ALL SAINTS: NOTICES- - SUNDAY OF SECOND SUNDAY OF GREAT LENT - SAINT GREGORY PALAMAS, 2026
PRESANCTIFIED DIVINE LITURGY
This Wednesday, 11th March, at 6 pm.
If Partaking: you are instructed to refrain from food from 1 pm very latest (or all day).
Water is permitted, only if necessary.
***From the following week, the Presanctified Divine Liturgy will move to FRIDAYS. The first Friday service being 20th March.***
THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE MOST HOLY MOTHER OF GOD - Wednesday, 25th March
DIVINE LITURGY: 09:30.
You are all invited to attend this Great Feast of the Church.
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BELOVED CHRISTIANS,
In today's Holy Gospel (Mark 2:1-12) the paralysed man is healed by Christ, his sins forgiven. Thus, the Lord demonstrates His divinity.
WE ARE THE PARALYSED
Alone, we are all paralysed and disfigured by sin, unable without faith and love and forgiveness, to be cured of its sickness. The fate of the paralysed man is quite literally in the hands of others. This is true for all of us. We are all mutually-dependent, we must pray for each other and ask the prayers of each other.
AM I A PHARISEE?
The Pharisee speaks ill of those who challenge him or her. However, when we hurt another we mostly hurt our self; when we break communion with others we break communion with God. It is not idle hyperbole that the Holy Mysteries may be received only by those who have reconciled themselves to their enemies.
Before criticising or attacking others for their 'faults', we would do well to remember that we all fall short of the Glory of God. The Church on earth is a company of sinners, who are, one hopes, striving to become saints.
AM I A FRIEND?
It is noteworthy that Jesus Christ rewards the faith that is expressed in the love of one’s neighbour: it is not the faith of the paralysed man himself but of his friends which Christ rewards. Christians are open to God and to the stranger as much as to friends and neighbours.
Let us endeavour to live the remaining time of our lives in peace and repentance; bearing the weight of our neighbour, let us grow weary and impoverished in sharing their burden. Let us do this with cheerfulness and in gratitude; seeking healing which we shall find in its ultimate form in the Body and Blood of our Lord and God and Saviour, in Whom we shall be granted communion with God and with our neighbour.
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SAINT GREGORY PALAMAS
Today we commemorate our father among the saints, Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki.
He is glorified as an ascetic, a theologian, a hierarch and a miracle-worker, who gave up a prominent, secular lifestyle to take up his cross and follow Christ. Let us ask his holy prayers, let us seek to learn from his life and his teachings.
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ALL GLORY TO GOD!
Delia & Adrian, Irena & Adam - who answered the plea to purchase a copy of the OSB for each of our youngest kathechumens, Harry & George.
Daniel O. - serving in the holy altar, today, despite feeling unwell.
Eleni - for dry-cleaning.
Otilia - for baking prosphora (the bread which becomes the Body of Christ).
All 10 of our katechumens have now joined the second Psalter Group!
Those in the first Psalter Group who have taken on the daily discipline of reading a second kathisma!
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YOUR HOLY PRAYERS
Christians suffering in Kosovo, Persia, Gaza, throughout the middle-east, and in Ukraine.
Daniel C. - travelling this week.
Elizabeth (non-orthodox) - serious illness. May God bring strength.
Flo (non orth., child) - unwell.
Alexandra, Jordan, Miley - approaching the katechumenate.
With love, in Christ,
Father Jakob
sinner and unworthy presbyter
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Please post these notices online, and share them with your friends and family
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LOOKING AHEAD -- TWELVE GREAT FEASTS
To help you plan ahead, for those of you who are able to take time off work, etc., here are the dates of GREAT FEASTS for the year ahead.
These are dates upon which we should try to be in Church (sadly, many of us do not always have this choice).
These are days upon which the Divine Liturgy should be served at All Saints. Servers, singers, helpers- please do what you're able.
