The Feast of St Melangell – Nameday Greetings

As we celebrate the feast of the Venerable hermitess, Melangell, we send our greetings to Pennant Melangell where Melangell (Menna) is celebrating her nameday on pilgriamge just a matter of days after her baptism, and to Mother Melangell  in Walsingham.

We pray that the Lord may grant them many years, and we wish them a joyful and grace-filled feast.

Venerable Mother, Melangell, pray to God for us!

Troparion, Tone 8: Preferring the rigours of monasticism to worldly status and marriage, 0 pious Melangell, though wast fifteen years on a rock, emulating the example of the Syrian Stylites. Wherefore, 0 Saint, pray to God that He will give us strength to serve Him as He wills, that we may be found worthy of His great mercy.

Kontakion, Tone 4: Praise, glory and honour are thy due, 0 righteous Melangell, for in consecrating thy virginity to Christ, thou didst give us a model of Christian living. Wherefore we who keep thy festival pray for grace to amend our lives according to thy example, glorifying God in every word and deed.

Akathist to St John the Russian

Akathist to St. John the Russian, the New Confessor and Wonderworker, whose incorrupt Holy Relics are treasured in Neo Prokopion, Evia

Written by Nun Isidora Agierotheitissa

Kontakion 1: The perfect pinnacle of confession, and the divine example of humility, you willingly were steadfast amidst the bitterness, and your flesh shone forth with incorruption, let us honour John whose name is great, singing to him: Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Oikos 1: You lived the life of the bodiless on earth in your physical flesh, O John, and imitating the ranks of the Bodiless Angels, God Who fashioned you glorified you in wondrous and divine works. Therefore, you hear from those who are amazed by you such words as these:

Rejoice, the precious icon of piety,

Rejoice, rich support of the holy faith.

Rejoice, perfect one in godly struggles,

Rejoice, privileged one serving uplifted things.

Rejoice, the fair pinnacle of all the Righteous ones,

Rejoice, the sacred radiance of the confessors.

Rejoice, the most-precious joy of the Church,

Rejoice, the most-prided offspring of noble Russia.

Rejoice, lamp of the radiance of the saints,

Rejoice, treasury of incorrupt and sacred gifts.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 2: Barbarians faced your nation in battle, and took you hostage, O all-blessed one, thus bringing you to Asia Minor, where you were sold to a terrible boss, while you totally submitted to him in slavery in your incomparable steadfastness, O Father. And being obedient to him as a humble slave, O John, to God, the guide of all things, you offered the hymn, chanting endlessly: Alleluia.

Oikos 2: You willed to imitate Christ, and to suffer the divine Passion, therefore, you endured every insult, O John, in your gladsome and undoubting heart. And you drank their every ridicule and bitterness as a pleasant drink. Therefore, you ever gladden those you cry out to you words like these:

Rejoice, true steward of the God of all,

Rejoice, deferential servant of a vicious boss.

Rejoice, you who endured unspeakable evils,

Rejoice, you who were enriched with heavenly rewards.

Rejoice, you who endured the bitter yoke of slavery,

Rejoice, you who bore the Lord’s yoke with joy.

Rejoice, divine mirror of mystical rays,

Rejoice, sacred treasury of God-given gifts.

Rejoice, anointer of the unspeakable mystagogy,

Rejoice, shining pearl of the Church.

Rejoice, lamp that shines upon the hearts of the faithful,

Rejoice, sun that speaks of the unwaning Christ.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 3: In the rich home in which you served, a dinner was served, and through the grace of your Lord, you worked a great miracle through your piercing prayer, O Father. And from afar, O John, you sent food to your slave master in his own dish, thus granting him joy. While to God, Who dwells in the highest, you granted joy, as your burning heart chanted the hymn: Alleluia.

Oikos 3: Having the most-pure fear of the Lord in your holy heart, O Father, as David the Prophet, you were enriched with perfect love. And through the spring of love, you approached God perfectly, and you meditated upon the law mindfully, O all-precious John, and called upon His name ceaselessly from the mouth of your heart. Therefore, with incomparable care, you hearken upon us who call upon you ceaselessly:

Rejoice, the most-faithful worshipper of the God of all,

Rejoice, the bloodless Martyr of the Master of all.

Rejoice, you who were enriched with the great forbearance of Job,

Rejoice, you who unflinchingly gave a good witness.

Rejoice, you who travelled the straight path of turmoil,

Rejoice, you who bent the neck of your soul to Christ.

Rejoice, treasury of graces, full of divine fragrance,

Rejoice, river of wonders, and inheritance of fragrance.

Rejoice, the wealth of the Greeks, the incorruptible treasure,

Rejoice, perfect sharer of the mystical Table.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 4: With the immense warmth of your fervour, O John, you followed Christ willingly, and you did not at all deny His holy and all-powerful name, O blessed one. You suffered many pains, but you were as a diamond amidst turmoil, that beautifies the Church of Christ. With the fiery rays of the confession which you gave before the godless rulers with a piercing voice, O Father, you ceaselessly spoke of God, and chanted the thrice-holy hymn, chanting in thanksgiving: Alleluia.

Oikos 4: From Russia, O Father, you were transported to the holy land of Asia Minor as a slave. And by your righteous pains you cultivated the land, and harvested the fruit of the faith, offering it to God Who cultivated you. Through freedom in soul, you served Him, O Righteous John, and kept your mind free, giving glory to Him instead as is right. Therefore, for those who bless you, grant a godly mind and a pure heart, as we cry out to you with loud voices like this:

Rejoice, you who worked the mystical vineyard,

Rejoice, you who fed upon the grapes of your athletic pains.

