On the somewhat quiet and anonymous 50th W St. block on the west side in Midtown is the Bulgarian Orthodox Church "St. Cyril and St. Methodius". It has been a somewhat spontaneous home away from home for a Bulgarian community of New Yorkers and it serves to gather and sometimes scatter the Bulgarians who do venture into it for the reasons of attending the Liturgy, socializing, praying, lighting candles and, rarely, studying our faith. The interior is entirely covered in frescoes and the alter is truly inspiring for the one who searches to connect with Jesus, the Holy Theotokos and the saints that surround them.
I recently was asked to be the godmother of a friend of mine from college. To hear the special prayers and participate firsthand in this sacred and powerful ritual was touching and cleansing. If only I could always hold the essence of Christening without letting all of the exacerbation of this world get to me. If only.
It made me think of my own Christening in a small Bulgarian town at the foot of the Rhodopa mountains some 30 years ago.
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