Dear brothers and sisters – Christ is Risen! Христос воскресе!
Thanks to all who contributed to the weekend’s joyful services, keeping the triumph and joy of Pascha alive.
Saturday saw a joyful Thomas Saturday in Cheltenham, with the Liturgy celebrated according to the joyful Paschal order of Bright Week.
The service ended with the breaking of the artos, which has now been cut into slices for distribution to parishioners, who should cut it into small portions for drying, to eat on Sundays and festive days when it’s not possible to attend Liturgy – as a blessing and connection with Pascha, and a symbol of the risen Lord in the midst of his disciples.
With various parishioners away or unwell, Sunday saw a quiet celebration in St Philip’s, where we are slowly settling in and getting used to the building.
It was a joy to have an extra teenage server join Stefan in the altar, and we would like to see some of the gentlemen the parish join the boys on Sundays, as well as encouraging parishioners to consider joining our choir.
Masha raised the possibility the regent from the parish in Chipping Sodbury giving some day-courses in Church singing, including learning the traditional Kievan melodies which were a firm foundation of parish singing in the Russian Orthodox Church before the revolution. I very much hope that we may support this, and take advantage of the vast expertise and knowledge available to us.
On coming Sundays Father Mark and I would greatly appreciate more help with set-up at 08:30 to ensure a timely start for the Hours, and especially for confessions.
With the vestry being the only private space, I am unable to commence confessions until everything needed has been removed, and I do not wish to miss the beginning of Liturgy every week.
Please note that if the vestry doors are closed, confessions are being heard, so do NOT enter. If something is needed from the vestry, please take what is needed between the confessions.
After celebrating the joy of Bright Week and its special orders of service, the Sunday of Thomas sees the resumption of the commemorations of the departed with the chanting of panakhida and litia services. However, these still retain a distinctly Paschal form, resounding with the hymns of Pascha as we celebrate Radonitsa, centred on the Paschal Canon interspersed with the usual litanies for the departed.
Having chanted a litia at the end of Liturgy, I have brought the commemoration lists away with me and will celebrate memorial services throughout the week: at our end-of-the-month gather in Bradford-on-Avon this evening; in Glastonbury with Father Luke, tomorrow; in Swansea with Father Marks and matushka on Wednesday; then in Cardiff on Thursday and Friday, before my monthly Saturday visit to Lazarica.
Please post, message or email any names for commemoration.
Anyone wishing to pray a reader’s Radonitsa. service at home will find a full service on our parish web page, though the Paschal Canon is often reduced to simply praying the Irmos.
We will celebrate a panikhida in Nazareth House at 18:00 on Thursday, at noon in the Oratory on Friday.
If anyone would like to join me for Liturgy in Lazarica on Saturday, the Hours commence at 09:00.
Further to Father Mark’s words before communion, at Liturgy, we should remember that once the Holy Gifts have been brought out, we do not venerate icons. Icons should be venerated before lining up. Once the Holy Gifts have been brought out, Christ is in our midst, and all honour is for His Presence alone.
A reminder, as announced by Fr Mark, that I will be on Walsingham duty in the week commencing 12th May, and though I will be away on Sunday 18th, Fr Luke will assist Fr Mark and hear confessions.
May God bless you.
In Christ – Hieromonk Mark
