Dear Friends
It is with great joy to announce our first public services for our new community will be held this weekend. Our bishop, Metropolitan Silouan, has given us the blessing to start serving Vespers on Saturdays and the Liturgy on Sundays.
Sunday’s reading from the Apostle seems all the more appropriate.
Brethren, rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice! Let your forbearance be known to all people. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. The things which you both learned and received, and heard and saw in me, these things do; and the God of peace will be with you.
— Philippians 4:4–9
Yes, indeed: rejoice! Yet this is not the end of our journey. As we enter into Holy Week we remember too that Palm Sunday—the triumphant Entry into the Holy City—is followed by the Cross. We, each one of us, must take up our own cross and join with Christ’s: but this joining with Christ’s leads to the death of Death itself: new life.
So this new triumphal entry is a declaration against the demonic powers of this world: we stand for Christ and his Kingdom.
I warmly invite you to join with us on Saturday (24th) and Sunday (25th): unfortunately, though, there are restrictions because of the Coronavirus regulations: please ensure you read below.
News
Attending Church
We will be meeting at St Francis’ Hall, Nightingale Avenue, Eastleigh, SO50 9JA. You must register beforehand. This is for two reasons, we must limit the number of people in the hall and this will facilitate NHS Track and Trace. We will restrict attendance at any service to 10 families (bubbles) and ask that you stay together in the service. Registration by email to [email protected] (please state to which services you would like to go and the names of those in your family). I will send confirmation of your registration by email: regretfully it is possible some may not be able to attend if we have reached the maximum number.
There will be a signed one-way system, entrance by the car park. You must wear a mask at all times when inside unless you are exempt. We must ask that we do not socialise at all inside in the current regulations, though we may do so outside in groups no larger than 6 (or containing only 2 bubbles). On entry we ask that you sanitise your hands and there will be sanitiser available for your use.
We do not yet have banking facilities. Please do not give cash as a donation nor for candles. When we have the details we will circulate the details and ask that you give by bank transfer or standing order.
Palm Sunday Weekend
Saturday 24th April — Vespers, 3.30 pm
Sunday 25th April — Divine Liturgy, 9.30 am
I appreciate there are a lot of rules: please do ask if you would like clarification. We also will need helpers willing to clean: it is necessary for us to clean when we arrive on Saturday and before we leave on Sunday. Are you able to help? On Saturday I will arrive at 2.30 pm to start getting ready.
Holy Week services
We will not meet at our new home during Holy Week. We will, though, have two services on Google Meet.
Monday 26th April — Bridegroom Matins, 7 pm
Friday 30th April — Matins of Holy Saturday, the Lamentations, 7 pm.
Get in touch and I will send you the details: [email protected].
Faith, not Superstition: Seeking Orthodox Christian Spirituality
The Orthodox Fellowship of St John the Baptist is organising a Study weekend for youth (loosely 18–35) entitled “Faith, not Superstition.” It will be held online this year on Zoom, 28th–31st May.
More details, and registration, on the Fellowship Youth webpage.
WhatsApp Group
A new WhatsApp group has been created for the Twelve Apostles community: would you like to be a part of this? Let me know!
Twitter Feed
I have also created a new Twitter account for the community: do follow us @12ApostlesHants.
Names for prayer
If you have not yet done so, please do send me a list of those whom you would like me to pray for at the Liturgy. Please separate them out into four groups:
Living who are Orthodox
Living who are not Orthodox
Departed who are Orthodox
Departed who are not Orthodox
Just their Christian (first) names are needed. Please include your own names at the top of the list.
Monastery of St John the Baptist talks
Each Sunday evening, 5.30–7pm, the Monastery in Essex, founded by St Sophrony, produces a talk on Zoom. Up until now these have been given either by Archimandrite* Peter, the abbot, or by Archimandrite Zacharias. You need to register for these in advance.
If you would be interested in joining the talks, please get in contact and I can send you the registration details. They are of great benefit.
[* Archimandrite is a title for a senior priest who is celibate.]
Archimandrite Philip: Ten at Ten
Also online, Archimandrite Philip of the monastery of our Archdiocese in Shropshire produces a Bible-study every weekday at 10 am from his YouTube channel—if you cannot watch live they are archived. Although called Ten at Ten, its length is somewhat a changeable feast.
You can reach his YouTube channel by clicking here or by searching “Archimandrite Philip” on YouTube.