Beloved brothers and sisters,
This is Community Bulletin #46 of Saint Ignatius Parish in Belfast
Contents of this Bulletin:
- This Week in the Life of the Church
- A Pastoral Word: Prayer, Fasting and Healing
- News and Announcements: Readers Service, Metropolitan’s Visit, Parish Register
This Week in the Life of the Church
Thank you to those who attended Readers Service on Sunday, 9th of August. There will be another Readers service on Sunday, 23rd of August, as usual at 11:00 am. Mark you calendars and attend if you can!
The Church continues to celebrate the Feast of Transfiguration until its leave-taking on the 13th of August, Thursday. Strict Dormition Fast also continues this week, as we prepare to celebrate the Feast of Dormition of Most Holy Theotokos on Saturday, 15th of August.
Each day of the week, Paraklesis service is celebrated in the evenings this week. If you want, you can follow broadcasts from our Cathedral of St George in London at 7:00 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, here: https://www.facebook.com/StGeorgeOrthodoxAntiochianOfLondon
You can also watch the Broadcast of the Festal Divine Liturgy for the Feast of Dormition, on Saturday, 15th of August, from 11:00 am, using the same link.
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, 9th of August – 0th Sunday of Matthew, The Holy Apostle Matthias
- Monday, 10th of August – Laurence the Holy Martyr & Archdeacon of Rome
- Tuesday, 11th of August – Euplus the Holy Martyr & Archdeacon of Catania
- Wednesday, 12th of August – The Holy Martyrs Photius and Anicetus of Nicomedia
- Thursday, 13th of August – Leavetaking of The Transfiguration; Translation of the relics of St. Maximus the Confessor
- Friday, 14th of August – The Holy Prophet Michaias (Micah)
- Saturday, 15th of August – The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos
- Sunday, 16th of August – 11th Sunday of Matthew, Translation of the Icon ‘Not made by hands’ of Our Lord Jesus Christ from Edessa to Constantinople (944)
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 TRANSFIGURATION IN TONE SEVEN
When, O Christ our God, Thou wast transfigured on the mountain, Thou didst reveal Thy glory to Thy Disciples in proportion as they could bear it. Let Thine everlasting light also enlighten us sinners, through the intercessions of the Theotokos. O Thou Bestower of light, glory to Thee.
APOLYTIKION OF THE DORMITION IN TONE ONE
In thy birth-giving, O Theotokos, thou didst keep and preserve virginity; and in thy falling-asleep thou hast not forsaken the world; for thou wast translated into life, being the Mother of Life. Wherefore, by thine intercessions, deliver our souls from death.
KONTAKION OF THE TRANSFIGURATION IN TONE SEVEN
Thou wast transfigured on the mount, and Thy Disciples, in so far as they were able, beheld Thy glory, O Christ our God; so that, when they should see Thee crucified, they would remember that all Thy suffering was voluntary, and could declare to all the world that Thou art truly the effulgent Splendor of the Father.
KONTAKION OF THE DORMITION IN TONE TWO
Verily, the Theotokos, who is ever watchful in intercessions, and whose prayers are never rejected, neither tomb nor death could control. But since she is the Mother of Life, He Who dwelt in her ever-virgin womb did translate her to life.
Epistle and Gospel Readings:
*The Epistle and Gospel of the Sunday that begins the current liturgical week
- Epistle: 1 Corinthians 4:9-16
- Gospel: Matthew 17:14-23
The Sunday and daily Scripture readings may be read online via the Archdiocesan website: https://www.antiochian-orthodox.com/calendar
A Pastoral Word: Prayer, Fasting and Healing
In the Gospel for the last Sunday (Matthew 17:14–23), the disciples ask Christ why they were unable to heal the suffering boy brought to them by his father. The Lord points to their lack of faith and then says: “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
There is an important connection here between faith, prayer, fasting and healing.
Christian faith is not simply believing certain things about God. Faith must become a way of life. And two of the principal ways in which we live and strengthen our faith are prayer and fasting.
Prayer and fasting are not simply religious obligations. They are part of our spiritual healing.
Through prayer, we bring ourselves continually into the presence of God. We learn to see ourselves honestly, to repent, to ask for His mercy and to entrust our wounds and struggles to Him.
