The Hieromartyr Clement, Pope of Rome, was born at Rome into a rich and illustrious family. Separated from his parents from childhood by force of circumstances, Clement was raised by strangers. Living in Rome, the youth received a fine education, he was surrounded by luxury, and had access to the imperial court. But these comforts brought him no joy, and pagan wisdom failed to attract him. He began to ponder the meaning of life.

When the news of Christ and His teaching began to reach the capital, Saint Clement left his home and estate and went to the lands where the Apostles were preaching. At Alexandria Saint Clement met the holy Apostle Barnabas, listening to his words with deep attention, and perceiving the power and truth of the Word of God. Arriving in Palestine, Saint Clement was baptized by the holy Apostle Peter and became his zealous disciple and constant companion, sharing his toil and sufferings with him. Shortly before his own sufferings and death, Saint Peter consecrated Saint Clement as Bishop of Rome. After the death of the Apostle Peter, Saint Linus (67-79) was the next Bishop of Rome, succeeded by Saint Anacletus (79-91), and then Saint Clement (92-101).

The virtuous life, charitable works and prayerful activity of Saint Clement converted many to Christ. He once baptized 424 people on the day of Pascha. Among the baptized were people of all social classes: slaves, officials, and even members of the imperial family.

The pagans, seeing the success of his apostolic preaching, denounced Saint Clement to the emperor Trajan (98-117), accusing the saint of insulting the pagan gods. The emperor banished Saint Clement from the capital, sending him to the Crimea, to work at a stone quarry near the city of Cherson. Many of the saint’s disciples followed after him voluntarily, preferring to go into exile rather than live without their spiritual Father.

When he arrived at the place of exile, Saint Clement found many Christian believers there, sentenced to labor under harsh conditions amidst a scarcity of water. He prayed together with the condemned, and the Lord appeared to him in the form of a lamb and revealed the location of a spring, from which gushed forth a veritable river of water. This miracle attracted a multitude of people to Saint Clement. Hearing the zealous preacher, hundreds of pagans were converted to Christ. Each day 500 or more men were baptized. And there in the stone quarry, a church was built, in which he served as priest.

The apostolic activity of the saint aroused the wrath of the emperor Trajan, and he ordered that Saint Clement be drowned. They threw the martyr into the sea with an anchor tied to his neck. This occurred in the year 101.

The saint’s faithful disciples Cornelius and Fibius asked the people to pray that the Lord would permit them to see the martyr’s body. The sea drew back a distance of three miles from the shore and the people walked out on the seabed until they found a marble cave shaped like a church. There they found the incorrupt body of their archpastor in this “Angelic Church” formed by God. After this, each year on the anniversary of Saint Clement’s martyric death the sea receded, and for seven days Christians were able to venerate his holy relics.

During the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus (802-811), by divine providence, the sea failed to withdraw, and the relics of Saint Clement became inaccessible for fifty years. In the time of the emperor Michael and his mother Theodora (855-867), Saints Cyril and Methodius visited Cherson. When they learned of the concealed relics of Saint Clement, they asked Bishop George of Cherson to pray that the Lord would show them the relics of the hieromartyr.

Saints Cyril and Methodius walked along the shore in procession with the clergy who came with them from Constantinople. Through the fervent prayers of everyone gathered there, the holy relics of Saint Clement miraculously appeared on the surface of the sea at midnight. They solemnly took them to the Church of the Holy Apostles at Constantinople. A portion of the relics were then brought to Rome by Saints Cyril and Methodius, but a large portion of the relics was later brought to Kiev by the holy Prince Vladimir (July 15) and placed in the Desyatin-Tithe church, together with the relics of Saint Fibius, where a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement had been built. The hieromartyr Clement is widely venerated in Russia. From ancient times, many churches have been dedicated to him.

Saint Clement, who belongs to the Apostolic Fathers, has left to us a spiritual legacy (two Epistles to the Corinthians) the first written examples of Christian teaching after the writings of the holy Apostles.

The Holy Hieromartyr Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria, was born and raised at Alexandria. He was a highly educated man, and was head of the school of Alexandria. In the year 300 he became the archpastor of the Alexandrian Church, succeeding his teacher and spiritual guide, the holy Bishop Theonas.Forced into exile from the city during the anti-Christian persecutions under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian, Saint Peter traveled through many lands, encouraging his flock by letter. Again returned to his city, in order to guide the Alexandrian Church personally during this dangerous period. The saint secretly visited Christians locked up in prison, encouraging them to be steadfast in faith, assisting the widows and orphans, preaching the Word of God, constantly praying and officiating at the divine services. And the Lord kept him safe from the hands of the persecutors.

During this time of unrest the iniquitous heretic Arius, who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, sowed the tares of his impious teaching. When Arius refused to be corrected and submit to the truth, Saint Peter anathematized the heretic and excommunicated him from the Church. Arius then sent two of Saint Peter’s priests to beg the saint to lift the excommunication from him, pretending that he had repented and given up his false teachings. This was not true, for Arius hoped to succeed Saint Peter as Archbishop of Alexandria. Saint Peter, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, saw through the wickedness and deceit of Arius, and so he instructed his flock not to believe Arius nor to accept him into communion.

Under the wise nurturing of Saint Peter the Church of Alexandria strengthened and grew in spite of the persecutions. But finally, on orders from the emperor Maximian (305-311), the saint was arrested and sentenced to death. A multitude of people gathered at the entrance of the prison, expressing their outrage. Wanting to avoid bloodshed and a riot by the people, the saint sent a message to the authorities, in which he suggested that they make an opening in the back wall of the prison, so that he might be taken away secretly to execution.

In the dark of the night Saint Peter went with the executioners, who took him beyond the city walls and beheaded him at the same spot where formerly Saint Mark had been executed. That night a certain pious virgin heard a Voice from heaven saying, “Peter was first among the Apostles; Peter is the last of the Alexandrian Martyrs.” This took place in the year 311. In the morning, when people learned of the death of their bishop, a crowd gathered at the place of execution. They took up the body and head of the martyr and went to the church, dressing him in his bishop’s vestments, they sat him in his throne at the high place in the altar. During his life Saint Peter never sat on it, but sat on a footstool instead. The saint once explained that whenever he approached his throne he beheld a heavenly light shining on it, and he sensed the presence of a divine power. Therefore, he didn’t dare to sit there.

The Lord Jesus Christ once appeared to Saint Peter as a twelve-year-old child wearing a robe that was torn from top to bottom. Saint Peter asked the Savior who had torn his garment, and He replied, “That madman Arius has torn it by dividing the people whom I have redeemed by My blood. Do not receive him into Communion with the Church, for he has worked evil against Me and My flock.”

Saint Peter, a great champion of Orthodoxy, is known also as a profound theologian. Passages from his book, “On the Divinity (of Jesus Christ)”, were consulted at the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon. Of all his works, the most widely known and highly esteemed by the Church are his “Penitential Canons”.

