No.

118

September2016

TheOrthodoxParish
oftheHolyandLifeGivingCross,
Lancaster,U.K.

TheStavronian

amonthlymagazine&newsletterpublishedbythe'HolyCrossSynodia'

TheParishoftheHolyandLifeGivingCross,
belongstotheAntiochianOrthodoxChristianArchdioceseoftheBritishIslesandIreland.
ThePatriarchateofAntiochisthirdsenioroftheOrthodoxChurches.
ThePatriarchisHisBeatitudeJohnX.

ThediscipleswerefirstcalledChristiansinAntioch
(Acts11:26)

ECCLESIASTICALNEWYEAR
SEPTEMBER1st
ChristourGod,Yourkingdomisanever
lastingoneandYourlordshipisoverall.
You have made all things with wisdom
and have established proper times and
seasonsforourlives.Wegivethanksto
You in all circumstances and for all
things. Lord, bless the beginning of our
Church year with Your goodness. Grant
thatthisliturgicalyearbeforallofusa
yearofgrace.Makeusworthywithpurity
ofheartalwaystopraiseyou.Lord,glory
toYou!
Bless,OLord,thecrownoftheyearwith
Yourgoodness!

THEMODELOFPRAYER
Chapter6;Andforgiveusour
trespassesasweforgivethosewho
trespassagainstus
The traditional word trespasses is
probablymoreaccuratelytranslatedinSt.
MatthewsGospelasdebts( ). St. Luke records trespasses
assins( ).Debtsare
not simply to do with financial matters
althoughprovisionwasmadeintheOld
Testament for a person to be forgiven
their financial obligations in the Jubilee
year (Leviticus 25:912). The Jubilee
occurred every 50 years when all out
standing debts were cancelled, slaves
were set free from bondage to their
masters and any land that had been

appropriatedascollateralrestored.Inthe
reconcilingprovidenceofGod,provision
ismadeforcancellingdebtandsin.God
isgenerous.Hedoesnotexactthejustice
andpunishmentwhichisdue,butthere
isareciprocityrequiredinGodslenien
cy. We too have to exercise the same
generosityofspiritbyrelinquishingthat
whichmaybeduetous.Tobereconciled
with God, we must be reconciled with
othersthroughforgiveness.
The Parable of the unforgiving
servant(Matt.18:2135)isaresponseto
Peters question: Lord, how often shall
mybrothersinagainstme,andIforgive
him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to
him, I do not say to you, up to seven
times,butuptoseventytimesseven.Our
Lord goes on to relate the parable of a
servant, who having been forgiven a
largedebtbyhisMasterfailstoforgivea
fellow servant who owed him a small
amount. Forgiveness, Christ goes on to
say, must be from the heart. What we
owetoothersmaybemorethanmoney.
Indeed, the Apostle Paul writes in
Romans 13:8; Let no debt remain out
standing, except the continuing debt to
loveoneanother
Sin (), as used in St Lukes
Gospelistomissthemarkusedinanci
ent Greek Literature to describe archers
who missed or fell short of the target.
WithintheChristianunderstandingthere
fore it is to fall short of the perfection
which is demanded by the Father in
heaven and which is to be found in
Christ:Matt.5:48;Thereforeyoushallbe
perfect, just as your Father in heaven is
perfect.
Thedifferenceintranslationmaybe
explained by the fact that Aramaic, the
dialect of Hebrew that Our Lord spoke
andthatisstillspokeninourOrthodox
AntiochianMonasteryinMaaloula,Syria,
uses the same word for sin and debt,
chobayn;indeeditisaplayonwords.We

