ALL SAINTS: NOTICES - -SUNDAY OF THE LAST JUDGEMENT, 2026
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READINGS
Beloved Christians,
Today's Holy Gospel (Matthew 25:31-46) underlines how important it is to love and have compassion towards those in need. This holds true not just during Great Lent but throughout our entire earthly life.
Together, this Sunday and last Sunday, form a single whole. Last Sunday, we saw the humility and repentance of the Prodigal Son, and God’s mercy. Today, we see God’s judgement.
God's mercy and judgment are both certain and inevitable.
'SHEEP', 'GOATS': The sheep go to the right, and the ἐρίφων ['hereephon'], male, kid-goats, to the left. Sheep are highly prized because they provide milk, wool, and lambs; but in the present context and by way of comparison, the kid-goats produce nothing of much value; Saint John Chrysostomos speaks of the unfruitfulness of the kid and the great profit coming from the sheep.
THE 'SORTING' PROCESS: Christ tells us that there is a sorting process. Essentially, we sort ourselves through our own choices and actions. The sorting process should make us fearful for our own salvation, but of course our Lord is not telling us these things simply to frighten! Instead His words should instil in us a "healthy fear", and move us to repent and to connect more lovingly with God.
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MEATFARE
Today is the last day upon which Orthodox Christians (of seven-years-old and above) may legitimately eat meat, until Great and Holy Pascha (12th April 2026). Tomorrow is 'Clean Monday'. Saint Peter Chrysologos of Ravenna teaches that 'Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the lifeblood of fasting. Let no-one try to separate prayer from fasting: they cannot legitimately be separated.' We should bear in mind that prayer and charity are essential to a blessed fast. Remember what Saint Gildas the Wise (of England) says to us, 'Abstinence from bodily food is useless without charity'. God is the one and only true judge. We must fast and love and help one another, or face the consequences. Saint Gregory Dialogos says that 'Whoever does not have love loses even the gifts which he appeared to receive.'
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RESPECTFUL PARKING ****
It is a great privilege for us to be allowed to park on the edge of our neighbour's lawn. However, the ground is water-logged at this time of year.
REVERSE SLOWLY ONTO THE LAWN to park. DRIVE AWAY SLOWLY when leaving.
DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS THE LAWN. STICK TO THE PAVED ROADWAY. TAKE CARE OF CHILDREN, PETS, AND FARM ANIMALS.
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The importance of being on time...
THE START OF ORTHROS
The holy Orthros begins with the Priest making the glorious proclamation 'Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages'. The Trisagion is prayed, followed by the chanting of 'O Lord, save your people…', and a beautiful prayer to the Theotokos, 'O champion leader…'. Following this, there is an Ektenia (Litany) which concludes with the blessing and censing of the Holy table. The burning of incense is an ancient practice that was performed in the first and second Temple periods, and is continued by the Church. Incense is symbolic of our prayers rising to heaven as a sweet fragrance pleasing to God. To complete the censing of the Holy Table, the Priest delivers a doxology which is unique to the Sunday Orthros service: 'Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving and undivided Trinity; always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.'
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ALL GLORY TO GOD!
- The Reader Aaron, to be ordained Subdeacon, offering his life in martyric service to Christ.
- Those having their home blessed! (And thank you for your hospitality and generosity!)
- Father Jakob thanks the Theodoreanu family, Natasha, Angel, and Evie & Reece, for their generous birthday gifts; and the many who have sent kind messages!
- Jeremy, Adam R. - for stewarding the carparking.
- All who put their faith into practice in our parish, who bear responsibility, clean, feed, serve, sing, tithe, and pray for us poor sinners
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YOUR HOLY PRAYERS
- For Christians suffering in Kosovo, Gaza, throughout the middle east, in Ukraine.
- Presbytera Susanna - laryngitis. Still unable to speak.
- Larysa, James, Bianca - unwell.
- Luke, Elodie (children, non-orthodox) - unwell
- Elizabeth (non-orthodox) - serious illness. May God bring strength.
- Our choir. Facing challenges.
- Ted. Facing many challenges; and car broken down.
- Alan (elderly, non-orthodox) - seriously ill, hospitalised; maybe end-of-life.
- Three katechumens enrolled today: Michael, Harry, George.
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With love and prayers, in Christ,
the sinner and unworthy priest, Father Jakob
Presbyter, All Saints North Benfleet
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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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