Canon of the Feast, the acrostic whereof is: “O Mistress, grant me the grace of discourse”, the composition of George, Tone IV

Ode I, Irmos: I shall open my mouth, * and be filled with the Spirit, * and utter discourse to the Queen and Mother; * and be seen radiantly keeping festival, * joyfully praising her entry.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O most pure one, we know thee to be a treasury of wisdom and an ever-flowing fountain of grace; and we pray thee rain down upon us knowledge, that we may praise thee forever.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Being a temple and palace more exalted than the heavens, O most pure one, thou wast set apart in the Temple of God to be prepared as a divine dwelling-place for His advent.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Shining with the Light of grace, the Theotokos hath illumined all and assembled us to adorn her most splendid festival. Come ye, let us draw nigh to her!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The glorious portal which surpasseth human thought, having opened the doors of the Temple of God, doth now command us who have assembled to delight in her divine wonders.

Canon to the Great-Martyr Catherine, the acrostic whereof is: “With hymns do I hymn the ever-memorable Catherine,” the composition of Theophanes, Tone VIII—

Irmos: The staff of Moses, once working a wonder, striking the sea in the form of the Cross and dividing it, drowned the mounted tyrant Pharaoh, and saved Israel who fled on foot, chanting a hymn unto God.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

By the prayers of the most wise martyr Catherine, O Christ, enlighten Thou the darkened eye of my soul, granting me a ray of thy splendour, O Master, which destroyeth all the gloom of my soul-destroying falls.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

O most wise one, guided by the divine commandments of the Master and consumed with love for Him, in haste thou didst run to thy struggles and didst awe the tormentors with thy knowledge, discourse, wisdom and grace.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Directed by the mighty hand of Christ, thou didst escape the tempests of idolatry without foundering, O martyr, propelled by the sail of the Cross and the divine winds of the Spirit, chanting a hymn unto God.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Rejoicing in the beauties of virginity, O wise Catherine, and possessed of divine knowledge from heaven, thou didst right boldly and courageously put to shame the proponents of false knowledge, vanquishing them mightily.

Most Holy Mother of God, save us.

O all-pure one, he who proclaimeth thee to be the Theotokos doth reject every heresy; for thou gavest birth unto the eternal Word of God, Who became flesh immutably, O Theotokos, who art more exalted than all creation.

Canon to the Great-Martyr Mercurius, the acrostic whereof is: “May the might of Mercurius preserve me!” the composition of Joseph the Hymnographer, Tone VIII

Irmos: That which had been hewn down cut through the undivided, and the sun saw land which it had not seen before; the water engulfed the cruel enemy, and Israel traversed the impassable, and chanted the hymn: Let us sing to the Lord, for gloriously is He glorified!

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

Standing joyfully before the Wellspring of blessings with the choirs of heaven, O Mercurius, and filled with divine delight, O ever-memorable one, preserve those who with love celebrate thy festival, chanting unto the Lord: Gloriously hast Thou been glorified!

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

Willingly didst thou enter the arena of torment, O wise one, strengthened with the power of Christ, Who for our sakes willingly endured His saving sufferings; and, rejoicing, thou didst cry out: Let us chant unto the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified!

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

Adorned with the confession of Christ, O blessed one, thou didst openly revile the words of the tyrant and, with gladness, didst endure all manner of pain, O Mercurius, crying out to Him Who strengthened thee: Let us chant unto the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified!

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

For our sake didst Thou appear incarnate of the Virgin Maiden, becoming man like unto us; and Thou dost reveal Mercurius, Thy valiant athlete, to be a faithful witness to Thy sufferings, who chanteth mightily unto Thee: Let us chant unto the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified!

Ode III, Irmos: O Theotokos, thou living and plentiful fount, * establish in spiritual fellowship those who sing hymns of praise * of thine honoured entry: * grant them crowns of glory.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Receiving the pure and undefiled one, who is more splendid than all creation, the animate bridal chamber of God, the beautiful Temple and chamber doth appear today like a bride adorned for her wedding.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

David, preceding the chorus, doth leap and dance with us, declaring thee, O all-pure one, to be the queen all-adorned, standing in the Temple before our King and God, O most pure one.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

From her, whom transgressions issued forth among the race of mankind, hath her correction and incorruption blossomed forth, the Theotokos, who is led today into the house of God.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The angelic armies and the multitudes of all mankind leap for joy, and they advance as lamp-bearers before thy countenance, proclaiming thy majesty in the house of God.

Irmos: O Christ, Who in the beginning established the heavens in wisdom and founded the earth upon the waters, make me steadfast upon the rock of Thy commandments; for none is holy as Thee, O Thou Who lovest mankind.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Responding of thine own will, thou didst go to thy suffering voluntarily, emulating Christ; and, having radiantly vanquished the myriads of the prince of this world, thou wast revealed as crowned, O God-pleasing Catherine.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

With strength of mind didst thou denounce the tormentors, who were sunk in the abyss of godlessness, O all-praised martyr, plainly propounding the dogmas of the knowledge of God, illumined with the wisdom of God.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

He Who whispered thoughts of equality with God into the ears of Eve is now trodden underfoot by a young maiden; for, defended with the sword of the Cross, the martyr Catherine hath put him to shame, glorying over him immeasurably.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O Theotokos, who alone art all-pure, raise up my morbid mind through the activity of the Life Who, from thee, manifested Himself to the world, cleansing the wounds and stripes of my sins.

Irmos: Thou art the confirmation of those who have recourse to Thee, O Lord; Thou art the light of the benighted; and my spirit doth hymn Thee.

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

All aflame with divine love, O glorious Mercurius, thou didst regard fire and bonds, the sword and torments as but a dream.

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

Meeting with grievous wounds, thou didst hymn the Creator, O wise martyr, and didst receive the healing thereof, O glorious one.

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

Strengthened by the divine staff, O right valorous martyr, like an athlete thou didst mightily cast down the audacity of the enemy.

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

To prefigure thy birth-giving, which passeth understanding, O pure one, a bush appeared, burning with fire, yet unconsumed.

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

Kontakion of the feast, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Willingly lifted up on the Cross…”: The most pure temple of the Saviour, the precious bridal chamber and Virgin, the sacred treasury of the glory of God, is on this day brought into the house of the Lord, bringing with her the grace that is in the divine Spirit. To her do the angels of God chant the hymn: She is the heavenly tabernacle!

Ikos: Beholding the grace of the ineffable and divine mysteries of God made plainly manifest in and filling the Virgin, I rejoice; yet I know not how to understand this strange and ineffable image. How hath the pure one alone been shown to be above all creation, visible and noetic? Wherefore, desiring to praise her, I am greatly in awe in mind and word; yet, making bold, I proclaim and magnify her, saying: She is the heavenly tabernacle!

Kontakion of the Great-martyr Mercurius, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Thou hast appeared today…”:Glorifying him with hymns, let us bless Mercurius, the warrior unvanquished in battle, the helper unashamed amid misfortunes, for he delivereth from tribulations and sorrows those who celebrate his memory with gladness.

Sessional hymn of the Great-Martyr Catherine, Tone IV, Spec. Mel. “Having been lifted up on the Cross…”: Thou didst love Christ thy Bridegroom, radiantly trimming thy lamp and shining forth with virtue, O glorious one. Wherefore, with Him thou hast entered into the bridal chamber, receiving a crown of suffering from Him. From misfortunes do thou deliver us who keep thy memory, O Catherine.

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

Sessional hymn of the Great-Martyr Mercurius, in the same tone: Spec. Mel. “Go thou quickly before…”: Struggling, the martyr Mercurius put the deceiver to shame and became a mighty champion of Christ. Therefore, he hath now been numbered among the choirs of heaven, worthily sharing in everlasting glory. Wherefore, we faithfully celebrate his sacred memory.

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

Sessional hymn of the feast, in the same tone: O David, go thou before us into the Temple of God, and, rejoicing, receive thou our Queen, and cry out unto her: Enter thou, O Lady! Enter thou into the Temple of the King! Her glory is understood allegorically, for from her doth Christ the Light desire to pour Himself forth upon all!

Ode IV, Irmos: Perceiving the profound counsel of God, * that the incarnation of Thee the Most High, * will be from a Virgin, * the Prophet Habbakuk cried aloud: * Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The Temple of God, receiving today the portal through whom none may pass, hath ceased to perform any service of the Law, crying: Truly truth hath appeared to those who are on earth!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The mountain overshadowed, which Habbakuk beheld of old, prefigured her who hath made her abode in the inaccessible chambers of the Temple, flourishing with virtues, for she doth cover the ends of the earth therewith.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

All the earth hath seen most glorious things, things strange and marvellous, for the Virgin, receiving food from an angel, doth receive tokens of God’s dispensation.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Revealed as the temple and palace and animate heaven, O divine bride of the King, thou art brought today to the Temple of the Law to be kept for Him, O most pure one.

Irmos: Thou art my strength, O Lord, Thou art my power; Thou art my God, Thou art my joy, Who, without leaving the bosom of the Father, hast visited our lowliness. Wherefore, with the Prophet Habbakuk I cry unto Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

O ever-memorable martyr Catherine, thou didst show the determination of an athlete, setting thyself against the hostile one with great endurance, trampling him beneath thy lovely feet by the power of the Cross, O passion-bearer, thou boast of the martyrs.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

O most blessed Catherine, bride of Christ, thou art luminous with the radiant beams of divine beauty, splendid in comeliness. Wherefore, in gladness thou dost chant unto the Master: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Thou didst set at naught the audacity of the tyrant with the godly discourse of thy wisdom, for thou didst rescue from the abyss of the false worship of demons those who were deceived, teaching them to cry out unto Christ in hymns: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

O all-praised one, who hast mightily trampled down the audacity of the enemy, the right glorious and splendid festival of thy memory hath dawned like the sun, and thereon we cry aloud to the Master: Glory to Thy power, O Thou Who lovest mankind!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Now hath been cast down the mighty of those who reject the veneration of the icons of thee, O pure Maiden, and of Him Who, in manner surpassing understanding, was incarnate of thee and enlightened the whole world, and of all the saints. Enlighten those who honour thee with faith, O thou who alone art all-hymned.

Irmos: I have heard, O Lord, the mystery of Thy dispensation; I have understood Thy works, and have glorified Thy divinity.

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

Thou didst make thyself like unto thy Creator, O divinely wise one, by the sufferings of thy divine martyrdom, and from Him hast thou received splendid crowns, in that thou art unvanquished, O glorious one.

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

Now hast thou been arrayed in a garment woven of the grace of the Most High, O martyr, having shed the robe of mortality.

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

Having contended, even to the shedding of thy blood, against sin, thou wast shown forth as a victor and hast been vouchsafed the glory of the Most High, O Mercurius.

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

O Ever-virgin, the saving Word descended upon thee like a shower and hath dried up the flood of polytheism.

Ode V, Irmos: All creation stands in awe of thy divine glory; * for thou, O Virgin who hast not known wedlock, * didst enter into the temple of the Lord; * thyself being a most pure temple, * bestowing peace, upon all who hymn thee.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The most pure Virgin, the glorious sanctity and sacred offering which is brought today to the Temple of God, is preserved as a habitation for our one God, the King of all, as He Himself knoweth.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Zachariah, having of old beheld the beauty of thy soul, cried out in faith: Thou art the deliverance, thou art the joy of all, thou art our restoration, through whom the Uncontainable One shall appear unto me contained.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O, thy wonders which pass understanding, O all-pure one! Strange is thy birth-giving; strange is the manner of thy maturation; strange also, most glorious and unutterable by mortals, are all thy wonders, O Bride of God.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

As a most radiant lamp, O Bride of God, hast thou shone forth today in the house of the Lord, illumining us with the precious gifts of thy wonders, O pure and all-hymned Theotokos.

Irmos: Wherefore hast Thou turned Thy face from me, O Light never-waning? And why hath a strange darkness covered me, wretch that I am? But turn me, and guide my steps to the light of Thy commandments, I pray.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Aflame with the fire of love for thy Master, O most glorious martyr, and seeking to behold His incomprehensible beauty, thou didst surrender thyself to wounds of thine own accord, radiant with the graces of virginity.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Having splendidly adorned thyself with most sacred sufferings, O good virgin maiden, thou didst ascend to the heavenly bridal chamber of Christ, and hast now been radiantly joined to thy Bridegroom in gladness, O most blessed one.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Thou art shown to be a most radiant maiden who hast loved Him Who also is desired; and having finished a most difficult course, following Him Who hath been poured forth as the fragrance of thy noetic myrrh, thou didst cry out: I come, O my Bridegroom!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Knowing thee to be the true Theotokos, and knowing the Word of God Who was born of thee, O all-pure Mistress, we all preach Him Who is known in two independent natures and wills, O Mother and Bride of God.

Irmos: Waking at dawn, we cry to Thee: Save us, O Lord! For Thou art our God, and we know none other than Thee.

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

Lacerated, cut with a blade without respite, O Mercurius, thou didst endure, strengthened by divine hope.

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

Having fortified thy heart with noetic Stone, O glorious Mercurius, thou didst not waver when crushed by a stone.

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

Having shared in the sufferings of thy Master, thou didst partake of His glory and divine splendour.

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

O Virgin, who hast given birth unto the Life which hath slain death: Slay thou the sin which liveth within me.

Ode VI, Irmos: Celebrating the divine and solemn feast * of the Mother of God * O ye divinely wise, * let us come, clapping our hands, * and glorify God who was born of her.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Thou Who hast upheld all things by Thy word hast hearkened to the prayer of the righteous ones. Wherefore, Thou hast loosed the infirmity of the barren woman, in that Thou art compassionate, and given them her who is the cause of joy.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Wishing to make His salvation known to the Gentiles, the Lord hath now taken from among mankind her who hath not known wedlock, as a sign of reconciliation and renewal.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

As a house of grace, wherein treasures of the ineffable dispensation of God are laid up, O all-pure one, thou didst share in unfading delight in the Temple.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Receiving thee as a royal diadem, O Bride of God, the Temple hath been rendered splendid and been elevated to better things, beholding in thee the fulfilment of the prophecies.

