Dear Friends
How much of your past do you remember? This can be a difficult question to answer: we have so many types of memory. We have the memory of what happened earlier today, or yesterday, yet if nothing particularly significant happened this may fade into the background in a short period of time and be forgotten. This is not universally true, some remember even small details much more easily than others. Still other memories may be of a different character—kept alive as family or society memories. Often we hear stories of when we were small children, memories we would have forgotten except by being kept alive through repeated tales, which means they are still living memories.
We remember.
At this time of year we make a particular effort to remember those who have died in military service: those who have gone to stand for the decisions our political leaders have made. And while we may personally support or reject the decisions of politicians, we stand in admiration at the courage and sacrifice soldiers, sailors, airmen and their officers make along with their families and loved ones.
Towards the conclusion of the Liturgy on Sunday we will have a Memorial Service for all those who have died in military service: at the end we will sing “Eternal memory.” This is the most powerful prayer we can say for the departed: it is a prayer asking God to remember his creatures, for when God remembers his creatures live.
It is not because we cannot face death that we talk of the dead as those who have fallen asleep: it is, rather, because we see Death as a defeated enemy, as having been bound and in prison. And our remembrance of them, our prayer for them, our love for them, allows the light of God to shine through us and we to become more like him. We grieve for the dead, we mourn for them, but not as others who have no hope: “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thessalonians 4:14)
Let us remember those who have fallen asleep before us out of love, out of compassion, out of a desire that we may draw closer to the Lord that we and they may find rest with the righteous.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen.
From the beginning of Genesis, my dear brothers and sisters, humanity has suffered from three afflictions: death, sin and idolatry to demons. Death came through Adam who, in eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, became subject to death (see Genesis 2:17, 3:19); sin came through Cain who allowed it to rule over him (see Genesis 4:7); and idolatry came throughout the first chapters of Genesis but notably in the giants (Genesis 6:4) and at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9).
Read last Sunday’s sermon, The Three Afflictions.
…
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 12th November
Discussion on the book of Genesis, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 13th November
Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 14th November
Divine Liturgy, 9.30 am
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Online session is via Google Meet: please get in contact for the details.
Please join us: all are welcome, come and see.
Attending Church
We will be meeting at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. We ask you to wear a mask unless exempt. Come and See.
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]