April  2006
 

In this Issue

Great and Holy Week
Dogs and Donkeys
Pilgrimages
 

Great and Holy Week

This is the time when we should “put ourselves out” to experience the great mercy of God in His emptying of Himself to suffer humiliation and to die. The Son of God dies as man so that the Son of Man may rise again as God. It would seem to be of little consequence if the times don't fit, or the services are too long, or there is something else to be done. If you really cannot manage to be in church for the whole of a service, come quietly and be a small part and leave quietly.

Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight,
and blessed is the servant
whom He shall find watching,
and again, unworthy is the servant
whom He shall find heedless.
Beware, therefore, O my soul,
do not be weighed down with sleep,
lest thou be given up to death
and lest thou be shut out of the Kingdom.
But rouse thyself, crying
Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O our God!
Through the intercessions of the heavenly hosts,
have mercy on us

(From Matins of the Bridegroom)

If you hop from Palm Sunday to Easter Day you will miss the whole meaning of life, death and resurrection. Become a partaker in the sufferings and death of our Saviour Christ, be thirsty, be hungry, be tired, descend to the depths and be brought up into the New Life of the Resurrection.

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time; casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you”.
(1 Peter 5 vs. 6 & 7)

Then the Paschal greeting “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” will be a full awareness of the awesome wonder of God's love for us.

Dogs and Donkeys

Fr. Samuel brought back a Cyprus Donkey collecting box. It is in the kitchen and will hold a lot of coins!!! This will be emptied periodically and shared between “Friends of the Cyprus Donkey” and the “Many Tears” charity for dogs in South Wales. The suggestion is that donations for refreshments should be put into the box. Palm Sunday always seems a suitable time for remembering donkeys!

Pilgrimages

Pilgrimage has been a part of Christian life from time immemorial. For those of us who are not able to travel on foot to Jerusalem, there are also ancient Orthodox shrines in this country too. Below are just a few of the pilgrimages organised this year:

Sat.6th May Pilgrimage to St. John of Beverley

Sat. 27th May 1st Pan-Orthodox Day Pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Mother of God at Egmanton , near Tuxford, Notts

Sat.10th June Bardney Abbey

Sat.8th July Crowland

Sat.12th Aug. Pilgrimage to St. Bertram at Ilam

Sat. 7th Oct. Holywell

For more information about where they are and how to get there, please speak to Father Samuel.