Irmos: The abyss of my sins and the tempest of my transgressions discomfit me and thrust me down into the depths of violent despondency; but stretch forth Thy mighty arm unto me, as Thou didst to Peter, and save my, O my Guide.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Beholding thee all resplendent in the radiance and beauty of virginity and empurpled in the blood of thy martyrdom, O maiden, the good and all-pure Word caused thee to dwell in the mansions of heaven.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

By the Cross wast thou able to overthrow the dominion of the tyrants, denouncing the vanity of earthly wisdom and pouring forth dogmas of divinely inspired teaching, O most wise and ever-memorable Catherine.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Mightily enduring the pain of thy wounds, O most glorious martyr, thou didst cast down to the ground him who of old drove Adam from the sweetness of paradise through deceit, and thou hast been crowned with the crowns of the kingship.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

By thine entreaties, O Mother, Virgin Theotokos, make thy Son and our Judge, Who delivereth us from evil circumstances, to be merciful unto me on the day of judgment, for in thee alone do I place my trust.

Irmos: I pour forth my prayer unto the Lord, and to Him do I declare my grief; for my soul is full of evil and my life hath drawn nigh unto hell, and like Jonah I pray: Lead me up from corruption, O God!

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

The eternal Word enlivened thee, beholding thee enduring all manner of torments for His sake, O wise martyr, and through His angel He commanded thee to take heart, O Mercurius, and in no wise to fear the opposition of the tormentors.

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

The serpent of many guises is slain and trampled beneath the beautiful feet of the athlete, the valiant warrior, for, striving unto death towards the wounds of torture of thine own will, thou wast full of glory.

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

To the Master didst thou wholly offer the desire of thy heart, O martyr; and, having endured the rack, thou wast crowned by Him as a victor and dost now stand before Him in the heavens with all the martyrs, O Mercurius.

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

At the angel’s cry thou didst conceive the Angel of Great Counsel, O Maiden, and thou didst give birth unto Him incarnate of thy most pure blood Who, in His unutterable mercy, hath shown to all the ways which lead to life, O all-immaculate 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 of the Great-Martyr Catherine, Tone II, Spec. Mel. “Seeking the highest…”: O ye who love the martyrs, raise up an honoured chorus in godly manner, honouring the most wise Catherine; for in the arena she preached Christ and trod upon the serpent, putting down the knowledge of the rhetors.

Ikos: Having received the wisdom of God from childhood, O martyr, thou didst also master well all external wisdom; and learning therefrom the movement of the elements and creation through discourse and Him Who by His word fashioned them in the beginning, day and night didst thou render thanksgiving unto Him, setting at naught idols and those who worship them, putting down the knowledge of the rhetors.

Ode VII, Canon I, Irmos: Refusing to worship created things * in place of the Creator, * the divinely wise youths bravely trampled down the threatening fire * and rejoicing they sang aloud: * O supremely hymned Lord and God of our Fathers, Blessed art Thou.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Lo, today a joyous spring hath dawned upon the ends of the earth, enlightening our souls, thoughts and minds with grace: the festival of the Theotokos. Let us mystically make festival this day!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Let all things – heaven and earth, the ranks of angels and the multitudes of mankind – bear gifts today unto the Queen and Mother of God; and let them cry aloud: Our joy and deliverance is brought into the Temple!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The Scriptures have come to pass, the Law hath faded like a shadow, and rays of grace have shone forth upon thee who hast entered into the Temple of God, O pure Virgin Mother wherein thou art blessed.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Heaven and earth and the netherworld are subject to thine Offspring as Creator and God, O all-pure one, and every nation of mortals doth confess that the Lord and Saviour of our souls hath appeared.

Irmos: Once, in Babylon, the fire stood in awe of the condescension of God; wherefore, the youths, dancing with joyous step in the furnace, as in a meadow, chanted: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers!

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

The boast of martyrs and a teacher of piety wast thou, leading a multitude of martyrs unto Christ, thy radiant Bridegroom. And with them dost thou cry aloud, O all-praised one, chanting: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Thy discourse most wise brought many out of the madness of idolatry unto salvation, and thou didst show them forth as radiant martyrs, who cry aloud with thee: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Following after Thee, the maiden was brought to Thee beheaded by the sword, emulating Thy most pure Passion, crying out unto Thee, our Creator, and saying: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

The Holy of holies dwelt within thee in hallowed manner, O pure Virgin Theotokos, and He was born of thee incarnate to save those who cry out in faith: Blessed is the God of our fathers!

Irmos: In the furnace the Hebrew children boldly trod the flame underfoot and transformed the fire into dew, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

Illumined with the light of heavenly enlightenment, O valiant warrior, thou dost enlighten those who now do hymn thee and chant: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

O blessed one, thou hast hymned the Benefactor of all, consumed with love for Him and burning with material fire; and thou didst chant: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

They that rendered honour unto stone and were stony of heart, O martyr, with a stone weighted down the neck of thee who cried: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

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

Having mingled thy precious blood with the blood of the Master Who loveth mankind, thou didst show thyself to share in His sufferings, O Mercurius, crying out: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

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

The ranks of angels stand in awe of the depth of thy mystery, O Theotokos; for God appeared incarnate of thee, He to Whom we chant: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, forever!

Ode VIII, Irmos: Hearken, O pure Virgin Maiden, * that Gabriel may tell thee the true counsel of the Most High of old. * Make ready to receive the Godhead; * for through thee the Infinite One hath come to dwell among mankind. *

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Wherefore, rejoicing, I cry aloud: * Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord! Anna, once, leading the most pure temple to the house of God, faithfully said unto the priest, crying aloud: Now accept thou this child, given me by God; lead her into the Temple of the Creator; and, rejoicing, chant unto Him: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

And Zachariah then, beholding them in the Spirit, said unto Anna: Thou dost bring hither the true Mother of Life, whom the prophets of God have clearly foretold as the Theotokos! How, therefore, can the Temple hold her?

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Wherefore, marvelling, I cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord! The handmaid of God have I been, answered Anna unto him, and I call upon Him with faith and prayer to accept the fruit of my birth-pangs, that, having received this child, I might bring her that was born unto Him that bestowed her. Wherefore, I cry aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Truly this is a matter of the Law, the priest said to her, and strange doth this thing seem unto me, beholding her that doth most gloriously surpass the holy ones in grace led into the house of God. Wherefore, rejoicing, I cry out: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord!

Irmos: Madly did the Chaldæan tyrant heat the furnace sevenfold for the pious ones; but, beholding them saved by a higher Power, he cried out to the Creator and Deliverer: Ye children, bless; ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Him supremely for all ages!

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Converted by thy teachings, the empress advanced in piety and, mightily enduring the infliction of pain, was clearly vouchsafed the everlasting kingdom of heaven, crying out to the Master: Ye priests, bless; ye people, exalt Christ supremely for all ages!

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Let the entreaties of the faithful be entrusted to the martyrs, for the passion-bearer doth stand before Christ, asking that which is best for all and mediating salvation for those who earnestly celebrate her all-holy and honoured memory and faithfully cry out: Ye people, exalt Christ supremely for all ages!

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Throwing wide the portals of paradise, the Bridegroom doth receive thee, O all-wise one; and He hath made thee to dwell in a most radiant chamber, showing thee to be one who shareth in His kingdom and His suffering. And, standing now before Him, splendidly adorned, O daughter of the King, forget us not.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

The tyrant tempted thee with alluring words; the cruel one sought to deceive thee with persuasions, hoping thereby to weaken thy resolve, O glorious one; but, wishing to betroth thyself to Christ, thou didst cry out to the Master: Ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Christ supremely forever!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O all-immaculate Theotokos, thou art more sacred than the supernatural ranks of angels, for from thy virginal womb, which knew not wedlock, thou gavest birth unto their Creator and Lord in two natures, unconfused and immutable, God incarnate in a single hypostasis.

Irmos: [same as that of the preceding canon]

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

The choir of passion-bearers accepted as one of their number thee who wast adorned and radiant with the precious beauties of thy sufferings and thy pious and honourable martyrdom. And now thou dost unceasingly cry out: Ye priests, bless; ye people, exalt Christ supremely forever!

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

Piously didst thou finish thy course, O glorious one, and valiantly didst thou put the foe to shame; and, laying hold of a heavenly trophy as victor, thou dost now rejoice with the angelic choirs and dost cry out with them unceasingly: Ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Christ supremely forever!

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

In meeting thy death by the sword, and receiving the expected end, which thou didst desire, O most blessed one, thou didst water the ground with outpourings of thy blood; and thy blessed and victorious body didst thou show forth as whiter than snow, chanting: Ye priests, hymn; ye people, exalt Christ supremely forever!

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

All of us, the faithful, hymn thee, O all-pure one, as her who is the cause of our restoration; for in manner beyond reproach thou didst give birth unto God, the Cause of all, Who in His loving-kindness hath restored His image which hath been marred by wickedness, O thou who alone art all-blessed and joyous.

Ode IX,  Canon I, Irmos: In nowise may the hand of the defiled * touch the animate ark of God; * and let the lips of the faithful * never-silently cry out with joy to the Theotokos, * chanting the words of the angel: * Rejoice, O thou who art full of grace! * The Lord is with thee!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O pure Theotokos, as thou hast the most radiant beauty of purity of soul and art full of the grace of God from heaven, with the ever-existent light thou dost ever enlighten those who cry out with joy: Truly thou art more highly exalted than all, O pure Virgin!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Thy wonder doth surpass the power of words, O pure Theotokos, for in thee I perceive a body impervious to the movement of sin. Wherefore, thankfully I cry out to thee: Truly thou art more highly exalted than all, O pure Virgin!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Most gloriously did the Law prefigure thee, O pure one, as the tabernacle, the divine jar, the awe-some ark, the veil, the staff, the inviolable temple and portal of God. Wherefore, all these things teach us to cry to thee: Truly thou art more highly exalted than all, O pure Virgin!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

In hymnody David cried out to thee prophetically, calling thee the daughter of the King in the comeliness of thy virtues, beholding thee standing, elaborately adorned, at the right hand of God. Wherefore, in prophecy he cried out: Truly thou art more highly exalted than all, O pure Virgin!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Foreseeing thee who art pleasing to God, Solomon proclaimed thee to be the bower of the King, the living and sealed fountain, from whence untroubled waters have issued forth for us who cry out with faith: Truly thou art more highly exalted than all, O pure Virgin!

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

O Theotokos, thou givest to my soul the tranquility of thy gifts, pouring forth life upon those who honour thee as is meet, defending, protecting and preserving them thyself, that they might cry to thee: Truly thou art more highly exalted than all, O pure Virgin!

Irmos: Heaven was stricken with awe, and the ends of the earth were amazed, that God hath appeared in the flesh, and that thy womb became more spacious than the heavens. Wherefore, the ranks of men and angels magnify thee as the Theotokos.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Adorned with bridal ornaments, thou hast passed on to splendid bridal chambers, holding the lamp of virginity in thy right hand and thy severed head in the other. And now, standing before Christ thy Bridegroom, preserve thou those who hymn thee.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Thy prayer was accepted, O divinely wise one, for the Master doth save from temptations those who call upon thy name with faith, O honoured one, and He doth bestow health upon them, delivering them from divers ailments, spiritual and bodily. Wherefore, in gladness we bless thee, O Catherine.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Thou hast now attained the calm harbour, O martyr, having sailed over this world’s sea of threefold waves easily and in good order, not being tempted, O most wise virgin; and thou dost offer varied riches, a multitude of martyrs, unto Christ, O most blessed Catherine.

Holy Great-Martyr, Catherine, pray to God for us.

Joining chorus now with choirs of virgins within the bridal chambers of heaven, and illumined with rays of thy sufferings, O most wise Catherine, thou hast loosed the bonds of my falls, earnestly entreating the Benefactor of all, for Whom thou didst shed thy blood.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Thou hast appeared, O Virgin Mother of God, giving birth in the body, in manner transcending nature, unto the good Word to Whom the Father gave utterance from His own heart before all ages, in that He is good, and Whom we now know to be more exalted than all bodies, even though clad in a body Himself.

Irmos: Every ear trembleth to hear of the ineffable condescension of God, for the Most High willingly came down even to the flesh, becoming man through the Virgin’s womb. Wherefore we, the faithful, magnify the all-pure Theotokos.

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

With grace the martyrs now dispel the stench of dung and with ineffable discourse they drive away our fœtid passions, and pour forth waters for the healing of our bones and water the souls of those who hymn their wondrous miracles.

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

We honour thee in sacred manner as a great pillar of the Church of Christ, an indestructible rampart, a city which cannot be taken captive, a mighty warrior of God the King of all, a destroyer of our enemies and a noetic and universal beacon, O martyr.

Holy Great-Martyr, Mercurius, pray to God for us.

Thou didst receive an angel of light as a companion before thy suffering, O divinely wise one. Wherefore, lacerated, burned with torches and horribly dismembered and beheaded with a sword, thou wast not afraid, O most valiant athlete of Christ.

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

Thy divine memorial hath dawned as a day full of enlightenment, gladness and joy for us that honour thee, O martyr Mercurius, whereon do thou remember us that keep thy memory and deliver us from grievous temptations, misfortunes and passions.

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

O portal of Light, enlighten my soul which hath been blinded by the passions and darkened by wicked thoughts, and endangered; and deliver me from temptations, misfortunes and sorrows, that I may glorify thee, the hope and confirmation of the faithful.

Troparion of the Great Martyr Catherine, Tone IV: Thy ewe-lamb Catherine crieth out to Thee with a loud voice, O Jesus: “I love Thee, O my Bridegroom, and, seeking Thee, I pass through many struggles; I am crucified and buried with Thee in Thy baptism, and suffer for Thy sake, that I might reign with Thee; I die for Thee, that I might live with Thee. As an unblemished sacrifice accept me, who sacrifice myself with love for Thee.” By her prayers save Thou our souls, in that Thou art merciful.

