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17/03/2024 - Homily - A Journey of Obedience ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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Saint Simeon the New Theologian was born in the year 949 in the city of Galatea (Paphlagonia), and he was educated at Constantinople. His father prepared him for a career at court, and for a certain while the youth occupied a high position at the imperial court. When he was fourteen, he met the renowned Elder Simeon the Pious at the Studion Monastery, who would be a major influence in his spiritual development. He remained in the world for several years preparing himself for the monastic life under the Elder’s guidance, and finally entered the monastery at the age of twenty-seven.See: orthochristian.com/193/ ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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This is the Apostolic Faith! This is the Faith of the Fathers! This is the Orthodox Faith! This Faith confirmeth the Universe! ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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On the Sunday of Orthodoxy… ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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Photos from Margam Abbey Church's post ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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Before Liturgy… kolyvo prepared in honour of St Theodore the Recruit. Thanks to our sisters! ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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A blessed day in Margam… ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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Dear brothers and sisters, what a great joy and honour it was to celebrate the Divine Liturgy for the Saturday of St Theodore in the wonderful setting of Margam Abbey Church - in what was the nave of the pre-reformation abbey.Our usual little band of pilgrims were rather swallowed up in the wonderful interior, restored by another Theodore - Theodore Rice Talbot of Margam Castle, entombed only feet away from the sanctuary and our celebration of the Holy Mysteries.We were happy to be joined by the incumbent, Father Mark Greenaway-Robins and members of what is very clearly a very warm and welcoming congregation.For the clergy and our oltarnik, it was wonderful to celebrate in the cathedral-like grandness of the sanctuary, with our cantor and reader housed in the choir stalls. Many thanks to Anastasia and George, respectively.At the end of a lovely Liturgy, we blessed kolyvo prepared by two of our sisters, and this was much-enjoyed in trapeza.Having thanked Father Mark and the parishioners, many years was chanted with thanks for their kindness and hospitality.Following the Liturgy, there was ample chance for our parishioners to chat with members of the abbey parish, meet Father Mark, explore the church and the ruins of the medieval abbey, visit the museum of ancient Christian stones, whose multiplicity in the locality attest to the pre-conquest religious importance of the area.The lovely church-hall was an excellent setting for a relaxed and unrushed lunch, giving more time for conversation and fellowship.Most Holy Mother of God, Our Lady of Margam, pray to God for us!Glory to God for all things! ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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ICON OF THE MOTHER OF GOD “THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH”Commemorated on March 9/22The Albazin Icon of the Mother of God “the Word made Flesh” is of great religious significance in the Amur River region. It received its name from the Russian fortress of Albazin (now the village of Albazino) along the Amur river, founded in the year 1650 by the famous Russian frontier ataman Hierotheus Khabarov on the site of a settlement of the Daurian prince Albaza.The hue and cry over the Amur Albazinsk fortress became an object of enmity for the Chinese emperor and his generals, who then already dreamed of expanding their influence over all of Russian Siberia.On the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, on March 24, 1652, the first military clash of the Russians with the Chinese occurred at the Amur. Through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos the pagans were scattered and fled to their own territory. This victory seemed like a portent for the Russians. But the struggle had only just begun. Many sons of Holy Russia died in the struggle for the Amur, and for the triumph of Orthodoxy in the Far East.In June of 1658 an Albazin military detachment, 270 Cossacks under the leadership of Onuphrius Stepanov, fell into an ambush and in a heroic fight they were completely annihilated by the Chinese.The enemy burned Albazin, overran Russian lands, and carried off the local population into China. They wanted to turn the fertile cultivated area back into wilderness.During these difficult years the Most Holy Theotokos showed signs of Her mercy to the land of Amur. In 