askGodtoforgiveoursinsasweforgive
ourdebtors.Inthissenseoursinsarenot
merely transgressions of specific com
mandments (of which trespass may be
considered an example) they are omis
sionsbythought,wordanddeedthat
which we have left undone and that
whichweowetoothers.Aspiritualson
reminded me recently that I owed him
something.WhenIaskedwhatitwas,he
saidYouowemeyourprayers,father!
Whether it be by the breaking of
GodslawsorbythefallingshortofHis
perfection we find the way of reconcili
ation through forgiveness and repentan
ce.MayIalsofindthewaythroughrepen
tanceisanexpressionthatwefindinthe
Orthodoxfuneralservice.Ourforgiveness
is conditional upon our repentance and
howweforgiveothers.
Thisisprobablythemostdifficultof
all the stanzas in the Lords Prayer to
pray. How hard it is to let go of those
whohaveoffendedandhurtusandwho
have spoken evil against us, who have
brokentrustanddeceivedus?Howdiffi
cultwefindittoletgoofthoselingering
injusticesthathavebeencommittedaga
instus,thosegrievancesthatareplayed
over and over again in our head like a
scratchedvinylrecord.Howalienitisto
forgivethosewhohavehurtourchildren,
ourfriendsandthosewelove?However,
suchbitternessesandresentmentsdestroy
ourpeaceofmind,cloudourjudgements
and seriously endanger our immortal
soul. Many lives have been lost and
destroyedthroughthepassionsdesirefor
retributionevenifthisremainsathought
andnotactedupon.Thespiraloffeeling
sorryforoneself,selfpity,becomesakind
of inverted pride and eventually a self
obsessionwhichleadstoisolationwhich
isastateofhell.
Whenyouareprayingalone,andyour
spiritisdejected,andyouareweariedand
oppressed by your loneliness, remember
then,asalways,thatGodtheTrinitylooks

uponyouwitheyesbrighterthanthesun;
also all the angels, your own Guardian
Angel, and all the Saints of God. Truly
theydo;fortheyarealloneinGod,and
whereGodis,therearetheyalso.Where
thesunis,thitheralsoaredirectedallits
rays.Trytounderstandwhatthismeans.
St.JohnofKronstadt
Thisrequestislikeamirrorforour
hearts. We begin to see the loving
forgiveness and mercies of God who is
Judgeofallwhenweforgiveothersand
Gods forgiveness for us is dependant
upon us forgiving others. This is at the
heart of the new contract the new
covenant, the New Testament. James
1:2224;Butbedoersoftheword,andnot
hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if
anyoneisahearerofthewordandnota
doer, he is like a man observing his
natural faceinamirror;for heobserves
himself, goes away, and immediately
forgetswhatkindofmanhewas.
Ouronlyrecourseinsuchtimesisto
God alone and to repent of our own
wrongdoingsandtorecogniseourown
sins. How easy it is to see the fault in
others,howeasyitistojustifyourown
faults.Sinwarpsoursensitivitytoothers
andturnsusinward,shrivellingoursouls
in a poisonous concoction of jealousy,
prideandmistrustwhichblindsustoour
ownperilousstate.However,weshould
distinguishbeingsorryforoursinsfrom
repentingthem.Sorrowisnotthesame
asrepentance.WemaysayIamsorry
because of a wrong or an offence has
been discovered; but even when this
sorrow is genuine and accompanied by
tearsitisanemotionalresponse.Whatis
requiredisachangeofmind(repentan
ce) to addressthecausesofourmisde
meanoursandoffences.Beingsorrymay
bring about a temporary catharsis but
repentanceaddressestheunderlyingtrig
gersandcausesandleadstoalongterm