Another troparion, in the same tone: With thy virtues, as with the rays of the sun, thou didst enlighten the unbelieving philosophers; and, like the most radiant moon shining on those who walk at night, thou didst drive away the darkness of unbelief. Thou didst bring the empress to faith and didst denounce the tyrant, O divinely elect bride. O blessed Catherine, with desire didst thou make haste to the heavenly bridal chamber, to Christ the most comely Bridegroom, and by Him hast thou been crowned with a royal crown. Standing with the angels before Him, do thou pray for us who keep thy most honoured memory.

Troparion of the Great Martyr Mercurius, in the same tone: In his sufferings, O Lord, thy martyr Mercurius received an imperishable crown from Thee, our God. For, possessed of Thy might, he cast down the tormentors and set at naught the feeble audacity of the demons. By his prayers do Thou save our souls.

Troparion of the feast, in the same tone: Today is the prelude of God’s good will and the proclamation of the salvation of man. The Virgin hath manifestly appeared in the Temple of God and proclaimeth Christ unto all. To her let us cry aloud: Rejoice, O thou fulfilment of the Creator’s dispensation!

Dear brothers and sisters!

Greetings on this feast of the Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple, whose celebration early in this season of the Nativity Fast is apt, given that the much-longed for child of the previously barren Joachim and Anna did not leave the Temple with her parents after her presentation to Zacharias the priest, but rather entered into the sanctuary and Holy of Holies, where her childhood would be an advent of preparation for the the wonderful divine-conception in which she would become the mother of the Saviour.

Like the other consecrated virgins who lived within the sacred precincts, she would have spun thread and woven cloth for the liturgical use of the Temple priests, perhaps even making the vestments of the priests, but unlike them she was set aside for a unique obedience and place in the economy of salvation in a life in prayer and contemplation, no longer nursed and cared for by her parents, but rather by the angels who ministered to her, not only within the precincts of the Temple, but within the Holy of Holies itself – as infant and child.

The Mother of God was set aside and chosen by the Lord, and in some ways this feast is a betrothal to God, as the infant Theotokos is accompanied by other girls – perhaps other Temple virgins -approaching the sanctuary with her parents, as we see in the icons of the feast and hear narrated in the stikhera of vespers:

“Rejoicing today and bearing candles, the maidens precede the noetic lamp and escort her with sanctity to the Holy of holies, revealing beforehand the Effulgence which would ineffably shine forth from her to illumine with the Spirit those who sit in darkness of ignorance.” (Verses on Lord, I have cried)

But, the scandal of the feast is that the child mounts the steps of the sanctuary and passes beyond the veil of the Temple,  to where it was not lawful for any but the high-priest to go, only once a year, and not without blood.

“Into the Holy of holies is the holy and immaculate one led by the Holy Spirit; and she is fed by a holy angel, in that she is the most holy temple of our holy God, Who hath sanctified all things by her entry and hath deified the nature of mortal men which had fallen.” (Verses on Lord, I have cried)

She was brought to be sanctified, but in many ways, the bare and empty Holy of Holies was rather sanctified by her presence, and St Germanos of Constantinople develops this theme in his first homily for the feast, as he imagines the words of Zacharias the priest.

“Come to me, child, child higher than the heavens. Come, you who are seen as a child but are known as God’s workshop. Come hallow rather the gateway of the holy place, for you, so to speak, are not purified and hallowed by this gate: but instead you hallow it more. 

Come gaze upon the Holy of Holies and the awesome treasury, You who will become the inexhaustible, unsearchable treasure. Come into the entry doors of the Bema, you who destroy the doors of death. Gaze upon the veil, you who enlighten through your lightning flash those who are blinded by their dull-sighted tastes…

Approach in order to venerate the table, you who are called the living, undefiled table, which has been spoken of in many symbols . Make your way through the courts of the whole sanctuary breathing out as an odour of incense. You have become more fragrant than myrrh, you who have been proclaimed by the God-chosen tongue of the spirit-filled prophet to be a censer.

Go up, go up to the steps of the holy house. Daughters of Jerusalem taking pleasure in the beauty of your comeliness joyously compose a hymn . The kings of the Earth call you blessed . Your ascent of the steps is recognised as divine and delightfully shown as a God- supported ladder to the great patriarch Jacob. Sit down O Lady, for it is proper to you as the Queen glorified above all earthly kingdoms to be seated upon such steps.

This holy place is a fitting dwelling for you who are the throne of the Cherubim. Behold, as Queen of all I have attributed, as it is fitting to you, the most honourable throne. Do you yourself raise up those who have been cast down. And now with David I cry unto you: ‘Hearken O daughter consider and incline your ear; forget not your people and your father’s house; and the king will desire your beauty.’ (Psalm 45.11)’ ”

Thus, the Temple which the prophets rejected, robbed of the Ark of the Covenant and the cherubim by the Babylonians, was consecrated and received a legitimacy as the place in which a three year-old child chosen by God to become the greater Holy of Holies – more honourable than the cherubim and truly more glorious than the seraphim – was prepared for the mystery of the Incarnation, as the one who would become the new Ark of the Covenant bearing within her the Giver of the Law and the Bread of Life; the new Mercy-Seat, upon whom the Saviour would be enthroned; the new Table of the Bread of the Presence – Christ the Heavenly Bread; and the new golden lamp-stand bearing the Light of the World.

Within the Temple, she may have even made vestments for the priests, even as the one who would give birth to the Great High Priest, Whose vestment would be the flesh that He took from her.

As she spent hours in communion with the Lord, in prayer and contemplation, in the years in which angels ministered to her and she learned mysteries that were unknown to all other children of Adam and Eve, she spiritually wove for her Lord, who would not take flesh from any random woman, but from her, prepared for the moment of His Incarnation in this childhood of dedicated holiness, set apart and consecrated to the Lord.

Thus, when – after her betrothal to Joseph – the Archangel Gabriel was sent to her with the news of the Annunciation, he was not sent to any random Hebrew girl, but to one who had already been prepared and initiated into heavenly mysteries within the Holy of Holies; whose relationship with Him, through prayer and communion within the most holy place of creation had prepared her for the Word to become flesh within her.

After the experience of the long season of preparation for the coming of the Messiah, and the realisation that she, herself, was the virgin of which the prophet Isaiah spoke…

“Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel.”

… the second advent – with the Annunciation, the Visitation to the house of Elizabeth, the journey to Bethlehem – had a context and meaning for the Mother of God, and we should remember that as we contemplate the present feast.

What did that little girl hear and see in the Holy of Holies? In what mysteries did the angels of God instruct her and what did God reveal to her? To what great depths had she already come to know God, even as a child, and with what confidence and intimacy? What great love for God had been planted and nurtured in her, in even her tenderest and youngest years?

We will never know the answers to these mysteries, but we should reflect upon the wonder of this feast and the life that it began, and the otherness of the childhood life in the Lord’s sanctuary, rejoicing that the infant Theotokos was thus prepared for the saving glory of the Nativity, in which God’s immeasurable love, mercy and compassion would be laid, as a little child, in the manger, when the God-Man would enter the world in the darkness of the first Christmas in the cave of Bethlehem.

