Dear Friends
In February we started the process. On 9th February we started using the Triodion—the book with the services for pre-lent, lent and Holy Week—and we commenced with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee (see Luke 18:10–14) and began our preparations to receive the Resurrection. We prepared, we waited, we anticipated the Resurrection of Christ: the event which has transformed the fortunes of humanity, which has destroyed the chains which held us to death, which has raised us up who were fallen. For more than a month we lived in the Light of the Resurrection, the Light of Christ, the Light which shines out in the darkness and the darkness could not overcome it. (John 1:5)
And the Lord ascended and took our humanity to the right hand of the Father, the Angels watched in awe as the God-man, fully divine and fully human, is enthroned in the Heavens where He prepares thrones for each of us. And we receive the Holy Spirit poured out on all and through Him we are brought to fullness and completeness. But now what? How am I to get on with my life?
Come, ye believers, let us today stand in rank and celebrate with true worship; let us exalt with glorifications the memorial of all-honoured, all-revered saints, shouting, Rejoice, O glorious Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs and Bishops! Rejoice, O company of the righteous and just! Rejoice, O rank of honoured women! Supplicate ye Christ to grant the king victory over the Barbarians, and our souls the Great Mercy.
— Doxasticon, Aposticha, Vespers for All Saints (Tone 6)
We celebrate this weekend All the Saints, all those who in all the ages have been holy. And we look at their lives and discover that many of them were pious and devout, they served God and served their neighbour, yet we look at the lives of others and discover great sinners—those who have attacked and killed others, who have persecuted the Church, who have led a wicked and immoral life. But what unites them is that they allowed Christ to shine through them. In the words of the Apostle,
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
— Galatians 2:20
Since this former persecutor of the Church, the Apostle to the Nations, (Romans 11:13) has died to the old man that he might be alive in the new. (see Ephesians 4:22–24) So we see, therefore, through the lives of the saints that there are many ways to be a saint—as great as there is a number of human beings is there a number of ways to be holy—what a great encouragement to us!
And this it is for us to follow, to emulate, to continue. Christ taught the Apostles, who taught others, who taught others, and so on until us—ours is to continue this chain, in an original way, that all the more may live in the Way, the Truth and the Life, which is to say live in Christ. (John 14:6)
The paradox of the Christian life is that to be truly alive we must allow ourselves to die: die to our sins, die to our ego, die to the world. Yet the old man is strong in me, wants to hold on to its existence—for we would barely call it life—and even St Paul had to struggle.
For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
But the old man is not me, it is me being passive, open to the passions, so the Apostle continues,
Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
— Romans 7:19–20
So the Christian life is to learn to die to the passions, die to the flesh, that we might be alive in Christ. And it is this which the saints have done and they dwell before the Throne of God interceding for us, each in his or her own way, with originality and daring. And we are called to this same originality.
Originality means to remain faithful to the originals, to the eternal prototypes, to extinguish ‘a wisdom of your own’ before the ‘common Word,’ … in other words, to lose your soul if you wish to find it, and not to parade your originality or to do what pleases you.
— Zissimos Lorenzatos
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have received the Resurrection and the Holy Spirit has been poured out on us: we are alive, we have been freed, and we can act with originality and daring, remaining faithful to the original, to Christ. And yet,
As a dog returns to his own vomit,
So a fool repeats his folly.
— Proverbs 26:11, see also Second Peter 2:22
So we must, as did the saints, return again to the living God that we reject foolishness, that we no longer let sin live within us, that we be truly alive in Christ which means that we are truly ourselves. And as we journey towards the Kingdom, let us be fortified by the saints, and,
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
— Hebrews 12:1–2
But now what? Now we continue the race we have been granted to us, we struggle against sin and rise up when we fall—we repent—that we may be found worthy to be of the Kingdom of God and inherit eternal Life. And we do this with originality and daring, in our own way, following the example of the saints who, through every generation, have been well-pleasing to God.
Come and see!
There has come an opportunity to establish a new mission community in Chichester. Once running, we hope to serve a Liturgy there on certain Saturdays. Our Father in Christ, Metropolitan Silouan, has blessed this outreach and has entrusted it to the heavenly patronage of the Holy Great Virgin-Martyr and Vanquisher of Demons Margaret of Antioch (feast day 17th July).
If you are interested in supporting our parish’s mission, please let me know, and I will update you as we make progress.
Holy Mother Margaret, pray to God for us!
We serve a meal following the Liturgy on Sundays. All are welcome.
Do you, or someone you know, want to join our mailing list and receive our weekly email? Then let me know.
Sermon
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen.
The Holy Spirit has come, He lives in us and abides in us, He guides us in all Truth. The Spirit brings Life for He leads us to Christ Who is Life. The Holy Spirit has come and all is different, all is new. And we pray along with David, “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” (Psalm 50:13 ʟxx)
And we are thirsting for Him, our world is thirsting for Him, because our world is heading towards death. And not only that, evil is around, wickedness follows wickedness as the Devil seeks the corruption of our race. To our world we do not need to prove the existence of evil for it is apparent—we live in a state, whatever our own purity, surrounded by evil and we will end in death. Oh the tragedy of living in this world!
Yet our thirsting is our knowledge that things are not meant to be this way: there is Truth, there is Beauty, there is Righteousness. Many in our world know, while this is the way of this world, it is not how things are meant to be. There are moments of lucidity, of clarity, when many in our world come to themselves and remember the Father’s House, (see Luke 15:11–32) and it is for us to guide them in all Truth by the power of the Holy Spirit. (see John 16:13) We need to speak to this world, to,
“Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontos and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians,”
And to all the peoples around us today that they hear “the mighty works of God.”
…
Read this Sermon, Gospel of the Resurrection.
Archive of Past Sermons.
Services this week
Friday 13th June
Discussion on the Prophecy of Isaiah, 8 pm
Online only
Saturday 14th June
Great Vespers, 6.30 pm
At 3rd URC Scout Hall, Chandlers Ford
Sunday 15th June
Matins & Divine Liturgy, 9 am
At 3rd URC Scout Hall, 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
webenquiry@orthodoxeastleigh.uk