Dear brothers and sisters,
Having celebrated Pentecost and the memory of All Saints who have been glorified by God for their holy lives, as living temples of the Holy Spirit, it is a blessing for us to have continued our celebration of holiness with the celebration of All Saints who shone forth in the lands of Rus.
Looking upon the icon of the feast, we see men, women and children of all ages, all strata of society, and of different ethnic and cultural groups of the ancient Rus lands and the later empire.
Martyrs, holy fools, venerable monks and nuns, hierarchs, confessors, royal saints, princes, nobles, and righteous lay people all bear witness to different paths to holiness, and the diverse gifts of the Holy Spirit manifested in those obedient to Christ in spiritual labours.
It was a very great joy for us to baptise Adam and Juliana (Serwa) on Friday evening, before their first Liturgy participating in the worship of the Church as newly-baptised Christians, and partaking of the Holy Mysteries. We congratulate them both and wish them many, blessed years of life in Christ, into Whose death and resurrection they were initiated in their baptismal burial and arising.
Yesterday was blessed with the visit of the Cardiff clergy and several sisters to Cheltenham for our June Liturgy in Prestbury, where our celebration honoured the Yaroslavl icon of the Mother of God. Our next visit will be on Saturday 19 July.
Thanks to all who contributed to our Cardiff Sunday Liturgy, at which it was good have Llanelli parishioners and welcome old friends.
May we make the important request that those who start doing jobs actually finish what they are doing, especially in the kitchen, which is constantly left in a messy state that others have to then rectify? We greatly appreciate help, but half completed jobs simply create stress for others, especially when it is presumed that tasks have been completed, and we discover – at the last minute – that this is not the case.
I think we unfortunately need to repeat that whilst everyone is keen to eat at trapéza, few people contribute to our shared lunch, putting pressure on those who constantly bring food week by week. This is meant to be a “bring-and-share” lunch. The clue is in the name.
This week is affected by events in Nazareth House and the Oratory, with no possibility of our usual Thursday evening service in Cathays or Friday service in St Alban’s.
However, we will chant a memorial service for Lyudmila, Valery and our other faithful departed in the Oratory on Thursday afternoon at 15:00, after which I will hear confessions.
A group of us is looking forward to visiting Lazarica on Saturday. Though Vidovdan, the feast of St Vitus and the battle of Kosovo will principally be celebrated the following day, Saturday is actually the calendric feast and our visit allows us to be in our own parish on Sunday. Liturgy commences at 09:00.
We will celebrate the Sunday of All Saints of the British Isles next weekend, honouring the saints who have sanctified our islands since the Roman Empire reached to England and Wales.
As well as asking your continued prayers for the newly departed Lyudmila and Valery, please pray for our oltarnik, Panagiotis, who flies to Greece on Tuesday, for McKenna as her pregnancy gathers pace and for dad-to-be Joe, for our cathedral friend Nathalie after the fire which has left her homeless, and for our newly baptised young people, Adam, Juliana (Serwa) and Macarius (Chris).
Wendy, who is the St Philip’s equivalent of Branka, is keen for local parishioners to know that they are very welcome to the coffee morning at St Philip’s each Wednesday from 09:00 to 11:00.
Finally, can we all please ensure that no parking obstructs residents’ drive-ways on Sundays?
Asking your forgiveness for Christ’s sake.
May God bless you.
Hieromonk Mark
