Newsletter #32: Week Commencing 1 February

Dear brothers and sisters,

This is weekly newsletter #32 of the St Ignatius Parish in Belfast.

Blessed Afterfeast of the Presentation of our Lord and Saviour in the Temple! Although the Feast is celebrated on 2nd of February, as one of the Twelve Great Feasts of the Church it continues to be celebrated during the Afterfeast, which lasts for several days and concludes with the Leavetaking of the Feast (Monday, 9th of February)

Contents of this Newsletter:

• This Week in the Life of the Church
• A Pastoral Word: Our Great Lent Journey
• News and Announcements: Next Services, Prosphora Making workshop and more

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, 1st of February – Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee
• Monday, 2nd of February – Presentation of our Lord and Saviour in the Temple
• Tuesday, 3rd of February – The Synaxis of the Holy and Righteous Symeon the God-Receiver and the Holy Prophetess Anna
• Wednesday, 4th of February – Saint Isidore of Pelusium
• Thursday, 5th of February – Holy Martyr Agatha of Palermo in Sicily
• Friday, 6th of February – The Martyr and Healer Julian (Ilyan) of Homs
• Saturday, 7th of February – The Synaxis of the New Martyrs of Russia
• Sunday, 8th of February: Sunday of the Prodigal Son

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 ONE
While the stone was sealed by the Jews, and the soldiers were guarding Thy most pure body, Thou didst arise on the third day, O Savior, granting life to the world. For which cause the heavenly powers cried aloud unto Thee, O giver of life. Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ, glory to Thy kingdom, glory to Thy providence, O Thou Who alone art the lover of mankind.

APOLYTIKION OF THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN TONE ONE
Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, full of grace, for from thee arose the Sun of justice, Christ our God, lighting those who are in darkness. Rejoice and be glad, O righteous elder, carrying in thine arms the Deliverer of our souls, Who granteth us Resurrection.

KONTAKION OF THE SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON IN TONE THREE
When I disobeyed in ignorance Thy Fatherly glory, I wasted in iniquities the riches that Thou gavest me. Wherefore, I cry to Thee with the voice of the prodigal son, saying: I have sinned before Thee, O compassionate Father, receive me repentant, and make me as one of Thy hired servants.

Sunday Epistle and Gospel 

*The Epistle and Gospel of the Sunday that begins the current liturgical week

• Epistle: 2 Timothy 3:10-15
• Gospel: Luke 18:10-14

The Sunday and daily Scripture readings may be read online via the Archdiocesan website: https://www.antiochian-orthodox.com/calendar

A Pastoral Word

Last Sunday, we began our Lenten journey, which leads us to the remembrance of our Lord’s saving Passion during Holy Week and to the celebration of the great and joyful Feast of Pascha — the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

In her wisdom, the Church does not ask us to enter immediately into the strict asceticism of Great Lent without a period of preparation. This preparation is both spiritual and physical. For this reason, the Church appoints four preparatory Sundays leading up to the beginning of Great Lent. Each of these preparatory Sundays offers us instruction on how to approach repentance and fasting, while also gradually easing us into the discipline of Lent by adjusting our fasting practice.

The first of these Sundays, which we celebrated on the 1st of February this year, is the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. The theme of the that Sunday is humility. This is exemplified by the Publican (the tax collector), whose honest and humble repentance justified him before God, in contrast to the Pharisee, whose outward righteousness was accompanied by self-satisfaction rather than true piety and humility. As a reflection of this teaching, during the week following the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, we do not fast on Wednesday and Friday, even though these are normally fasting days.

Great Lent itself consists of six weeks, each with its own dedication to a feast, a saint, or a particular spiritual theme. The beginning of Lent is a movable date, as it is tied to the Feast of Pascha. Pascha is calculated according to the paschal cycle established at the Council of Nicaea in 325, and is celebrated on the same day by all Orthodox Christians, regardless of whether they follow the Old or New Calendar.

This year, Great Lent begins on Clean Monday (23rd of February) and concludes with Palm Sunday — the Feast of the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem (5th of April). Lent is then followed by Holy Week, during which we accompany Christ step by step through His Passion, Cross, Death and Resurrection. Holy Week culminates in the radiant celebration of Pascha.

Below is a chart of the Lenten journey to Pascha, created annually by Fr Jonathan Bannon (ACROD), summarising the name and meaning of each week of Great Lent.

May we have a blessed and fruitful preparation for Great Lent.

News and Announcements:

1. Online Faith & Fellowship – Meetings take place every Wednesday at 7:00 PM, unless announced otherwise. Join us at 19:00 this Wednesday, 4th of February, 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!
2. Readers Service in Church on Sunday, 15th of February, 11:00 am – Please join us at the church for the monthly Readers service of Hours and Typika (without priest) on Sunday, 15th of February. Come to pray together, to hear the Word of God and to have fellowship afterwards. Address: Cullen Memorial Hall, Methodist Complex, 381 Donegall Road, Belfast, BT12 6GR
3. Next Weekend of Services with the priest: Friday 27th of February – Sunday 1st of March. Please mark your calendars for the next weekend of services with the priest, from Friday 27th of February to Sunday 1st of March. This will be the first weekend of Great Lent. Alongside the regular Saturday and Sunday services, we will also celebrate the First Part of the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos on Friday, 27th of February at 7:00 PM.
4. Prosphora making workshop 27th of 28th of February – We would like to train more members of the parish in making Prosphora, the bread of offering used in the Divine Liturgy, which is offered to God and consecrated as the Body of Christ. Fr Dmitry will hold an in-person Prosphora-making workshop in our church in Belfast, either on Friday 27th of February (evening) or Saturday 28th of February (morning). Please contact Fr Dmitry to register your interest on 07479 630020. The final date and time will be confirmed based on the availability of those who register.
5. House Blessings Continue 27th February – 1st March – During Fr Dmitry’s next visit to Belfast, he will continue the blessing of homes, following the tradition of the Church after the Feast of Theophany. If your home was not blessed last weekend and you would like to arrange a visit between 27th of February and 1st of March, please contact Fr Dmitry to schedule a suitable time.
6. 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.