Sts Columba and Kentigern Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church
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Fr George's Letter
- Details
- Written by: Fr George
SUNDAY AFTER THE EXALTATION OF THE CROSS.
“The virtues build a new person radiating love to the world.”
(Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) of Aleppo who consecrated our temple.)
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
(Hebrews 4:15-16)
SUNDAY 2OTH SEPTEMBER. Sunday after the Exaltation of the Cross. Afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Great Martyr Eustathius (Eustace), his wife, Theopiste, and their children, Martyrs Agapius & Theopistus, of Rome. Hieromartyr Hypatius, Bishop of Ephesus, and his Presbyter, Andrew (c 730-35). Martyrs Michael & Theodore of Chernigov (1245).
“WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY? HE IS THE STRONGEST ONE, THEY WERE TOLD, MIGHTY IN BATTLE, THE ONE WHO IS TO GRAPPLE WITH AND OVERTHROW THE CAPTOR OF THE HUMAN RACE WHO HAS THE POWER OF DEATH. WHEN THIS LAST ENEMY HAS BEEN DESTROYED, HE WILL RESTORE US TO FREEDOM AND PEACE. NOW THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST’S DEATH IS FULFILLED, VICTORY IS WON, AND THE CROSS, THE SIGN OF TRIUMPH, IS RAISED ON HIGH.”
(ST. GREGORY OF NYSSA)
“DO NOT SEEK PERFECTION OF THE LAW IN HUMAN VIRTUES, FOR IT IS NOT FOUND PERFECT IN THEM. ITS PERFECTION IS HIDDEN IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST.” (HEYSYCHIUS THE PRIEST)
TODAY’S GOSPEL. MARK 8:34-9:1. “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.””
To take up one’s cross is to follow Jesus as best we can. We may fail and fall but the Lord of All on His way to Calvary fell, though not from sin for He is sinless, but fell because of the cruelty of the human race. He fell, but struggled to get to Golgotha where He was nailed to the Cross and lifted up so that all could see the spectacle. To the authorities this was the end but His promise was fulfilled in this darkest of moments. For Christians this is the victory of the Cross that God’s only Son should die for us, to take away the sin of the world.
When we sin and fail in our love we look to the cross and realise that we too must share it’s pain and ultimate joy; for beyond the Cross we see the Glorious Resurrection that gives us hope even when things look very dark. Our individual crosses will cause us pain and anguish but look around and we will see far greater suffering than our own among all the children of God. Often the world turns its back on God, seeking all the pleasures of life and the transient moments of this fleeting world that pass and are forgotten, like a leaf floating down a stream that is seen but then floats away out of sight and out of memory.
As Orthodox Christians we remember the many martyrs of our faith who were killed because they clung to the Cross. But let us also remember the martyrdom of the many, who in a life of prayer and asceticism, humbly and without seeking praise or flattery, made their journey through life quietly walking with Christ, accepting all the burdens that this world had imposed on them, carrying their crosses.
We cannot be blind when we see others struggling in life and, like Simon of Cyrene who carried the Cross for Jesus, we too must try and lift the weight off the shoulders of others. Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry Christ’s Cross by the Roman soldiers. For our part it is to voluntarily share in carrying the cross of others and, by doing so, we may be adding to the weight of our own cross and deny ourselves comfort but as He says, if we are to follow Him we have to accept the weight of the Cross, the choice is ours.
Much Love,
Fr. George.
Fr George's Letter
- Details
- Written by: Fr George
EXALTATION OF THE CROSS.
“The virtues build a new person radiating love to the world.”
(Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi) of Aleppo who consecrated our temple.)
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
(Hebrews 4:15-16)
SUNDAY 13th SEPTEMBER. Sunday before the Exaltation of the Cross. Forefeast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Commemoration of the Dedication of the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) at Jerusalem (335). Hieromartyr Cornelius the Centurion (1st). St. Aristeides of Athens, the Philosopher (2nd). St. Peter of Atroa (9th). Great Martyr Ketevan, Queen of Georgia (1624).
“I beseech You, O Lord, pour out the grace of the Holy Spirit upon all people, that they may come to know Your love. Comfort and warm the hearts of those who are downcast, that they may glorify You with joy, forgetting the sorrows of this earthly life.”
(St. Silouan the Athonite)
“To take up the Cross of Christ is to embrace humility, and humility is the recognition of the measure of our humanity and the acceptance, in faith, of the mystery that transcends us.”
(St. Venerable Confessor Arsenie of Prislop)
TODAY’S GOSPEL. JOHN 3:13-17. “ “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
The world today is filled with fear, anger, power-hungry people, the very rich using money to buy influence, thinly veiled racism, violence, etc., etc., the list is endless. Beloved of God, today’s Gospel is a complete antidote to all of these things. Jesus tells us that God’s love for the world is so great that He gave His only-begotten Son that the world might be saved. On Monday is the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and we will be lifting up the Cross surrounded by flowers at the Sunday Liturgy so that as many people as possible may be blessed by the power that the Cross radiates.
The feast commemorates the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena, the Mother of the emperor Constantine, that she found buried under a pagan temple in Jerusalem in 326 AD. On September 14th in 335 AD after the completion of the Church of the Resurrection, the true Cross was lifted high to bless the people. The feast also commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross in 628 AD, after it had been captured by the Persians in 614 AD. These historical facts show how precious the Cross was and is for Christians.
We look upon the Cross not just as an image of suffering, but as a vision of the boundless love of God with all that it promises. We look upon it and remember Christ’s ultimate act of love and His promise of salvation for all humanity and all of Creation. In this world of suffering the Cross is our strength, our hope and our protection. As a suffering dying friend confided “All we have left is prayer.” Prayer before the Holy Cross should bring us humility that becomes love of God and love of all His people. May we all be blessed in its shadow that we may see the glorious light of Christ’s Resurrection.
Much Love,
Fr. George.
Prayer List for September
- Details
- Written by: James
Please pray for the sick and those in need:
Dionisia; Pavle & Mihaila; Kh. Cecilia; Fr Michael Alexander; Margaret Lilley; Trudy (Elizabeth); Elena; Vasilica; Anne Marie and her daughter; Stephanie; Margaret; (Fr.) Bill; Magdalena; Mother Esodia; Doris; Maria; Emma; Megan; Olga; James; Jessie; Nick, Maddy and family; Catrina and Michael; Cornelia; Theo Valentino; George; Ondar; Christine, Christos and family. Also Archbishops Paul and John and all held in captivity.
and for the departed whose memory occurs this month:
Peter Fletcher (9th); Barbara Clift (12th); Fr Dennis Moffatt (25th)
Name days this month:
Trudy (Elizabeth) Collingwood (St Elizabeth - 5th); Geoff Hopkins (St Ceolfrid - 25th); John Burnett (St John the Apostle - 26th); Liubomir (? - 30th)
(any additions, alterations or requests for names to be included in the this prayer list should be addressed to me, James (please note: I am not a member of the priest team!), either by SMS: 07412884765 or email: