Mary Magdalene and the Red Egg

A traditional pious legend passed down in the Eastern Church holds that St. Mary Magdalene was bringing cooked eggs to share with the other women at the tomb of Jesus. The eggs in her basket miraculously turned brilliant red when she beheld the Risen Christ. The egg is taken to represent the  boulder over the entrance to the tomb of Jesus.

Another common legend talks about St. Mary Magdalene's role as an evangelist, helping to spread the Gospel. It says that after Jesus' Ascension, Mary travelled to visit the Emperor Tiberius in Rome and greeted him with: “Christ has risen” [a traditional Orthodox Easter greeting, also adopted by many Christians]; whereupon he pointed to an egg on his table and quipped, “Christ has no more risen than that egg is red.” The egg, it is said, immediately turned blood red.

We may rightly call Mary Magdalene the "first Apostle", in view of Bishop Hippolytus of Rome's (2nd-3rd century) assigning her the title of "apostle of the apostles" and the "new Eve", because of her announcement of Christ's Resurrection to the Apostles, as well as the Eastern Church's longstanding acceptance of her as one of them.  History has, unfortunately, erroneously confused St. Mary Magdalene with the unnamed penitent woman in Mark 14 and Luke 7, as well as with St, Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus: all separate Marys whom she certainly outdistances in popularity.

In the collect for St. Mary Magdalene's feast we acknowledge that Mary was called "to be a witness of [Christ's] resurrection", and we pray for God's favor, like Mary Magdalene, to "know You in the power of his unending life".

Pioneers of Justice

O God, whose Spirit guides us into all truth and makes us free:

Strengthen and sustain us as you did your servants Amelia, Sojourner

Harriet, and Elizabeth. Give us vision and courage to stand

against oppression and injustice and all that works against the glorious liberty

to which you call all your children; through Jesus Christ our Savior,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,

for ever and ever. Amen.

Macrina: The "Great Sister"

St. Macrina the Younger (c. 327-379), as distinguished from her maternal grandmother, Macrina, was the eldest of ten children and was part of the third generation of an illustrious, gifted and courageous Christian family. Among her brothers were St. Basil of Caesarea, St. Gregory of Nyssa, and Peter of Sebaste. According to Gregory's account of her life and death, Macrina was obviously the "alpha" sibling, "the Teacher",  to whom her brothers came for advice, a wise and mature woman from her young adulthood. She'd been engaged early on to a young lawyer, but when her fiancé died suddenly, she consecrated her life to God, encouraged her brothers in their vocations as monks and priests, and later as bishops, and helped form a monastic community of women along with her mother and abbess, Emmelia, whom she herself succeeded as abbess. Gregory described her as both beautiful and brilliant. From Gregory's account, it's obvious how deeply he loved and respected his unusual sister.

Gregory of Nyssa had barely recovered from the untimely death of his brother, Basil the Great, at age 50, when, nine months later, word came that Macrina had fallen seriously ill.  He hadn't seen her for eight years, so it was an emotional reunion.  Gregory's own words describe it best:

"...But when I came to the actual place, rumor had already announced my arrival to the brotherhood.
Then the whole company of the men came streaming out to meet us from their apartments...But the band of virgins on the women's side modestly waited in the church for us to arrive. But when the prayers and the blessing were over, and the women, after reverently inclining their head for the blessing, retired to their own apartments, none of them were left with us. I guessed the explanation, that the abbess was not with them.


A man led me to the house in which was my great sister, and opened the door. Then I entered that holy
dwelling. I found her already terribly afflicted with weakness. she was lying not on a bed or couch,
but on the floor; a sack had been spread on a board, and another board propped up her head, so
contrived as to act as a pillow, supporting the sinews of the neck in slanting fashion, and holding up
the neck comfortably. Now when she saw me near the door she raised herself on her elbow but could
not come to meet me, her strength being already drained by fever. But by putting her hands on the
floor and leaning over from the pallet as far as she could, she showed the respect due to my rank. I ran to her and embraced her prostrate form, and raising her, again restored her to her usual
position.


Then she lifted her hand to God and said, 'This favor also You have granted me, O God. You have not deprived me of my desire, because You have stirred up Your servant to visit Your handmaid.'' Lest she should vex my soul, she stilled her groans and made great efforts to hide, if possible, the difficulty of her breathing. In every way she tried to be cheerful, both taking the lead herself in friendly talk, and giving us an opportunity by asking questions. When in the course of conversation mention was made of the great Basil, my soul was saddened and my face fell dejectedly. But so far was she from sharing in my affliction that, treating the mention of the saint as an occasion for yet loftier philosophy, she discussed various subjects...