Rejoice, for with precious tears you watered your pillow,

Rejoice, for with divine rejoicing you bestow harmony.

Rejoice, you who received a great talent from the hand of God,

Rejoice, you who greatly increased the portion given to you.

Rejoice, you who received the holy seed within the field of your heart,

Rejoice, you who bore fruit through the good word of your confession.

Rejoice, the good servant of every virtue,

Rejoice, the prudent disciple of the Master of all.

Rejoice, the boast of the Church and root of beautiful fruit,

Rejoice, the glory of the Righteous, and wonder of the Angels.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 5: Willingly doing the will of the Lord, you eagerly served, O sacred John, and with your humble mindset you followed the commandments. Therefore, you rejoiced as you accepted the yoke of slavery for the love which He offered to us, as He took on the form of a servant in His great goodness. With utter desire in heart, and a joyous voice, you offered to Him the hymn and ode as is proper: Alleluia.

Oikos 5: In your endurance, you dwelt within a dark stable with the horses, while in your heart you mystically beheld the light of Christ, and you hymned the Giver-of-light in truth, keeping the lamp of your soul lit through the illuminating rays of your all-holy prayers. I entreat you to drive away the darkness from my irrational soul, that I may rationally offer you this light-bearing ode, saying fervently these words in thanksgiving:

Rejoice, healer adorned with the beauty of confession,

Rejoice, steadfast and divine pinnacle of good struggles.

Rejoice, the most-joyous treasury of the spotless faith,

Rejoice, spotless treasury of joyous graces.

Rejoice, you who freely give from the treasury of the Saints,

Rejoice, you who strengthen the souls with precious wealth.

Rejoice, spring which brings the fragrant message of dispassion,

Rejoice, well that waters with the refreshment of the spirit.

Rejoice, for you wore the tattered garment of the flesh in humility, O Father,

Rejoice, for you gladden the soul with songs from above.

Rejoice, the perfect companion of servants,

Rejoice, the faithful servant of the divine will.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 6: Though you lived under the dominion of deceived ones, you who trample upon the enemy, you preserved your heart, O wondrous John, and you founded a great tower of the strength of God in the house of your soul that was unassailable to all, in which you loudly spoke of God’s greatness. Loudly speak to my mouth, through the boldness of your prayers, that I might totally resist the strength of the deceiver, and offer to the all-powerful God, along with the Angels, the hymn: Alleluia.

Oikos 6: Shining with the beauty of your soul more than corruptible gold, you beautify the Church of Christ, O John, and with the golden rays of your holy deeds, you shine upon all of us with the beauty of the Master. Illumine the garment of my soul, which is soiled by the passions, through your bold intercessions, I entreat you, that I might hymn your fervent help, as is needful, and with all joy, ceaselessly saying to you words such as these:

Rejoice, container of healings, and river of wonders,

Rejoice, the most-speedy physician of incurable diseases.

Rejoice, you who exalted God through your wondrous works,

Rejoice, you who trampled upon the enemy through your unspeakable groans.

Rejoice, you who imitated well the endurance of Job,

Rejoice, for as another Lazarus, you persevered in poverty.

Rejoice, you who inherited well the wealth of Eden,

Rejoice, you who wisely found the great treasure.

Rejoice, for your flesh did not taste of corruption in death,

Rejoice, you who partake of the grace of incorruption upon the earth.

Rejoice, you who offer to God prayers of intercession,

Rejoice, protector of all the faithful, full of sympathy.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 7: The precious members of your flesh, O Champion, bore the sacred marks of your confession, as you withstood many evils with your unswayable mind, and suffered hunger, and the bitterness of insults, which you drank as a river, and joyous food, from the eternal city of Eden, O John, in which dwell the choirs of the Righteous, and the sacred ranks of the Martyrs, and the cities of the divine confessors, as you chant ceaselessly unto God in Trinity the gladsome hymn in joy: Alleluia.

Oikos 7: Dwelling in the divine house of the radiant and glorious trophy-bearer George in Asia Minor, you supplicated all day, and prayed all night, thus pleasing the Master of all, O John. Therefore, may you ever look graciously upon us who hymn you, granting remission of sins to our souls, and deep peace and transformation of the passions, that out of gratefulness we might cry to you in truth:

Rejoice, fund of prayer, and rule of continence,

Rejoice, river of love, and icon of gladsomeness.

Rejoice, for you imitated the heavenly ranks of the Cherubim,

Rejoice, for you illuminated the sacred ranks of the Righteous.

Rejoice, house of purity, and robe of cleanliness,

Rejoice, the highest imitator of the divine life.

Rejoice, you who took refuge in the divine church of Saint George,

Rejoice, for you pray with him to God, O Father.

Rejoice, you who accepted the passion of the Martyrs in the flesh,

Rejoice, you who joined with all those who confess God.

Rejoice, Christ’s teacher of humility for us,

Rejoice, for you properly reached the height of dispassion.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 8: You lived your life on earth as a stranger, but grew closer to Christ, Who estranged Himself for us on earth, that we might become friends and close to God, delivering us from our former disobedience, and making us sharers in the eternal joy, and that we be found in light. May your light-bearing prayers, O servant of the light, grant us every grace, O sacred John, that we be delivered from the darkness, and chant unto the Worker-of-light and Master of all, the great ode and never-silent hymn: Alleluia.

