Dear friends in Christ!

This is the inaugural weekly newsletter of the St Ignatius Parish in Belfast. Subsequent letters will be circulated on Mondays. I pray to God that He blesses this effort. 

Contents of this Newsletter:

  • Message from Fr Dmitry: Using Holy Water at home
  • Announcement: Start of the Weekly Online Faith & Fellowship Group
  • Homily on next Sunday’s Gospel: Giving thanks to God!
  • Can I help you?

Message from Fr Dmitry: Using Holy Water at home

Last Saturday, we blessed the Holy Water, and many of you collected bottles to take home for use. During the service, I spoke about the meaning and purpose of the Holy Water. It is not meant to stand untouched and forgotten in a corner. Holy Water is a great gift from God, given to support us in our Christian journey: in following God’s commandments, repenting of our sins, doing good works, and showing love and mercy to those around us. We should make use of this gift and benefit from it.

One common practice is to partake of Holy Water daily. You can take a few sips (traditionally three, in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in the morning before eating or drinking anything else, if possible. As you do so, you can simply say, “In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” or you can recite this short but beautiful prayer:

O Lord my God, may (Thy holy gift)* and Thy holy water be unto the enlightenment of my mind, the strengthening of my spiritual and physical powers, the health of my soul and body, and the taming of my passions and weaknesses, according to Thy limitless mercy, through the prayers of Thy Most-pure Mother and of all Thy Saints. Amen.

*You can include the phrase “Thy holy gift” if, along with Holy Water, you consume part of the blessed bread (antidoron), which is given at the end of the Divine Liturgy when venerating the Cross. Some people eat the entire piece after the service, while others prefer to take it home and consume a small portion each day between Divine Liturgies

Do not be afraid that you will run out of Holy Water quickly. When only a little remains in the bottle, do the following. Take another clean bottle, fill it with regular water, and then, pour the Holy Water into it in the shape of a cross, and say, “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” This way you can make your stock of Holy Water last until the Feast of Theophany next year, when, God willing, we will bless the water again. Adding Holy Water to regular water sanctifies the entire body of water. Its sanctity is not diminished or reduced. It is like the flame of a candle: when you light one candle from another, the fire on each is the same. Similarly, the Holy Water makes the entire body of water into Holy Water. 

If you missed the services last weekend and did not collect the Holy Water, do not despair. We reserved plenty of Holy Water at the church. You can collect it on the days when we have church services. Simply ask the priest or altar server for it.

Announcement: Weekly Online Faith & Fellowship Group

While we are currently unable to have Divine Liturgies at the parish on a weekly basis, it is vital for us to stay connected between our monthly services. With the blessing of Metropolitan Silouan, I am pleased to announce the launch of our Online Faith & Fellowship Group, which will meet every Wednesday at 7:00 pm (UK time) via Zoom. The first session will take place on Wednesday, 15th of January, at 7:00 pm.

Zoom Link to Join: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/97707660214

The subject of our first session will be the Gospel reading for the upcoming Sunday: Luke 17:12–19. The text of this Gospel and a short homily are included in the next section of this newsletter.

No preparation is required to participate. You do not need to read the Gospel passage in advance, though you are welcome to do so if you wish. The text of the reading and my homily below are available as optional resources for your personal reflection before the discussion. Please join us for a conversation about our faith and life in Christ.

Structure of the Sessions: 

Each session will begin with a brief evening service called Little Compline (lasting no more than 15 minutes), followed by a group discussion on a selected reading from the Gospel, the writings of the holy fathers, or another theme relevant to our faith. We will also include time for an open Q&A, where you can ask questions or share thoughts.

You can find the text of the Little Compline service here: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/06cbpEx8T9Tcu7I6PVOdEgAmg#Little_Compline_for_Online 

Themes of the Discussions for this year are:

  • Wednesdays not followed by a Sunday Divine Liturgy: We will reflect on the Gospel reading for the upcoming Sunday. The Gospel text and a short homily will be included in every newsletter to aid your reflection, should you wish to read in advance.
  • Wednesdays followed by a Sunday Divine Liturgy: Instead of the Sunday Gospel reading, we will study the Letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch, our parish patron. These writings, addressed to early Christian communities, offer invaluable instruction on faith and Christian living and are among the most significant texts of the Apostolic Fathers—those who succeeded the apostles in the Church’s mission.

I hope you can join us in this new effort to grow together in faith and love for Christ.

Next Sunday’s Gospel Reading and Homily:

The reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke (17:12-19):

At that time, as Jesus entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When He saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well”.

Homily: Giving Thanks to God!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.

