Greetings as we celebrate the memory of our Venerable Father, Sergei, the Wonderworker of Radonezh, the “Abbot of All Russia”, cherished among our monastic saints, with his shrine in the Trinity-St Sergius Lavra as the visible sign of his place in the piety, spirituality, faith and hearts of the Russian Orthodox faithful.
Egypt had St Athony the Great and the God-bearing fathers of the Thebaid; Palestine had St Savas; Athos had St Athanasius the Athonite; Kievan Rus had Saints Anthony and Feodosy; and as the father of Muscovite monasticism St Sergei embodies the ascetic life of the forested desert to which he and his brother monastics fled to escape the world and climb to heaven, becoming earthly-angels and heavenly men.
All of the venerable fathers and mothers call us to the struggle of Christian living, in as much the podvig they embraced should be reflected in the lives of ALL Christians: non-acquisitiveness, stability, prayer, fasting, continence and watchfulness of body, mind and soul.
Their lives were a prism that focussed the characteristics that should be manifest in our own lives, in which we too, like them, should struggle so that the likeness of Christ might not only be restored in us, but touch the world with the light and life that finds its origin in Him Who is our eternal Light and Life.
Across the centuries, across borders, languages and cultures, St Sergei calls us all to holiness, which is the calling of all who have been baptised into Christ. With him and all of the saints, let us put on Christ: alleluia.
Venerable and God-bearing Father, Sergei, pray to God for us!
Saint Nίkander of Pskov was born on July 24, 1507 into a peasant family in the village of Videlebo in the land of Pskov. His parents were called Philip and Anastasia, and in Holy Baptism, he was named Nikon.
From childhood he dreamed of continuing the ascetical contests of his fellow villager, Saint Euphrósynos of the Spaso-Eleazar Monastery (May 15), who lived in the Pskov wilderness. The first of Nikon’s family to enter the Monastery was his older brother Arsenios. After the death of his father, the seventeen-year-old Nikon was able to convince his mother to dispose of her property and enter a convent, where she lived until her repose.
After visiting Pskov’s monasteries and venerating the relics of Saint Euphrósynos and his disciple Saint Savva of Krypetsk (August 28), Nikon was firmly convinced of his calling to the monastic life.
In order to be able to read the Word of God, Nikon went to work for a resident of Pskov, whose name was Philip. He rewarded Nikon’s diligence by sending him to study with an experienced teacher. Seeing the young man’s zeal, the Lord Himself guided him to the place of his podvig.1 While praying in one of the Pskov churches, he heard a voice from the altar commanding him to go to a place in the wilderness, which the Lord would show him through His servant Theodore. The peasant Theodore led him off to the Demyanka River, between Pskov and Porkhov. Afterward, both Philip and Theodore, who helped him attain his goal, would become monks as well. They were tonsured at Krypetsk Monastery with the names Philaret and Theodosios.
After several years of silence and strict asceticism, emaciating his flesh, Nikon went to the Monastery founded by Saint Savva of Krypetsk. The Igoumen, seeing his weakened body, would not agree to accept him right away, fearing that the difficulties of monastic life would be too much for him. Nikon bowed down before the tomb of Saint Savva, and spoke to him as if he were alive, entreating him to accept him into his Monastery. The Igoumen relented and tonsured Nikon with the name Nίkander.
Saint Nίkander endured many temptations and sorrows on his path of asceticism. Blessed Nicholas (February 28) while still at Pskov predicted Father Nίkander’s trials in the wilderness. Through the prayers of all the Pskov Saints, as well as those of Saint Alexander of Svir (August 30 and April 17), who appeared to him twice, guiding and strengthening him, Father Nίkander was able to avoid all the manifold snares of the Evil One, by the grace of God.
He overcame the weakness of his flesh, as well as human failings, and diabolical apparitions by the power of prayer. On one occasion he was almost killed by robbers, who stole the only and most precious property for an anchorite – books and icons. By the Saint’s prayers, two of them, frightened by the sudden death of their comrade, repented of their wicked deeds and the Elder forgave them.
Saint Nίkander did not remain very long at Krypetsk Monastery, and obtained a blessing to return to his own wilderness. Later, he came to live at Krypetsk Monastery again, where he fulfilled the obediences of ecclesiarch and cellarer. Then he went into the wilderness once more and lived there in fasting and prayer, meditating on the Word of God.
Once a year, during Great Lent, Saint Nίkander visited the Damianov Monastery, where he made his confession and received the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Eight years before his death, he was tonsured into the Great Schema. Many people began coming to him in order to benefit from his counsels, because according to Saint John of the Ladder: “Angels are a light for monks, and the monastic life is a light for all mankind” (Step 26:31). Thus, the faithful turned to Saint Nikander for help, for the Lord had bestowed many gifts of grace upon him.
This dweller in the wilderness took care of all the needs of the visitors and even built a guest house for them, for which he provided heat. The Saint did not permit himself to reveal his spiritual gifts. People sometimes heard him praying in his cell with bitter tears. When he was aware of people nearby, he prayed silently, concealing from them the gift of tears which he had received.
Until the end of his life, Saint Nίkander remained an anchorite in the wilderness, but he left instructions that after his repose, the place of his podvig would not be forsaken, promising his protection to those who would live in a future monastery. The Saint gave his final instructions to Deacon Peter of the Porkhov convent, charging him to build a church at his grave, and to transfer the icon of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos there from the Tishanka church cemetery.
He knew the day of his own death, predicting that he would die when enemies invaded the land, and he foretold this imminent assault. On September 24, 1581, during an invasion by the army of the Polish king Stephen Bathory, a certain peasant found Saint Nίkander dead. He lay on his bed with his hands crossed on his chest. The clergy and those who revered him came from Pskov, among whom was Deacon Peter, and they performed the service of Christian burial.
In 1584, at the place which Saint Nίkander sanctified by almost half a century of prayer, a monastery was established by a monk named Isaiah, and was known as the Annunciation – Nikandrov Hermitage. Father Isaiah had been healed of a foot ailment after praying to the Saint.
The glorification of Saint Nίkander Nikander took place under Patriarch Joachim in 1696, and festal celebrations were appointed for September 24, the day of his repose; on June 29, the uncovering of his holy relics during the reconstruction of the Monastery’s cathedral church; and on the Monastery’s temple Feast (the Annunciation to the Most Holy Theotokos). Saint Nίkander is also commemorated on the third Sunday after Pentecost, the Synaxis of the Saints of Novgorod and Pskov (movable Feast).
Troparion, Tone 6: Thou hast become a luminary of unwaning light for our land, blessed by God, / and didst valiantly endure tribulations from the Enemy. / Thy beatings and wounds became for thee a garment of incorruption, / for thou didst fight the beasts, and wast wounded by robbers. / Thou didst pray for them, saying, / “Impute not this sin to them,” / thereby becoming like the Master, Christ. / O Father Nίkander, worthy of glory, pray for our souls.Kontakion, Tone 1: Christ hath shown thee as the dawning of the sun, O venerable one, / for thou shinest in the Russian land with the grace of miracles, / dispersing the darkness of suffering and sorrow for those who come to thee in faith. / Therefore, we honor thy memory, O Father Nίkander, and we cry out to thee: / “Rejoice, adornment of ascetics, the glory and strength of our land.”
The canon of the Forerunner, the composition of John of Damascus, in Tone VI:
Ode I, Irmos: When Israel walked on foot in the sea as on dry land, * on seeing their pursuer Pharaoh drowned, * they cried: * Let us sing to God * a song of victory.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
O offspring of the barren woman: uproot thou the barren thoughts of my barren soul, as I begin to praise thy holy conception in thy mother’s womb.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
The sacred Zechariah, entering the temple, beheld the divine angel, who manifestly proclaimed to him: O priest, in thine old age thou shalt receive a son, the Forerunner.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The great Forerunner, the radiant beacon of the Sun of glory, is conceived to shine forth in his mother’s womb, by whom the darkness of the passions hath been rent asunder and the bonds of barrenness have been loosed.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen
Perceiving the Master borne in thy womb, O most pure Theotokos, John, as His Forerunner, manifestly leapt for joy in his mother’s womb.