May Christ our true God, who for our salvation didst deign to fulfil the sign foretold of Emmanuel, through the prayers of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious, prophet, forerunner, and Baptist John; of the holy prophet and herald of the Saviour, Isaiah; of the holy fathers, prophets and just ones who lived under the Law and awaited the Messiah’s coming; and through the prayers of all the saints; have mercy on us and save us for He is good and lovest mankind. Amen.

Happy feast!

In Christ – Hieromonk Mark

Dear brothers and sisters,

Yesterday, we were blessed by a sun bathed Liturgy in the morning, with our extended celebration of the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God – the first celebration of the altar feast since before the misery of covid and lockdown.

We were pleased to have Deacon Mark back, after serving in Sanremo, last weekend, Nazareth House being quite a contrast to the pre-revolutionary splendour on the Italian Riviera. We were also glad to welcome Father Luke and three of the brothers from Llanelli.

Our lack of facilities limited this autumn feast, though we look forward to keeping the summer feast as our main celebration in future. In the past, the dynamics of our parish, and the summer exodus to Russia and Ukraine made sense of the focus on the autumn feast, but the changing membership of our parish and the change in people’s travel habits makes it time to change.

The café across the road was certainly lively with our takeover in lieu of trapeza, and we were pleased that Emma and her staff reserved the large tables for us. It was wonderful to have such a large gathering, with so many conversations over drinks and food. Thanks to Deacon Mark for juggling so many different orders and looking after everyone, especially our students and young people.

Thanks also to our singers, servers, and flower arrangers, and to all who facilitated a quick set up and put away. I think we have to accept that the situation is NOT going to improve regarding time pressures, and starting on time is now incumbent on our quicker and more streamlined set-up after the end of mass.

I have greatly enjoyed time with our students, this evening – this having become a fixture of Sundays, and I hope that in future we may add to our numbers.

Thank you to all who have contributed to the collection for our suffering monastics and their pupils in Bethany. Their plight is miserable – with only periodic electricity, and paucity of supplies, whilst living under siege and facing great danger from the Israeli security forces by simply going out into the street. We thank Masha for her communications with Mother Mary of the Russian Orthodox Convent and School, in Bethany, and also for organising a Sisterhood on-line prayer meeting for all who are suffering in the present conflict in the Holy Land.

Masha and Ed will be giving a concert in St John’s Church, Canton, on Wednesday 13 December, and we will advertise this, with a programme in the next week. We very much hope that as many people as possible may attend, bringing friends to support this worthy cause.

This week will be relatively quiet after a very busy few weeks.

Wednesday (the feast of St Demetrius) will see the usual mid-week service in the Chapel of St David and St Nicholas, in Llanelli (11 New Rd, Dafen, Carms SA14 8LS)

I shall hear confessions on Thursday, and though I advertised vespers, we will in fact chant a moleben to the Holy Great-Martyr Demetrios and St Nestor of Thessalonica at 16:00 – hopefully with some of our young brothers assisting. Emails requesting confessions by noon on Wednesday, please. I will be free to hear confessions before and after the service.

On Friday, our parish book club will meet in the Wenvoe Arms, Old Port Road, Wenvoe, CF5 6AN, and will be discussing the second of St Philaret of Moscow’s Sermons on the Spiritual Life, available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sermons-Spiritual-Life-Philaret-Moscow/dp/1735011606/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1697996493&sr=8-3

Saturday sees our Cheltenham November Liturgy for the feast of the Virgin-Martyr Anastasia the Roman at Prestbury URC Church, Deep St, Cheltenham GL52 3AW. I will hear confessions from 09:15 with the Hours at 10:00, followed by the Divine Liturgy as soon as confessions are completed. After, the Liturgy, we will have our usual bring-and-share lunch, welcoming everyone around the parish table.

I am pleased to confirm the parish pilgrimage to the Church of St Lazar in Birmingham’s Bournville Village on Saturday 25^th November, where we will participate in Liturgy in the beautiful Serbian Orthodox Church, and venerate the Trojeručica Hilandarska icon of the Mother of God. The Liturgy commences at 09:00. As Tracy, our pilgrimage coordinator is busy in her new home, may I ask anyone interested to email me. As usual, we will do our best to try and sort lifts for non-drivers.

With the Nativity Fast beginning at the end of the month, I would encourage everyone to prepare some spiritual reading materials in advance.

Finally – your prayers are asked for the repose of the soul of the newly-departed handmaiden of God Photina. Memory Eternal!

In Christ – Hieromonk Mark

Dear brothers and sisters,

It’s always lovely to enjoy the silence of the convent church on a Monday morning, with the smell of Sunday Liturgy’s incense still filling the church, and Sunday’s flowers adorning the Vladimir icon of the Mother of God – especially when the sun is streaming through the stained glass windows. There is always a great sense of peace and holiness after the Liturgy. After the business of a long Sunday, it’s good to do cleaning and tidying and to have the chance to pray in silence and do the little things that always need doing – “gwnewch y pethau bychain”, as St David continues to remind us, through the centuries!

Yesterday’s Liturgy came at the end of a busy week, which started with a gathering of Wessex parishioners in Chippenham, where we had some voice coaching and singing practice, nurturing new voices for our kliros, and practicing English language chants – as was reflected in yesterday’s Liturgy. Many thanks to Masha and Neil for their hospitality, especially as they had only arrived home from their holiday in the small hours of the morning.

I was also able to meet parishioners on Tuesday and discuss mission, outreach and Liturgy for our growing number of Wessex parishioners who continue to come from further and further from South Wales.

Thank you to all all who provided transport and sustenance whilst I was in Somerset and Wiltshire. Your generosity and kindness is greatly appreciated.

Friday saw confessions and preparation for Saturday’s pilgrimage to Llancarfan, and I know that Tracy – our pilgrimage coordinator – had a very busy few days.

The following morning, everything needed for Liturgy was packed into the back of Menna’s Land Rover, and four of the young men of the parish into Tracy’s camper van – both vehicles being a great asset when we go on pilgrimage.

It was an honour and blessing to celebrate the Liturgy for the Saturday of St Demetrios in such an ancient monastic sanctuary, where Slavonic has probably only echoed in the church once before – on our last visit! We were surprised by the chanting of the cherubic hymn to an early chant melody – and in Latin – transposed by Aldhelm as an offering for the occasion:

“Qui cherubin mystice imitamur et vivifice trinitati ter sanctum ẏmnum offerimus. Omnem nunc mundanam deponamus sollicitudinem. Sicuti regem omnium suscepturi. Cui ab angelicis invisibiliter ministratur ordinibus. Alleluia!”

At the end of the Liturgy, a panikhida was celebrated in memory of all of the faithful departed “from ages past”, with the blessing of kolyvo, and we then enjoyed a pilgrimage-lunch in the Fox and Hounds, for which we are very grateful for Tracy’s labours in chasing parishioners with menus and arranging the table and lunch coices with the proprietors.

Lunch was followed by a moleben to St Teilo, before our short journey back to Cardiff.