As I was returning to London after services in Belfast last weekend, I suddenly felt an overwhelming need to give thanks to God for all that we experienced over those days. Not to ask for anything, but simply to express my heartfelt gratitude. It was my first-ever service at the parish as a priest, and furthermore, my first service alone—not concelebrating with the Bishop or other clergy. So much effort had gone into making this possible: weeks of hard work by so many people in the parish, both in preparation and during the weekend itself. Months of perseverance by the faithful, longing for the services to restart. There were so many things that could have gone wrong, yet, everything went well… As I reflected on all of this, I was overwhelmed with emotions and the only words I could find were: “Glory to Thee, O God, Glory to Thee.” And then a thought struck me: How often do I, personally, pause to simply give thanks to the Lord?

Reading the Gospel for the coming Sunday, I recognize myself in the nine lepers who did not return to thank Christ for healing them.

How often do we find ourselves constantly asking the Lord for something? Of course, we rightly and primarily ask for His mercy: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Repentance is essential to our Christian life and necessary for our communion with God. Yet, beyond this, we ask God for so many things: health, success at work or in studies, resolution of conflicts, peace in our families, and so on. These petitions are not wrong in themselves—after all, asking God for help shows our faith in His ability to respond. But we MUST NOT forget to also give thanks to Him for all that He has already done for us.

Moreover, we must learn to thank God in all things—even when, in the moment, we perceive something as “bad.” In His mercy, God never does anything harmful to us, though our hearts and souls may not always comprehend His will immediately. But I know how hard this can be—it requires much spiritual effort and growth. So, if we find it difficult to thank God for the things we perceive as “bad,” let us at least start by thanking Him for what is clearly good in our lives. 

Think again of the Gospel reading. It tells of ten lepers who were healed by Christ. These men had suffered from a terrible disease that not only caused great physical pain but also left them outcasts, excluded from their communities. In an instant, they were healed. Yet, out of the ten, only one returned to give thanks to God. The others, likely consumed by the joy of being healthy again, rushed to reclaim the lives they had been missing for so long.

This story can be understood both literally and metaphorically. Literally, it speaks of a physical healing that Christ did —  a historic event recorded by the Evangelist Luke. But on the other level, the story speaks to all of us. The “leprosy” in the metaphorical sense represents the physical or spiritual struggles that burden us—sin, illness, despair, or other challenges. Christ heals us, physically and spiritually, by restoring us to communion with Him. Yet, if we receive His healing and then forget about Him, failing to maintain that connection, we risk falling into trouble again. The evil one watches constantly, seeking opportunities to lead us astray.

The Samaritan who returned to give thanks, maintained his communion with God. His gratitude strengthened this connection, enabling him to remain in the presence of Christ. Whether it is physical or spiritual well-being, it is only through communion with God that we can remain truly “well.” Thanksgiving is a key way to nurture and preserve this connection.

Being grateful to God is indispensable for our spiritual growth and salvation. Gratitude helps us recognize that we cannot navigate the chaos of worldly matters without Him. It allows us to entrust ourselves to His care and reminds us that, above all, we desire just to simply be with Him. Gratitude humbles us. It prevents us from attributing success solely to our own efforts and from blaming failures on “fate,” “luck,” or “God’s punishment.” 

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that the Divine Liturgy — the central act of our worship — is a service of thanksgiving. The word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word εὐχαριστία (eukharistía) – “gratitude, giving of thanks”. In the Liturgy, we give thanks to God and offer Him a bloodless sacrifice of bread and wine—the fruits of the earth that He has given us to cultivate. The priest proclaims, “Let us give thanks unto the Lord,” and later offers the holy gifts, saying, “Thine own of thine own, we offer unto Thee, in behalf of all and for all.” In response, Christ Himself comes to us, allowing us to partake of His precious Body and Blood in Holy Communion and uniting us with Him.

Let us, therefore, not forget to give thanks to God—not only during the Liturgy but also in our daily lives. If you do not know where to start, you can begin with something simple. For example, before going to bed, why not offer a short prayer, even in your own words, thanking God for the blessings of the day? When you wake in the morning, thank Him for the gift of another day to do good and repent. If something significant happens in your life, take a moment to stand before your icons—or come to church—and say, “Glory to Thee, O God, Glory to Thee,” for what He has done for you.

“O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Alleluia!” (Psalm 135:1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0nqhXi-sXU&list=PLSbNCBG9yanTBO24d__i4vZdp1-KK_sX9&index=3

Can I help you?

I am here for you, you need only ask. Is there a way I can support your life of faith? Get in touch

Yours in Christ,

Fr Dmitry Ismagilov
dmitry.ismagilov@protonmail.com
07479630020

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