Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

            Greetings and blessings to all! I pray that you are well…

            Yesterday was the leave-taking of the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. As we leave this feast we heard in the Gospel appointed for this past Sunday the words of our Lord: ‘Whoever would follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his Cross, and follow Me.’ I share with you the reflections of Metropolitan Anthony of Sorouzh on this Gospel passage…

‘When we are told in today's Gospel, ‘Deny yourself, take up your Cross, follow Me' (Mark 8: 34) - we are not called to something dark and frightening. We are told by God: Open yourself to love! Do not remain a prisoner of your own self-centeredness. Do not be, in the words of Theophane the Recluse, like a shaving of wood which is rolled around in its own emptiness. Open yourself up! Look - there is so much to love, there are so many to love! There is such an infinity of ways in which love can be experienced and fulfilled and accomplished... Open yourself and love - because this is the way of the Cross! Not the way which the two criminals trod together with Christ to be punished for their crimes. but the wonderful way in which giving oneself unreservedly, turning away from self, existing only for the other, loving with all one's being so that one exists only for the sake of the other - this is the Cross and the glory of the Cross.

So, when we venerate the Cross, when we think of Christ's crucifixion, when we hear the call of Christ to deny ourselves - and these words simply mean - turn away from yourself! Take up your cross! - we are called to open ourselves to the flood of Love Divine, that is both death to ourselves and openness to God and to each and to all.

In the beginning of the Gospel of St. John we are told, "And the Word was with God". In the Greek it says "Godwards". The Word, the Son had no other love, no other thought, no other movement but towards the Beloved One, giving Himself to Him Who gave Himself perfectly to Him. Let us learn the glory of crucified Love, of this Love sacrificial which is, in the words of the Old Testament, stronger than death, stronger than hell, stronger than all things because it is Divine Life conquering us and poured through us onto all those who need to be loved in order to come to Life, to believe in Love and themselves to become children of Love, children of Light, inherit the Life eternal. Amen.’

            May we dare to have the courage and trust in God to take up our Cross – the Cross of self-sacrificial love, which brings about the paradox of our self-denial calling down upon ourselves the happiness and fulfillment of the Grace of God!

Our weekly Bible Study is this Wednesday evening at 7pm. Last week we began our study of the Epistle to the Phillipians using Blessed Theophylact’s commentaries. All are invited to attend. The Zoom link is: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89738164102. 

Fr Andrew’s Catechism class will be held on Thursday at 6pm. The Zoom link is: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81421729353. These classes cover a variety of subjects and also provide opportunity for any and all questions. All are welcome to attend.

Saturday at 2pm we have our ‘in person’ class in the church hall. We are continuing our study of St Theophan’s ‘Path To Salvation’. Please come join us!

May God be with you and grant you a blessed week!

Fr Martin