Parish council statement - 11th April 2020
Dear parishioners,
Gathered as we are in our family homes, Christ’s Resurrection slowly approaches to cross our porches and enter our hearts and souls. Today is Lazarus Saturday, tomorrow is Palm Sunday and next week is Passion Week which culminates in Christ’s and our Resurrection from the dead. These, the most important feast days in our calendars find us, as the rest of the world, in a strange situation of self-isolation and battle against the corona virus. Since the media is competing to highlight the most tragic corona news worldwide, we feel certain you have already heard more than enough about the problems and hardships caused by the virus. We recommend that in your prayers to the Lord, mother of God and the saints you ask for and find good health and salvation.
The measures that the British Government announced for England a few weeks ago are still in force with no indications that they might be lifted in the near future. This means the lockdown restrictions will stay in place during Easter and after it, which unfortunately means that churches will remain closed to their congregations. Our priests will nevertheless serve Holy Liturgy for the wellbeing of our parish, for the wellbeing of us Orthodox Christians, but also for the world as a whole and for its salvation in this difficult period. You will be able to follow the Holy Liturgies on our Facebook page.
In solidarity with other believers, Orthodox Christians should accept this ‘separation’ from church and Holy Communion with the utmost calmness and composure. This is our task, a spiritual challenge which is also a test of our spiritual maturity. To be a true Orthodox Christian at this time means to stay in self-isolation and to be fulfilled by the Eucharistic spirit, nurturing a spiritual altar for the Lord in our soul, through sincere morning and evening prayers, and reading of akathists and molebans in our homes. We need to do this without any complaints or bitterness, but with that pure happiness which we will find in Christ’s Resurrection, praying with unshaken hope that the pandemic will soon be over and that we will all gather in our church to receive Holy Communion. All our efforts, fasting and inner peace will be rewarded, all we require is patience. Our proverb inspired by the Gospel tells us that ‘those who are patient will be saved’.
With all our love to you dear parishioners, and in the manner of father and brother we ask you to be careful about what information and news you allow to influence your thoughts and souls. We are witnessing many ‘false prophets’ spread over cyber space to search for naive victims, to chain them and ridicule their freedom, while citing their own ignorance as ultimate ‘knowledge’. Please be careful, brothers and sisters, because this ‘knowledge’ contains the yeast of the Pharisees, which will fill you with fear, anxiety and despair. In contrast to this ‘knowledge’ which has to do with theories of conspiracy, there is the true knowledge offered by our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. This knowledge will fill you with courage, happiness; with the strong belief that God has saved us from all illness or death and that, whatever our fate over the next days and months, the ultimate victory is ours because it is victory we build on the strong foundations of our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of people and nations.
With all of you in our thoughts, united by our common bonds of prayer, we wish you spiritual peace from the Father and joy in the Holy Spirit in these days that lead up to the Pascha.
