Dear Friends
We have yet to start worshipping God together but that does not stop us praying together. Now is the time, particularly because of the fast, to purify ourselves that the Lord may find us worthy to establish his house in Eastleigh to serve the town along with the wider area.
In actual fact, we read the Psalms and discover we are not capable to build the house of God:
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labour in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
— Ps. 126:1
Unless and until we place our Faith in the Lord to establish his house in Eastleigh, our work will be in vain. Each of you, please offer up your prayers before the Lord that our project may be blessed by him and that we may minister to and serve each other and the whole area.
Resources
Have you looked at our Website? https://orthodoxeastleigh.uk/
Our Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/orthodoxeastleigh, too has daily additions during the week as well as on feast days. Please do like and share our page and content so we may reach a wider group of people.
I preached a sermon yesterday in our Church of St Dunstan, Poole, on the Gospel reading. This can be read by clicking here, and I hope it may be of spiritual benefit to you.
This week has two great saints of our Church, the Great-Martyr Catherine of Alexandria which we celebrate today, 25th November, and the Holy Apostle Andrew on Saturday, 30th November.
St Catherine, an eighteen year old, was able to refute the great debaters and orators of the Emperor Maxentius and by her intercessions they were able to confess Christ before they were killed. In this she was a living example of the words the Lord said, “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11–12) She put her faith in Christ to speak through her by the power of the Spirit: may we learn to let the Spirit speak through us so that what we say may be of benefit.
The Apostle Andrew was the “First-called” of the Apostles. He found Christ and then went to find his brother Simon Peter to bring him to the Lord (see John 1:35–42): do we, like the Apostle Andrew, seek to bring our friends and family to the Lord? We have found the teaching of eternal life, do we hoard it or share it?
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 mission?
Please pray. Pray that the Lord will establish his house here in Eastleigh so that we may work for the good of the Gospel of his Kingdom. By ourselves we can offer nothing, but with God’s blessing we can offer eternal life to as many as believe in his name.
With love in Christ
Fr Alexander
[email protected]