Dear Friends
The history of Israel of the Old Testament—our history!—is leading to the incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. God created Israel as his own people, a people who had a role, a destiny, significant for the whole human race.
And despite Israel’s best efforts, God remained faithful to his promises. And at the appointed moment there was one of the faithful remnant who could say, in all humility, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Apolytikion of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple
(Tone 4)
Today the Virgin is the foreshadowing of the pleasure of God, and the beginning of the preaching of the salvation of mankind. Thou hast appeared in the Temple of God openly and hast gone before, preaching Christ to all. Let us shout with one thrilling voice, saying: Rejoice, O thou who art the fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation.
Indeed it is the beginning of the preaching of salvation; the one who is the living Holy of Holies enters and dwells in God’s Temple, the declaration that the reign of Death is coming to an end has been proclaimed.
The blessed Theotokos, the Mother of God, is the very best of us mere humans and we offer her to God. And in return she stands in the presence of God, “at his right in gold woven clothing, decked out in many colours.” (Psalm 44:10 ʟxx) Standing there, she intercedes for us before the Master.
Come! Celebrate the Entrance of the Theotokos with us this weekend, celebrate the beginning of the preaching of salvation and honour the Mother of God.
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Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
“[T]he law teaches,” St Theophylact of Ohrid tells us,
“that man must give each and every part of himself entirely to God, and must expend all the forces of his life in loving God. When the law says, with all thy heart, it speaks of that force of human life that is purely physical and organic, a force likewise present in plant life. When the law says, with all thy soul, it speaks of that force of human life which feels, a force likewise present in animals. When the law says, with all thy mind, it speaks of that power which is unique to man, the intellect. With all thy strength means that we must use all these powers to pull our stubborn selves to God.”
And so, dear brothers and sisters, we are to love God with our whole selves, not only partially but fully. And I know this in my heart but I still baulk at the second part of the commandment, “[love] your neighbour as yourself.” Because I want to limit my responsibilities, hide from my duties, conceal myself from what I owe. I, like the lawyer, know the Law but do not want to apply it.
So I come to the Lord, I stand before him, and he tells me a parable about me: I am the man journeying down from Jerusalem to Jericho, descending nearly three and a half thousand feet in altitude, around a thousand metres. I have failed to recognise who my neighbour is so I have lost my citizenship of the heavenly Jerusalem, and I must descend. And with my eyes set downwards it does not occur to me to repent, to turn and return my gaze to the Jerusalem on high, and the demons attack me and leave me for dead.
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Read last Sunday’s Sermon, Standing at the Threshold.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 18th November
Discussion on the Apocalypse, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 19th November
Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 20th 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. Come and See.
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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
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