Services March 2012

March 2012 at Audley and Dresden

Services at St. Michael’s, Audley

Thur 1st 7pm Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete

Wed 7th 7pm Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts

Wed 14th 7pm Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts

Wed 21st 7pm Liturgy of the Pre-sanctified Gifts

Wed 28th 7pm Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete in full

Services at the Church of the Holy Resurrection, Red Bank, Dresden

Fri 2nd 7pm Akathist to Saint Chad

Sat 3rd (TBA) Veneration of the Relics of Saint Chad in Birmingham

6pm Great Vespers

Sun 4th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

Fri 9th 7pm Akathist to the Mother of God

Sat 10th 6pm Memorial and Great Vespers

Sun 11th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

Fri 16th 7pm Akathist to the Mother of God

Sat 17th 6pm Memorial and Great Vespers

Sun 18th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

Fri 23rd 7pm Akathist to the Mother of God

Sat 24th 6pm Memorial and Great Vespers

Sun 25th 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

Fri 30th 7pm Akathist to the Mother of God

Sat 31st 6pm Great Vespers

Name Days

18th Edward Bendo

25th Mary Makings; Despina

Reposed

23rd Elizabeth Boothby (2007)

28th Priest Patrick (2008)

29th Barbara Worth (2008)

Advanced Notice of Pilgrimages

Sat 23rd June Pisani Chapel open day

Sat 28th July Stoney Middleton Liturgy

Sat 4th August Saint Bertram Liturgy at Ilam

Spring Fayre

Sat 28th April Dresden Scout Hall

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March Newsletter

On Raising Godly Children

These notes are from a presentation by His Grace Bishop THOMAS at Orthodox Institute

2009, Antiochian Villlage Heritage and Learning Center,Bolivar,Pa.,November5-8,

2009. Were produce them here with His Grace’s permission and blessing.

Parents, build upon the Scripture readings, hymns, and commemorations of Saints and feasts that the children encounter in the Divine Services of the Church. Explain to your children what the readings and hymns mean and tell them the stories of the Saints and feasts commemorated.
Educating your children means that you must be educated in the Faith yourself. This is the parents’ responsibility. Immerse yourself in the life of the Church.
Worship and pray in as many of the Divine Services as possible, attend adult education classes, read the Holy Scripture, and consult the commentaries and sermons on the Scripture by the Holy Fathers. In the home, set up a family altar or icon corner. Read the Scripture readings and lives of the Saints daily. Pray together as a family every day, at least in the morning and/or evening.
Make a big deal of feast days. Take the kids to the Divine Liturgy and enjoy a special meal to celebrate the day.

Celebrate the Name Days of the children with a celebration. Tell the story of

the patron Saint’s life and explain how to emulate his or her life as an Orthodox

Christian. At the family icon corner/a

ltar make sure to have an icon of the

child’s patron Saint alongside the icons of the parents’ patron Saints.

Ask the clergy to visit your home to bless it, and to explain to the family the significance of this event.

Encourage the clergy to develop an outreach program involving visitations to homes in order to teach families how to practically live the Faith in the home as

a “domestic church.”

Strive to be a holy example within the home, as well as in public, for your children to follow.

QUOTES TO CONSIDER

St. John Chrysostom’s instructions to fathers on telling stories from Holy Scripture:

“Tell him this story one evening at supper. Let his mother repeat the same tale; then, when he has heard it often, ask him too, saying: ‘Tell me the story,’ so that he may be eager to imitate you. And when he has memorized it thou wilt also tell him how it profits him. The soul indeed, as it receives the story within
itself before thou has elaborated it, is aware that it will benefit.” (Laistner 104)

“Go leading him by the hand in church and pay heed particularly when this tale
is read aloud. Thou wilt see him rejoice and leap with pleasure because he knows what the other children do not know, as he anticipates the story, recognizes it, and derives great gain from it. And hereafter the episode is fixed

in his memory.” (Laistner 105)

St. John Chrysostom on naming children after the Saints:
“So let the names of the saints enter our homes through the naming of children,
to train not only the child but the father, when he reflects that he is the father of John or Elijah or James; for, if the name be given with forethoug

ht to pay honour to those that have departed, and we grasp at our kinship with the righteous rather than with our forebears, this too will greatly help us and our children.” (Laistner 108-109)

The above text has been taken from Dana Symeon Kees, “The Scriptural Narrative in Orthodox Education,” Master’s Thesis, St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, 2009, pp. 138, 139-140, quoting St. John Chrysostom, “An Address on Vainglory and the Right Way for Parents to Bring Up Their Children,” printed in the appendix of M. L. W. Laistner, Christianity and Pagan Culture in the Later Roman Empire (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1951), 104-105,108-109.

Elder Porphyrios on Nurturing Children:
“What saves and makes for good children is the life of the parents in the home.
The parents need to devote themselves to the love of God. They need to become saints in their relations to their children through their mildness, patience, and love. They

need to make a new start every day, with a fresh outlook, renewed enthusiasm and love for their children. And the joy that will come to them, the holiness that will visit them, will shower grace on their children. Generally the parents are to blame for the bad behaviour of the children. And their behaviour is not improved by reprimands, disciplining, or strictness. If the parents do not pursue a life of holiness and if they don’t engage in spiritual struggle, they make great mistakes and transmit the faults they have within them. If the parents do not live a holy life and do not display love towards each other, the devil torments the parents with the reactions of the children. Love, harmony and understanding between parents are what are required for the children. This provides a great sense of security and certainty.”

The above selection is from Wounded by Love: The Life and Wisdom of Elder Porphyrios, trans. by John Raffan (Limni, Evia, GRE: Denise Harvey, Publi

sher, 2005), 196.

