Beloved brothers and sisters,
This is Community Bulletin #47 of Saint Ignatius Parish in Belfast
Contents of this Bulletin:
- This Week in the Life of the Church: Special Weekend Upcoming
- A Pastoral Word: Labouring in God’s Vineyard
- News and Announcements: YAM Inauguration Faith & Fellowship Meeting
This Week in the Life of the Church
This week is very special both in the life of the Church as a whole, and in the life of our parish community in particular.
On the 1st of September, we celebrate the beginning of the New Ecclesiastical Year. In earlier centuries, the civil New Year in many lands was also aligned with the beginning of the Church year. Civil calendars changed over the course of history, but the Church has remained faithful to her ancient practice.
Of course, every day of the year is a celebration in the life of the Church. Throughout the year we journey from the greatest of all feasts, Holy Pascha, through the Twelve Great Feasts and the commemorations of countless saints, usually several on any given day.
Yet it is still important to have a moment when we take stock of our lives: to look back at the season that has passed and ask ourselves what we have done with the time God has given us, and what fruits we are bringing to Him.
It is not accidental that the beginning of the New Ecclesiastical Year comes around the time of the harvest. As the fruits of the earth are gathered, we too are called to consider the fruits of our own labour in God’s vineyard. What have we cultivated? What has grown? And what are we bringing before God as the fruit of the year that has passed? You can read more about this in today’s Pastoral Word, which includes a short reflection on the Gospel reading from last Sunday.
As for our parish, the coming weekend, 5–6 September, is going to be a very special one. Our Metropolitan, His Eminence Silouan, will be with us for his pastoral visit to the parish.
Over the course of the weekend, we will have the opportunity to pray and worship together with our bishop, welcome him with our parish hospitality, share food at the parish lunch, and enjoy fellowship with him. His Eminence will also meet with the young people of the parish as we inaugurate YAM Belfast (read more in the News section).
The full programme of our Metropolitan’s visit can be found in the poster attached above. Please make every effort to be present for all the services.
Most importantly, on Sunday morning at 9:30 am, before the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, His Eminence will preside at the service of Holy Baptism and Chrismation.
On this joyful occasion, we are going to receive 11 people into the Orthodox Church, our catechumens who have been receiving instruction in the Orthodox Faith over the past six months. I especially urge everyone to be at church on time at 9:30 am on Sunday for the Baptisms and Chrismations, so that as a parish community we can pray together and welcome our catechumens into the Orthodox Church.
In the meantime, please keep them in your prayers as they prepare for this very special day:
- Darran and his three children, Fionn, Méibh, Sadhbh
- Robin, Gemma and their two children, Imogen and Bethany
- Paul
- Jessica
- Daniel
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, 30th of August – 13th Sunday of Matthew
- Monday, 31st of August – Placing of the Sash of the Mother of God in the Church of the Virgin in Halkoprateia, Constantinople
- Tuesday, 1st of September – Start of the Church Year – The Indiction
- Wednesday, 2nd of September – Holy Martyr Mamas of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and his parents Martyrs Theodotus and Rufina
- Thursday, 3rd of September – Hieromartyr Anthimus, bishop of Nicomedia, and those with him
- Friday, 4th of September – Righteous Prophet and God-Seer Moses
- Saturday, 5th of September – Holy Prophet Zachariah and Righteous Elizabeth, parents of the Forerunner and Baptist John
- Sunday, 6th of September – 14th of Matthew, Commemoration of the Miracle of the Archangel Michael at Colossæ
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 FOUR
Having learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the Angel, and having cast off the ancestral condemnation, the women disciples of the Lord spake to the Apostles exultantly: Death is despoiled and Christ God is risen, granting great mercy to the world
APOLYTIKION OF THE INDICTION IN TONE TWO
O Maker of all creation, Who hast established the times and the seasons in Thine own power: Bless the crown of this year with Thy goodness, O Lord, and keep our rulers and Thy flock in peace, by the intercessions of the Theotokos, and save us.
KONTAKION OF THE NATIVITY OF THE THEOTOKOS IN TONE FOUR
By thy holy nativity, O pure one, Joachim and Anna were delivered from the reproach of barrenness; and Adam and Eve were delivered from the corruption of death; thy people do celebrate it, having been saved from the stain of iniquity, crying unto thee: The barren doth give birth to the Theotokos, who nourisheth our life.
Epistle and Gospel Readings:
*The Epistle and Gospel of the Sunday that begins the current liturgical week
- Epistle: 1 Corinthians 16:13-24
- Gospel: Matthew 21:33-42
The Sunday and daily Scripture readings may be read online via the Archdiocesan website: https://www.antiochian-orthodox.com/calendar
A Pastoral Word: Labouring in God’s Vineyard
Yet, like every word of the Gospel, this parable is not only about something that happened long ago. It speaks also to us.