solutionwherebyourmindsareconfront
edwiththetruthaboutourselves.
ThereisastoryaboutStAugustineof
Hippowhobecameangrywithaperson
who day after day seemed to thwart
everything that he wanted to do. One
day,totallyatalossaswhattodoabout
this troublesome man who had been
particularlyirritating,StAugustinefellto
his knees in exasperation and prayed
Please God remove this monster! He
heard a voice from heaven asking:
Whichone?
We must cultivate and honest and
trueselfappraisal.Weshouldguardour
vulnerability and take care not to let
ourselves be offended. If we encounter
thosewhoareavexationtoourspiritwe
should quietly withdraw so that we do
not allow anger its full rein and so fall
intojudgementofothersandourselves.
St Anthony the Great in his letters
wrote:Hewhoknowshimselfhasknown
GodCertainlywemustknowourselves
before we can know others and if we
cannot forgive others then we our
knowledge is actually a pride or a
prejudice. We do not have any genuine
knowledge of those whom we hate.
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware, The
OrthodoxWay.StIsaactheSyrianwrites
in his second homily: There is no sin
whichcannotbepardonedexceptthatone
whichlacksrepentance,andthereisnogift
which is not augmented save that which
remainswithoutacknowledgement.Forthe
portionofthefoolissmallinhiseyes.
Wemustprayforthosewhooffend
againstusinlove.Shouldourprayersand
forgivenessextendeventothedeviland
hisfallenangels?ElderPaisios,nowthe
newlyglorifiedStPaisios,oncefastedand
prayed for two weeks for the eternal
salvationofthedevil.Whilstprayinghe
sawadogsheadstickinghistongueout
andmockinghim.Paisiosconcludedfrom
thisincidentthatGodisreadytoaccept

thedemonsprovidedtheyrepent,butthey
themselves do not want their salvation.
His Eminence Metropolitan Kallistos
WareinhisbookTheInnerKingdompp
202203writes:Yet,eventhoughitisnot
for us to pray for the devil, we have no
right to assume that he is totally and
irrevocably excluded from the scope of
Godsmercy.Satan,eventhoughheisa
creature of God to whom God extends
Hislove,isthefatherofpride.
Repentanceistherenewalofbaptism.
Repentance is a contract with God for a
secondlife.Apenitentisabuyerofhumi
lity.Repentanceisconstantdistrustofbo
dily comfort. Repentance is selfcondemn
ing reflection, and carefree selfcare.
Repentanceisthedaughterofhopeandthe
renunciation of despair. A penitent is an
undisgracedconvict.Repentanceisreconci
liation with the Lord by the practice of
good deeds contrary to the sins.
Repentance is purification of conscience.
Repentanceisthevoluntaryenduranceof
allafflictions.Apenitentistheinflicterof
his own punishments. Repentance is a
mightypersecutionofthestomach,anda
striking of the soul into vigorous
awareness.StJohnClimacus
Tobecontinued
FrJonathan

WHYSUFFERING?
WhydoesthegoodLordpermitassaults
andsufferingsontheTrueFaithwhileHe
permits the pleasure of tranquillity to
heresies and paganism? Why? St. John
Chrysostomasksandimmediatelyreplies:
"Sothatyouwouldrecognisetheirweak
nesswhenyouseethattheydisintegrateon
their own without any disturbance and
alsotobeconvincedinthepoweroffaith

whichenduresmisfortunesandevenmulti
pliesthroughitsadversaries."
St.IsaactheSyriansays:Thewond
rousloveofGodtowardmanisrecognised
when man is in misfortunes that are
destroying his hope. Here, God manifests
His power for his [man's] salvation. For
manneverrecognisesthepowerofGodin
tranquillityandfreedom.
FrJonathan

THEDIASPORAAND
MISSION
I often hear the word diaspora,
dispersed to describe those Orthodox
Christians worshipping outside their ho
melands or canonically defined jurisdi
ctions.Originallyusedinconnectionwith
theJewishpeoplewhowereforcedinto
exileoutsideIsrael(Deuteronomy28:25),
ithascometobeusedforthoseOrthodox
Christiansfallingoutsidetheirtraditional
culturalnascenthomelandsandlivingin
countries where multiple jurisdictions
appertain as in the USA, Australia or
Western Europe. Assignment of the
disaporaaccordingtotheinterpretation
of Canon 28 of the Fourth Ecumenical
Council was granted to New Rome
Constantinopletotakepastoraloversight
overtheBarbarianlands.
The reposed Metropolitan Philip of
NorthAmericaofthricememorysaid:I
believe that Canon 28, historically, is a
contextualcanonandnotadogmaticone;
itgavethecityofConstantinoplecertain
rights as the New Rome for secular,
politicalreasonsbecauseitwastheseat
oftheemperor.
IfwelooktotheApostolicagewesee
intheActsoftheApostlesthatitwasthe
Patriarchate of Antioch that established
missiontotheGentilesthroughStPaul
the Apostle. All three of his missionary

