Dear brothers and sisters,
We must begin by congratulating the newly-enlightened servants of God, Maxim and Joseph on their baptism after yesterday’s Liturgy: the community’s first, and presumably last adult baptism in St John’s. We pray that God may grant them many, blessed years!
The weekend’s services were blessed by the presence of a small relic of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, and we were very happy to have this blessing: in Splott, in Warminster and in Canton.
God’s Grace continues to touch the world through the relics of those who became living temples of the Holy Spirit, and tabernacles of His glory, and to be able to worship in the presence of the relics of the saints is a great blessing and inspiration.
Holy Glorious Apostle, Andrew the First-Called, pray to God for us!
This week will be a quiet week, in which I will catch up with some medical appointments before western Christmas.
As I forewarned last week, I will assist Father Luke as he celebrates St Nicholas’s feast this Thursday: one of the Llanelli altar-feasts.
Having travelled to Cardiff after Liturgy, I will head to Nazareth House, where will chant the akathist to St Nicholas. Confessions will be heard after the service and on Friday in the Oratory, where will chant the Advent moleben at 15:00.
This lovely service of supplication, centred on the canons of the forefeast of the Nativity has been a great blessing and encouragement during the Fast.
Next Saturday sees the Cardiff clergy serve in Cheltenham, where the Hours and Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10:30 in Prestbury United Reformed Church, Deep St, Cheltenham GL52 3AN.
We will enjoy lunch together after the service, and welcome all who are able to join our little Gloucestershire community.
Again, as announced, with the oddities and limitations of transport in western Christmas week, I will not venture onto the very limited public transport, and will spend the week close to Lazarica, in Bournville, so as to be able to pray in church during the week. I will return to Cardiff on Saturday 28 December.
As Father Mark the younger is away that weekend, the opportunity for morning confessions on Sunday 29 December will be extremely limited as I have to perform the proskomedia.
Just a reminder that ALL of our Nativity week services are in the Oratory Church, in Splott – not in St John’s.
Monday 6 January: Christmas Eve (Rozhdestvenskyi Sochelnik) Vigil at 18:30.
Tuesday 7 January: Nativity Liturgy at 10:30. Great Vespers (for the Synaxis) at 15:00
Wednesday 8 January: Synaxis of the Mother of God, Liturgy at 10:30. Great Vespers (for St Stephen) at 15:00.
Thursday 9 January: St Stephen: Liturgy at 10:30. Vespers at 15:00.
(Additional services may be celebrated if support is forthcoming)
The Liturgy for the feast of the Holy Innocents, will be celebrated in Warminster on Saturday 11 January.
We will have a bring-and-share lunch after Nativity Liturgy on Tuesday 7 January, and we will have an extended trapéza on Sunday 12 January, welcoming hot food. Please let Branka know what you are able to bring.
Next Sunday will be the feast of the Conception by St Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the variables may be found at:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bq-LyGBGgL3Oiwd6KtvqJxiaYp5LEUUe/view
Asking your forgiveness for Christ’s sake.
In Christ – Hieromonk Mark