Ode III, Irmos: There is none as holy as Thou, * O Lord my God, * who hast exalted the horn of The faithful O good One, * and strengthened us upon the rock * of Thy confession.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
Today the barren one conceiveth the sacred fruit, who in later times will cut down all the barrenness of souls with grace, the noetic axe.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
Having been struck dumb within the temple, the great Zechariah receiveth the yoke of the Word by an awesome announcement, and radiantly magnified the compassionate Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The glorious Forerunner, who hath shown the faithful the firm path of repentance, by divine counsel surpassing hope hath at the angel’s command sprung forth in his mother’s womb.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen
As he who was born of the barren woman perceived Christ borne in the Virgin’s womb, he leapt up, heralding the Joy which had come into the world, delivering all from grief.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Sessional Hymn, in Tone IV: From heaven Gabriel came down and stood before the sacred Zechariah as he was censing in the temple; and he said unto him: “In thine old age thou shalt bear a right glorious fruit, and the former sterility of Elisabeth shall now straightway be loosed, and the barren one shall give birth. And having conceived, she shall bear the Forerunner and herald of Jesus.” By their entreaties, O Savior of the world, save Thou our souls. (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 IV: O pure and all-immaculate one who knewest not wedlock, thou who alone hast given birth in time to the timeless Son and Word of God: with the holy and honorable apostles, martyrs and prophets, and the venerable, do thou beseech Him to grant us cleansing and great mercy.
Ode IV, Irmos: Christ is my power, * my God and my Lord, * the holy Church divinely singeth, * crying with a pure mind, * keeping festival in the Lord.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
O blessed Forerunner, the voice of the angel proclaimed thee in a sacred manner to the priest as the herald of the coming of Christ, who wast to spring forth from a barren womb.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
O barren one, who before wast childless and hadst not given birth, be thou now glad, for all-gloriously wilt thou bring forth as fruit the Baptist and Forerunner, O right wondrous Elisabeth.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O Forerunner, with the axe of thy prayer hew down the thorns of my passions and remove the stumbling block of mine evil thoughts; and by thy virtues render my mind fertile, O all-blessed one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen
The womb of the Virgin held Thee Who holdest all things, O Christ; and when the Baptist, borne in his mother’s womb, worshipped Thee, he rejoiced, leaping up.
Ode V, Irmos: Illumine with Thy divine light, I pray, O Good One, * the souls of those who with love rise early to pray to Thee, * that they may know Thee, O Word of God, * as the true God, * Who recalleth us from the darkness of sin.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
To the prophet who entered the sanctuary and was offering up to the Creator the services of the Law, the holy angel appeared, announcing the divine conception of the Forerunner.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
“How can this happen to me, for I am an old man, as thou seest, and I have a barren wife?” Zechariah said to the archangel. “Thou dost utter to me words which are contrary to nature!”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
“Look at Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and behold how she brought forth Isaac in her old age, O man; and believe thou those things which have been justly spoken,” the great angel exhorted the elder.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen
“Blessed art thou among women, O thou who art full of the joy of God,” Elisabeth manifestly cried to thee when she knew thee to be her who would give birth without having known a man, her who alone would remain incorrupt after giving birth.
Ode VI, Irmos: Beholding the sea of life surging with the tempest of temptations, * I run to Thy calm haven, and cry to Thee: * Raise up my life from corruption, * O greatly Merciful One.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
“My thoughts are filled with doubt, and I shall not believe thy words,” the priest said to the archangel, “for I am asking for the salvation of the people, not for the fruit of my loins.”
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
“The Creator of nature, the King of angels, hath been well pleased that thou give birth unto the herald of His own coming,” the ministering angel replied; “Do not disbelieve my words, O man!”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
“Fiery is thine aspect, awesome thy visage, and wondrous thy discourse,” said Zechariah to the servant of God; “yet I will not believe thee who utterest words strange to me, and which surpass nature!”
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen
In the dark abode of the womb, the lamp of the Sun offered worship and leapt up, rejoicing, recognizing the One concealed in the cloud of His Mother’s womb.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
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 I: Rejoice with splendor, O great Zechariah * and all-glorious Elisabeth, his spouse, * in conceiving John the Forerunner as is meet, * whom the archangel announced, rejoicing. * O ye mortals, let us right worthily honor him ** as the initiate of the mystery of grace.
