The Gift

Just before we take communion, before we receive Christ God, the Gift, let us consider who we are as gifts too, and make sure we are willing to take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Him, and become extraordinarily and fully human, beyond our wildest imagination.

The Liturgy is not over after communion. There is much Thanksgiving still to offer

At communion, the Infinite One reaches out and touches us with His love, with His Logos, with His Son, to cleanse us and heal us

In receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord, in receiving Him as the Gift, we become the Temple of the Living God. We become the Gift.

After 39 steps, we are finally ready, to receive communion. God has deemed us worthy to receive Him as the Gift of eternal life.

13 Sept 2020

After the Lord's prayer, the priest is required to do the unthinkable, break the Body of Christ. This homily explains how and why. 6th Sept 2020

Immediately after the Lord's prayer in the Liturgy is a beautiful prayer that reminds us that the Gift of the Lord is that of the Great Physician, for the healing of soul and body.

The ox is not prevented from eating some of the wheat that it is grinding, and so the ministers of the church need to be paid too. Saint Anne's clergy are all volunteers and our income as a parish has fallen during Covid19 lockdown. Please consider making an online donation.

In the chaos of everyday life, the example of the Theotokos is important because it tells us that focusing on the 'one thing needful' is the key to the human transfiguration

Going back slightly, we consider the prayers from St John and St Basil that are said just before the Lord's Prayer, and how they affirm that God makes us worthy, how He looks on us and deems us worthy. He answers our prayers, He is a God of Love not wrath.

When people refuse to bend a knee before anyone except the Queen or President, we remember in the Lord's Prayer that the Kingdom of God is present on earth, not just in heaven. If we don't bow before anyone, we may refuse to encounter Christ

In this episode, we start looking at the Lord's prayer, the first clause, Our Father, not mine, but Our Father. We also think of the nature of God's Fatherhood.

Returning to the Liturgy Slowly series, we start again with a wider thought about the idea of self emptying, kenosis, as a more profound gift-giving. Giving of ourselves requires us to empty ourselves of our ego and hangups to truly accept those mentioned in the Beatitudes

As the Holy Spirit descends on the church at Pentecost, the barriers of language of Babel are cast away, and all those who are 'blackened' by society are raised up to common dignity in Christ

Ascension of Christ: awaiting the 'dynamis' of the Spirit means facing up to our human freedom

The Sunday of the Man born Blind. 2020

St Thomas Sunday 2020

Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Holy Saturday 2020

The Lamentations Service Holy Week 2020

Imperial Hours Holy Week 2020

Service of the 12 Gospels of Christ's Passion

Unction Service Holy Week 2020

Bridegroom Matins Holy Tuesday 2020

After mentioning the Holy Spirit only 25 times, the Liturgy now invokes the presence of the Holy Spirit at the epiclesis. St Gregory Palamas' theology of the energies of God help us to understand the dynamic action of the silent and still Godhead.