journeyswerelaunchedfromAntioch.It
wasHisBeatitudePatriarchIgnatiosIV th
who saw that the manner of living the
catholicity ofthe Church isin full free
domintheHolySpiritandnotinblind
adherence to the letter of the canons;
because,"thecanonsweremadeforthe
Church and not the Church for the
canons."Withspiritualcourage,hemain
tained thatnothingprevents themodi
ficationofold andobsolete canons.We
mustsearchdiligentlyfortherealization
of the Church in her present and given
historicalcontext,otherwise wedieand
webecomenothingmorethanamuseum
filledwithmummies.
Iamnotpartofanydiaspora,Iam
an Orthodox Priest born in the United
Kingdom and I am an adopted son of
Antioch.TherearemanyOrthodoxChri
stianswhoseparentswerefromdifferent
jurisdictionswhowerebornhereandare
baptisedintotheOrthodoxChurchwhich
mayormaynotbepartoftheirnatio
nal jurisdiction. Practically all of our
AntiochianParishesinBritainandIreland
are PanOrthodox in their demography.
GlorytoGod!
TheChurchaswesayintheCreedis
One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic.
Thosewhodonotseemissionasimpor
tant are not true Orthodox Christians.
Complacency and self regard emanate
from empty vessels, veiling themselves
with the masks of actors and national
flags. Whilst less common the older
brother syndrome sadly still persists in
somecirclestowardssocalledconverts.
TheParableoftheProdigalson(whohe
wasguiltyofmanysinsLuke15:1132)is
alsoaParableabouttheOldersonwhose
character is painted as pompous, aloof,
resentful,selfrighteous,grudging,sullen,
angry,complainingandjealous.Onecan
doalltherightthingsbutwiththewrong
spirit!
FromtheverybeginningtheChurch
wasOnesheexpressedherselfatalocal

level but the faith and doctrine she

proclaimed as being held in unity. We
holdthefaithasHolyasthosecalledto
imitate Christ and to separate ourselves
from sin, not from one another on the
basis of ethnic identity. The Church is
Catholic thatisuniversal; aproclama
tion which we make on the Sunday of
Orthodoxy: This is the Faith of the
Apostles,thisistheFaithoftheFathers,
thisistheFaithoftheOrthodox,thisis
the Faith which has established the
Universe. And the Church is Apostolic
based on the teaching, preaching and
tradition of the Apostles and by nature
sentouttopreachtheSavingGospelto
all nations. From the start, the Church
was apostolic and evangelistic in her
calling and command. Ethnic pride is
simplyaformofpharisaismandthevery
anithesis of Our Lords last command:
Matthew 28:1920; Go therefore and
make disciples of all the nations,
baptising them in the name of the
FatherandoftheSonandoftheHoly
Spirit, teaching them to observe all
thingsthatIhavecommandedyou;and
lo,I amwithyou always, evento the
endoftheage.Amen.
Certainly there are those waiting to
hearthewordofsalvation,butthereisno
such thing as the diaspora quite the
oppositeonlythosecalledandgathered
(theekklesiathetotalbodyofbelievers
belongingtotheLordwhoarecalledout
fromtheworld)intotheKingdomofGod.
Luke13:29; Andtheyshallcome from
theeast,andfromthewest,andfrom
the north, and from the south, and
shallsitdowninthekingdomofGod.
Sowehavemuchtodobecausefor
to those who have been given much,
muchisexpected.Werejoicewiththose
returning to the Orthodox Church. We
weep with those who find themselves
exiledfromtheirlands.Wearewarmed
bythefactthatsomanyofourparishes
aremicrocosmsofPentecostwithfaithful

beingwelcomedfromallovertheworld
regardless ofnationality.Wethank God
that we witness strength of faith and
growth in His Church and we ask
empowerment for the apostolic mission
set before us to bring Gods love to a
hungryworld.
ThegloryofGodisrevealedinjoy.
The mercy of God is experienced in
suffering.ThegraceofGodisdiscovered
in fellowship. The power of God is
realised inmiracles. TheloveofGod is
manifestedinmission.
FrJonathan

RELEASETHERELICS!
Suchfragmentsofdustchargedbybliss
ArecontainersoftheFatherslove;
Buriedinthefertilesoildiscovered,
Absorbingtruth,exudingfaith
Transformingearththroughaheavenlykiss:
RetrievetheRelics.
Whoseistheirface,theirimage,seal?
Wheretheprovenanceforholybones?
Wholiebeneathfalsemoons,fakestarsandCreationsgroans;
Christistheirhome,theirbeingandtheirsource
TosingHisgraceinsymphonictones.
Relocatetherelics!
ThosepreciousoneswhoacquiredtheLight,hardwon;
HethathastheSonhaslifeweread.
Theblindandlamefindtheirwayhomefollowing
Theplough,thatturnstheturftotheSun;
Revivetheseeds,reformtherebelliousones.
ReilluminatetheRelics
Cantheseboneslive?askedGodtohisexiledflock
Lifelessinthewarstrewnsand,uponahumanthreshingfloor
Prodigalfleshawakeswhengroundisdug
HewaslostandisfoundinaFathershug
Timetorewindthemortalclock!

ReinstatetheRelics
TodayweseekElishasbones,tofindhispower,
Iridescentinpoorclothandmarrowveiledto
Smellthefragrantscent;
Sharethatwhichimbuesaholyresidue
Whocouldresistsuchasweetscentedflower?
RedistributetheRelics
AdoubleportionofElijahsspiritclingstothosewhoseek
TheIncarnationandthepromiseoftheChrist.
NoframetoholdyetbySpiritborne,

Thesebonesyetlive
andgrantnewstructurestotheweak:
RestoretheRelics
Collectthedust!TheLorditwaswhoshapedusmen
Drieduparewe,bleachedwhitebythescorchingsun
OpenthedoorandletChristin
Andourboneswillliveagain!
Yourboneswillliveagain!
ResurrecttheRelics

French Government as a Normandy

Veteran.WegivethankstoGodthatsuch
a distinguished honour would be
awardedtosuchanoble,virtuous and
deserving man. Of course with due
humilityhesaidIcan'timaginewhythey
would want to give it to me. May God
grantourbelovedBarnabasmanyyears!

FrJonathan

NAMESOFDEPARTED
LOVEDONESTOBE
REMEMBEREDTHISMONTH
Sept.1:Pericles
Sept.29:Georgios
MEMORY ETERNAL!
Pleasesendusthenamesofyourdepar
ted loved ones and date of their depar
tureinorderforthemtoberemembered.

PARISHNEWS
Our Community is blessed in having an
imprint of the Burning Bush on stone
fromMountSinai.Itwascausedbythe
UncreatedLightofGodandisuniqueto
Mount Sinai, where Moses received the
Ten Commandments. For further infor
mationontheBurningBushandMount
Sinai,pleaseclickhere.
Itiswithgreatpleasuretoannounce
that Barnabas Dickinson is soon to be
awarded the Lgion d'Honneur by the

BarnabasinhishomeatChorley.

ParishphotoaftertheHolyLiturgy
celebratingtheTransfigurationofourLord
andSaviour!Theblessingofthegrapes
occurredattheendoftheLiturgy.

FrJonathanaftertheblessingofthegrapes
attheendoftheHolyLiturgy.

