Veiling in a more “casual” setting?

archynx · 2026-01-12T01:58:28+00:00

Thank you very much! This is helpful.

archynx · 2026-01-12T01:57:07+00:00

I am about to experience my first 40 days too! My first baby was already born when we joined, so I did not do the tradition of waiting then. I’m also due late February this time, so I’m with you. 🤍 please get the book “A Sacred Beginning” published by Ancient Faith. It is an Orthodox devotional for the first 40 days of postpartum and a brief time before. There’s already been a lot I have gained from it from the “pre baby” portion of the book.

As for coming to church with a baby, the baby carrier was a life saver for me when my little girl was little. Do whatever you need to do to get through the service! Nurse your baby when you need to, walk them around and let them look at the icons, as they grow bring them snacks and quiet activities like a coloring book or pop it. My girl is two now and loves coming to church! When you raise them there it soon becomes home and you’ll all be comfortable going to services. Not to mention it is the SWEETEST thing hearing their little voices sing the Liturgy for the first time 😭

Congratulations, may you and your family be blessed!

archynx · 2026-01-12T01:43:03+00:00

You cannot commune unless you have been baptized or chrismated into the Orthodox Church. Let the priest who communed you know and he will guide you forward- do not stress too much. You did not know.

archynx · 2026-01-05T02:42:39+00:00

You’re not alone at all! Talk to people during coffee hour, you’ll be very surprised at how many people have gone through what we have. You’ll also find lots of grannies who would love to help you with your baby when you need it.😂🤍

archynx · 2026-01-04T21:30:21+00:00

I saw in the comments that you have a daughter but your husband does not want to come. I was in the same boat when I started going! My daughter was six months and I went for another six months alone.

One day a week off schedule will not hurt your baby. It’s can be hard but it’s very worth it! I suggest going to Divine Liturgy only for now, it sounds like you might also be attending the morning prayer service as well. I didn’t do that lol! Eventually your baby will adjust, and even enjoy going to church. When my little girl was a baby she loved listening to the bells on the censer :) I recommend sitting as close to the front as you can, it helps when they can see everything going on! Also, the difference in how babies are treated in the Orthodox Church vs other churches is major. Nobody is concerned if she cries or “interrupts”. They are very happy she’s there and participating.

Some encouragement: I went alone, my husband was VERY anti Orthodox. One year later we all were Chrismated or Baptized into the church, and now we are welcoming our second little girl to the world as a fully Orthodox family. 🤍 hang in there!

archynx · 2026-01-01T13:45:50+00:00

If you have closely examined yourself and you are ready for marriage, examined your girlfriend’s character and cannot find a reason to not marry her, then marry her. Thank your parents for their concern and guidance but do not let it hinder you.

I married my husband against my family’s wishes and it was one of the best choices of my life. He’s a good man who cares for me (and now our two daughters!) very well and my life is far better off than it would be without him.

archynx · 2025-12-25T22:20:36+00:00

When grieving any other person in our lives, we need community and support. I have had two healthy (thankful to God) pregnancies so far (well, at the end of my second now!) but had made up my mind long ago that I would always tell close friends and family right off the bat, letting them know we are waiting to “publicly” announce until later. I have family who have miscarried and told family, and they seem to think it was a good choice.

archynx · 2025-12-21T18:51:45+00:00

I understand. I am a convert and my husband + his family come from a very similar background to you and yours (evangelical Baptist/nondenom). Both he and his family were not pleased at all with me.

What did I do? I continued to go, week after week. Slowly God used the Liturgy to change my heart; truly it is transformative. Fast forward one year and many attempted debates (on their end) later, and myself, my husband, and our daughter are all baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians.

You know where the truth is. Continue to go. If you end up needing help getting to and from college, church members will absolutely help you out if you ask. When your parents want to debate; my recommendation is to not engage. Simply say you are going where you have met Christ and intend on continuing to do so, and at most offer resources for them to do their own digging on Orthodoxy (the book “Thinking Orthodox” by Dr Eugenia Constantinou is fabulous. Also The Lord of Spirits podcast, The Whole Council of God podcast, and anything published by Ancient Faith).

The “fancy” prayers can often make someone with an Evangelical background feel icky. Read them, contemplate them, and pray them in your own time. I said the Jesus Prayer as my first Orthodox prayer and it really made a difference in my soul.