Oikos 8: With your whole mind, O Father, you unwaveringly followed the Lord of all, Whom you desired from childhood, and Whose army you were numbered in out of obedience, inscribing His laws upon the tablets of your heart, and keeping them with exactness as a good servant, and from Whom you received divine grace as the reward for your efforts, and your face shone as did the Law-giver Moses. Therefore, do not cease to intercede for us, O good John, and make us worthy to keep the holy commandments, that we might be found in the radiant bridal chamber, and ever chant to you these good words:

Rejoice, perfect mystagogue of divine visions,

Rejoice, precious diner from the radiant Table.

Rejoice, friend of the Master and beloved son,

Rejoice, protector of the faithful, and sacred guide of brides.

Rejoice, you who glorified the immortal God below,

Rejoice, you who trampled upon the powerless enemy.

Rejoice, you who wondrously were true to your Christian name,

Rejoice, stream of wonders, and river of healings.

Rejoice, the joyfulness of the Russians and the sweetness of the Greeks,

Rejoice, the lamp of Evia and the adornment of the Church.

Rejoice, the holy shield of confessors,

Rejoice, the purity and gladness of the Athletes of the Lord.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 9: Every painful notion you endured with joy, as you were shown to be a tower of strength against every enemy, O John, utterly revealing their machinations, and receiving the crown from the hand of Him Who works all things. Through your prayers, O Father, make us worthy to be victorious over [the enemy’s] machinations, and to raise up the trophies of godly victory in strength, and strength of life, that we might all cry out the victorious ode: Alleluia.

Oikos 9: The Russian people take refuge in your holy memory, and skip and magnify God, O John, for He gave you to them as an all-holy root. Asia Minor also dances in glory, for you blessed her through your pains and holy struggles. And Evia also sings, and the noble island rejoices, being joyously enriched with your wondrous body, which transforms corruption, and turns beyond, calling the Greeks, and every city and people that bears the name of Christ to cry out to you these words graciously:

Rejoice, you who drank insults as sweet water,

Rejoice, you who took reproach as joyous food.

Rejoice, you who bore the marks of the Lord in your flesh,

Rejoice, you who bear the seal of incorruption in it.

Rejoice, for you offered yourself to the King of all,

Rejoice, for you ever stand before His throne in heaven.

Rejoice, you who in slavery were proven as gold,

Rejoice, you who are full of gold, and shine upon the earth.

Rejoice, you who quenched the fire of the furnace through your pains,

Rejoice, you who saved your flesh from corruption in the flames.

Rejoice, you who saved the disciple from terrible danger,

Rejoice, you who fill every heart with wonder.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 10: We venerate your incorrupt body in piety, O John, and we bless the immortal God, Who delivered every race of man from death, and through His Third-day Resurrection, resurrected us. We sing to Him in joyous voices faithfully, praising the strength of His wonders, the multitude of His miracles, and we cry from our hearts, with the Angelic choirs, the joyous hymn and cherubic ode: Alleluia.

Oikos 10: Foreseeing your blessed repose, O John, you sought to partake of the Spotless Mysteries, that you might be born into the life of eternal communion. These were brought to you by a priest in an apple, hidden as a treasure from the faithless enemies. Having received the Mysteries within your soul, O Father, you gave your soul to God. We ever glorify Him, as the Author of our life, and we all say these to you from our heart, ceaselessly:

Rejoice, the most-precious temple of divine gifts,

Rejoice, the most-radiant container of precious virtues.

Rejoice, you who bear the good news of your calling from above,

Rejoice, you who enrich with the fragrance of the Holy Spirit.

Rejoice, you who founded within the zeal and steadfastness of the Martyrs,

Rejoice, for having them in mind, you imitated their life.

Rejoice, you who who copied the lives of all the Righteous Ones.

Rejoice, you who reached the hymnody of the Angelic ranks.

Rejoice, you who remained for many years in the dark stable,

Rejoice, you who ever dwell in the pastures of light.

Rejoice, you who adorn the Church of Christ,

Rejoice, you who beautify the holy island of Evia.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 11: Having burned up every evil material within yourself, you were offered to the Church as an all-fragrant harbour, gladdening the faithful with the grandeur of virtues. Therefore, at your holy memory, O John, we weave godly crowns with flowers, out of debt, and rightly engrave a hymn, honouring you from our soul, for the Lord also, in great joy, placed a crown upon your head, O Father, and we chant together: Alleluia.

Oikos 11: Beholding light from your grave as a pillar of fire, you told to those there clearly, O John, of your life full of light which you struggled in on earth, and the boldness which you were eternally enriched with by the Father of Lights. As you never leave His hand, we entreat you to extend your hand, that we be delivered from the darkness, and walk in the light of the commandments, as your servants ceaselessly hymn the Giver-of-light and Saviour, the Redeemer Jesus, and ceaselessly say to you with one voice:

Rejoice, lamp of the Light that drives away the darkness of passions,

Rejoice, for you lit within your soul a lamp with the light of the virtues.

Rejoice, you who gladden the hearts of the faithful with your light,

Rejoice, you who make joyous the holy Church with your beauty.

Rejoice, man of godly and holy desires,

Rejoice, divine lover of sacred commandments.

Rejoice, you who adorn the firmament above,

Rejoice, you who strengthen the souls of all through the wood of the Cross.

Rejoice, spring of divine things, and life-giving waters,

Rejoice, infinite stream of unspeakable wonders.