A thankyou to everyone who made this latest pilgrimage such a lovely occasion and  success. As Tracy observed (and I hope she doesn’t mind me quoting her), “Yesterday’s pilgrimage was just delightful. The church, liturgy, lunch, the company, Llancarfan village etc. All 9 pilgrimages to date have been so varied and different.” The variety of our pilgrimages has been striking, and we hope that next month will see an urban pilgrimage to “Lazarica” – the beautiful Serbian Orthodox Church of St Lazar in Birmingham, to venerate the Hilandarska Trojeručica icon of the Mother of God. This will be in the second half of November and we are currently fixing the date.

Despite half-term and quite a few parishioners away, we still had about forty adults, plus children, for Sunday’s Liturgy, with friends from far and wide, including an increased Wessex contingent.

Again, Mass was long and allowed very little time to set up before Liturgy, with the Hours starting a little late. Thank you to all who we ready to set up church in Deacon Mark’s absence. Under Hierodeacon Avraamy’s direction, our brothers were very efficient, and we now look forward to their liturgical involvement, bringing a return to a team of half a dozen or so oltarniky for the Liturgy. This will be a relief, and we await Deacon Mark’s very capable and exact direction and supervision of our young brothers in the sanctuary.

It was good to have English language chants during the Liturgy and we know that we have British parishioners who wish to join the choir to contribute to this, with a willingness to learn our Slavonic chants, as well.

As most parishioners were unable to be at Saturday’s service, we served a litia for the faithful departed after the dismissal of the Liturgy, with the blessing of kolyvo, which was shared after the service. We prayed especially for the newly-departed Reader David and Aleksey, and ask your prayers for their repose. Memory Eternal!

By the end of Liturgy, Deacon Mark had sent photos and video clips from San Remo, where he was blessed to serve in the beautiful 19^th century church, observing how warm and welcoming the community is, with Fr Dionisiy gliding between Slavonic, Romanian and English. It’s always good when we build connections between the parishes of our vast diocese.

Next Saturday sees the Feast of the Kazan Icon, though we will translate the celebration to Sunday morning. This is the first time we will be celebrating the feast without either kitchen or trapeza, though space has been reserved for us in the café across the road, so that we might at least have social time, a drink and bite to eat, with the hope that our students and unwaged will be “looked after” by those of us who are in the position to treat them.

Given our lack of facilities, from next year, we will keep the parish feast on the SUMMER feast of the Kazan Icon, allowing for a parish picnic.

Despite translating the celebration to Sunday, Great Vespers for the feast will still be celebrated on Friday, at 17:00, and I will hear confessions before and after the service. Please email me by noon on Wednesday in order to arrange.

Following Friday confessions, we will have a talk on liturgical prayer in the home, and how lay people can pray the vast majority of the services of the Church without a priest, as has been done in many places where clergy are few and far between – including the Soviet Period, when the clergy had been imprisoned or killed. Given the vast catchment area of our parish, the knowledge of services according to the lay order is very valuable and practical. Some of our young brothers are quite well versed in the performance services according to the lay order, and it will be very useful for as many parishioners as possible to gain this knowledge, especially those who have to travel great distances to services in Cardiff.

With the beginning of British Winter Time, I will celebrate Saturday Vespers at 15:00 hours, and will be able to hear confessions before and after the service, and as usual before Sunday Liturgy. Thank you again to all who come in good time, allowing an hour of confessions before Liturgy. This is working well.

Finally – our sister, Marina, has been collecting fleece blankets to send to children in Dnipro for the winter, and one of our other parishioners has suggested that it would be wonderful if we could mark the feast of the Kazan Icon by bringing fleece blankets to send to Ukraine!

May God bless you all!

In Christ – Hieromonk Mark

Dear brothers and sisters, 

I’m very happy to have reached Somerset for a few days, from where I look forward to visiting some of our West of England faithful, as well as having time in Glastonbury  – a place that is very special to some of our flock. 

Today saw another well attended Liturgy in Nazareth House, and it was good to have so many new faces, with an influx of students, plus Ukrainian visitors. I was happy that most of our young people spent the afternoon after Liturgy in our local café, with plenty of lively conversation. We very much hope that our visitors will be with us again in the very near future. 

Many thanks to our choir, whom Hierodeacon Avraamy has happily inspired and given confidence during our lean weeks, even when the kliros is reduced to a trio. Thanks to Olga, our regent, and to Father for exchanging the oltar for the kliros. Thanks also to our parish-sisters, who continue to adorn our icons with flowers, week by week. 

As announced at Liturgy, I will hear confessions on Friday, as I will be staying in town overnight before our Saturday pilgrimage to Llancarfan.  

Confession requests by noon on Thursday, please. Confessions will continue for as long as needed, and will be planned according to pastoral need. If needed, I will also hear confessions in Nazareth House on Saturday evening, as I will have to visit the convent church to set up for Liturgy. 

As most of you will have seen from Karen’s post on WhatsApp, Friday evening will see the first meeting of the book club. To quote:

“Book club news!

We’ll be meeting for the first time this Friday 27th at 7pm, at the Wenvoe Arms, Old Port Road, Wenvoe, CF5 6AN.

We’ve picked this book: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sermons-Spiritual-Life-Philaret-Moscow/dp/1735011606/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1697996493&sr=8-3

and we plan on discussing the first sermon. All welcome.” 

The Wenvoe Arms is on the 96 bus route from Cardiff to Barry. Thanks Karen!

Saturday’s pilgrimage – St Demetrios Saturday (commemoration of the departed) – will be in St Cadoc’s Church, Llancarfan, starting at 10:00 and we will celebrate the Hours and Divine Liturgy in this ancient church, with its wonderful medieval wall-paintings. Many thanks to the East Vale team ministry area. This comes on top of last Monday’s funeral in Peterston-super-Ely, and I’m pleased that we can build a relationship with Fr Martyn and the other area clergy. 

As Deacon Mark announced at Liturgy, he will be away for half-term, so we will be very grateful for a concerted set-up before next Sunday’s Liturgy. The very late time at which mass ends is making set up very pressurised, with this morning’s mass not having finished until 10:50. I will speak to some of our young brothers, and hope that allocation of specific jobs will make things as smooth as possible. Hierodeacon Avraamy will oversee the operations, as I will be hearing confessions. 

Thanks to all who are coming for Sunday confessions well before Liturgy, making it possible to fit in an hour’s confessions before the service. We are very grateful for your cooperation. 

Towards the end of today’s Liturgy, it was unfortunately necessary to ask parishioners to remain quiet during the Thanksgiving Prayers, even though there should be NO talking at this time. It is regrettable that some of those who have been talking during the prayers, recently, have partaken of the Holy Mysteries and have every reason to concentrate on the Thanksgiving Prayers.

Please, do not talk during the prayers in which we thank the Lord for the gift of His Most Pure Body and Most Precious Blood. Let us listen to the prayers in gratitude, whatever language is being chanted. 

As next Saturday’s Liturgy is on a soul-sabbath, commemorations for the departed will be welcome for the Liturgy. 

May God bless you all. 

In Christ – Hieromonk Mark