Ikos: Let us open the hallowed Gospel which the sacred and wondrous Luke hath recorded for us, and let us behold the radiant and honorable conception of the Forerunner. For he saith that, as the righteous elder Zechariah entered into the Holy of Holies to cense when it was his turn so to do, Gabriel stood before him, proclaiming and saying: “O priest, in thine old age thou shalt have a son, the prophet and Forerunner, the voice and herald, the ever-radiant beacon and initiate of the mysteries of grace!”
Ode VII, Irmos: An Angel made the furnace bedew the holy Children. * But the command of God consumed the Chaldeans * and prevailed upon the tyrant to cry: * O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
“Since thou dost not believe my words, receive thou manifest muteness; and when thou shalt see the voice of the Word born, receive again thy voice, crying out: ‘Blessed art Thou, O God of Israel!’“
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
As radiant as the sun, Zechariah, cleaving unto Elisabeth, the moon, begat the light-bearing beacon of the Light, which shineth upon us who are cruelly held fast in the darkness of the passions.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Using leaps instead of words, the great Forerunner worshipped Thee in the Virgin’s womb, O Christ Jesus, while he himself was borne in the womb of Elisabeth. O God of our fathers, blessed art Thou!
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen
Elisabeth, the moon, bearing within herself a star, the divine Forerunner, bowed down before Mary, the radiant cloud, who was bearing Christ, the Sun, Who had taken flesh of her for our salvation.
Ode VIII, Irmos: Thou didst make flame bedew the holy children, * and didst burn the sacrifice of a righteous man with water. * For Thou alone, O Christ, dost do all as Thou willest, * Thee do we supremely exalt throughout all ages.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
The friend of the Bridegroom hath been prepared; the voice of the Word receiveth his beginning; the great warrior of the King of all is now nourished in the womb of the barren one.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
A husbandman hath come forth to tend barren hearts; an axe is already forged to fell the passions; an honorable bullock is nurtured on abstinence: the great Forerunner. Be glad, O ye people!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Break thou the stoniness of my mind, O Forerunner, as of old thou didst loose the bonds of the barren woman; and cause me to increase the fruits of repentance that I may live forever.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen
As Elisabeth beheld thee pregnant, O Maiden, she rejoiced in a godly manner, while within her the babe leapt as he recognized his Master.
Ode IX, Irmos: It is impossible for mankind to see God * upon Whom the orders of Angels dare not gaze; * but through thee, O all-pure one, * did the Word Incarnate become a man * and with the Heavenly Hosts * Him we magnify and thee we call blessed.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
Now having thrown wide the gate of the barren one, the great and divine Forerunner of Christ taketh up his abode within his mother’s womb, as within a royal chamber, that he may issue forth as a warrior, preparing the way for the King of all.
Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
Dance thou, O prophet of God and elder, for thou shalt bring forth a son, of whom none greater shall arise among mankind: John, the Forerunner of the Lord! Leap up, O Elisabeth! Rejoice, all the earth, and offer praise to God, the Creator of all!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
O prophet and Forerunner of the Lord, remember us now who praise thee in faith, and deliver us from spiritual passions. Save us from misfortunes, and guide us in a godly manner along the path to heaven, O ever-blessed one.
Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen
Sensing herself loosed of the bonds of barrenness and bearing the Forerunner of Him Who dwelt within thy womb, Elisabeth manifestly acknowledged thee to be the pure Mother, O pure Virgin Mary, full of the joy of God.
Such is the importance of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, that the Church even celebrates his conception, as we do today on the Patristic Calendar.
Within the unfolding of the history of salvation, as determined and willed by Almighty God, and revealed by the prophets, St John’s life and ministry was a necessary prelude to the Incarnation, the Saviour’s earthly life, the preaching of the Gospel, and His voluntary and life-giving cross, passion, death and resurrection.
Through the prophets, God had announced that the herald and teacher of repentance would prepare the way for the Messiah, and in this feast of his conception we celebrate the very beginning of the life of the “Friend of the Bridegroom”, and this feast reinforces the moral and spiritual truth:
HUMAN LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION…
That small cluster of human cells within the womb of the righteous Elizabeth, was not impersonal and arbitrary, but the very human life that would be the herald of our salvation. He – not it – already had an identity and already had the God-chosen name that St Zachariah would write on a tablet and that every generation would celebrate before all other men.
“HIS NAME IS JOHN”.