When our conversation was finished, she said 'It is time, brother, for you to rest your body awhile,
since it is wearied with the great toil of your journey.' And though I found it a great and genuine rest to see her and hear her noble words, yet since she wanted it so much, that I might in every particular seem to obey my mistress, I found a pretty arbor prepared for me in one of the neighboring gardens, and rested under the shade of the trailing vines. But it was impossible to have any feelings of enjoyment when my soul within me was constrained by gloomy anticipations...We were, as one might guess, feeling dejected, expecting sad tidings, when Macrina, somehow or other divining our condition of mind, sent to us a messenger with more cheerful news, and bade us be of good cheer and have better hope for her, for she was feeling a change for the better. Now this was not said to deceive, but the message was actually true, though we did not know it at the time. Accordingly, feeling happy at the good news, we began to enjoy the sights that lay before us. For they were very varied and the arrangements gave much pleasure, since the great lady was careful even of these trifles.


But when we saw her again...she began to recall her past life, beginning with childhood, and describing it all in order as in a history. she recounted as much as she could remember of the life of our parents, and the events that took place both before and after my birth. But her aim throughout was gratitude towards God, for she described our parents' life not so much from the point of view of the reputation they enjoyed in the eyes of contemporaries on account of their riches, as an example of the divine blessing...


As I told [her] my own trouble and all that I had been through, first my exile at the hands of the Emperor Valens on account of the faith, and then the confusion in the Church that summoned me to conflicts and trials, my great sister said, 'Will you not cease to be insensible to the divine blessings? Will you not remedy the ingratitude of your soul ? Compare your position with that of your parents. And yet, as regards worldly things, we make our boast of being well born and thinking we come of a noble family. Our father was greatly esteemed as a young man for his learning ; in fact his fame was established throughout the law courts of the province. subsequently, though he excelled all others in rhetoric, his reputation did not extend beyond Pontus. But he was satisfied with fame in his own land.
But you, she said, are renowned in cities and peoples and nations. Churches summon you as an
ally and director, and do you not see the grace of God in it all ? Do you fail to recognize the cause of
such great blessings, that it is your parents' prayers that are lifting you up on high, you that have little
or no equipment within yourself for such success?' Thus she spoke, and I longed for the length of the day to be further extended...But the voice of the choir was summoning us to the evening service; sending me to church, the great one retired once more to God in prayer, and thus spent the night...


But when day came it was clear to me from what I saw that the coming day was the utmost limit of
her life in the flesh, since the fever had consumed all her innate strength. But she, considering the
weakness of our minds, was contriving how to divert us from our sorrowful anticipations, and once
more with those beautiful words of hers poured out what was left of her suffering soul with short and difficult breathing. Many, indeed, and varied, were the emotions of my heart at what I saw...


Most of the day had now passed, and the sun was declining towards the West. Her eagerness
did not diminish, but as she approached her end, as if she discerned the beauty of the Bridegroom
more clearly, and hastened towards the Beloved with the greater eagerness, such thoughts as these did
she utter... Her couch had been turned towards the East, and...she spoke henceforward to God in prayer, making supplication with her hands and whispering with a low voice, so that we could
just hear what was said. Such was the prayer...


'You, O Lord, have freed us from the fear of death. Thou hast made the end of this life the beginning to us of true life...You give our earth, which You have fashioned with Your hands, to the earth to keep in safety. One day You will take again what You have given, transfiguring with immortality and grace our mortal and unsightly remains...You have shown us the way of resurrection, having broken the gates of
hell...You have given a sign to those that fear You in the symbol of the Holy Cross...O God eternal,...give me an angel of light to conduct me to the place of refreshment...remember
me...in Your kingdom... forgive me, that I may be refreshed and may be found before You...may my soul be received into Your hands spotless and undefiled, as an offering before You.'


As she said these words she sealed her eyes, mouth and heart with the cross. Gradually her tongue dried up with the fever, so that she could articulate her words no longer, and her voice died away, and
only by the trembling of her lips and the motion of her hands did we recognize that she was praying.
Meanwhile evening had come and a lamp was brought in. All at once she opened...her eyes and looked towards the light, clearly wanting to repeat the thanksgiving sung at the Lighting of the Lamps. Though her voice failed, she fulfilled her intention in the heart and by moving her hands, while her lips stirred in sympathy...Having finished the thanksgiving, and bringing her hand to her face to make the sign that signified the end of the prayer, she drew a great deep breath, then closed her life and her prayer together...


...My mind was becoming unnerved in two ways: from the sight that met my gaze, and the sad wailing of the virgins that sounded in my ears. So far they had remained quiet and suppressed their grief... But when they could no longer subdue their anguish in silence, and grief like some inward fire was smoldering in their hearts, all at once a bitter and irrepressible cry broke out; so that my reason no longer remained calm, but a flood of emotion, like a watercourse in spate, swept it away, and so...I gave myself up to it. Indeed, the cause for the maidens' weeping seemed to me just and  reasonable...