Rejoice, tree that bears the fruit of Paradise,

Rejoice, flower that carries the fragrance of the Comforter.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 12: Rejoicing that your time of bitter slavery had come to an end, your holy soul passed to the hand of God, and inherited joy in truth, O John, as you ever rejoice together with the choirs of the Angels. Let us all hail you, speaking to the Athlete of the Lord, celebrating his radiant memory with fervour, and embracing his sacred body with faith. And the choir claps on earth in harmony, while those in the heavens cry out the ode, to God in the highest, ever chanting to Him: Alleluia.

Oikos 12: Truly surpassing the sands of the sea, O Father, are the multitude of your wonders, which you pour upon the faithful, who out of debt approach your sacred church, and entreat your intercessions, O sacred John, that we be delivered from sicknesses and from the assaults of the passions, as we cry out willingly with a glad heart:

Rejoice, healer of sicknesses, and driver-out of demons,

Rejoice, fountain of wonders, and mixing-bowel of blessing.

Rejoice, you who shine as a star with the Three-rays of light,

Rejoice, you who dissipate the soul-corrupting mist of the passions.

Rejoice, you grant to all the true wealth of the Master,

Rejoice, you who pour forth incorruptible treasure for the faithful.

Rejoice, divine harbour which grants salvation to souls,

Rejoice, you who befriend us with the Prince of peace.

Rejoice, you who truly bring forth strange wonders,

Rejoice, for your flesh was wondrously estranged from corruption.

Rejoice, pillar of Russia and treasure of Greece,

Rejoice, unsleeping protector of the whole world.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 13: O All-holy Father, the height of divine confessors, and newly-illumined star, O John, you who received the experience of the Martyrs in your precious body, and the sweat of the Righteous, and willingly endured toils, and received a crown upon your head from your beloved Master, and were honoured by incorruption of your holy flesh: grant us the honour of incorruption in the heavens, through your prayers and uplifted hands, that we find the glory of eternal life, with all those who have been saved. To the Lord, Whom you stand before, we offer the ode, crying out with the Bodiless ones ceaselessly: Alleluia.

Oikos 1: You lived the life of the bodiless on earth in your physical flesh, O John, (3) and imitating the ranks of the Bodiless Angels, God Who fashioned you glorified you in wondrous and divine works. Therefore, you hear from those who are amazed by you such words as these:

Rejoice, the precious icon of piety,

Rejoice, rich support of the holy faith.

Rejoice, perfect one in godly struggles,

Rejoice, privileged one serving uplifted things.

Rejoice, the fair pinnacle of all the Righteous ones,

Rejoice, the sacred radiance of the confessors.

Rejoice, the most-precious joy of the Church,

Rejoice, the most-prided offspring of noble Russia.

Rejoice, lamp of the radiance of the saints,

Rejoice, treasury of incorrupt and sacred gifts.

Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Kontakion 1: The perfect pinnacle of confession, and the divine example of humility, you willingly were steadfast amidst the bitterness, and your flesh shone forth with incorruption, let us honour John whose name is great, singing to him: Rejoice, O boast of the Russians.

Saint John the Russian

Commemorated on May 27 / June 9

The Holy Confessor John the Russian was born in Little Russia around 1690, and was raised in piety and love for the Church of God. Upon attaining the age of maturity he was called to military service, and he served as a simple soldier in the army of Peter I and took part in the Russo-Turkish War. During the Prutsk Campaign of 1711 he and other soldiers were captured by the Tatars, who handed him over to the commander of the Turkish cavalry. He took his Russian captive home with him to Asia Minor, to the village of Prokopion.

The Turks tried to convert the Christian soldiers to the Moslem faith with threats and flattery, but those who resisted were beaten and tortured. Some, alas, denied Christ and became Moslems, hoping to improve their lot. Saint John was not swayed by the promise of earthly delights, and he bravely endured the humiliation and beatings.

His master tortured him often in the hope that his slave would accept Islam. Saint John resolutely resisted the will of his master saying, “You cannot turn me from my holy Faith by threats, nor with promises of riches and pleasures. I will obey your orders willingly, if you will leave me free to follow my religion. I would rather surrender my head to you than to change my faith. I was born a Christian, and I shall die a Christian.”

Saint John’s bold words and firm faith, as well as his humility and meekness, finally softened the fierce heart of his master. He left John in peace, and no longer tried to make him renounce Christianity. The saint lived in the stable and took care of his master’s animals, rejoicing because his bed was a manger such as the one in which the Savior was born.

From morning until late evening the saint served his Turkish master, fulfilling all his commands. He performed his duties in the winter cold and summer heat, half naked and barefoot. Other slaves frequently mocked him, seeing his zeal. Saint John never became angry with them, but on the contrary, he helped them when he could, and comforted them in their misfortune.

The saint’s kindness and gentle nature had its effect on the souls of both the master and the slaves. The Agha and his wife came to love him, and offered him a small room near the hayloft. Saint John did not accept it, preferring to remain in the stable with the animals. Here he slept on the hay, covered only by an old coat. So the stable became his hermitage, where he prayed and chanted Psalms.

Saint John brought a blessing to his master simply by living in his household. The cavalry officer became rich, and was soon one of the most powerful men in Prokopion. He knew very well why his home had been blessed, and he did not hesitate to tell others.

Sometimes Saint John left the stable at night and went to the church of the Great Martyr George, where he kept vigil in the narthex. On Saturdays and Feast days, he received the Holy Mysteries of Christ.

During this time Saint John continued to serve his master as before, and despite his own poverty, he always helped the needy and the sick, and shared his meager food with them.