Wishing you a blessed and holy feast, with the hope that you will be able do something to honour the Forerunner, such as chanting a canon or akathist – or simply turning to him in prayer with your own words.
Holy, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, John, pray to God for us.
May God bless you.
In Christ – Fr Mark
The holy Prophet Malachi prophesied that before the Messiah’s birth His Forerunner would appear, and would indicate His coming. The Jews therefore in awaiting the Messiah also awaited the appearance of His Forerunner.
In a city of the hills of Judea in the land of Palestine lived the righteous priest Saint Zachariah and his wife Saint Elizabeth, zealously observing the commandments of the Lord. The couple, however, had a misfortune: they remained childless in their old age, and they prayed unceasingly to God to grant them a child.
Once, when Saint Zachariah took his turn as priest at the Temple of Jerusalem, he went into the Sanctuary to offer incense. Going behind the veil of the Sanctuary, he beheld an angel of God standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
Saint Zachariah was astonished and halted in fear, but the angel said to him, “Fear not, Zachariah, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.” But Zachariah did not believe the words of the heavenly messenger, and then the angel said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you the good news. Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words….”
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zachariah and they were astonished that he had not come out from the Sanctuary after so long a time. And when he did come out, he was supposed to pronounce a blessing upon the people, but could not do so because he had been struck speechless. When Zachariah explained by gestures that he was unable to speak, the people then understood that he had experienced a vision. The prophecy of the Archangel was fulfilled, and Righteous Elizabeth was delivered from her barrenness, and gave birth to John, the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord.
This Sunday’s resumption of the Divine Liturgy will be especially timely, given that it is the feast of St John the Theologian, and therefore the patronal feast of our present home in Canton.
It will be the first time we have been in St John’s for the feast, and it will be a joy and blessing to honour the Holy All-Praised Apostle and Evangelist on his day.
As Allan and Olga will have the good fortune to be worshipping in our San Remo parish on Sunday, and matushka Alla will be attending a conference in Morocco, may I prompt parishioners to bring flowers to adorn the church during Liturgy.
Other parishioners will be heading to Llanelli Liturgy with the newly completed icons for the ikonostas in the little Chapel of St David and St Nicholas, and I very much look forward to seeing them in situ on my return home from our Cardiff Liturgy.
As other parishioners go away, we look forward to the return of our young pilgrims and their accounts of their travels in Greece. Alexander is in our prayers, as he has been off-colour since his return. May God give him good strength. I hope that Oswald will be selling icons after the service, so be prepared!
It has been very good to be able to rest, pray and read in Glastonbury, spending much of yesterday in the abbey and the gardens at Chalice Well with its iron-rich spring waters flowing through the beautiful gardens at the foot of Chalice Hill.
Glastonbury Abbey, a short distance away, claimed the presence, long-stays, pilgimage-visits and relics of many saints, but whether the great monastic house was ever visited by all the saints that the annals claimed, we shall never know, just as we shall never know the voracity of the many relics the monks claimed to possess – some in direct opposition to other claimant-establishments.
Around the margins of the Glastonbury Icon of the Mother of God, we see many Celtic saints that link Ireland, Wales, Brittany and Somerset – y Gwlad yr Haf – together with the Archangel Michael, St Aristobulus and St Joseph of Arimathea.
The monastic preeminence of Glastonbury Abbey, and its centrality in the growth of Christianity in this part of the British Isles is undeniable, and given the great importance of Glastonbury, it should not surprise us that such eminent saints as David, Patrick and Brigid should be linked with what came to be called Glastonbury with the coming of the English, but was still Ynys Witrin in the age of our great Celtic saints.
As sanctuaries of holiness, culture and learning, the great religious houses of their time were not islands and isolated, but closely interlinked and connected by the much-sailed sea-roads on which monastics – saints among them – visited one another’s communities. Glastonbury was of course an island at that time, making it particularly accessible for those coming from South Wales, with its great religious centres at Llancarfan, Llanilltud-Fawr.
Even though there is now so little to see of the greatest English Abbey that claimed precedence over every other monastic establishment in Britain, and whose abbot sat in the House of Lords, people are still drawn to the ruins, though many through a concocted belief system of their own making.