Through fasting, we learn that our desires and passions do not have to control us. We discover that we can say “no” to ourselves. Little by little, what has acquired power over us begins to lose its hold.
This is particularly important when we struggle with deeply rooted passions, habits and sins. We sometimes want God simply to remove them from us. But Christ reminds us that there are things which “do not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Healing requires our cooperation with the grace of God.
And this healing must also be guarded. Elsewhere in the Gospel, Christ speaks about an unclean spirit which leaves a person but later returns and finds the “house” empty (Matthew 12:43–45). It is not enough simply to remove what is bad. Our life must be filled with the presence of God.
This is why prayer and fasting cannot be something we practise only when there is a problem. They belong to the ordinary rhythm of Christian life.
So how do we put this into practice?
Begin with a daily prayer rule. It does not need to be long. It is better to have a shorter rule which we keep faithfully than a long one which we quickly abandon. If you do not have a prayer rule, speak to your priest about establishing one.
Then try to return to God throughout the day. Pray when you wake up and before going to bed. Pray before meals. Make the sign of the Cross when leaving home. During the day, repeat the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Even a few moments of prayer bring our mind and heart back to God.
And fast according to the practice of the Church. The regular fasts of the Church teach us continually to struggle against our passions rather than allowing them to regain their hold over us.
Prayer and fasting are not techniques for forcing God to give us what we want. They are part of the medicine of the spiritual life, through which God gradually heals and transforms us.
As we continue through the Dormition Fast, let us therefore use these days well: pray a little more, fast faithfully, repent sincerely, and ask Christ to heal whatever within us keeps us from Him. And having received His healing, let us strive to keep the house of our soul filled with His presence.
News and Announcements
- NO Faith & Fellowship Meeting this week – our regular Faith & Fellowship meetings will return from next Wednesday, 19th of August, 7:00 PM. No meeting this week, as Fr Dmitry is busy each evening at the cathedral in London with Paraklesis services. You follow broadcasts from cathedral here: https://www.facebook.com/StGeorgeOrthodoxAntiochianOfLondon
- Readers Service at the Church, Sunday 23rd August, 11:00 am – Please come to the next Readers Service (without priest) of Hours and Typika. Service is followed by light refreshments and fellowship. Address: Cullen Memorial Hall, Methodist Complex, 381 Donegall Road, Belfast, BT12 6GR
- Visit of Metropolitan Silouan to the Parish on the 5&6th of September – Please mark your calendars from now and make every effort to attend this blessed weekend, when our father and Metropolitan, His Eminence Silouan, will be visiting our parish.
We will have quite an intensive program for that weekend. In particular, 6 adults and 2 children are to be received into the Holy Orthrodox Church on Sunday, 6th of September before the Liturgy. We are still finalising some of the details but so far, this is the plan:
5th September, Saturday
– 5:00 PM – Great Vespers
– 6:00 PM – Inauguration of Young Adult Ministry (YAM) in the parish. His Eminence will sit down for a spiritual conversation with the youth of parish (more details to follow in the next weeks)
6th September, Sunday
– 9:30 or 10:00 am (exact time TBC) – Baptisms and Chrismations of our catechumens, presided over by Metropolitan Silouan
– 11:00 am – Hierarchical Divine Liturgy followed by the parish lunch and fellowship with Metropolitan Silouan - Parish Registration Form Reminder – Thank you to everyone who has already completed the parish registration form. Your response is greatly appreciated and will help us in planning and supporting parish life more effectively.
If you have not yet registered, we kindly encourage you to do so. Maintaining an up-to-date parish register helps us better understand the size and needs of our parish community, improve communication, and plan for the future as our parish continues to grow.
The registration form can be completed online using the link below: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/2CN1yeinMb
Thank you for your support and commitment to the life of St Ignatius Parish. - Have you visited our Parish Library yet? Our library offers a growing collection of Orthodox books for adults and children: spiritual classics, lives of the saints, theology, Church history, and books for young readers. A good spiritual book can deepen our understanding of the faith and accompany us in our spiritual life.
You can browse the catalogue and request books online through the parish website. All the information about borrowing books, together with the online request form, can be found here: https://saintignatiusbelfast.org/library
Our librarians, Michael and Porphyrios, will be happy to help if you are looking for something to read. You can contact them at: library@saintignatiusbelfast.org