One day, the officer left Prokopion and went to Mecca on pilgrimage. A few days later, his wife gave a banquet and invited her husband’s friends and relatives, asking them to pray for her husband’s safe return. Saint John served at the table, and he put down a dish of pilaf, his master’s favorite food. The hostess said, “How much pleasure your master would have if he could be here to eat this pilaf with us.” Saint John asked for a dish of pilaf, saying that he would send it to his master in Mecca. The guests laughed when they heard his words. The mistress, however, ordered the cook to give him a dish of pilaf, thinking he would eat it himself, or give it to some poor family.

Taking the dish, Saint John went into the stable and prayed that God would send it to his master. He had no doubt that God would send the pilaf to his master in a supernatual manner. The plate disappeared before his eyes, and he went into the house to tell his mistress that he had sent the pilaf to his master.

After some time, the master returned home with the copper plate which had held the pilaf. He told his household that on a certain day (the very day of the banquet), he returned from the mosque to the home where he was staying. Although the room was locked, he found a plate of steaming pilaf on the table. Unable to explain who had brought the food, or how anyone could enter the locked room, the officer examined the plate. To his amazement, he saw his own name engraved on the copper plate. In spite of his confusion, he ate the meal with great relish.

When the officer’s family heard this story, they marveled. His wife told him of how John had asked for a plate of pilaf to send to his master in Mecca, and how they all laughed when John came back and said that it had been sent. Now they saw that what the saint had said was true (Compare the story of Habakkuk, who miraculously brought a dish of pottage to Daniel in the lions’ den [Dan. 14:33-39], in the Septuagint).

Toward the end of his difficult life Saint John fell ill, and sensed the nearness of his end. He summoned the priest so that he could receive Holy Communion. The priest, fearing to go to the residence of the Turkish commander openly with the Holy Gifts, enclosed the life-giving Mysteries in an apple and brought them to Saint John.

Saint John glorified the Lord, received the Body and Blood of Christ, and then reposed. The holy Confessor John the Russian went to the Lord Whom he loved on May 27, 1730. When they reported to the master that his servant John had died, he summoned the priests and gave them the body of Saint John for Christian burial. Almost all the Christian inhabitants of Prokopion came to the funeral, and they accompanied the body of the saint to the Christian cemetery.

Three and a half years later the priest was miraculously informed in a dream that the relics of Saint John had remained incorrupt. Soon the relics of the saint were transferred to the church of the holy Great Martyr George and placed in a special reliquary. The new saint of God began to be glorified by countless miracles of grace, accounts of which spread to the remote cities and villages. Christian believers from various places came to Prokopion to venerate the holy relics of Saint John the Russian and they received healing through his prayers. The new saint came to be venerated not only by Orthodox Christians, but also by Armenians, and even Turks, who prayed to the Russian saint, “Servant of God, in your mercy, do not disdain us.”

In the year 1881 a portion of the relics of Saint John were transferred to the Russian monastery of the holy Great Martyr Panteleimon by the monks of Mount Athos, after they were miraculously saved by the saint during a dangerous journey.

Construction of a new church was begun in 1886, through the contributions of the monastery and the inhabitants of Prokopion. This was necessary because the church of the holy Great Martyr George, where the relics of Saint John were enshrined, had fallen into disrepair.

On August 15, 1898 the new church dedicated to Saint John the Russian was consecrated by the Metropolitan John of Caesarea, with the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch Constantine V.

In 1924, an exchange of the populations of Greece and Turkey took place. Many Moslems moved out of Greece, and many Christians moved out of Turkey. The inhabitants of Prokopion, when they moved to the island of Euboia, took with them part of the relics of Saint John the Russian.

For several decades the relics were in the church of Saints Constantine and Helen at New Prokopion on Euboia, and in 1951 they were transferred into a new church dedicated to Saint John the Russian. Thousands of pilgrims flocked here from all the corners of Greece, particularly on his Feast, May 27. Saint John the Russian is widely venerated on Mount Athos, particularly in the Russian monastery of Saint Panteleimon.

Saint John’s help is sought by travelers, and by those transporting things.

Source: https: www.oca.org

Prayers for Joseff’s travels in Egypt and Ethiopia

On this feast of St Melangell and of the Holy Wonderworker St John the Russian, we ask your prayers for Joseff as he journeys to Egypt, where he will be trekking down the Nile – continuing to Ethiopia and Addis Ababa.

We pray for God’s blessing and protection for Joseff and his companions, and hope that he will have the opportunity to visit some of the holy sites of Egypt, whose monasteries treasure the relics of the great ascetic fathers and mothers of the Church, and whose churches preserve the memory of the Holy Family in their Egyptian exile.

The greatest treasures of Egypt are not tombs, archaeological wonders and pharaonic artifacts, but the sites connected with Holy Family, its shrines and saints, and the Christian inheritance with which the land is still blessed, however threatened and tenuous Christianity may be in the shadow of Islamism.

May the great Abba Anthony, the Father of Monks, the fathers and mothers of the desert, the sainted patriarchs and hierarchs, St Minas, St Demiana and St Catherine and all the holy martyrs, and the myriad saints of Egypt, and of Ethiopia, bless and protect this journey and fill it with grace.

We pray that Joseff may travel in the knowledge of the great Josephs who sojourned in Egypt, after travelling there – Joseph, the son of the Old Testament patriarch Jacob, and Joseph the Betrothed, the guardain of the Infant-Saviour. 

Celebrating Pentecost-Trinity

Dear brothers and sisters,

We look forward to Troitsa (Pentecost-Trinity) this coming Sunday, when we will celebrate vespers with the kneeling prayers for the invocation of the Holy Spirit immediately after the Liturgy.

