Dear brothers and sisters,
This is weekly newsletter #31 of the St Ignatius Parish in Belfast.
Contents of this Newsletter:
- This Week in the Life of the Church
- Services in Church this Coming Weekend
- A Pastoral Word
- News and Announcements
This Week in the Life of the Church
This section accompanies the liturgical week as it unfolds, naming the principal saints and feasts, the hymns that shape the Church’s prayer, and the Scripture Readings of the Sunday that begins the current liturgical week. These are offered as an aid to remembrance and prayer during the days ahead.
Saints and Feasts of the Week
*The saints named here accompany the days of the week as living witnesses of Christ. Only the principal saint or feast of each day is listed here, in keeping with the liturgical order of the Church.
- Sunday, 25th of January – 15th Sunday of Luke, St Gregory the Theologian
- Monday, 26th of January – Xenophon & his Companions
- Tuesday, 27th of January – Translation of the Relics of Saint John Chrysostom
- Wednesday, 28th of January – Saint Ephraim the Syrian
- Thursday, 29th of January – Translation of the relics of Hieromartyr Ignatius of Antioch
- Friday, 30th of January – Synaxis of the Three Great Hierarchs and Ecumenical Teachers: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom
- Saturday, 31st of January – Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cyrus and John
- Sunday, 1st of February: Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, St. Brigid, abbess of Kildare
Hymns of the Week
*The hymns listed here are those that shape the prayer of the Church for the week, following the liturgical order and hierarchy. They are offered as an aid to prayer and may be used, as each is able, in personal prayer or a simple prayer rule at home.
RESURRECTIONAL APOLYTIKION IN TONE EIGHT
From the heights Thou didst descend, O compassionate One, and Thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that Thou might deliver us from passion; Thou art our life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to Thee.
APOLYTIKION OF ST. EPHRAIM THE SYRIAN IN TONE THREE
Out of Paradise, a river floweth, * flooding all the earth with joy unending, * cheering souls with compunction and saving fear: * Ephraim, the wine bowl of gladness inspired of God, * from all eternity chosen to light the Church * with his sacred hymns, his sermons, his shining canticles, *whereby he filleth faithful souls with godliness
APOLYTIKION OF ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH IN TONE FOUR
By choosing the Apostles’ way of life, thou hast succeeded to their throne. Inspired by God, thou didst find the way to divine contemplation through the practice of virtue. After teaching the Word of Truth without error, thou didst defend the Faith to the very shedding of thy blood, O Holy Martyr among bishops Ignatius. Entreat the Lord our God to save our souls.
APOLYTIKION FOR THREE HIERARCHS IN TONE ONE
The three most great luminaries of the Three Sun Divinity * have illumined all of the world with the rays of doctrines divine and true; * they are the sweetly-flowing rivers of wisdom, * who with godly knowledge * have watered all creation in clear and mighty streams: * The great and sacred Basil, and the Theologian, wise Gregory, * together with the renowned John, * the famed Chrysostom of golden speech. * Let us all who love their divinely-wise words * come together, honoring them with hymns; * for ceaselessly they offer entreaty for us to the Trinity.
Sunday Epistle and Gospel
*The Epistle and Gospel of the Sunday that begins the current liturgical week
- Epistle: 1 Timothy 4:9-15
- Gospel: Luke 19:1-10
The Sunday and daily Scripture readings may be read online via the Archdiocesan website: https://www.antiochian-orthodox.com/calendar
Services in Church this Coming Weekend
God willing, we will gather for our regular monthly services at the church this coming weekend, Saturday 31st of January and Sunday 1st of February.
Sunday, 1 February, holds particular significance. This year it marks the beginning of the Lenten Triodion with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, opening the Church’s four-week period of preparation for the Great Lent. But, also, on this day, we celebrate the feast of Saint Brigid, one of the patrons of Ireland.
The programme of services is as follows:
Saturday, 31st of January
17:00 – Great Vespers
18:00 – Tea/coffee with biscuits and fellowship at the church kitchen
Sunday, 1st of February
10:00 – Orthros
11:00 – Divine Liturgy
13:00 – Parish lunch and “Conversation with the priest” fellowship
Would you like your house blessed?
It is traditional in the Church to invite the priest to come and bless homes after Theophany. I will be available to bless your houses all morning and afternoon on Saturday, 31st of January and late afternoon of Sunday, 1st of February. Please contact me to arrange a convenient time.
A Pastoral Word
In the Gospel reading this past Sunday (Luke 19:1–10), we hear the story of Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector. He was a man widely known as a sinner, yet he carried within him a deep desire: he wanted to see Christ as the Lord passed through Jericho. Unable to see because of the crowd and his short stature, he climbed a tree.
Before Zacchaeus could even speak, Christ addressed him directly: “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” The Lord not only noticed his effort but responded to it by entering his life in a very personal way.
What if Christ said to each of us today, “I must stay at your house”? Are we ready for such a visit?
This is not only about having a tidy home or an orderly household. While that matters, it is secondary. The deeper question concerns the spiritual state of our homes. Are they places of love, humility, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice? Are they places where Christ is welcomed in how we speak to one another, how we resolve conflict, and how we care for one another? Or are they marked by constant argument, resentment, gossip, pride, or indifference?
When Christ entered Zacchaeus’ house, Zacchaeus changed. His encounter with the Lord led him to repentance expressed in action: he committed himself to restoring fourfold to those he had wronged. Christ’s presence did not leave him unchanged.
If we desire Christ to dwell in our homes, we too must be willing to change. This applies not only to families, but also to those who live alone. Even in solitude, our homes are shaped by our thoughts, habits, words, and choices. A home can become a place of prayer, peace, and repentance, or a place where anger, bitterness, distraction, and self-centredness quietly take root.
Welcoming Christ into our homes means turning away from what harms our relationships with others and with God, and embracing a way of life marked by repentance, forgiveness, and love. When we allow Christ to enter, our homes can become places where salvation is at work, just as it was in the house of Zacchaeus.
News and Announcements:
- Last Weekend of Services in the Church – You can read a brief report and see the photos from the last services we celebrated at the Church on the 17th and 18th of January here: https://saintignatiusbelfast.org/weekend-of-services-and-great-blessing-of-the-water-2026
- Online Faith & Fellowship – Meetings take place every Wednesday at 7:00 PM, unless announced otherwise. Join us at 19:00 this Wednesday, 28th of January, for the next meeting: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/93643306643 We will pray Little Compline and then continue with the third conversation in the series of talks on the Divine Liturgy. All are warmly invited!
- Parish Library is now open – I remind you that that our parish library is now open! The library offers a growing collection of Orthodox books on various subjects for both adults and children, which you are welcome to borrow and read. You can browse the catalogue online, check the borrowing terms, and even place an order for a book at: saintignatiusbelfast.org/library. Our librarians, Michael and Porphyrius, will be glad to assist you and can be contacted at library@saintignatiusbelfast.org.
