ALL SAINTS: NOTICES — THIRD SUNDAY OF MATTHEW, 2026
PRAY. WORSHIP. SERVE GOD
We are told to ‘seek first the Kingdom of Heaven’. This must be our main and only objective. Nothing else in this life is comparable in importance to this task. Everything that distracts us from prayer must be resisted. We are instructed to ‘Love the Lord with [our] whole soul’ (Matthew 22:37), not to love our mobile or the things we’ve been conditioned to like to do, but the things which really matter. Preferring football or shopping or primping or arguing or pointless scrolling online to prayer and worshipping God is of no use.
The eye of our heart must remain focussed on Christ. Of course, this is easier said than done, for God sets out great challenges for us, not because He enjoys our struggle but because He knows that without struggle, without perseverance and focus, without sacrifice, we cannot escape the beguilements of the world and we simply won’t make it. Help your brother. Life is a hard road and the road to salvation is the hardest, steepest road of all. God demands a great deal from us, the luke-warm He spits out. We must give up everything and follow Him. In faithful love we shall, God-willing, encounter Christ the bridegroom of our soul and within His One, Holy Church receive abundant grace and joy and eternal salvation.
+
+
FAREWELL DANIEL!
Daniel C. is leaving us for pastures new- Glasgow, to be precise; he and Ruth are to be married on 19th July.
Daniel has been with us, at All Saints, since our very first Divine Liturgy on 23rd October 2010; and served with us for some years before that. We thank Daniel for his service in our parish. As an altar-server, and latterly as a member of the choir, and in his work for OFSJB, Daniel has always demonstrated deeply committed love for Christ. We shall miss him very much.
Pray for him, and for Ruth, and try to follow his example of loving service to God.
+
+
ALL GLORY TO GOD!
His Eminence, our Archbishop, Silouan, who visited us, today.
Subdeacon Aaron - ordained today. Many years!
Our choir, and servers, and all who prayed and helped with today's holy services, and brought food and drink to share.
All those who have gifted to our parish, financially, in purchases, and in sheer hard work.
Those who came in especially to clean and prepare the garden and the holy temple; an especial thanks to Subdeacon Aaron, who cleaned out the septic tank; Katherine, who tended the garden and cleaned; Daniel O., who cleaned the hieron; Delia, who brought and garlanded the flowers.
Michael (newly illumined) - for being especially helpful to Presbytera.
Simona - for little gifts to Father, from Montenegro.
Daniel C. - for the holy eikon and little gifts to Father, from Poland and elsewhere.
Paraskevi - for the beautiful hand-crafted gift for Subdeacon Aaron.
Ted - for bread and veg.
+
+
YOUR HOLY PRAYERS
Priest Alexander, Jnr. - In hospital, has suffered a stroke, as result of a brain tumour. Lord, have mercy!
Harry (non-orthodox young man; Savvas's nephew) - passed away after long illness.
Adam (newly illumined) - recovering from operation. In pain.
Sophia [Sinéad] - unwell.
Larysa - knee injury. God willing someone will help her get to and from the holy temple.
Ecaterina - injury to both knees.
With love, in Christ,
Father Jakob
sinner and unworthy presbyter
Please post these notices online, and share them with your friends and family
***
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. ]
***
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".
***
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
***