The variables for our Liturgy and vespers may be found at ‘Orthodox Austin’:

Liturgy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ITtGsdldvgBNyMWGVBOnOXi_a-oHnTHx/view

Vespers: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1De9n6phaj1slz21YGmbt6yqqZZLSiTDh/view

This, of course, means that our services will be longer than usual – and everyone will no doubt be hungry, as well as achy-kneed at the end of our prayers. So, I encourage parishioners to think ahead with regard to our bring-and-share-lunch.  Those who have already read ‘version one’ of this post will have seen a prompt to bring something on which to kneel. It then dawned on me that the church is overflowing with emroidered kneelers!

Confessions will be heard on Friday, in St Mary Butetown, as announced.

Given ongoing travel complications it is my hope to hear confessions during the afternoon – not the evening. As usual, please email me at otetzmark@hotmail.com

Given the length of Sundays services, it is imperative that Sunday confessions are succinct and that those confessing have prepared, so that the Hours may begin at 11:00.

There will be no possibility of additional confessions after Liturgy, as vespers follows. Would those confessing on Sunday who have not yet made requests please inform me? A thankyou to those who have pre-arranged.

On Monday 13 June, the Day of the Holy Spirit, the Hours and Liturgy will be celebrated in Llanelli, commencing at 10:00.

The variables may be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rs-PA3pviRh4Rtr1nk34UCvC2VQ-pEIe/view

We look forward to celebrating this great feast together.

In Christ – Hieromonk Mark

Many Years, Peter!

Dear brothers and sisters,

In the wake of Melangell’s baptism on Saturday, we congratulate our parishioner and trustee Peter on the eighth anniversary of his baptism.

He has become a pillar of our parish, a constant support for the clergy, and the smiling and friendly figure who is often the first to welcome newcomers to Liturgy and chat with them after the service.

When he is away, even for a weekend, things aren’t quite the same, and his practicality, advice and counsel are a great blessing to the parish.

May God grant him many, blessed years, as we thank the Lord for all that Peter brings to our community.

Многая и Благая лѣта!

Ascensiontide Baptism at St Nicholas-in-the-Vale

Having celebrated a joyful and well attended Ascension day Liturgy in the church of St Mary the Virgin, in Butetown, it was a wonderful to sustain the feast with the baptism of Melangell (Menna), in St Nicholas.

A short distance from the medieval parish church, in the garden of what was once the church hall, the trees sheltered us from both sun and wind, as the baptismal waters were blessed; as Melangell was anointed with the oil of the catechumens before her immersion in the baptismal waters; and her chrismation and tonsure.

It was an occasion of great joy and celebration, followed by a baptismal tea – with a Welsh-Sicilian ‘baptismal-cake’ – then a musical interlude in the house, where Melangell played the harp, and Aldhelm entertained with traditional Dorset dance tunes on the accordion – including a specially composed Dorset jig for the occasion… though we were content to tap our feet and continue drinking tea, rather than responding in a more energetic fashion.

We thank Melangell for her great hospitality and the warmth with which all were welcomed in St Nicholas, and likewise thank the congregation, who in services and the catechism group, have welcomed Melangell into the community with equal warmth and generosity.

May the Lord grant the newly enlightened handmaiden of God, Melangell, many years!

Saints Constantine and Helena: Name Day Greetings.

Dear brothers and sisters – on this day on which we celebrate the Meeting of the Vladimir Icon, we also celebrate the Holy Equals to the Apostles Constantine and Helena.

Though we have a lack of Constantine’s, we greet our parish sisters baptised in honour of the Holy Empress Helena – Alyona and Elena – congratulating them, asking God’s blessing and praying that he will preserve them for many years!

Многая и Благая лѣта!

Canon of the saints, Tone VIII.

Ode I, Irmos: Having passed through the water as upon dry land, * and having escaped the malice of the Egyptians, * the Israelites cried aloud: * Unto our God and Redeemer let us sing.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

O Thou Who alone art the King of heaven, through the entreaties of Thy favoured ones, free Thou my lowly soul from sin, which now reigneth within me.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

As one who loved the kingdom on high, O blessed Constantine, believing with a pure mind, thou didst worship the King and Master of all.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Illumined with divine light, O divinely wise Helena, thou didst truly forsake the darkness of ignorance and most sincerely enslave thyself to the King of the ages.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Lady, thou portal of the divine East, open unto me the door of repentance, and by thine intercession deliver me from the gates of deadly sin.

Ode III, Irmos: O Lord, Creator of the vault of Heaven * and Builder of the Church, * do Thou strengthen me in Thy love, O Summit of desire, * O Support of the faithful, * O only Lover of mankind.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Thou didst strive to receive heavenly rewards; wherefore, O divinely wise father, thou didst follow Him Who called thee, forsaking the darkness of the falsehood bequeathed to thee, and didst become a luminary through the divine Spirit.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Having cleaved unto Christ and set all thy hope on Him, O most honoured one, thou didst attain unto His sacred places, wherein the Supremely good One, having become incarnate, endured His most pure sufferings.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Burning with divine desire, O divinely blessed one, thou didst uncover the precious Cross, the weapon of salvation, the insuperable victory, the hope of Christians, which had been hidden in malice.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Having fallen away from my sacred citizenship, O most pure one, I have become like a beast and am wholly condemned. O thou who hast given birth to the Judge, deliver and save me from all condemnation.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Sessional Hymn of the saints, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “Of the Wisdom …”: Having stretched forth thy senses toward heaven and acquired the beauty of the stars, thou wast taught by them the mysteries of the Lord of all; and the weapon of the Cross shone forth in their midst, signifying that in which thou shouldest conquer and achieve dominion. Wherefore, opening the eyes of thy soul, thou didst read the writings and learn about the image. O most honored Constantine, entreat Christ God, that He grant remission of sins unto those who celebrate thy holy memory with love. (Twice)

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Theotokion, Tone VIII: Having conceived the Wisdom and Word in thy womb without being consumed, O Mother of God, thou hast given birth for the world unto the Nourisher of all and Fashioner of creation; and thou didst bear in thine arms Him Who holdeth all things. Wherefore, I beseech thee, O all-holy Virgin, and glorify thee with faith: May I be delivered from transgressions, and, on the day of judgment when I shall stand before the face of my Creator, O pure Virgin Sovereign Lady, grant me thine aid; for thou canst do all things whatsoever thou dost will, O thou who art all-hymned.

