Greetings as we continue to celebrate the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, which we marked last Saturday and Sunday with services in St John’s, with the plashchanitsa of the Mother of God adorned with flowers.
The beautiful encomia of the Dormition were chanted during our Saturday service, and our Sunday Liturgy began before dawn, at 6:00 am, with the rising sun illuminating the east window of St John’s as the Liturgy progressed.
At the end of a prayerful and beautiful Liturgy, we emerged into the late summer sunshine and made our way to Victoria Park for a parish breakfast of pirozhky, cakes, tea, coffee, and even sweet wine!
It was wonderful to have the faithful travel from as far apart as Llanelli and Stroud, and to have time together chatting in the sunshine, joined by Father Sorin, matushka and his sons and daughters after the Romanian Liturgy, in St Luke’s.
The feast continues till Sunday, when we will again hear the encomia for the Dormition, before the plashchanitsa is venerated and returned to the altar, before its return journey to my kellia, in Llanelli.
We will meet for compline and confessions on Saturday, at 16:30, though we will be there around 16:00, with the possibility of some confessions being heard before the service.
Then on Sunday, the church will be open for us around 10:15, for set up and the proskomedia and Hours at 11:00, followed by the Liturgy.
Again, I encourage parishioners to bring savoury and sweet ‘finger food’ for easy sharing after the service, when tea and coffee will be available.
Your prayers are asked for our Cheltenham parishioners who have stated their opposition to their suspended reader’s aim of persuading them to leave the ROCOR.
May God bless them and defend them from schism, and may the Most Holy Mother of God preserve them beneath her most pure veil.
Despite our demands here in Wales, Father Deacon Mark, I and our Cardiff parishioners (some of whom live in Wiltshire) will support our ROCOR faithful in Gloucestershire. Supporting our Cheltenham faithful, and finding ways to enable the clergy to do this will be discussed at our General Parish Meeting, after the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, 12 September.
The variables for this Sunday’s service may be found at –
Many of you will be painfully aware of the unfolding events surrounding the schism within our diocese, in which one archpriest, has led two deacons, a group of readers (and two non-ROCOR Moldovan priests) to the former Paris ‘Exarchate’, which has received them without canonical release by our ruling hierarch, Bishop Irenei. The ROCOR clerics have all been suspended.
It has been claimed that the communities involved are moving, with their clerics, after a meeting and vote.
This affects us in the west, as the Cheltenham parish (served by the Cardiff clergy until recently) has been drawn into this. Its reader, Philip Hicks (now suspended) is one of those who has followed the suspended Archpriest, Andrew Phillips.
This is very sad as the Cheltenham parish has been a wonderful example of community-life during and after lockdown, in which Reader Philip has selflessly ensured not only the maintenance, but also the growth of parish prayer life.
There have been openly discussed and acknowledged frustrations regarding provision of a priest, and uncertainty about the future, which may have led to the exploration of alternative ways forward.
However, this was not done openly, but without any discussion with Father Deacon Mark or I, and without discussion with our Chancellor or Bishop, as far as I am aware. Clearly, there were discussions with other parties, who involved Cheltenham (without the knowledge of the parishioners) in their own plans and schemes.
Contrary to claims, the few Cheltenham parishioners with whom Deacon Mark and I have spoken have said they know nothing of this move, and that there has been no meeting or parish discussion regarding a change of jurisdiction. Parishioners have referred to vague allusions to alternatives, but no group discussion.
Last night, together with his new Dean, the suspended Reader Philip made an on-line announcement that a meeting will be held this Wednesday to discuss and vote on this matter, despite the fact that he now claims to belong to another jurisdiction and under the omophorion of another bishop. This is obviously an anomaly, and for a ROCOR parish this meeting is unconstitutional.
The clergy who have served the parish cannot even get replies to emails, and I am sadly unable to communicate with most Cheltenham parishioners, as only Reader Philip has their contact details, and has sole administrator rights of all social media. For a considerable time, my greetings and homilies have not been published on the Cheltenham Facebook page, and this seems to suggest a gradual de-ROCORisation of the parish, as Deacon Mark and I have been airbrushed out of parish identity.
From the perspective of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, what has been reported and what is being planned is irregular, uncanonical and an abuse. All of these machinations are a painful betrayal of the trust of the parish, the clergy and diocese, trampling on the obedience which is the very foundation of any ministry in the Church.
I wish to stress that despite the burdens of combining full-time work and parish responsibilities, the Cardiff clergy will continue to minister to the Cheltenham faithful who reject this schism and remain faithful to their Church.
I urgently ask Cheltenham parishioners to contact the clergy to seek clarification, accurate information, and assurance.
“Today the living ladder, through whom the Most High descended and was seen on earth, and conversed with men, was assumed into heaven by death. Today the heavenly table, she, who contained the bread of life, the fire of the Godhead, without knowing man, was assumed from earth to heaven, and the gates of heaven opened wide to receive the gate of God from the East. Today the living city of God is transferred from the earthly to the heavenly Jerusalem, and she, who, conceived her first-born and only Son, the first-born of all creation, the only begotten of the Father, rests in the Church of the first-born: the true and living Ark of the Lord is taken to the peace of her Son.”
