ALL SAINTS: NOTICES -- SECOND SUNDAY OF LUKE, 2026
SOME IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2026
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SATURDAY, 17th SEPTEMBER: DIVINE LITURGY AT SAINT NICHOLAS, GREAT WAKERING, SS3 OAH
FEAST OF THE HOLY MARTYRS ÆTHELRED AND ÆTHELBERHT WHOSE HOLY RELICS WERE FORMERLY VENERATED THERE
Starts 10:00pm.
We will arrive at 09:00 to set up. We have use of the church and the hall (inc. loos).
The clergy and people at Saint Nicholas (C. of E.) welcome us back- they have always been so kind to us.
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SUNDAY, 18th OCTOBER: PARISH CHARITY A. G. M.
Meeting to follow the holy services.
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SUNDAY, 25th OCTOBER: SIXTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR COMMUNITY
Bring & share picnic lunch to follow the holy services
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SATURDAY, 7th NOVEMBER: HOLY MATRIMONY
Wedding of Paraskevi and Serafim at 12:00 noon.
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BELOVED CHRISTIANS,
All human suffering is linked to the suffering of Christ. Therefore, violence and hatred and fanaticism separate us from each other and they separate us from God.
In today's holy Gospel, Jesus Christ instructs us to 'love your enemies and do good, and lend expecting nothing in return and great will be your reward and you will be sons of the Most High.'
Fanaticism, Saint Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia tells us, has nothing to do with Christ. Fanatics are often victims of ignorance and fear.
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, of blessed memory, said that 'Christ constantly speaks of loving enemies. He would not have mentioned it so often if it was not important, and He would not have mentioned it so often if it was not difficult.'
Saint Silouan of Mount Athos, whose feast we commemorated recently, taught us that 'The soul that has not known the Holy Spirit does not understand how one can love one’s enemies, and does not accept it.'
Fight evil, fight division and hatred. Love God, love your neighbour.
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ALL GLORY TO GOD!
Glory to God for your commitment and self sacrifice!
Glory to God for our close and loving parish!
For everyone who brings and shares food and drink.
Daniel O. - for arranging dry cleaning of priest's vestments.
Emily Katherine - for prepping the hot water before Presbytera Susanna arrived! Very helpful!
Paraskevi - for embroidered handkerchief.
Lucy [Lacey] - for thanksgiving.
Lucy [Lacey], Daniel [Bailey], Savva - for helping Presbytera with 'front of house' and maintaining good order.
Delia & Adrian - for the burial cross, and for cheese.
Savva - for fudge and fine quality beers!
Glory to God for all things!
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YOUR HOLY PRAYERS
For peace in the middle-east and in Ukraine.
For peace and tolerance among all people.
For those who hate and persecute us. Lord, have mercy!
Our Parish Trustees - for strength and wisdom.
Subdeacon Aaron - ongoing studies. He is about to begin his final essay before ordination to the holy diakonate.
Crina Mihai, benefactor of our parish - reposed two years. Memory eternal!
With love in Christ God,
the sinner and unworthy presbyter,
Father Jakob
Please feel free to post online and share with 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.
(2026-2027)
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
25th APRIL -- ENTRY OF OUR LORD INTO IERUSALEM*
2nd MAY-- HOLY PASCHA*
10th JUNE-- HOLY ASCENSION*
20th JUNE-- 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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