Dear brothers and sisters,
I hope that the first days of the Nativity Fast have been ones of concerted and concentrated prayer and reflection as we begin our spiritual journey towards the celebration of the Saviour’s birth, and trust that our brothers and sisters have been able to put aside earthly cares through fasting, to focus on what is needful in the spiritual life.
After services for the first two days of the Fast in the Oratory Church, and Liturgy in Lazarica in Bournville with the chance to collect much-awaited prayer and service-books, it was a joy to celebrate the first Sunday of the fast in Cardiff, with so many confessing and communing. Congratulations to all who partook of the Holy Mysteries!
I was particularly glad to have the support of Father Mark the Younger, freeing me for extensive confessions, and – indeed – for completing the Liturgy, after my blood pressure seemed to have very unusually and rather unexpectedly dropped. Thank you Father!
Having discussed plans with Joseph and Maximilian, it is our intention to baptise them after Liturgy on Sunday 15 December. Max will be named for the Holy New-Martyr, St Maxim Sandovich, and Joseph for the Holy and Righteous Patriarch. Please keep them in your prayers.
Tomorrow, the eve of the feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God in the Temple, we will chant Great Vespers in the Oratory Church at 15:00, with the Liturgy being celebrated the following morning at 10:00 in Llanelli. As Masha, our usual weekday chanter for Liturgies is away, and a funeral has meant that Father Luke’s chanter for the feast also has to be away, I will fulfil this role for Father, so that the Liturgy can be celebrated. As usual, the Liturgy is in the Chapel of St David and St Nicholas, in the garden of Father Luke’s home, at 11 New Rd, Dafen, Llanelli SA14 8LS.
There will be afternoon services at 15:00 in the Oratory Church on Thursday and Friday: the Advent Moleben on Thursday, and Great Vespers for the feast of the Holy Great-Martyr Catherine on Friday. I will, of course be glad to hear confessions after the service, and ask that any requests for evening confessions in Nazareth House are made today or tomorrow, so that I can give Sister Marie notice.
As many of you will be aware, there are some fasting differences between calendars, and we simply ask that the faithful stick to the calendar that they ordinarily use, mindful of some differences. As previously stressed, when we have the consolations of wine and oil, or fish, we should be honouring the saints whose feasts have these blessings – doing something additional in prayers and devotions to celebrate the memory of the saints.
Using the St Herman Calendar, as a pretty typical norm for fasting, this week’s order is below…
- Monday 4 Dec – Prophet Obadiah: strict fast.
- Tuesday 5 Dec – St Proclus – Forefeast of the Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple: wine and oil.
- Wednesday 4 Dec – Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple: fish, wine and oil.
- Thursday 5 Dec – Holy Apostle Archippus: wine and oil.
- Friday 6 Dec – St Amphilochios of Iconium: strict fast.
- Saturday 7 Dec – Great Martyr Catherine: fish, wine and oil.
- Sunday 8 Dec – Hieromartyr Clement of Rome – fish, wine and oil.
I hope that parishioners are finding spiritual reading to nourish the soul and focus the mind during the Fast, and I was glad to hear parishioners talking about the works of St Ignaty Brianchaninov, readily available to buy in English translation. (Amazon link only for ease of information, not to necessarily encourage purchasing form the said retailer!)
The Field: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Field-Cultivating-Salvation-Complete-Ignatius/dp/0884653765/ref=sr_1_1
The Refuge: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Refuge-Anchoring-Complete-Ignatius-Brianchaninov/dp/088465429X/ref=sr_1_2
The Arena: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Arena-Guidelines-Spiritual-Monastic-Complete/dp/0884652874/ref=sr_1_6
Harbor for Our Hope: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harbor-Our-Hope-acquiring-Suffering/dp/0884654222/ref=sr_1_9
Other excellent resource, always valuable for the spiritual life are the Spiritual Psalter of St Ephraim the Syrian, and the Paradise of the Holy Fathers (available online as well as easily ordered in book form). The second volume of the Paradise addresses the spiritual life in thematic chapters.
As posted on WhatsApp, the excellent and soul-profiting works of St Paisios of the Holy Mountain are available in English translation for White Horse Wares – the source of our church candles.
Please endeavour to read something spiritual each day, and to add to your prayers.
In our prayers, among the Orthodox, we continue to pray for the newly departed Archbishop Peter, and for the newly-departed Maureen, of the Father Dean’s Anglican Parish in Butetown – also holding her children Daniel and Nicole, as well as the whole family in our prayers. She will be greatly missed by the St Mary’s clergy and parishioners. May the Lord God remember her in His Kingdom.
Praying for you struggle well and pray fervently in the week ahead, and asking your forgiveness for Christ’s sake.
May God bless you.
Hieromonk Mark