1665, when Russians returned and rebuilt Albazin, together with a priest there came to the Amur the Elder Hermogenes from the Kirensk Holy Trinity monastery. He carried with him a wonderworking icon of the Mother of God “the Word made Flesh”, called the Albazinsk Icon since that time. In 1671 the holy Elder built a small monastery on the boundary mark of the Brusyan Stone (one and a half kilometers from Albazin near the Amur), where the holy icon was later kept.Albazin was built up. At two churches in the city, the Ascension of the Lord and Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, Albazin priests offered the Bloodless Sacrifice. Not far from the city (along the Amur) another monastery was built, the Spassky. The fertile soil produced bread for Eastern Siberia. The local populace adapted itself to Russian Orthodox culture, peacefully entering into the multi-national Russian state, and found Russian protection from the plundering raids of Chinese feudal war-lords.At Moscow they did not forget the needs of the far-away Amur frontier. They strengthened military defenses and improved regional government. In 1682 the Albazin Military-Provincial Government was formed. They concerned themselves about the spiritual nourishment of the Amur region peoples. A local Council of the Russian Church in 1681 adopted a resolution to send “archimandrites, igumens, or priests, both learned and good, to enlighten unbelievers with the law of Christ.” The Daurian and Tungusian peoples as a whole accepted Holy Baptism. Of great significance was the conversion of the Daurian prince Hantimur (renamed Peter) and his eldest son Katana (renamed Paul) to Orthodoxy.The servants of the Chinese emperor planned for a new attack. After several unsuccessful forays, on July 10, 1685, they marched against Albazin with an army of 15,000 and encircled the fortress. In it were 450 Russian soldiers and three cannon. The first assault was repulsed. The Chinese then from all sides piled up firewood and kindling against the wooden walls of the fortress and set it on fire. Further resistance proved impossible. With its military standards and holy things, among which was the wonderworking Albazin Icon, the soldiers abandoned the fortress.The Mother of God did not withhold Her intercession from Her chosen city. Scouts soon reported that the Chinese suddenly began to withdraw from Albazin, ignoring the Chinese emperor’s command to destroy the crops in the Russian fields. The miraculous intervention of the Heavenly Protectress not only drove the enemy from Russian territories, but also preserved the grain which sustained the city for the winter months. On August 20, 1685 Russians were in Albazin again.A year went by, and the fortress was again besieged by Chinese. There began a five-month defense of Albazin, which occupies a most honored place in Russian military history. Three times, in July, in September, and in October, the forces of the Chinese emperor made an assault on the wooden fortifications. A hail of fiery arrows and red-hot cannon balls fell on the town. Neither the city nor its defenders could be seen in the smoke and fire. And all three times, the Mother of God defended the inhabitants of Albazin from their fierce enemy.Until December 1686, when the Chinese lifted the siege of Albazin, of the city’s 826 defenders only 150 men remained alive.These forces were inadequate to continue the war against the Chinese emperor. In August 1690 the last of the Cossacks departed from Albazin under the leadership of Basil Smirenikov. Neither the fortress, nor its holy things, fell into the hands of the enemy. The fortifications were razed and leveled by the Cossacks, and the Albazin Icon of the Mother of God was taken to Sretensk, a city on the river Shilka, which flows into the Amur.But even after the destruction of Albazin, God destined its inhabitants to do another service for the good of the Church. By divine Providence the end of the military campaign contributed to the increase of the influence of the grace of Orthodoxy among the peoples of the Far East. During the years of war, a company of about a hundred Russian cossacks and peasants from Albazin and its environs were taken captive and sent to Peking.The Chinese emperor even gave orders to give one of the Buddhist temples in the Chinese capital for an Orthodox church dedicated to Sophia, the Wisdom of God. In 1695 Metropolitan Ignatius of Tobolsk sent an antimension, chrism, service books, and church vessels to the Sophia church. In a letter to the captive priest Maximus, “the Preacher of the Holy Gospel to the Chinese Empire,” Metropolitan Ignatius wrote: “Be not troubled, nor troubled in soul for yourself and the captives with you, for who is able to oppose the will of God? Your captivity is not without purpose for the Chinese people, so that you may reveal to them the light of Christ’s Orthodox Faith.”The preaching of the Gospel in the Chinese Empire soon bore fruit and resulted in the first baptisms of Chinese. The Russian Church zealously looked after the new flock. In 1715 the Metropolitan of Tobolsk, Saint