Ode IV, Irmos: O Lord, I have heard the mystery of Thy dispensation; * I have considered Thy works, * and I have glorified Thy Divinity.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Christ the Lord pursued thee from heaven, as He had Paul of old, O Constantine, teaching thee to worship Him as the only King.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

With a most radiant sign of stars, O blessed one, Christ the Sun illumined thee, showing thee to be a luminary for the darkened.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O blessed one, thou wast God-loving in nature and right wondrous in thy divine works; wherefore, we glorify thee with faith.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Ever-virgin who hast given birth to the Sun of righteousness, illumine my soul, which hath been darkened by sins.

Ode V, Irmos: Rising early we cry to Thee, O Lord; * save us, for Thou art our God, * and we know none other besides Thee.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Having risen at dawn unto the never-waning Sun and Master, O divinely wise emperor, thou wast filled with light.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Wearing love and perfect loving-kindness like a robe of royal purple, thou hast now made thine abode in the kingdom on high.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O Helena, thou hast joined the choirs of the incorporeal ones, having pleased God by thy virtuous works.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Cleanse thou my soul, which hath been defiled by carnal pleasures through the treachery of the serpent, O Virgin.

Ode VI, Irmos: I will pour out my prayer unto the Lord, * and to Him will I proclaim my grief; * for my soul is filled with evils, * and my life unto Hades hath drawn nigh, * and like Jonah I pray unto Thee: * Raise me up from corruption, O God. Most gloriously didst thou assemble the divine choir of the God-bearing fathers,

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

O Constantine, and through them make steadfast the storm-tossed hearts of all, that they might glorify the Word as equal in honor and co-enthroned with the One Who begat Him.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Having believed on the living Lord Who giveth life unto all, O Helena, thou didst spurn the abominable worship of vain idols and joyously received the kingdom of heaven.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Guided by Thy hand, O Word, through Thee the sovereigns thrust aside the most profound darkness of ignorance and the tempest of cruel godlessness, and arrived, rejoicing, at the calm havens of piety.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Heal thou my heart, which hath grown incurably sick and hath been grievously wounded by the sting of the evil one, O Maiden, and by thine entreaties grant healing unto me, and save me who trust in thee, O most pure one.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Kontakion, Tone III: Spec. Mel.: “Today the Virgin …”: Today Constantine and his mother Helena * have revealed the Cross, the most precious Tree, * which putteth to shame all the Jews * and is the weapon of faithful kings against the adversary. ** For our sake the great standard hath appeared, terrible in battle.

Ikos: Let us honor Constantine, and Helena his mother; for, hearing the words of David, they recognized the three parts of the Cross in the cedar, the pine and the cypress, upon which the suffering of the Savior was accomplished. And having found it, in preparation to display it before the people, they set it before all the Jews, hidden because of their hatred and jealousy; revealing it to be the great justification. Wherefore, they have been revealed to all as victors, bearing the invincible trophy, the great standard, terrible in battle.

Ode VII, Irmos: The Hebrew children in the furnace * boldly trampled upon the flames, * changing the fire into dew, they cried aloud: * ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, throughout the ages’.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Keeping Thy precepts, Constantine submitted to Thy law. Wherefore, he hath cast down hordes of the iniquitous, crying out to Thee: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God!

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

The Tree which hath drawn all from the pit of destruction, O right wondrous one, and which was buried out of malice, thou didst disclose unto us, burying the most pernicious demons forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

By godly works thou didst make thy heart a temple of God, O Helena, and didst likewise build sacred churches for Him, where for our sake He endured His most pure sufferings for our sake.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Willingly committing sins, and enslaved by unseemly habits, I flee now to thy tender compassion. O most holy Sovereign Lady, save me who am in despair!

Ode VIII, Irmos: In his wrath the Chaldean Tyrant made the furnace blaze, * with heat fanned sevenfold for the servants of God; * but when he perceived that they had been saved by a greater power * he cried aloud to the Creator and Redeemer, * ‘O ye youths bless, O ye priests praise, * O ye people, supremely exalt Him throughout all ages’.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Arrayed in loving-kindness as in a robe and in goodly meekness as in cloak, O glorious one, thou wast adorned with a mind perfect in the virtues as with a crown; and having been translated from earth to the kingdom on high, thou dost cry aloud: O ye priests bless; O ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout all ages!

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Beholding thee rejoicing with thy divinely wise son, in the kingdom of God, O glorious Helena, we magnify Christ Who hath shown us your honoured festival, which illumineth us more brightly than the rays of the sun, wherefore we chant with faith: O ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout all ages!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Wondrous is thy desire and godly thy character, O glorious Helena, thou boast of women! For having attained unto the places where the precious sufferings took place, thou didst adorn them with all-beauteous temples of the Master of all, crying: O ye people supremely exalt Christ throughout all ages!

