Dear brothers and sisters,
Greetings for the feast of the Meeting of the Lord: the culmination of four days of prayer and services in Cardiff and our Wessex mission in Warminster.
Our Thursday and Friday services have become a set part of our weekly routine, with our Thursday celebration of compline framing the chanting of an akathist in which we alternate languages to ensure a balance of worship in Slavonic as well as English. We do the same on Friday, when a moleben is offered in the Oratory, before a relic of the Precious Cross, which is venerated at the end of our service.
Apart from the first week of Lent, our Thursday evening prayers during the Great Fast will change to devotions to the Lord’s Saving Passion, with the akathist of repentance chanted during confessions afterwards.
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we would like to repeat the daily reading of the complete Psalter during the Fast, but so far only one person has expressed interest, which is disappointing given the success of the last few years. If interested, please message me asap.
It was a joy to be in Warminster, yesterday, after an absence of several months, and to celebrate the Liturgy in the lovely chapel of St Lawrence, in which the service was bathed on glorious sunlight, shining through the stained glass. As in Cheltenham, our Wessex Liturgies are customarily graced with blue skies and clear, sunny weather, whatever the season. I hope and pray that we will have the blessing of worshipping in the chapel for many years to come.
Having the Meeting of the Lord fall on a Sunday was a special blessing, and today’s Liturgy felt festal and joyous, with a welcome car-load of visitors from Cheltenham.
Many thanks to our singers, servers, sisterhood and team of volunteers for setting up and packing away. Your labours and help are greatly appreciated.
As announced, this comingSaturday will see our monthly Cheltenham Liturgy in Prestbury United Reformation Church at 10:00, followed by a bring and share lunch.
Consumption of meat ends today, and the coming week allows dairy food, eggs and fish throughout the week, with Sunday being the last day before the Fast. As it is Forgiveness Sunday, our Liturgy will be followed by vespers with the rite of mutual forgiveness.
Looking forward to March, our annual parish meeting will be on Sunday 8 March. If you wish to add items to the agenda, please contact Fr Mark Fisher.
Having discussed the implementation of an annual household parish membership contribution (normal practice in ROCOR parishes, and established by our by-laws) of £60 per year /£5 per month, Father Mark will bring membership forms next week. This is to establish formal membership of the parish and inclusion on the electoral roll, and is a standard feature of Orthodox parish life, despite not previously having been implemented in our own community.
The listed members of baptised parishioners of 18 years and above, who have been parishioners for a minimum of six months, and are in good spiritual standing, are qualified to vote in parish business, and to stand for office when elections are held. Subscription is – of course – a matter of personal choice, but only subscribed parishioners may vote, and may not formally subscribe to membership of another parish.
As announced, the Holy Unction (Soborovanie) will be celebrated in the cathedral on Saturday 21 March, at 14:00, and we hope that car-sharing will maximise the number of parishioners able to attend and participate in the hierarchical celebration of the Holy Mystery.
We ask your prayers for Olga’s aunt Alla, as she returns to Odessa; for matushka Alla on her professional travels; and for our starosta, Joanna, as she travels with family. Prayers are also asked for the health of Metropolitans Arseny and Tychikos, Vesna (a Lazarica parishioner), Despina and Pavel, for the spiritual health of Simone, and the spiritual protection of Helen (non-O).
Wishing you a good preparation for the Great Fast during this maslenitsa week, and asking your forgiveness, for Christ’s sake.
May God bless you.
Hieromonk Mark