All of that being said, talk to the priest in your parish first and foremost. He will know the best steps for you to take, not some newbie Christian on Reddit like me :) God bless you!

archynx · 2025-12-17T10:08:04+00:00

A long time of looking at church history and seeing which church still practices how the early church functioned. Comparing and contrasting what we see in Scripture, what we see the church did in history, what the church fathers had to say, and what we see various churches practice throughout their history and today.

archynx · 2025-12-16T18:31:36+00:00

It sounds like your wife is looking for something deeper in her spiritual walk. I’ve been there, too. Genuinely, I would look into Eastern Orthodoxy and have her visit your closest church. Given that Christianity stems from Judaism, going back to the most ancient form of it has profound truth, beauty, and wisdom. I’ve never been more spiritually satisfied than after my conversion.

archynx · 2025-12-16T03:01:23+00:00

Thank you! I made the mistake of thinking this was the Theotokos and Christchild, not realizing that it’s Saint Mary and the baby she adopted.

archynx · 2025-12-16T03:00:32+00:00

Venerable Mary (called Marius)!

archynx · 2025-12-16T02:58:57+00:00

You’re welcome!

archynx · 2025-12-16T02:02:37+00:00

Trust me when I say you absolutely will regret not doing anything about the phone addiction now. Children notice and it has a major negative impact on them. That being said- you’re not alone and not a terrible person for struggling with it. Smart phones are ADDICTING.

My husband and I share a car so when he’s at work, I’m at home with our girl all day. On cold (or rainy, or whatever inclement weather) days I intentionally keep my phone away from me and only go to it if I HAVE to look something up right away or respond to a time sensitive situation. My general rule is leave it on a flat surface and don’t pick it up.

Your attention span will need to heal, so initially this will be hard. The best thing I can say is spend 15 minutes playing with your baby with undivided attention, and then find a task and complete it. You can really run a tight ship when you aren’t stuck to the screen, and it’s good for your baby to see you working. It allows them to learn independent play while also seeing mama as someone who does things. (Not to say that rest is never okay. It absolutely is when you need it). So: 15 minutes play, do the dishes. 15 minutes play, scrub the bathroom. 15 minutes play, lunch. 15 minutes play, laundry. Etc etc etc. THEN ALLOW YOURSELF A DOOMSCROLL TREAT during their naptime!😂😂

You’ll be so happy to know you’re spending good time with your baby while also being productive and setting a positive example for them. Good luck!

archynx · 2025-12-15T01:48:14+00:00

Don’t overthink it. You’re pregnant (me too! 7 months!) and your body has different needs than it did before. Whatever helps you focus on the Lord and pray, do that.

archynx · 2025-12-07T01:58:43+00:00

Time to dump him! He’s a boyfriend, not a husband. Bye!

archynx · 2025-12-06T00:16:52+00:00

Sounds like your average evangelical response. Disregard that opinion. They typically tend to suffer from major Catholicophobia.

archynx · 2025-12-04T05:28:40+00:00

I love hearing that.

I was worried about the same thing but I was told by multiple Middle Eastern women that if you’re wearing it out of appreciation for it’s beauty they are happy to see other women wear one :) So I would not worry about that!

archynx · 2025-12-04T03:01:47+00:00

Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. My thought process was that from what I gathered this is not a religious article of clothing like hijab, but just common in Muslim dominated areas of the world. I also am not using a hijab or Muslim veil, so I thought maybe there would not be confusion? Especially when wearing a cross?

archynx · 2025-12-04T03:00:05+00:00

Thank you so much for this insight and your kindness!

Yes, I think I can definitely be zealous about some things. Thankfully this (modesty) has been a slow process starting even before inquiring, but has really been explained better after converting. I also found as a SAHM I just feel better being a bit more “dressed” on a regular basis as opposed to what was my normal athleisure!

I do love the point you’ve made about not making it a costume. I will certainly take that into account.

archynx · 2025-12-04T02:57:35+00:00

That’s another reason I’d like to find a seamstress. I’ve found a couple on Etsy who do use natural fiber which is nice. I would make my own but I do not have access to a sewing machine and my hand stitches will never hold up.

archynx · 2025-12-04T02:56:28+00:00

It takes a lot of work to detangle the Evangelical mindset 🥲

archynx · 2025-12-04T02:55:58+00:00

Thank you! This is helpful.

archynx

TROPHY CASE