St John of Damascus: Third homily on the Dormition of the Mother of God
Dear brothers and sisters,
Greetings as we celebrate the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, and her translation from earth to heaven.
I am only able to write a brief greeting for the feast, having worked yesterday afternoon/evening, and having returned to work to work until 14:30, today.
Belatedly, when we gather in St John’s, later, we will hear the words of the encomia, based on those which we sing before the plashchanitsa / shroud on Good Friday, hearing the joyful nature of the verses, which balances the mourning of the apostles, as we celebrate the translation of the Mother of God from death to life.
“Overcome with wonder, in awe, in beholding thee Pure Maiden laid out as dead, for from Thee has Light beamed forth to all the world.”
From the first stasis of the Greek encomia
The fact that she fell asleep in the slumber of death is essential to the glory and triumph of the feast, as we celebrate not a deathless Assumption, but a Dormition and Assumption that realises true and full participation in the Resurrection, as the Theotokos shares in her Son’s victory over death, as is raised and ascends in the flesh, to sit at His right hand.
It is the reality of her death and the sojourn of her body in her tomb in Gethsemane, together her physical resurrection, that makes this feast a second Pascha, which manifests Christ’s victory on the Cross and the empty tomb.
In his first homily for the feast St John of Damascus says, “O wonder surpassing nature and creating wonder! Death, which of, old was feared and hated, is a matter of praise and blessing. Of old, it was the harbinger of grief, dejection, tears, and sadness, and now it is shown forth as the cause of joy and rejoicing.”
He stresses the reality of her burial, saying,
“This truly happened, and she was held by the tomb… so now that holy, undefiled, and divine body, filled with heavenly fragrance, the rich source of grace, is laid in the tomb that it may be translated to a higher and better place.”
And, in his second homily, he writes of her burial by the apostles:
“Then they reached the most sacred Gethsemane, and once more there were embracings and prayers and panegyrics, hymns and tears, poured forth by sorrowful and loving hearts. They mingled a flood of weeping and sweating. And thus the immaculate body was laid in the tomb.”
As her death becomes the gate through which she is raised and translated to heaven, she is recognised as the Gate of Life through which the God-Man and Saviour passed in the Divine Incarnation, and in the words of the Akathist Hymn, “the Heavenly Ladder, by which God came down…”
“We had shut the door of paradise; thou didst find entrance to the tree of life. Through us sorrow came out of good; through thee good from sorrow. How canst thou who art all fair taste of death? Thou art the gate of life and the ladder to heaven.”
St John of Damascus: Second homily on the Dormition of the Mother of God
As the Gate and the Ladder, she shows the way, as represented by her most ancient iconographic prototype: the Hodegetria – ‘She who shows the Way”.
Through her Dormition and Assumption, enthroned in the Kingdom of Heaven, she becomes the Hodegetria in an even greater and more profound way. Her earthly mission in showing the way is transformed, as the Way, the Truth and the Life – her Son – translates her into eternity, from whence she continues to guide us, now freed from earthly constraints and the limitations of time and space, in the ultimate and eternal reality of the Kingdom of Heaven, from whence her “countenance appeareth now as paradise, breathing forth to all believers grace and life.”
But, the glory of the Mother of God, is rather the Lord’s Glory, for as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so the Theotokos reflects the glory of her Son. As St John of Damascus peaches in his first homily for the feast, “Neither human tongue nor angelic mind is able worthily to praise her through whom it is given to us to look clearly upon the Lord’s glory.”
St Gregory Palamas contemplates the beauty of the Mother of God, translated from earth to heaven, as he asks her,
“Who can describe in words thy divinely resplendent beauty, O Virgin Mother of God? Thoughts and words are inadequate to define thine attributes, since they surpass mind and speech. Yet it is meet to chant hymns of praise to thee, for thou art a vessel containing every grace, the fulness of all things good and beautiful, the tablet and living icon of every good and all uprightness, since thou alone hast been deemed worthy to receive the fulness of every gift of the Spirit.”
Thus, we too approach with hymns as we celebrate the Dormition, and the Assumption of the Mother of God, a spiritual translation through which she truly receives this fulness of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Heaven, “From thence thou ever carest diligently for thine inheritance and by thine unsleeping intercessions with Him, thou showest mercy to all.”