STAVRONIANCORNER
We are so very grateful to those who
remember us in their prayers and show
theirloveasgenerousbenefactorsofour
Parish.Firstofall,wewouldliketothank
Marina Bontch from Germany, for the
lovelyIconoftheMotherofGodEleousa
whicharrived safelyontheFeastofthe
Transfiguration (New Julian Calendar).
Wewouldliketothank PatriciaChiracu
and her parents from Romania for the
beautiful hand embroidered cloths from
Romania for our temple. Wealso thank
IoanaPlaterforcleaningtheholypriestly
vestmentsandliturgicalcloths.MayGod
givetherewardandblessallofyoufor
yourkindness!

We say farewell to Patricia Chiracu

andto DimitriandEkaterinaIsmaguilov
whomoveonfromLancasterUniversity.
Theyhavebeenverymuchapartofour
Parish and contributed so much to our
servicesandOrthodoxCommunity.They
willcontinuetobeinourprayersandour
heartsandwewishthemwellintheirlife
journeyinChrist.

AlovelypicturefromAdamos
PapadopoulosfromCyprus,withhis
motherandgrandfatherpriest!

MAJORCELEBRATIONSTHIS
MONTH
st
1Sept:

TheEcclesiasticalNewYear
th
8Sept:

TheNativityofourMostHoly
LadytheTheotokosandEverVirginMary
th
9Sept:

TheHoly&RighteousAncestors
ofGod,JoachimandAnna
th
11Sept:

St.EuphrosynustheCook
th
14Sept:

TheExaltationofthePrecious
andLifeGivingCross
th
16Sept:

TheGreatMartyrEuphemiathe
Allpraised
th
17Sept:

MartyrSophiaandherthree
daughters,Pistis(Faith,Vera),Elpis
(Hope,Nadezhda)andAgape(Love,
Lyubov)
th
19Sept:

St.TheodoreofTarsus,
ArchbishopofCanterbury

th
24Sept:

St.SilouantheAthonite
th
25Sept:

St.Sergius,Abbotand
WonderworkerofRadonezh
th
28Sept:

St.LiobaofWimborne,Abbess
ofBischofsheim(782)

For the lives of Saints please visit the

CalendaroftheGreekOrthodoxArchdi
oceseofAmerica:www.calendar.goarch.org

ServicesatStMartin'sinSeptember*
Sat.3rd
Sun.4th
Sat.10th
Sun.11th
Tue.13th

13:00
10:00
13:00
10:00
18:30

Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
HoursandHolyLiturgy
Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
HoursandHolyLiturgy
GreatVespersfollowedbyfastingmealcelebratingthe
ExaltationoftheHolyCross
Sat.17th
13:00 Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
Sun.18th 10:00 HoursandHolyLiturgy
Sat.24th
13:00 Confessions,SynaxarionandGreatVespers
Sun.25th 10:00 HoursandHolyLiturgyfollowedbyParishlunch
*Helpsettingupthechurchisgreatlyappreciatedandstartsfrom9.30a.m.

Godcaresforeveryone.Despairisineffectalackoffaith
St.GeorgeKarslides

Forfurtherinformationpleasecontact:
FatherJonathanHemmings
67SibseyStr.,Fairfield,Lancaster,LA15DQ
Tel:+441524840759,+441524580600
Email:frjah@yahoo.co.uk
www.orthodoxlancaster.org.uk
www.antiochianorthodox.co.uk
ThefollowingblogsofOldStavroniansareavailableinRomanian,ConstiintaOrtodoxa,in
English,Orthodoxcityhermit,andinGreek,Orthodoxyrainbow.

TopandbottomsketchesarecreatedattheHolyMonasteryofTheAnnunciationoftheTheotokosChios,Greece,courtesyofFrTheodosiosDendrinos,Ithaca,Greece.
ThesketchofChristbyPhotisKontoglouwasscannedfromtheOrthodoxcalendaroftheApostolikiDiakoniaoftheChurchofGreece.