14th SEPTEMBER -- EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
21st NOVEMBER -- ENTRY OF THE THEOTOKOS INTO THE TEMPLE
25th DECEMBER -- NATIVITY OF CHRIST
6th JANUARY -- HOLY THEOPHANY
2nd FEBRUARY -- PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD IN THE TEMPLE
25th MARCH -- HOLY ANNUNCIATION
5th APRIL -- ENTRY OF OUR LORD INTO IERUSALEM*
12th APRIL -- HOLY PASCHA*
21st MAY -- HOLY ASCENSION*
31st MAY -- HOLY PENTEKOST*
6th AUGUST -- HOLY TRANSFIGURATION
15th AUGUST -- FALLING-ASLEEP OF THE MOTHER OF GOD
[ * The dates of these feasts vary from year to year. ]
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ORTHODOXY 101 : ATTENDING THE DIVINE LITURGY
Christianity is experiential; it is not just 'read about', it must be lived. The Holy Eucharist is at the centre of our worship, at the centre of our Life in Christ.
We come to the Church, we remain in the Church in order that our souls be saved. That is all. It is our soul's salvation - there is nothing else.
The Holy Services are a store-house of spiritual treasures. To be saved, we need to gain knowledge of ourselves. We do this by discovering our sins and weaknesses, and by fighting against their pull. Our faith is war on personal pride. When our pride is wounded in the course of Church life, we should thank God!
We fight best when we are supported. For support we have the Holy Gospels; the Holy Fathers, their Lives and Teachings; we have God and we have each other.
The Church Community (both living and departed) is our Family in Christ. Our God is LOVE. And we are giving of our best, when we give love to God and to each other.
The Holy Eucharist is the body and Blood of Christ. It is life itself, it is Salvation. It is our treasure: "Where your treasure is there will your heart be also"(Matthew 6:21). We spend time with - we are attentive to - the people, the things we love the most.
Canon LXXX (Sixth Oecumenical Council) reads, "A cleric or layman shall not go three consecutive Sundays without attending church, unless some necessary business requires him to leave his town. The usual penalties apply: deposition for a cleric; excommunication for a layman".
It is not always possible to come to every holy service, but our good practice, and simple good manners, is to notify the priest of our absence, or if we have moved away. Notification demonstrates love and humility, and allows the priest and community to pray for us, for example - when we are sick.
We pray for those who are absent from the divine services for legitimate reasons. The others, who come infrequently or have not attended for long periods, have become prodigal sons, wanderers. They have distanced themselves from Christ and from their Christian family. Their love has become luke-warm. A full and proper return to Church requires a full and proper repentance, taking responsibility for our failings.
Church life is about responsibility. It is about stepping up and being adult. This is done by singing, standing throughout the holy services, fasting, making regular confession, reading in Church, serving, cleaning and tidying, cooking, reading the morning and evening prayers every day, preparing properly for confession and communion. Above all it is about praying.
To be blunt, Church (parish) life is about giving time and money to the glory of God. Church life is about commitment. Without commitment, we will never become deeply Orthodox or even remain Orthodox.
Love of God and love of neighbour are entwined. We cannot love God if we do not love our neighbours, especially our fellow Christians; and we cannot love our neighbours if we do not love God (1 John 4:20).
We spend time with God, we spend time with each other. We do so not because we feel 'obliged' or even because we 'want to' but simply because our heart draws us, and we follow Christ's new commandment (Luke 10:27): "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself".
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AΓAΠH = CARITAS = CHARITY = LOVE
John 4:16: Ὁ Θεὸς ἀγάπη (koine Greek) = Deus caritas est (Latin) = God is Love (English)
GIVING TO OTHERS
All glory to God! Our small parish has been able in little ways to help the poor, offer love to the stranger, to help heal the wounded.
GIFTAID
This past year we received more than £4,000 from the UK government. Our parish trustees have authorised this, and future monies, raised through giftaid to be passed on to our poorer neighbours. If more of us donated by giftaid we could do even more to help the poor, the wounded, and the marginalised who are our neighbours.
'HOW CAN I HELP?'
Every penny helps! Donate to our parish via giftaid. If you pay tax in the UK you can use giftaid. It's free, it's easy, and as you can see above, it helps us to help others. The UK government pays us back for what you give to us via gftaid. This is the only official help that UK charities receive.
Our hope and ambition is that every penny given to us by you comes through giftaid.
LAZAROS, OUR NEIGHBOUR
The dying Lazaros is lying outside our door (Luke 16:20). We Christians have a duty of care (John 21:17), this is a constant in our life (Matthew 26:11), we must not ignore him (1 John 3:17). Let us do all that we are able to help to help our neighbour (John 15:12). May I ask you - please make a start, and donate to the parish by giftaid.
CHRIST IS RISEN!
In the Risen Lord,
Father Jakob
Presbyter, All Saints North Benfleet
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