Yet, whatever people may believe, their coming and going (and I’ve encountered people that repeatedly and regularly come from the far corners of the world) means that the site is loved and cared for, even though it sometimes feels like the Anglican custodians of the ruined abbey have consciously tried to quash any manifestation of spirituality and piety since the millennium: quite ironic considering what the millennium marked.
But, praise God, the site is preserved, even if one can only wonder at the glory of the once great abbey that stood here, and equally wonder at the wanton violence and demonic acts of those who desecrated the great sanctuary on England’s holiest earth. Whilst, in Walsingham England has its Nazareth, in Glastonbury the whole of Britain had its Jerusalem.
Gone are the dazzling colours of gold, paint, jewels and enamel which once adorned the shrines and their treasured relics, but now the colours of nature shine here, especially in autumn.
The abbey has a great many species of trees, soon to be resplendent in their autumn colours, and the flower and herb beds still manage a few flowers after the passing of summer.
I always say to those put off Glastonbury by the New-Age, occult, and and do-it-yourself-pseudo-religious commercially lucrative rubbish, to not be robbed of our holiest site by these works of darkness.
I recall seeing a documentary on the growth of occultism in Glastonbury when I was a teenager, with the camera looking down on the town form the tower of St John’s Church, and its vicar saying what no Anglican incumbent in the town would dare to say now – that the cosmic battle between good and evil is going on right here in this little Somerset town.
This is why must come!
We must come to worship, pray and venerate the holy sites, as I have been doing since I was a teenager – back then, sometimes with the most wonderfully devout friends on the West of England Pilgrimage – a very English, but also very Anglo-Catholic and in-your-face (with all of the senses) demonstration of Christianity.
Much has changed since then. The obvious Christian presence is much diminished, despite the imposing Catholic Parish Church, served by Benedictine monks.
Christianity seems very much in the shadows… which is why we MUST come, honouring the Mother of God in the place of her first British shrine, with David, Patrick, Brigid, Collen, Rumon, Fili, Kea, Indract, Dominica, Beon, Gildas the Wise, Dunstan, and all of the saints who shone forth in Glastonbury.
May they pray for us and for this confused and suffering holy-place.
Even though today only saw the celebration of the Hours, Typika/Obednitsa with Holy Communion, and a moleben before the veneration of the Cross, and no Divine Liturgy, I must admit that it felt so different to last week’s similar liturgical scheme and was such a joyous gathering.
The festal nature of the Sunday after Exultation shone through our aggregate of services, with the chanting of ‘Krestu Tvoyemu’, the veneration and ‘krestotselovanie’ and anointing with oil from Godenovo giving our services a profound spiritual focus.
Thanks are particularly due to matushka Alla for arranging the floral frame for the Cross at very short notice, and to our singers and readers. Thanks are also due to our sisters who provided such excellent home cooked food for trapeza.
We were very happy to congratulate Ludmilla Borisevna on her recent nameday, and I know that her sharlotka was greatly enjoyed by parishioners, and a wonderful autumnal addition to the celebration!
The half-marathon clearly failed to dissuade parishioners from getting to church today, and even though we were without our young pilgrims and a few other parishioners who have commitments elsewhere, there was still a good number of worshippers, and it was lovely to see such a social gathering during trapeza.
It was lovely to have Father Luke and Swansea parishioners with us, and we are very grateful for help with confessions. This made a tremendous difference, and we always value this assistance with the Holy Mysteries.
The appearance of Oswald, fresh from the coach from London, after his return journey from Greece was most welcome, and he has now reactivated his eBay icon-shop, after our having the stock at St John’s and selling icons after Liturgy for the last few weeks.
As I sit typing this greeting, in Glastonbury, the Saviour of the Burning-Eye, bought from his lavka today is the focus of my prayers and a most welcome and powerful addition to my ‘travelling icon-corner’.
I hope that icons will continue to be available after Liturgy.
The afternoon saw the baptism of Maxim, who was our first child to desperately want to go back into the font, though last Sunday it was clear at little Pavel’s baptism that four years after his own, Yuriy would have happily done the same! We pray for the newly enlightened Maxim, and for Yevgeniy and Maria his sponsors. May God grant them many blessed years.
