles west of Belgrade) in the Roman province of Pannonia Minor in order to distance themselves from the seat of power. However, they were rapidly seized by Roman soldiers and brought to stand trial before Probus, Governor of Pannonia.

As they stood before their judge on a bridge overlooking the Sava River, the captives were given the choice of sacrifice to the Emperor and idols . . . or death. As was to be expected due to his priestly rank, St. Montanus showed great heroism. He explained that if he were to sacrifice to the Emperor or to the gods, this would be tantamount to rejecting Jesus Christ as God and Lord of heaven and earth, and he simply refused to comply with the edict. Frustrated and intending to take advantage of her "weaker" sex, Probus tried to persuade St. Maxima to deny Christ. Much to the surprise of the crowd, her fidelity and apostolic courage proved to be as great, if not greater, than her husband's. In fact, St. Maxima defended her faith so convincingly and with such eloquent zeal that Probus cut the trial short, fearing mass conversions to Christianity. The stalwart husband and wife were sentenced to beheading by the sword around 304 A.D. and were thrown into the Sava River. The faithful, and those converted by the zeal of this holy couple, willingly endangered their lives in order to rescue the bodies and heads of the martyrs from the river. The relics were then transported to Rome and interred in the Catacomb of St. Priscilla on the Salarian Way where they remained for 1,500 years.

In 1804, certain tombs in the Catacomb of St. Priscilla were opened and the many relics discovered were presented to Roman Catholic churches and to notable families in the vicinity of Rome. Among the relics found were those of St. Maxima which were in a remarkable state of preservation. Pope Pius VII presented them to the influential Sinibaldi family and for over a hundred years, her relics were venerated at the altar of their private chapel in Rome. In 1927, the Sinibaldi family presented St. Maxima's relics to the Poor Clares of San Lorenzo in Rome who, in turn, presented them to the Poor Clares of Chicago, Illinois in America where they remained for forty years. For the next few decades, St. Maxima's relics were transported from one monastery or priest to another, including Father Joseph Louro, a Roman Catholic missionary in South America. After Father Louro's death, St. Maxima's relics found a permanent home with the Byzantine Poor Clares of North Royalton, Ohio.

The history of St. Maxima's relics indicates that the Orthodox Church had forgotten this heroic saint. Nonetheless, wherever her relics journeyed, veneration of St. Maxima grew because of the boundless miracles that occurred through her intercessions. It was, however, the impact of her life that most impressed the faithful. The visible presence of a priest's wife who, in times of confusion and darkness, confronted evil with selfless courage and willingly gave her life confessing Christ has inspired countless people to live their Christian faith without counting the cost. May the Orthodox Church rekindle its knowledge of and love for this saintly and zealous priest's wife. Rooted in the traditionally Orthodox area of Serbia, St. Maxima's prayers await our cries and supplications, cries for peace and justice in the world, particularly in Kosovo, and intercessions for the protection of Orthodox families, especially for priest's wives whose well-being and example are so vital to the faith.

1/4 cup of sesame seed oil
      Kadoya Brand is good. (Japanese)
1/2 cup oyster sauce
      Dragonfly Brand is good. (Thai)
Soy Sauce to taste
      We prefer Kikkoman Brand. (Japanese)
1 large onion chopped
2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic
16 ounces of seasoned Seitan cut into smaller chunks
(also known as seasoned wheat gluten)
marinated in seasoned soy sauce
4 cups of fresh or frozen broccoli florets

In a large skillet heat sesame seed oil, oyster sauce and soy sauce. Add onion, minced garlic and Seitan. Stirring occasionally, cook until onion is soft. Add broccoli and cook until done to your liking. Stir occasionally so that it will not stick to the bottom. More oil may be added if needed.

This dish is quick and simple. It can stand alone as a vegetable/protein dish, since Seitan (wheat gluten) is a vegetarian supplement for meat. OR It can be served with rice.

Oyster Sauce and Sesame Seed Oil can be found in most Asian food stores and sometimes in the Oriental Food Section of a high-end grocery store.

Seitan is usually found in the refrigerated or frozen food section of a health food store and is usually packaged in a box with a clear window and looks like hunks of meat.