Dear brothers and sisters,
As we begin this New Church Year, let us not only pray for God’s blessing to crown the year, but actively labour to make everything we do – whether as individuals, together as families, as communities, and as the Church – God-pleasing, worthy of blessing, and to His glory.
At the end of a week which saw services for the feasts of the Beheading of the Forerunner, St Alexander Nevsky and St Alexander of Svir, we began the New Indiction with vespers in the Oratory Church, followed by our New Year Liturgy in Cheltenham.
Once again we are grateful to Father Mark the Younger for celebrating for us, allowing me to hear confessions, help the boys learn to serve, and assist on the kliros.
I was pleased that the children showed that they were listening and concentrating on the end-of-Liturgy-lesson on St Symeon the Stylite, as they started play-building a pillar from foam blocks – ascended by the youngest as the stylite.
Thanks to everyone for their warmth and support for Father Mark in these first confident months of his priestly ministry.
The next day, our Cardiff Sunday celebration saw the return of a few more parishioners who had been away, but the absence of a goodly number on their travels to different parts of Europe.
It was good to know that some travellers had already found churches and pilgrimage-places to visit. We wish them restful and peaceful holidays.
Despite the limited space in St John’s, Sunday’s Liturgy saw our communicants gather at the front-centre of the church after communion and zapivka, rather than gathering in their usual alternative place near the zapivka table, chosen by default, due to lack of space.
Before the mid 17th century, those who were communing gathered at the centre of the temple at the Great Entrance and remained there until the Holy Gifts were transferred to the proskomedia after communion.
Whilst this is no longer normal in most places, the tradition of communicants awaiting the transfer of the Holy Gifts after communion remains part of Orthodox tradition, preserved in many parishes of the Russian Church Outside of Russia.
We are simply returning our communicant-worshippers to their traditional place as the choir sings on behalf of all who have communed,
“Let our mouths be filled with Thy praise O Lord, that we may sing of Thy glory; for Thou hast made us worthy to partake of Thy Holy, Divine, Immortal and Life-creating Mysteries. Keep us in Thy holiness, that all the day we may meditate upon Thy righteousness. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!”
At this time, the faithful traditionally stand silently and prayerfully with their arms folded across their chests as when approaching the chalice at communion.
Whilst talking about preserving traditions… just a reminder to those who have joined us from other parishes and traditions that whilst bowing for forgiveness before communion is inconsistent from place to place, it is a consistent tradition that before approaching confession when others are present with us, we turn and bow to ask forgiveness of those in church.
One of our young learners has asked that we have regular reminders of our worship-practices as part of parish teaching and learning, and has already suggested some topics. This is a great help, not just for catechumens, but also for those who have joined us from other places with different customs.
The general busyness of the month will continue in the weeks ahead.
We will have a moleben to King Edward the Martyr in the Oratory Church tomorrow at 15:00, and vespers and confessions at the same time on Thursday.
I will be in the cathedral for the altar-feast celebrations of the Nativity of the Mother of God on Friday and Saturday, before returning to Cardiff for Sunday’s service.
When you come to church that day, we have been instructed that it will not be possible to park on the grass any longer. Though this new rule seems to have been in place for weeks nobody communicated it to is, and the parking situation when we arrived on Sunday makes it clear that St John’s parishioners may not know either.
On arrival last Sunday, we learned of the death of Howell, son of the Monica the organist, in a work accident, and ask you to remember them in your prayers. May the Lord have mercy.
In a change to the schedule for the week commencing Monday 22nd September, a funeral at St Alban’s that day necessitates my presence in Cardiff, so we will celebrate vespers for the feast of St Silouan the Athonite at 15:00 that day rather than on Tuesday 23rd September. Thursday 26th will see Great Vespers for the Exultation of the Cross in the Oratory Church, followed by confessions, with the Divine Liturgy the following morning – Friday 27th September – at 10:30.
The following day, Saturday 28th September, the afterfeast will be celebrated for our Cardiff parishioners living in Wessex, with the Hours and Divine Liturgy in the chapel of St Lawrence in Warminster at 10:30.
Our October pilgrimage to the Church of St Lazar will be on Saturday 26th October, though I am also hoping to visit Lazarica on 4th and 5th October, welcoming any parishioners who might like to join me.
A reminder that book-club has started again, and that Menna will be publishing details. Please speak to her and check WhatsApp. She will also be pleased to receive unwanted Orthodox books for parish lending.
I am now awaiting the arrangement of the funeral of the newly departed handmaiden of God, Halyna, whom we hold in our prayers. As mentioned on WhatsApp, we also ask prayers for her children Vyacheslav, Roman, Maksym, Anna and Tatiana.
We also pray for the newly-departed servants of God, the Archimandrite Germogen, the Archpriest Osios, Jovana, Natalia and Lydia.
Memory Eternal!
Asking your forgiveness for Christ’s sake.
In Christ – Hieromonk Mark