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Theotokos, enlighten the eyes of my soul, which have been blinded by many crimes; grant peace to my mind and heart, which have been vexed by multifarious pleasures, I pray, and save me who cry: O ye priests bless; ye people supremely exalt the pure one throughout all ages!

Ode IX, Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, * and the ends of the earth were filled with amazement, * for God hath appeared in the flesh, * and thy womb was rendered more spacious than the heavens. * Wherefore, the ranks of men and of angels * magnify thee as the Theotokos.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

The tomb wherein thy sacred and precious body doth lie, O Constantine, doth ever pour forth the radiance of divine healings upon those whoever approach it in purity, driving away the darkness of divers passions and illumining those who praise thee with never-waning light.

Holy Equals to the Apostles, Constantine and Helena, pray to God for us.

Having finished thy life in holiness, thou hast now made thine abode with the saints, full of sanctity and enlightenment. Wherefore, ever pouring forth rivers of healings, thou dost burn up our sufferings, giving drink to our souls, O blessed Helena.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O unoriginate and immortal King, Thou hast vouchsafed Thy heavenly kingdom to the holy Helena and the great Constantine, whom of old thou didst grant to reign piously on earth, and who loved Thee in purity, O Lord. By their supplications have pity on us all.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Having conceived, thou hast given birth to the King and Creator of all, O Virgin. And, lo! as a Queen thou standest forth now at His right hand. Wherefore, I beseech thee: at the hour of judgment deliver me from the left side, and number me with the sheep on the right.

Troparion, Tone VIII: Beholding the image of Thy Cross in the sky, * and like Paul receiving a call not from men, * Thine apostle among kings placed the imperial city in Thy hands, O Lord. * Do Thou ever preserve it in peace, ** through the supplications of the Theotokos, O Thou Who alone art the Lover of mankind.

 

Greetings for the Ascension of the Lord

“Lift up your gates, O you princes and be lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall enter in.”

Dear brothers and sisters – Greetings on this joyful feast of the Ascension, as we celebrate the Saviour ascending with our humanity into the Kingdom of God, where He is for ever human as well as divine, knowing the joys and sorrows, the challenges and trials of our lives, because He lived such a life.

In this knowledge, we pray to Him as One who joined Himself to us in the mystery of His Incarnation.

We pray to Him as One who started life as a refugee in the flight to Egypt; as One who wandered and had nowhere to call His own; as One who lived in simplicity and non-acquisitiveness; as One who hungered and thirsted; as One who wept and felt sorrow; as One who experienced torture and pain; as One who understood betrayal and condemnation; as One who endured and embraced human-nature and human life for the sake of humanity – to redeem it, perfect it, and raise it in glory.

We take comfort that in His self-abasement the ascended Lord deigned to live among us, sharing human life with us and showing us the promise of future life in the age to come, as He takes the ‘robe of Adam’ to be glorified in the Heavenly Kingdom: a promise and calling for each of us who have been baptised into His death and glorious resurrection.

Do you see then to what height of glory human nature has been raised? Is it not from earth to heaven? Is it not from corruption to incorruption? How hard would not someone toil in order to become the intimate friend of a corruptible king here below? But we, although we were alienated and hostile in our intent by evil deeds, have not only been reconciled to God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, but we have also soared aloft to sonship, and now our nature is worshipped in the heavens by every creature seen and unseen.

St Ephrem the Syrian

Wishing you all a happy and joyful feast.

May God bless you all.

In Christ – Hieromonk Mark

Services and Events Next Week

Dear brothers and sisters,

We now enter the final days of Pascha and there will be a celebration of the Hours and Divine Liturgy in Llanelli for the Leave-Taking of Pascha, on Wednesday 1 June at 10:00.

The following morning, Thursday 2 June, the Liturgy of the Ascension will celebrated in the Church St Mary Butetown, North Church Street, at 10:30. As this is a bank-holiday, I hope that a good number of parishioners will be able to attend.

As you may be aware, there is a service in St John’s on Thursdays at the same time, so Father Dean stepped in with his usual matter-of-fact generosity. Many thanks Father!

We return to St Mary’s for a pre-baptismal talk at 19:00 on Friday, and look forward to the baptism of Melangell (Menna) in the village of St Nicholas at 14:00 on Saturday afternoon.

We return to St John’s for the Sunday Hours and Divine Liturgy at 11:00 – ending a mobile week of multiple venues!

Christ is Risen!

Fr Mark

Wednesday 1 June, 10:00 – Hours and Divine Liturgy for the Leave-Taking of Pascha.

Venue: The Chapel of St David and St Nicholas, in the garden of Father Luke’s home at 11 New Rd, Dafen, Llanelli, SA14 8LS.

Thursday 2 June, 10:30Hours and Divine Liturgy for the Ascension of the Lord.

Venue: The Church St Mary the Virgin, North Church Street, Butetown, Cardiff.

Anyone requiring confession before Liturgy should contact the clergy to make arrangements.

Friday 3 June,18:00 – Confessions, 19:00 catechesis talk on Baptism.

Venue: The Church St Mary the Virgin, North Church Street, Butetown, Cardiff.

Saturday 4 June, 14:00Baptism of Melangell (Menna) in St Nicholas CF5 6SH (village). Parishioners are invited, and those able to be part of the occasion are asked to email Menna: menna135@yahoo.co.uk

Sunday 5 June, 10:15 – Confessions, 11:00 Hours and Divine Liturgy

Venue: St John’s Church, Canton.