I do not think it advisable to add to my narrative all the...things that we heard from those who
lived with her and knew her life accurately. For most men judge what is credible in the way
of a tale by the measure of their own experience. But what exceeds the capacity of the hearer, men
receive with insult and suspicion of falsehood, as remote from truth...There are happenings still
more surprising, of which I might tell: healings of diseases, and casting out of demons, and true
predictions of the future. All are believed to be true, even though apparently incredible, by those who
have investigated them accurately...[But] lest the unbeliever should be injured by being led to disbelieve the gifts of God, I have abstained from a consecutive narrative of these sublime wonders, thinking it sufficient to conclude my life of Macrina with what has been already said."

Chen one summer collection for boys and girls 2010-2011

Chen one is one of the out class brand in Pakistan.
It is the brand introduced by CHANAB GROUP OF INDUSTRIES Faisalabad Pakistan.
Chenab Group itself is one of the popular textile industries in Pakistan. Chenab introduced CHEN ONE decade’s ago. The 1st outlet of CHEN ONE was opened in 1997 in Lahore.
Now a day CHANONE becomes one of the famous brands in Pakistan. Its every new article published in many famous magazines. Moreover its every new article also exhibits in many exhibitions in Pakistan and other countries as well. It is one of the popular items in DUBAI SHOPPING FESTIVAL.
It is particularly famous for its light color and extreme good quality.
Now I am showing you new summer and spring collection of men and women casual ware.


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Yellow color looks really fibulas especially in summer. Some other Brands like STONAGE are giving new trend to summer and they are using combination of black & White but in spite of this Chen one is going with such light color dresses.

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In this season of summer every famous brand like STONAGE, RIVERSTON, GUCCI, OXFORD and others are busy in making lining T-shirts in light green , light blue and light pink colors as it look nice to wear this type of T-Shirts in summer.

-->For every fashion warring industry style is every thing because style really meters.
Although many other brand are also doing there work in different colors.
STONAGE used Black and White color; OXFORD used some combination of dark blue with black and pink but CHENONE is different and it does different as it introduced dress shirt with casual look and such a nice upper with half sleeve.



Girls wearing a frock in light green color with a little embroidery look gorgeous.
And it’s the CHANONE who make it possible



The combination of black with yellow gives some type of funky look.



Girls look pretty in black. Almost every famous brand in all over the world is working on black color. Black color makes contrast with almost every color. It suits mostly the person with white complexion.



When it has to be fashion or when it has to be quality the only name CHENONE is enough for our requirement.

Well this was all new of CHENONE this season; these are some exclusive articles of CHANONE which I have SHOWN to you.
Keep visiting Fashion blog.

Stone age summer collection 2010-2011

STON AGE is well known brand in Pakistan..., It is particularly famous for its casual collection.
As for as color is concerned STON AGE usually use dark colors as it gives type of casual look that is why STON AGE brand is famous mostly in youngsters.

Here is new collection of summer.As you can see these article contain black and white color.

New stone age Summer collection for 2010-2011



Stone age collection for youngest 2010-2011.



Dark Blue faded Jeans with light color T-Shirt gives cool effect. It looks nice to ware light color T-Shirt in summer. Some famous brand were designing yellow T-Shirts in last Summer but in this season STONAGE did really a great job as it introduced new summer color like this
"Bisque color"

The white color looks fibulas and especially in summer it gives calm and nice effect.

At the same time Black color gives bold and casual look which STONAGE is famous for.

Well! This post was all about STONAGE

It’s my first preference to show you every new collection of every famous brand in Pakistan

New stylish grooming sherwani

New stylish grooming sherwani for 2010-2011 are introduce. These are new grooming collection for wedding dressing. This grooming dress is mostly use in Pakistan, India and some other countries.

All companies are making best sherwani for mans wedding season. Mostly people use dhoti and khussa

New Ivory color in sherwani and new stylish stitching on top of sherwani. This style is just like short kurta type, and in mans wear sherwani in one of the best dress that wore in .
Islamic country including India and Pakistan. And people mostly use dhoti and khussa with sherwani in Pakistan and India Punjab.




This is new style introduce in sherwani with khussa. With sherwani is has good impression. And light touch of white stitching on red sherwani are looking good.

New latest style of sherwani and khussa for 2010-2011.

New latest style of sherwani and khussa for 2010-2011.

New latest style of sherwani and khussa for 2010-2011.



New latest style of sherwani and khussa for 2010-2011.



New latest style of sherwani and khussa for 2010-2011.

new wedding dress 2010

All company introduce wedding, party, and some others cloths, But this is very popular and top 10 sherwani in 2010, All people like this type of sherwani. and you see matching of pagri and sherwani.




This is new trend matching of wedding dress husband and wife cloth.



new stylish shewani of 2010



new stylish shewani of 2010



new stylish shewani of 2010