1st Anniversary of the Consecration

On Sunday 10^th November 2013 we celebrated the 1^st Anniversary of our new Church’s Consecration.

It was a very nice opportunity for many people to gather together and offer a special prayer for our new Church and for our Community as a whole.

The Episcopal Divine Liturgy was presided over by the Metropolitan Bishop George of Paphos (Church of Cyprus). Fr Melchisedek (from the Monastery of Essex), Fr. Aemilianos (from the Holy Mountain), as well as the Parish Priest Fr. Anastasios assisted the Bishop.

At the end of the Holy Service the President of our Community Mr. Pantelis Demosthenous had offered, on behalf of the Church and Community Council, commemorative plagues to various people who have contributed greatly towards our Church and Community by both personal service and financial offerings. These are:

-         Mr. Yiannakis Yianna, President of the Community, between 1979-2005 and Trustee of the Community.

-         Mr. Miltiades Papadakis, Secretary of the Community, between 1975-1997and Trustee of the Community.

-         Mr. George Stylianou, Treasurer of the Community, between 1989-1995 and Trustee of the Community.

-         Mrs. Eva Christou, President of “St. Agatha” Ladies Sisterhood, between 1992-2011.

Bishop of Kyanea

Last night we had at our Church the Service of the 4^th Salutations to our Lady Virgin Mary.

Bishop Chrysostomos of Kyanea visited our Church and presided over the Holy Service.

The Bishop sung the Salutations and delivered an excellent sermon, where he emphasised the importance of honouring the Holy Theotokos.

It was nice to see, as we were waiting for the Bishop outside the Church, a double rainbow up in the sky. We felt particularly blessed!

Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross

With the help of God, we have almost reached the middle of the course of the Fast, where our strength has been worn down through abstinence, and the full difficulty of the labour set before us becomes apparent. Therefore our holy Mother, the Church of Christ, now brings to our help the all-holy Cross, the joy of the world, the strength of the faithful, the staff of the just, and the hope of sinners, so that by venerating it reverently, we might receive strength and grace to complete the divine struggle of the Fast.

Today we had in our Church the special Service of the Veneration of the Holy Cross. The Church was full and everyone participated joyfully.

Resurrectional Apolytikion in the Third Tone

Let the heavens sing for joy, and let everything on earth be glad. * For with His Arm the Lord has worked power. * He trampled death under foot by means of death; * and He became the firstborn from the dead. * From the maw of Hades He delivered us; * and He granted the world His great mercy.

Apolytikion in the First Tone

Lord, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting our rulers to prevail over adversaries, and protecting Your commonwealth by Your Cross.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone

To you, Theotokos, invincible Defender, having been delivered from peril, I, your city, dedicate the victory festival as a thank offering. In your irresistible might, keep me safe from all trials, that I may call out to you: "Hail, unwedded bride!"

Sunday of Orthodoxy

Today is the Sunday of Orthodoxy in our Church calendar, which is the First Sunday in Great Lent.

The story behind the Sunday of Orthodoxy is quite interesting. It takes us back to the Byzantine time.

For more than one hundred years the Church of Christ was troubled by the persecution of the Iconoclasts of evil belief, beginning in the reign of Leo the Isaurian (717-741) and ending in the reign of Theophilus (829-842).

  

After Theophilus's death, his widow the Empress Theodora, together with the Patriarch Methodius, established Orthodoxy anew.

This ever-memorable Queen venerated the icon of the Mother of God in the presence of the Patriarch Methodius and the other confessors and righteous men, and openly cried out these holy words: "If anyone does not offer relative worship to the holy icons, not adoring them as though they were gods, but venerating them out of love as images of the archetype, let him be anathema."

Then with common prayer and fasting during the whole first week of the Forty-day Fast, she asked God's forgiveness for her husband. After this, on the first Sunday of the Fast, she and her son, Michael the Emperor, made a procession with all the clergy and people and restored the holy icons, and again adorned the Church of Christ with them.

This is the holy deed that all we the Orthodox commemorate today, and we call this radiant and venerable day the Sunday of Orthodoxy, that is, the triumph of true doctrine over heresy.

Vespers of Forgiveness 2013

On Cheesefare Sunday, 17^th March 2013, we celebrated the so-called Vespers of Forgiveness.

The Parish Priest Fr. Anastasios officiated at the Vespers. Archimandrite Chrysostomos Tymbas had taken part in the last part of the Service.

Fr. Chrysostomos had earlier on given a talk at our Community Hall on the theme: “Forgiveness in the life of Christians”.

Right at the end of this Vespers during the chanting of a hymn the congregation gathers and kisses the right hand of the celebrant(s), who would say: “May God forgive you and me”!

Then all faithful embrace each other, in order to offer and receive forgiveness. Thus, Christians are ready to start the Great Lent fully cleansed.