Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Beautiful news — our Father in Christ, Metropolitan Silouan, will visit our community Saturday 2nd to Sunday 3rd December. There will be our usual weekend services.
Saturday, Vespers, 6.30 pm.
Sunday, Matins and Liturgy, 9 am.
It would be a great joy to him to have as many people present to welcome him and talk with him.
Dear Friends
Wherefore it is fitting that you should run together in accordance with the will of your bishop, which thing also you do. For your justly renowned presbytery, worthy of God, is fitted as exactly to the bishop as the strings are to the harp. Therefore in your concord and harmonious love, Jesus Christ is sung.
Epistle of Ignatius to the Ephesians, 4
St Ignatius the God-bearer was the bishop of the biblical city of Antioch, the base of the Apostles Peter and Paul just a few decades earlier. And writing in the first part of the second century to various churches he describes to us the role of a bishop. He is the centre of unity through whom we are able to sing the praises of God, proclaiming the Gospel of the Resurrection—that Christ is risen and brings new Life to all who receive him.
We are honoured we will receive our bishop this weekend: do come and meet him, greet him and talk with him; but most importantly of all worship together with him. We come together in unity of mind and united around our bishop that we may be true Christians.
For, since you are subject to the bishop as to Jesus Christ, you appear to me to live not after the manner of men, but according to Jesus Christ, who died for us, in order, by believing in his death, you may escape from death.
Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians, 2
For all—and this applies especially to clergy, but to all Christians too—should be done with the bishop’s approval.
See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop.
Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, 8
Because in receiving the bishop, in honouring the bishop, we honour God.
It is well to reverence both God and the bishop. He who honours the bishop has been honoured by God; he who does anything without the knowledge of the bishop, does [in reality] serve the devil.
Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, 9
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us run to greet our bishop, our Father in Christ Metropolitan Silouan, who brings Christ into our midst and leads us to life.
Come and see!
We serve a meal following the Liturgy on Sundays. All are welcome.
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Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
What, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, is the question when we have heard the Gospel? We have discovered that Christ is risen, that even death cannot hold him, and that he has defeated his enemies. And the Covenant he has sent out is different from any worldly king. A worldly king would say that we have had a change of ownership: we are no longer enslaved to the demonic powers of this age but had him as our new owner—our enslavement would continue. But Christ comes with freedom, Christ comes with joy, Christ comes and we are called to citizenship in the heavenly Kingdom where we may co-reign with him, Christ comes and says to the world, “Receive Life, abundant Life, Life which death cannot destroy nor corrupt.” What, then, is our response? What is the question when we have heard the Gospel?
A ruler phrased his question this way, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And this is a good way of putting it, of a response to the Gospel, “what shall I do to inherit eternal life.” And the Lord does not reject the question, he does not say “you should ask ‘What should I think to have eternal life?’” For our modern world has transformed Faith into opinions, knowledge, unsubstantiated assertions. But the question is on point, “What actions should I do in order to show my fidelity so I may inherit eternal life?”
And the Lord gives the Law inscribed in every human heart (see Romans 2:14–15), “Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour your father and mother.” These we should do because deep down we all know—whether we have heard the Gospel or not, whether we have come to be faithful to the Resurrection or reject it—that these are important, essential even, for all human beings.
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Read last Sunday’s Sermon, What is the question?
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 1st December
Discussion on the Epistle to the Hebrews, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 2nd December
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm
At St Francis’ Hall, Eastleigh
Sunday 3rd December
Matins & Divine Liturgy, 9 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 meet at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. 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 parish?
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]