I shall be in Glastonbury for a few days of prayer and quiet, having already felt the benefit in just four hours. This is, of course, a place central to the coming of the Gospel to Britain and was the first and most important monastery of these islands. Despite the nonsense and sinister practices that go on here now, it is important that we value the local sacred sights and pray and worship here as Christians grounded in the continuance of the apostolic Church. Saints of Glastonbury, pray to God for us!
Thanks to Father Deacon Mark for dropping me here on his journey to Devon, and thanks to Nataliya for dispatching me with a box of pirozhky for tea.
Again, we will schedule confessions for Saturday, and we greatly look forward to the resumption of the Divine Liturgy. As I said before Holy Communion, remembering the impossibility of Liturgy for so many people during the Soviet period, let us never take it for granted, and thank God for every day that is blessed by the celebration of the Holy Mysteries.
Please email requests for confession by 22:00 on Wednesday, please.
May God bless you all, and I ask you to continue to remember me in your prayers, rejoicing that they are being answered by the All-Merciful Lord.
Even though I am happy to say that my blood-pressure is much lower and my health situation is improving, I do not feel the celebration of the Divine Liturgy is yet possible, so this weekend will see a repeat of last weekend’s liturgical arrangements.
Again, we will begin at 11:00 and celebrate the Hours and Typika (Obednitsa), with Communion administered from the reserved Holy Gifts. I hope that subsequently, after a second week of rest, we will return to the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.
I am very grateful to all of who have sent messages over the last week, and even more to those who have been praying for my health, including our young men on pilgrimage in Greece. May God bless you all!
Sunday will see major disruption to transport, as so many roads will be closed for the Cardiff half-marathon, so please consult the map at the following link:
As we celebrate this feast of the holy martyrs Sophia, Vera, Nadezhda and Liubov, we have so many sisters to congratulate as they celebrate their nameday.
We send our greetings to Sophia in Mumbles; to Sophia of our cathedral sisterhood; to Vera Alexandrovna, our cathedral starosta; to Nadia in Swansea; to Masha’s daughter Nadja; to ‘mama Liuba’ Cheltenham; and to Liuba in Father Paul’s parish.
We pray for God’s blessing, and that He may grant them ‘Many Years!’
Многая и благая лтѣа!
In the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-138) there lived a widow called Sophia which in Greek means “wisdom”. She was a Christian, and in accordance with her name, she lived her life wisely. She had three beautiful daughters whom she called by the names of the three Christian virtues: the first was called Faith, the second Hope, and the youngest Love. She taught her daughters to live in u way pleasing to God by prayer, fasting and helping the poor. As the children grew in age, so also they grew in virtue, being obedient to their mother, They read diligently and knew well the books of the Prophets and Apostles; they were fervent in prayer and house-work. Their beauty combined with their virtuous lives attracted the attention of many.
When the fame of their lives reached the pagan Emperor Hadrian, he sent for them to come to him. The wise mother warned her daughters that the Emperor persecuted Christians and would tempt them to worship the pagan idols by promising them great gifts, riches and honor and all the things of beauty and pleasure in this vain world She begged them to choose rather their beloved Lord Jesus Christ and the heavenly beauty such as human eyes have never seen and which God has promised to those who love Him. “0 my dear daughters,” she said, “to remember my words with which I taught you the fear of God and comfort your mother in her old age by your good and courageous confession of faith in Christ.” Encouraging and supporting one another, they promised their mother that with Christ’s help they would put into practice all her valuable advice
When the Emperor’s servants came for them, all four-mother and daughters-protected themselves with the sign of the Cross saying: “Help us,. O God, our Saviour, for the glory of Thy holy Name.”
On reaching the palace, they were presented to the Emperor. Seeing their beauty and their bright and fearless faces, the Emperor began to ask them their names, they answered that they were all Christians and wished to live for Christ alone Who is to be worshipped by all generations.
Hearing this, the Emperor grew angry. Just as the mother had warned he asked the girls to be as his children and worship his gods, promising them glory and honor; but if they would not obey he threatened to torture and kill them. The holy virgins answered him with one voice:
“Our Father is God Who lives in heaven. He takes care of us and our life. We want to be loved by Him and we wish to be called His true children. Worshipping Him and keeping His laws and commandments, we spit on your gods, and we are not afraid of your threats.”