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The editor found this website which you might find interesting – subtitled “Sharing in the triumphs and mishaps of raising children within the Orthodox Faith”.
www.orthodoxmom.com

Services February 2012 at Audley and Dresden

Wed 1st 6.30pm Great Vespers of the Feast at Dresden
Thurs 2nd 11am Divine Liturgy of the Feast at Audley

Sat 4th 6pm Great Vespers (Audley and Dresden)
Sun 5th 10am Matins;11am Divine Liturgy (Audley and Dresden)
(Father George’s final Liturgy at Audley)

Services at St. Michael’s, Audley

Wed 8th 11am Divine Liturgy
Wed 15th 11am Divine Liturgy
No Liturgy permitted on 22nd
Mon 27th 7pm Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete
Tues 28th 7pm Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete
Wed 29th 7pm Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
Thurs 1st March 7pm Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete

Services at the Church of the Holy Resurrection, Red Bank, Dresden

Every Saturday 6pm Great Vespers
Every Sunday 10am Matins; 11am Divine Liturgy

Note: Sun 26th 6pm Forgiveness Vespers
Fri 2nd March 7pm Akathist to Saint Chad

~~~ Great Lent begins Monday 27th February ~~~

Name Days
3rd Archimandrite Simeon
7th Richard Grace
16th Nicholas Chapman (O.S)
19th Philothei Maxfield

Reposed
2nd Protopresbyter Alban (2009)
10th Photini (2006)

Advanced Notice of Pilgrimages
Sat 3rd March Veneration of the Relics of Saint Chad in the R.C. Cathedral in Birmingham
Sat 23rd June Pisani Chapel open day
Sat 28th July Stoney Middleton Liturgy
Sat 4th August Saint Bertram Liturgy at Ilam



Huge Thanks… … go to Stephan for his sterling work over the past few months in producing this Newsletter. You will be disappointed to learn that your old editor is back!

sursa photo

Prayer during the Fast

Prayer during the Great Fast
Fasting without prayer is just a “diet” and of no spiritual benefit at all.
At the very least use the Prayer of St. Ephraim every day during the Fast.

O Lord and Master of my life!Take from me the spirit of sloth, meddling,lust of power and idle talk.
Make one prostration
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant.
Make one prostration
Yea, O Lord and King!Grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages.
Make one prostration
O God, cleanse me, a sinner.
Say 12 times with bows
Then say the entire prayer again with only one prostration at the end


This should be done privately in your own room as your own offering to God. Do not prostrate unless you can be sure of being able to get up again afterwards!
If you have children teach them how to pray this prayer together with you, so that you make a family offering to God every day of the Great Fast.
Do it before you eat together. It is much more difficult on a full stomach.
Apart from this do not be too adventurous, rather persevere in your daily prayer routine and keep to it.

Fund-raising event

Alsager Table Top Sale – Help Required!

Saturday 4th February offers the opportunity for you to help and support Imogen and Hugh in their endeavours at a Table Top Sale at Alsager Civic Centre between 9:30 and 12 noon.
This is both a fund-raising event for the Parish (both Audley and Dresden churches!) and also an opportunity for Mission. As Imogen said in her recent email, “We have found the True Faith” and we have a responsibility to share it with others out there who are searching for God. We are having two tables – one for bric-a-brac and the other given over entirely to Orthodox books and gifts and with information about our Church.
You can help on the day (starting with setting up at 08:30) and also beforehand in both donating items for sale and in sorting and pricing.
Stuff for sale can be left at the back of either church for collection or helpfully dropped off at the Maxfield residence. The sorting will be done there on the afternoon of Thursday 2nd February if you fancy lending a welcome hand between 1pm and 4pm.
Contact Imogen on 01270 875608 or email hughandimogen@btinternet.com

The Great Fast

The Church leads us into the Great Fast gently. We are reminded not to be proud and showy in our fasting, like the Pharisee, but humble and penitent, like the publican. Weare reminded by the story of the prodigal son that, no matter how great our fall from Grace, the Father comes out to meet us when first we decide to return to Him.
We give up meat, then dairy, but most importantly we set ourselves right with our fellow travellers on the way to Pascha by asking their forgiveness and giving ours.
We cannot seek to engage in spiritual warfare unless our hearts are right.
“IF YOU BRING YOUR GIFT TO THE ALTAR AND REMEMBER THAT YOUR BROTHER HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU, LEAVE IT THERE, AND GO AND BE RECONCILED FIRST WITH YOUR BROTHER.”
“FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US.”
This is so much more difficult than simply fasting!
Make your own confession and forgive others. Only then will you be fit to fast.

Forgive me and pray for me the unworthy priest and sinner.

Father Samuel

Saint Govan

Said returning editor had the good fortune to visit Pembrokeshire for the first time in December 2011 for a short break. Almost by accident we stumbled across Saint Govan’s Chapel. I have seen photos of the chapel many times but nothing quite beats being there – even if the wind was so strong that one dare not get within 25 yards of the cliff edge for fear of ending up in the Atlantic. The steps down to the present chapel (dating from the 13th century) provide shelter and the air around the chapel was quite still. Saint Govan (died 586) was an Irish monk who travelled to Wales to seek the family of the abbot who had trained him. He was set upon by pirates from Ireland or the nearby island of Lundy and chased along the cliffs. The cliff opened up to present Govan with a fissure just big enough to hide in until the marauders passed by. In gratitude, Govan remained and spent the rest of his days ministering to and educating the local people. The large rock and fissure form part of the Eastern wall of the chapel.