Lenten Message of our Father in Christ,
Metropolitan Silouan
Dear Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers and beloved faithful of our God-protected Archdiocese
Grace, peace and mercy from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be upon you all.
“If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses…” (Matthew 6:14-15).
The season of Lent has arrived and will later culminate in Pascha, the season of seasons. How do we prepare for it as individuals, a family, and a group in the church?
It is necessary, first, to be patient, as fasting is not meant for laziness and neglecting to keep up with life. Rather, it is about training the soul to master our life and work, being creative in the aspects of our professional and social presence; otherwise, how can martyrdom for the Master be realised among his loved ones?! Fasting is an opportunity to develop talents, serve and bear witness. Through fasting, we overcome our desires and the evil one, not by our strength, but by God’s mercy; in general, we practice self-examination and repentance.
Second, fasting offers many opportunities to strengthen relationships between family members by avoiding the temptations of this technical world, by reducing the isolation caused by our devices, and by getting closer and closer to the faces of our loved ones in the family to discover the face of the Lord and his sweetness.
Third, in the church, we learn more about fasting, prayers, and giving; we do all that with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we feel that we are not alone on this path and that salvation is for all of us together.
Let fasting be our path to self-control and control of our desires promoting family dialogue in order to establish a small church in our homes, led by the Master, through the hurricanes of the world with His wisdom, care and blessings.
For my sins, for my errors, for the ways in which I have offended you by my thoughts, by my words or by my deeds, by my actions or by my inactions, please forgive me.
I wish you all a joyful Lent and I beseech the Almighty God that He may bless you and grant that you may reach the blessed Pascha of our Lord in a spirit of humility and love.
Your prayers!
I remain your Father in Christ
+Silouan
Metropolitan of the British Isles and Ireland
Friends
The season of Lent is here. The Church, out of love for us and our salvation, calls us to repent, to turn again to the living God, to become the human persons we are called to be. And this is for our own sakes; Christ makes the following prayer to the Father shortly before his arrest.
Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify you,
John 17:1–3
as you have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him.
And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
And this, eternal life, is offered to all who are faithful to Christ, who believe in Christ, who trust Christ, who follow Christ.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16–17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
Our Father in Christ, Metropolitan Silouan, has given for us a path that we may enter into eternal life. I encourage you strongly to read and to reread his message above. He tells us that we must show patience and train our soul to master our lives, we must strengthen our relationships within our families and we must be together in the Church that we may learn and grow together into the likeness of God.
May this be, that by working first on ourselves, then working on strengthening our families, then working on developing our Church community, we may be found worthy to receive the blessed Pascha of our Lord and become partakers of eternal life.
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Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
We forgive. We forgive because the Lord has commanded us to forgive, and as our Master we obey. We forgive not for the sake of the one we forgive but for our own, since while we do not forgive we are not able to heal. We forgive because God has forgiven us.
We forgive to set ourselves free, to leave aside our slavery to sin. We forgive so that we bring about, here and now, the Kingdom of God on the earth.
When I face suffering in this life I do so as a sinner, as one unrighteous, and yet when Christ, who is without sin, endures suffering, the worst and most barbaric tortuous execution, he says to each of us from the Cross—because it is on account of my sin he was crucified—“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34) If I am to be a Christian, a little Christ, I must do likewise.
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Read last Sunday’s Sermon, We forgive.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 22nd March
Discussion on the Gospel of Matthew, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 23rd March
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm
At 3rd URC Scout HQ, Chandlers Ford
Sunday 24th March
Matins & Divine Liturgy, 9 am
At 3rd URC Scout HQ, Chandlers Ford
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 3rd URC Scout HQ, Kings Rd, Chandlers Ford SO53 2EY. The Scout hall is behind and to the left of the URC Church. 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]