The Church is God’s vineyard today, and each of us has been called into it. Certainly, some have particular responsibilities within the Church. Clergy are entrusted with the pastoral care of God’s people, others serve as readers, chanters, teachers, members of parish councils, hospitality coordinators, or in many other ministries. But in a wider sense, the whole Church is called by Saint Peter a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). Every Christian, therefore, is called to offer himself or herself to God and to labour for the good of His people.
The vineyard belongs to God, not to us. Whatever responsibility we may have within the Church is something entrusted to us for a time. We should therefore carry it out diligently and faithfully, seeking not our own importance or our own will, but the glory of God and the good of His Church.
But labouring in God’s vineyard does not begin with having a particular title or ministry. It begins with simply being there.
Our first and greatest common work as Christians is our worship of God. Indeed, the very word Liturgy means a common work, the work of the people. When the Church gathers for the Divine Liturgy, we do not come merely as individuals to receive something for ourselves. We gather as the Body of Christ: to pray together, to offer ourselves together to God, to receive together from His Holy Gifts, and to strengthen one another by our presence and our prayer.
This is why being faithfully present in church matters. When one member of the parish comes to pray, that person is not only doing something for himself or herself. We pray for one another. We sing together. We hear the Scriptures together. We approach the Holy Mysteries together. We notice when someone is suffering, we welcome someone who has come for the first time, we encourage someone who is struggling simply by standing beside them in prayer. This too is ministry.
My spiritual father likes to say that there are only two good reasons for being absent from church on Sunday. The first is that you are in hospital, and even then the priest will come to visit you with the Holy Mysteries. The second is that you are dead, and even then the priest and the faithful will come to pray for you at your funeral and at your grave!
There is humour in this saying, of course, but there is also an important truth. The Christian life is not something that we live alone. God has planted us together in His vineyard. He has made us members of one Body. And so we need one another.
From our common worship then flows our service to one another. Some will sing, some will serve in the altar, some will teach; some will prepare food, some will clean, some will welcome newcomers, some will care for children, some will notice the person standing alone and go to speak to them. Sometimes our ministry will simply be to listen patiently to someone who needs us. There are countless ways of labouring in God’s vineyard, but all of them should have the same purpose: the glory of God and love for one another.
Saint Paul gives us perhaps the simplest rule for all such service in the words we also heard on Sunday: “Let all that you do be done with love” (1 Corinthians 16:14).
And this coming weekend we have a particularly joyful opportunity to put these words into practice. Our Metropolitan, His Eminence Silouan, will be with us for his pastoral visit. We will gather around our bishop in prayer, worship and fellowship. Most especially, on Sunday morning we will welcome eleven people into the Orthodox Church through Holy Baptism and Chrismation.
What a beautiful occasion for the whole vineyard to gather together. So please make every effort to be present for the services this weekend, and especially to be in church by 9:30 on Sunday morning for the Baptisms and Chrismations. Come to pray. Come to welcome our new brothers and sisters. Come to support one another. Come to labour together in the vineyard into which God has called us.
And whether our particular service in the Church is visible or unnoticed, great or small, let us carry it out faithfully and diligently, remembering always whose vineyard it is and for whom we labour: “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
News and Announcements
- Faith & Fellowship Meeting this week – Join our regular Faith & Fellowship meeting this Wednesday, 2nd September, at 7:00 pm on Zoom. We will pray Little Compline and continue our series of talks on the Letters of St Paul. Zoom link: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/93643306643
- Youth Meeting with the Metropolitan and Inauguration of YAM Belfast – As part of Metropolitan Silouan’s pastoral visit to our parish, we are delighted to invite all young adults (roughly 18–35) to a special meeting with His Eminence on Saturday, 5 September at 6:30 PM, following Great Vespers.
This will be an informal opportunity for the youth to meet our Metropolitan, hear from him, and ask questions about the Orthodox faith, the Church, Christian life, or anything else they would like to discuss with him.
The meeting will also mark the inauguration of YAM Belfast — the Belfast chapter of our Archdiocesan Young Adult Ministry. YAM Belfast will bring young adults together throughout the year for faith and Bible study, discussions, social outings, work in the church and other events, helping them to grow together in faith, friendship and the life of the Church.
All young adults are warmly invited — whether Orthodox or not, and whether or not you regularly attend our parish. Please feel free to invite friends who may be interested.
It would greatly help us with planning if you could let us know that you are coming by registering through the link below: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=e28deEh-AEGuFKvInN_vtMldJdwkMlBLsHMfrskyHYZUQjk3RFRVQ0JDMENSRVQwSUhSR1lXMzVROCQlQCN0PWcu
You can read more about YAM here: https://saintignatiusbelfast.org/young-adult-ministry-comes-to-belfast
We look forward to welcoming you! - 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
