ALL SAINTS: NOTICES - HOLY PENTEKOST, 2026
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DESCENDED!
Beloved Christians,
Today we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples at Holy Pentekost, fifty days after our Lord’s glorious Resurrection.
Pentekost (Πεντηκοστή) is considered the birthday of the Church; the Church is where Jesus is present in His Most Precious Body and Blood; the Church is guided, indwelled, by the Holy Spirit.
The fire of Pentekost is God's unconditional LOVE which both cleanses and illumines our heart. Katharsis - photisis – theosis is the process of our salvation: cleansing through Baptism, enlightenment by the Spirit, union with God.
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FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Church is a pentekostal phenomenon; and for us Orthodox Christians, every day is a Pentekost because the Holy Spirit has never ceased to be poured out upon the Church in the Church’s sacramental Mysteries (Mυστήρια). Christ is the light of the world (John 9:5); and because of the descent of the Holy Spirit, we too can become participants - we are granted the ‘light of life’; we too may become the 'light of the world' (Matthew 5:14).
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AS ONE
This brings us to one final and not unimportant aspect of Pentekost, the coming together of the Apostles ‘with one accord in one place’. Such divine unity, as we also see in Ephesians 1:10, is significant and unique. This is contrasted with the ‘dispersion of the Greeks’ [John 7:35] and the wicked plottings of the Pharisees seen in today’s Holy Gospel (John 7:37-52, 8:12). The Church, the Eκκλησία, is not dispersed, fragmented or sectarian, but ‘gathered together’; the Church is ‘one and holy’, it is the sole place of our rebirth into Christ.
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ALL GLORY TO GOD!
For everyone who is attentive, sees opportunities, and joyfully helps (especially with singing and serving, producing our weekly children's magazine and maintaining our web platforms, cleaning the holy temple, gardening, offering hospitality.
All those who prayed for, helped, and sent lovely messages to Presbytera Susanna. She is much recovered. Thank you!
Ted - for veg & bread.
Otilia - for prosforon.
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YOUR HOLY PRAYERS
For peace in the middle-east, in Ukraine, and in southern Russia.
Priest Alexander - Suffered a stroke. May God give strength.
Reader Aaron, Emily Katherine, baby Irene - travelling; flying tomorrow.
Simona, Lucian, Evelyn - travelling, on Thursday.
Ieremias (Jeremy) - travelling to India on business, on Saturday, 6th June.
Ted & Elizabeth - facing challenges.
Susannah - bad back
Those being prepared for reception into the Holy Church, next Sunday - the Feast of All Saints:
Adam, Daniel (Bailey), Gabriela (Sharon), Lucy (Lacey), Michael, Paraskevi (Evie), Samuel (A.J.);
and on 14th June: (Serafim) Reece.
Hayley (non-orthodox) - undergoing minor surgery on Wednesday.
All students, teachers and support staff - returning after half-term
With love, in Christ,
Father Jakob
sinner and unworthy presbyter
Please post these notices online, and share them with your friends and family
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Please pray for the priest, Alexander. He has suffered a stroke.
Father Alexander is a young priest, he is married with a son.
Also, please pray for his wife, Kh. Mihaela, and their son, Alexander.
May God bring strength and healing to His servant!
Please post this request online, and share it with your friends and family
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SATURDAY, 6th JUNE
NO DIVINE LITURGY
Instead, Father Jakob will be at All Saints hearing Lifetime Confessions.
Please post these notices online, and share them with your friends and family
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Christ is ascended!
Beloved Christians,
I pray that you are well.
It is with all glory to God (and great personal joy!) that I inform you all that Reece (Serafim) will be received into Church by Holy Chrismation, on 14th June.
We have a truly blessed and rather busy month ahead of us at All Saints!
Forthcoming Sundays look like this--
31st MAY — HOLY PENTEKOST Divine Liturgy, followed by Esperinos & Kneeling Prayers
7th JUNE — PARISH FEAST Holy Baptisms & Holy Chrismations of seven individuals, followed by festal picnic lunch
14th JUNE — Holy Chrismation of Serafim
21st JUNE — Archiepiscopal Visit, with Ordination of Reader Aaron to the Holy Subdiaconate
I humbly pray that you attend as often as you are able during this busy period. Please support one another, please support the clergy. Pray!
God willing I will see you at All Saints this afternoon.
With prayers, in the ascended Lord,
Father Jakob
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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