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Written by Mariela
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 Welcome to our Church!
You will find here an international community, a friendly family strong in the love of Christ. The doors of the church are open to all seeking faith or community or who want to learn more about the Orthodox Christianity.
We hope that this website will provide you information about the parish, its groups and the Orthodox Church worldwide.
May God Bless You All!
Father John Nankivell
See News Page for
Programme of Service and Events February 2010 See Services page for an explanation of the Services during March. |
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Great Lent
This programme covers the whole of Lent and Easter. The old English word Lent means Spring-time, and we are given each year the opportunity to live again the springtime of our faith, to recover the freshness, the beauty, the innocence of our love for our compassionate Lord, the only true lover of mankind. The great services of the Triodion, the service book for Lent, are a gem, a treasure of the Church, of great depth and richness. In them we experience once again God’s revelation of Himself as the Rock of Israel, our firm foundation, our refuge and our Redeemer. He it is who frees us from our Egyptian bondage to sin, who saves us from drowning in the sea of our passions, and gives us the strength and means to combat the fierce attacks of the Evil one. Let us, then embrace this lovely period of ‘joyful sorrow’, and prepare ourselves to follow, glorify and give thanks to Christ on His journey to Jerusalem, to the Cross, the tomb, and the glorious Resurrection on the third day. Come to the special Lenten services, in particular the Bridegroom matins, the weekly Presanctified liturgies and Akathistos. Above all, join in the services of Great Week. The prayer of St Ephrem, which is on the front of this programme, should be said at all our Lenten prayers. Add it to your daily prayers; learn it by heart so that you can say it during the day, as you are travelling, or waiting in a queue. Let us try to make it part of our life, so that we ever have in mind the demands of the Gospel, and in our hearts the desire that God grant us the petitions of this great prayer. Children and Lent As we are a very scattered community, it is difficult for children to come to many of the weekday services. Help them to enter into the fast and the pattern and rhythm of the Triodion. Here are some suggestions: use the prayer of St Ephrem at the bed-time prayers; make them familiar with the parables of the Tax-gatherer & the Pharisee, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan, which are woven into the prayers of Lent; use the Kontakion of the week, which is printed on the Sunday sermon sheets. And try to bring them to the special services when you can. During Great Week, the evening services on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday are very important. If the midnight service at Easter is too late, the liturgy of the morning of Great Saturday, ‘the first resurrection’ is a beautiful service, celebrated at the tomb [epitaphios] in the middle of the church. This is a service that many families come to and at which everyone should receive the holy communionNote times of services. Normally evening services begin at 7 pm; morning services at 9 am Car Parking on Sundays Please do not park on the pavements. There is no need, the road is wide enough, and it is very difficult for families going to the park with children and push-chairs. Thank you. May God grant us all a fruitful Lent, and a joyful celebration of the glorious Resurrection.Father John |
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