On this glorious feast, with its Paschal echoes, we join St Gregory, as we entrust ourselves to this diligent care, and say to the Mother of God,
“O divine, and now heavenly, Virgin, how can I express all things which pertain to thee? How can I glorify the treasury of all glory? Merely thy memory sanctifies whoever keeps it, and a mere movement towards thee makes the mind more translucent, and thou dost exalt it straightway to the Divine. The eye of the intellect is through thee made limpid, and through thee the spirit of a man is illumined by the sojourning of the Spirit of God, since thou hast become the steward of the treasury of divine gifts and their vault, and this, not in order to keep them for thyself, but so that thou mightest make created nature replete with grace. Indeed, the steward of those inexhaustible treasuries watches over them so that the riches may be dispensed; and what could confine that wealth which wanes not? Richly, therefore, bestow thy mercy and thy graces upon all thy people, this thine inheritance, O Lady! Dispel the perils which menace us. See how greatly we are expended by our own and by aliens, by those without and by those within. Uplift all by thy might: mollify our fellow citizens one with another and scatter those who assault us from without-like savage beasts. Measure out thy succour and healing in proportion to our passions, apportioning abundant grace to our souls and bodies, sufficient for every necessity. And although we may prove incapable of containing thy bounties, augment our capacity and in this manner bestow them upon us, so that being both saved and fortified by thy grace, we may glorify the pre-eternal Word Who was incarnate of thee for our sakes, together with His unoriginate Father and the life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto the endless ages. Amen.”
May I remind you that this coming Sunday of the Dormition, God willing, our Liturgy will be at the unusually early time of 06:00, due to Anglican use of St John’s around noon.
The Liturgy itself, NOT the hours, will start at this time, and we must vacate the church by 08:30, as there is an Anglican service at 09:00. Please arrive promptly. Although this is an extra early start, especially as we usually begin the Liturgy three hours later, all (especially communicants) should be in church for the initial blessing of the Liturgy. We understand that those travelling distances may be unable to be there for 6:00, but those living in Cardiff should be in church for this early start. Remember, this is what our Romanian sister-parish has to do EVERY week!
The early start will make it impossible to hear confessions before Liturgy, but although it cannot be guaranteed, there may be time for confessions for those travelling from Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, afterwards. In this case, confessions will need to be brief, as there is no leeway regarding our departure time. Anyone hoping to confess on Sunday should email me: otetzmark@hotmail.com
Parishioners have suggested a post-Liturgy gathering for ‘coffee and cake’ (or something more substantial in the café, perhaps) in Canton’s Victoria Park, which seems an excellent idea. So, those who would like to join this gathering should bring their flasks and supplies, or we could stage an Orthodox takeover of the park café. It should open at 08:30 and provide shelter, should the weather be inclement… which would be traditional for our Welsh summer.
Should anyone feel so inclined, the remaining day could possibly accommodate a visit to a local holy place. Suggestions please!
Confessions for local parishioners will be heard on Saturday, when – God willing – we will celebrate compline at 16:30. Sadly, although Saturday is the feast of the Dormition, I was unable to take the day off from my secular employment and will have to work until 14:30.
Sunday, the second day of the Dormition, will be the feast of the Icon of the Saviour ‘Not Made by Human Hands’ (the Mandilion / Holy Face) and the Icon of the Mother of God the Giver of Reason (Pribavlenie Uma).
The variables may be found, as usual, at the Orthodox Austin website:
“We are surrounded by the Glory of God and yet we dont see it….” Following Liturgy Father Mark gives us all encouragement on our personal journey up the spiritual mountain to experience Christ in his full Glory.
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As we celebrate the feast of the Holy Martyr and Archdeacon, St Laurence of Rome, let us pray for the deacons of our diocese.
As a parish we continue to experience the great blessing of having a deacon dedicated to the well-being and life of the faithful of our community, assisting the priest, and aiding all who need help.
Let us read the words of St Ambrose, who wrote of Laurence as an ideal example of the diaconal ministry, and pray the canon to the saint.Continue reading →
Today, as we celebrated the after-feast of the Transfiguration (the Apple Saviour / Яблочный Спас), it was satisfying to pick apples only half an hour before today’s Liturgy, with the morning dew still glistening on the leaves and fruit on the trees in the chaplaincy garden.
As the Hours and Liturgy progressed baskets and bowls of fruit multiplied on the table placed behind the stand bearing the festal and Kazan icons.
At the end of every Liturgy, during the singing of Psalm 33, we hear the words “O taste and see, the Lord is good.” The folk names of these feasts of the All-Merciful Saviour and the Transfiguration bear witness to this as we bless the gifts of God’s creation and receive them as a blessing from Heaven.Continue reading →
“Taking the disciples up, upon the lofty mountain before Thy crucifixion, O Lord, Thou wast transfigured before them, illumining them with effulgence of power, desiring both in Thy love for mankind and in Thine authority to show them the splendour of the resurrection, which do Thou vouchsafe unto us in peace, in that Thou art merciful and lovest mankind.”
It was – as always – a great joy to gather today for the Divine Liturgy, followed by the veneration of the Precious Cross and the blessing of honey.
Though yesterday was the feast of the Procession of the Life-Giving Cross and the All-Merciful Saviour, we were unable to have Liturgy, so we ‘caught up’ with August’s first feast of the Saviour at compline yesterday evening and today, after Liturgy.
This Saturday – the feast of the All-Merciful Saviour and the Procession of the Life-Giving Cross – marks the beginning of the Dormition Fast, but we start it with the first of August’s feasts of the Saviour, and the blessing of honey.
In his prologue, St Nikolai Velimirovic reminds us that –Continue reading →