The Emperor was very surprised at the courage of these young girls. At this time Faith was 12 years old, Hope was 10, and Love was just 9
The Emperor again tried to force them to worship his false gods. He commanded Faith to offer sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. When she refused she was beaten and tortured. Faith endured all of this evil bravely by calling upon her Lord, and when she was put in a cauldron of boiling tar and oil she remained unharmed. She sat in it as if it were cool water and sang praises to God. Seeing that no amount of torture could force the girl to give up her faith in Christ, the cruel Emperor ordered her to be beheaded before the very eyes of her mother and younger sisters.
When the second sister Hope also refused to worship the false gods, she was thrown into a fire, but she too remained unharmed and glorified the true God. The torturer was furious that he could not hurt her and ordered her to be thrown into the boiling cauldron, but it at once melted like wax, and the tar and oil poured out and burnt the bystanders. Ashamed that he was unable to shake the faith of such a young girl, the torturer ordered Hope to be beheaded. Knowing that the same cruel torture awaited her younger sister, Hope encouraged her and said, “Do not be left here, sister. Let us stand together be- fore the Holy Trinity.” Then she bent her head and was beheaded with a sword.
When the torturer called the youngest sister, Love, to worship the false gods, she also, even after seeing her sisters’ tortures, did not hesitate to confess her faith in Jesus Christ. She was ordered to be thrown into a stove, but just like the three youths in the Old Testament, Love remained in the stove unharmed; walking about as if in a cool place, singing and praising God. The Emperor ordered still more cruel tortures, but the young girl proved true to her name for love “endureth all things” (I Cor 13:7). Finally, she too was beheaded and went to join her sisters who stood before the throne of their beloved Lord Jesus Christ.
Their mother rejoiced, knowing that each of her daughters had received a heavenly crown. Soon she too passed on to the Lord and shared with her daughters in the heavenly kingdom. St. Sophia also received a martyr’s crown, for, if not in body, at least in her heart, she too suffered for Christ.
We congratulate our parishioner Ludmilla Borisevna on her nameday as we celebrate the feast of her heavenly patron, praying that God will grant her Many Blessed Years!
Многая и благая лтѣа!
The Holy Martyr Ludmilla, a Czech (Bohemian) princess, was married to the Czech prince Borivoy. Both spouses received holy Baptism from Saint Methodius, Archbishop of Moravia and Enlightener of the Slavs (Comm. 11 May).
As Christians, they showed concern for the enlightening of their subjects with the light of the true Faith, they built churches and invited priests to celebrate the divine services. Prince Borivoy died early at age 36. Saint Ludmilla, as a widow, led an austere, pious life and continued to be concerned for the Church during the reign of her son Bratislav, which lasted for 33 years.
Bratislav was married to Dragomira, with whom he had a son, Vyacheslav. After the death of Bratislav, eighteen-year-old Vyacheslav came on the throne. Taking advantage of the inexperience and youth of her son, Dragomira began to introduce pagan manners and customs in the country.
Saint Ludmilla, of course, opposed this. Dragomira came to hate her mother-in-law and tried to destroy her. When Saint Ludmilla moved away to the city of Techin, Dragomira sent two boyars in secret to murder her. Saint Ludmilla was praying at the time, and the two assassins entered the house and carried out Dragomira’s orders.
The relics of the holy Martyr Ludmilla was buried in Techin in the city wall. Numerous healings occurred at her grave. Prince Vyacheslav transferred the body of Saint Ludmilla to the city of Prague and placed it in the church of Saint George.
Egypt had St Athony the Great and the God-bearing fathers of the Thebaid; Palestine had St Savas; Athos had St Athanasius the Athonite; Kievan Rus had Saints Anthony and Feodosy; and as the father of Muscovite monasticism St Sergei embodies the ascetic life of the forested desert to which he and his brother monastics fled to escape the world and climb to heaven, becoming earthly-angels and heavenly men.
As Allan and Olga will have the good fortune to be worshipping in our San Remo parish on Sunday, and matushka Alla will be attending a conference in Morocco, may I prompt parishioners to bring flowers to adorn the church during Liturgy.
Again, we will begin at 11:00 and celebrate the Hours and Typika (Obednitsa), with Communion administered from the reserved Holy Gifts. I hope that subsequently, after a second week of rest, we will return to the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.