To love is to serve

In this email

Message from Fr Alexander — To love is to serve

News …
Lent online Meetings — 7pm Wednesdays and Fridays
WhatsApp Group
Twitter Feed
Names for prayer
Monastery of St John the Baptist talks
Archimandrite Philip: Ten at Ten

Live stream information

Resources

Saints and Feasts — 25th March–1st April

Offer of help

Dear Friends

Happy feast! Today we celebrate the Annunciation of the Theotokos and all is transformed: Death is on borrowed time because our Saviour has become incarnate, he has become one of us.

The Kingdom of God is breaking into our world. In the Kingdom the order and hierarchies of the world are not destroyed, they are inverted. All who want to be great in the Kingdom are called to serve others—particularly the poor, the needy, the downtrodden, the oppressed. This is no easy task: it is all too tempting for us to sit back and enjoy our privileged position, to question “what can I do to change this situation?”

This Sunday, at the Gospel, we hear of those who are leaders because they serve, those who are allowing the Kingdom of God to break into the world.

At that time, Jesus entered Capernaum and it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak thus? It is a blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your pallet and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—”I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.” And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
— Mark 2:1–12

The friends of the man are here showing the leadership. The man who was healed did nothing that is recorded to deserve it. We don’t even know if he wanted to be healed: he may have been quite content to receive food and shelter from his friends. But his friends had a plan—they did not know what would happen, they did not know what the reaction would be, all they knew is that they wanted to bring their friend into the presence of Jesus.

Do we, dear friends, show the same determination? Do we bring our friends into the presence of Christ, or even bring Christ into their presence? Or do we fear rejection, ridicule and derision? Do we love them enough that we want them to experience what we have experienced?

The man, despite having done nothing for it, did hear the voice of the Lord and kept it. He was free, he could have stayed lying on his bed motionless but chose to follow the Lord. When Christ gave the word “rise, take up you pallet and go home,” he had the ability to do it or not to do it. When we bring those whom we love to Christ they too have the same freedom, to accept or to reject.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ: how are you, how am I, serving others? Serving God first of all and serving our neighbours as our selves. Because if we love them we serve them, and so bring to a greater degree the Kingdom of God into our world.


News

Lent online Meetings — 7 pm Wednesdays and Fridays

We try to deepen our Faith during Lent, one way is by attending more services. While it is not currently possible to attend in person, we will be having Great Compline on Wednesday evenings and the Salutations to the Mother of God (sometimes called the Akathist Hymn) on Fridays. You would be most welcome to join us—strengthen your faith in the course of the Great Fast!

Get in touch and I will send you the details: [email protected].

WhatsApp Group

A new WhatsApp group has been created for the Twelve Apostles community: would you like to be a part of this? Let me know!

Twitter Feed

I have also created a new Twitter account for the community: do follow us @12ApostlesHants.

Names for prayer

If you have not yet done so, please do send me a list of those whom you would like me to pray for at the Liturgy. Please separate them out into four groups:

Living who are Orthodox
Living who are not Orthodox
Departed who are Orthodox
Departed who are not Orthodox

Just their Christian (first) names are needed. Please include your own names at the top of the list.

Monastery of St John the Baptist talks

Each Sunday evening, 5.30–7pm, the Monastery in Essex, founded by St Sophrony, produces a talk on Zoom. Up until now these have been given either by Archimandrite* Peter, the abbot, or by Archimandrite Zacharias. You need to register for these in advance.

If you would be interested in joining the talks, please get in contact and I can send you the registration details. They are of great benefit.

[* Archimandrite is a title for a senior priest who is celibate.]

Archimandrite Philip: Ten at Ten

Also online, Archimandrite Philip of the monastery of our Archdiocese in Shropshire produces a Bible-study every weekday at 10 am from his YouTube channel—if you cannot watch live they are archived. Although called Ten at Ten, its length is somewhat a changeable feast.

You can reach his YouTube channel by clicking here or by searching “Archimandrite Philip” on YouTube.


Live stream

The Monastery of Saints Antony and Cuthbert, Shropshire, is live-streaming its services for all who are unable to go to their own churches. These are over YouTube and can be accessed here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfWMaefJYqFEZkYiK2WmeEw

Usually Vespers on Saturday evenings at 5 pm and Matins and Liturgy on Sunday mornings from 7.30 am.


Resources

Have a look at our website — orthodoxeastleigh.uk
If you click on the “Blog” link, or directly here, you will see all past emails as well as sermons etc.

Our Facebook Page, facebook.com/orthodoxeastleigh, too, has daily additions during the week as well as on feast days. Please do like and share our page and content so we may reach a wider group of people.

Our community has a Twitter handle, @12ApostlesHants.

Do you receive the weekly (on Fridays) text message? If not, then let me know.


Saints and Feasts

Thursday 25th March — The Annunciation of the Theotokos.

Friday 26th — The Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel.

Saturday 27th — St Matrona of Thessalonica. St Paul, Bishop of Corinth.

Sunday 28th — The Sunday of St Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica. St Hilarion the New. St Herodion, Apostle of the Seventy.

Monday 29th — Hieromartyr Mark of Arethusa.

Tuesday 30th — St John Climacus. Holy Apostles Sosthenes, Apollos, Cephas, Caesar and Epaphroditos of the Seventy. St Osburga of Coventry (c 1015).

Wednesday 31st — St Hypatius the Hieromartyr. St Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow.

Thursday 1st April — St Mary of Egypt. St Agilbert, Bishop of Dorcester and Paris (690).


Can I help you?

I am here for you, you need only ask. Is there a way I can support your life of faith? Get in touch.

Can you help the mission?

Yes, absolutely. Offer yourselves to the Lord: pray! Make available to him all your talents and ask him how he would like you to use them — listen for his reply.

Your prayers!

With love in Christ

Fr Alexander
[email protected]