Philotheus “the Apostle to Siberia” (+ May 31, 1727), wrote a letter to the Peking clergy and the faithful living under the Peking Spiritual Mission, who continued with the Christian work of enlightening pagans.The years went by, and the new epoch brought the Russian deliverance of the Amur. On August 1, 1850, the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-Giving Cross, Captain G. I. Nevelsky raised up the Russian Andreev flag at the mouth of the Amur River and founded the city of Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. Through the efforts of the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, N. N. Muraviev-Amursky (+ 1881), and Saint Innocent, Archbishop of Kamchatka (March 31), and through the spiritual nourishment which obtained in the Amur and coastal regions, in several years the left bank of the Amur was built up with Russian cities, villages and Cossack settlements.Each year brought important advances in the development of the liberated territory, its Christian enlightenment and welfare. In the year 1857 on the bank of the Amur fifteen way-stations and settlements were established (the Albazin on the site of the old fortress and the Innokentiev, named in honor of Saint Innocent). In a single year, 1858, there were more than thirty settlements, among which were three cities: Khabarovsk, Blagoveschensk and Sophiisk.On May 9, 1858, on the Feast of Saint Nicholas, N. N. Muraviev-Amursky and Archbishop Innocent of Kamchatka arrived in the Cossack post at Ust’-Zeisk. Saint Innocent was there to dedicate a temple in honor of the Annunciation of the Mother of God (Blagoveschenie, in Slavonic), the first building in the new city. Because of the name of the temple, the city was also called Blagoveschensk, in memory of the first victory over the Chinese on the Feast of the Annunciation in 1652, and in memory of the Annunciation church at Irkutsk, in which Saint Innocent began his own priestly service. It was also a sign that “from that place proceeded the blessed news of the reintegration of the Amur region territory under Russian sovereignty.” New settlers on the way to the Amur, journeying through Sretensk, fervently offered up their prayers to the Holy Protectress of the Amur region before her Wonderworking Albazin Icon. Their prayers were heard: the Aigunsk (1858) and Peking (1860) treaties decisively secured the left bank of the Amur and coastal regions for Russia.In 1868 the Bishop of Kamchatka, Benjamin Blagonravov, the successor to Saint Innocent, transferred the holy icon from Sretensk to Blagoveschensk, thereby returning the famous holy icon to the Amur territory. In 1885, a new period began in the veneration of the Albazin Icon of the Mother of God and is associated with the name of the Kamchatka bishop Gurias, who established an annual commemoration on March 9 and a weekly Akathist.In the summer of 1900, during the “Boxer Rebellion” in China, the waves of insurrection reached all the way to the Russian border. Chinese troops suddenly appeared on the banks of the Amur before Blagoveschensk. For nineteen days the enemy stood before the undefended city, raining artillery fire down upon it, and menacing the Russian bank with invasion.The shallows of the Amur afforded passage to the adversary. In the Annunciation church services were celebrated continuously, and Akathists were read before the Wonderworking Albazin Icon. The Protection of the Mother of God was again extended over the city, just as it had been in earlier times. Not daring to cross the Amur, the enemy departed from Blagoveschensk. According to the accounts of the Chinese themselves, they often saw a Radiant Woman over the bank of the Amur, inspiring them with fear and rendering their missiles ineffective.For more than 300 years the Wonderworking Albazin Icon of the Mother of God watched over the Amur frontier of Russia. Orthodox people venerate it not only as Protectress of Russian soldiers, but also as a Patroness of mothers. Believers pray for mothers before the icon during their pregnancy and during childbirth, “so that the Mother of God might bestow the gift of abundant health from the Albazin Icon’s inexhaustible well-spring of holiness.”This icon depicts Christ as a child standing in a mandorla before His Mother’s breast.The Orthodox Church in America3/7/2017 ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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Dear brothers and sisters, of your charity, please pray for the newly-departed handmaiden of God, Larisa. Memorial Eternal! ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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10/03/2024 - Homily - Christians not Heroes ! ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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UNCOVERING OF THE PRECIOUS CROSS AND THE PRECIOUS NAILS BY THE EMPRESS ST HELEN IN JERUSALEMCommemorated on March 6The Holy Empress Helen uncovered the Precious Cross and Nails of the Lord at Jerusalem in 326.At the beginning of the reign of Saint Constantine the Great (306-337), the first Roman emperor to recognize Christianity, he and his pious mother Saint Helen decided to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. They also planned to build a church on the site of the Lord’s suffering and Resurrection, in order to reconsecrate and purify the places connected with the Savior’s death and Resurrection from the foul taint of paganism.To read the article: orthochristian.com/101618.html ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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FROM THE HOMILY ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE: ST EPHREM THE SYRIANYou have a spiritual nature; the soul is the image of the Creator; honour the image of God, by being in agreement with all men. Remember death, and be not angry, that your peace be not of constraint. As long as your life remains to you, cleanse your soul from wrath; for if it should go to Sheol with you, your road will be straight to Gehenna. Keep not anger in your heart; hold not fury in your soul; you have not power over your soul, save to do that which is good. You are bought with the blood of God; you are redeemed by the passion of Christ; for your sake He suffered death, that you might die to your sins. His face endured spitting, that you might not shrink from scorn. Vinegar and gall did He drink, that you might be set apart from wrath. He received stripes on His body, that you might not fear suffering. If you are in truth His servant, fear your holy Lord; if you are His true disciple, walk in your Master's footsteps. Endure scorn from your brother, that you may be the companion of Christ. Display not anger against man, that you be not set apart from your Redeemer. ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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17/03/2024 - Homily: A Journey of Obedience ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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18/02/2024 - Homily - Blessed Curiosity ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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25/02/2024 - Homily - Christ making Saints from Sinners ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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03/03/2024 - Homily - Courage to turn back to Christ ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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PRAYING WHILST ANGRY WITH OUR NEIGHBOUR IS BLASPHEMY - FROM THE “HOMILY ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE” BY ST EPHREM THE SYRIANThis is the first commandment: that you should love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, and with your strength as much as you are able.The sign that you love God is this: that you love your neighbor. If you hate your neighbor, your hatred is really for God.It is blasphemy if you pray to God while you are angry. For your heart also convicts you that you multiply words in vain. Your conscience rightly judges that your prayers do you no good.Christ, as he hung on the height of the tree, interceded for his murderers. But you, who are dust, born of the clay—rage fills you whenever you like! You keep anger against your brother, and yet you dare to pray? Even the person stand­ing right beside you, though he is not neighbor to your sins, the stain of your sin reaches out to him, and his petition is not heard.Leave off anger and then pray. Unless you would provoke further, restrain your anger, and then supplicate. ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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FROM THE “HOMILY ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE”, BY ST EPHREM THE SYRIAN“Be a lover of poverty, and be desirous of neediness. If you have them both for your portion, you are an inheritor on high. Despise not the voice of the poor and give him not cause to curse you. For if he curse whose palate is bitter, the Lord will hear his petition. If his garments are foul, wash them in water, which freely is bought. Has a poor man entered into your house? God has entered into your house; God dwells within your abode. He, whom you have refreshed from his troubles, from troubles will deliver you. Have you washed the feet of the stranger? You have washed away the filth of your sins. Have you prepared a table before him? Behold God eating [at it], and Christ likewise drinking [at it], and the Holy Spirit resting [on it]: Is the poor satisfied at your table and refreshed? You have satisfied Christ your Lord. He is ready to be your rewarder; in presence of angels and men He will confess you have fed His hunger; He will give thanks unto you that you gave Him drink, and quenched His thirst.” ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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SMALL COMPLINE WITH THE CANON TO ST DAVID: 1/14 MARCH @ 19:00 IN NAZARETH HOUSETomorrow evening, after confessions in Nazareth House, Small Compline will be chanted at 19:00, with the canon to St David of Wales after the supplicatory canon to the Most Holy Mother of God. ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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THE FIRST WEEK OF GREAT LENTCompline and the Great Canon of Repentance, the work of St Andrew of Crete, will be chanted on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the first week of Great Lent (18th,19th, 20th and 21st March) at 16:00 in the Oratory Church of St Alban, in Swinton Street, Splott. We will pray at the shrine of St Alban, venerating his sacred relics at the end of the evening office, a traditional time for the veneration of our icons and sacred relics.We extend our thanks to Father Sebastian.On Friday 22nd Compline and the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God will be chanted in the Chapel of St David and St Nicholas, in Llanelli, and the following morning we will celebrate our pilgrimage Divine Liturgy for the Saturday of St Theodore in Margam Abbey at 10:30. ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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10/03/2024 - Homily: Christians not heroes! ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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FROM THE “HOMILY ON ADMONITION AND REPENTANCE”, BY ST EPHREM THE SYRIANSearch not out the faults of men; reveal not the sin of your fellow; the shortcomings of your neighbours, in speech of the mouth repeat not. You are not judge in creation, you have not dominion over the earth. If you love righteousness, reprove your soul and yourself. Be judge unto your own sins, and chastener of your own transgressions. ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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03/03/2024 - Homily: Having the shameless courage to turn back to Christ, like the prodigal. ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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25/02/2024 - Homily: Christ making saints from sinners through the mystery of repentance. ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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18/02/2024 - Homily: Blessed curiosity ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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THE AKATHIST OF THANKSGIVING: “GLORY TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS”I know that whilst the akathist hymn “Glory to God for all things” is well know to most of our parishioners, we have quite a few youngsters and new-comers who may not have discovered it.On such a beautiful, bright, warm spring day, of blue sky, white clouds, plum blossom, hazel catkins, sunny daffodils and gorse flowers - in South Wales, at least - how can we not echo the sentiments of Metropolitan Tryphon of Dmitrov, written by him in the gulag, based on the final words of St John Chrysostom in his own imprisonment.www.saintjonah.org/services/thanksgiving.htm ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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Small Compline, with the Akathist Hymn to the Most Holy Mother of God will be chanted at 19:00 after confessions in Nazareth House tomorrow: Thursday 7th March.Any further requests for confessions should be sent before 18:00, this evening. ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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From the “Homily on Admonition and Repentance”, by St Ephrem the SyrianIf you are angry against your neighbour, you are angry against God;and if you bear anger in your heart, against your Lord is your boldness uplifted. If in envy you rebuke, wicked is all your reproof. But if charity dwell in you, you have on earth no enemy. And if you are a true son of peace, you will stir up wrath in no man. If you are just and upright, you will not do wrong to your fellow. And if you love to be angry, be angry with the wicked and it will become you;if to wage war you seek, lo! Satan is your adversary; if you desire to revile, against the demons display your curses. If you should insult the King's image, you shall pay the penalty of murder;and if you revile a man, you revile the image of God. Do honour to your neighbour, and lo! You have honoured God. But if you would dishonour Him, in wrath assail your neighbour! ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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Dear brothers and sisters, as the Great Fast approaches, we very much hope that there can be a repetition of the complete reading of the Psalter each day of the fast, with parishioners and friends pledging to read a kathisma of the Psalter each day.In an ideal situation, we would have twenty people praying the Psalter, meaning that each person would read one kathisma each day, in rotation.I would stress that the point is that the whole Psalter is read each day, and not for readers to have kathisma catch-ups because they have fallen behind. If you would like to participate in this Lenten offering, may I ask you to contact oltarnik Alexander: psaltergroup@fastmail.com ... Click Here To See MoreClick Here To See Less
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