St Mary Magdalene Orthodox Christian Mission

Services in April, 2009 March 24, 2009

Services at: Elimbah Uniting Church, Coronation Drive, Elimbah (all services are celebrated at this address).

Fifth Sunday (St Mary of Egypt)

4 April: Vespers, 5:30-6:30pm, followed by Bring-and-Share fasting dinner and ‘Introduction to Orthodoxy’ session.

5 April: Divine Liturgy, 10:30-11:50am, followed by a Bring-and-Share fasting lunch.

Palm Sunday services

11 April: Vespers, 5:30-6:30pm, followed by Bring-and-Share fasting dinner and ‘Introduction to Orthodoxy’ session.

12 April: Divine Liturgy, 10:30-11:50am, followed by a Bring-and-Share fasting lunch.  Please note that, as today is Palm Sunday, fish is allowed on this day.

Holy Week Services, from the evening of 12 April until the morning of 18 April, are being held at St Paul’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, 66 Junction St, Woolloongabba, Brisbane.  Fr James will be assisting in services at St Paul’s, and parishioners of St Mary Magdalene Orthodox Christian Mission are invited to these services.

The Life-Bearing Resurrection of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ

18-19 April: The Resurrection of Our Lord is, for Orthodox Christians, traditionally celebrated in one service over Saturday night and Sunday morning.  For this week, the normal cycle of vespers and Divine Liturgy are cancelled. Instead:

Midnight Office, Procession, Proclamation of the Resurrection, Matins and Divine Liturgy will be celebrated from 11:30pm on Saturday night, with liturgical celebrations continuing until approximately 2am on Sunday morning.  This will be followed by a Bring-and-Share meal – no doubt specialising in those non-Lenten foods…

25 April: Vespers, 5:30-6:30pm, followed by Bring-and-Share dinner and ‘Introduction to Orthodoxy’ session.

26 April: Divine Liturgy, 10:30-11:50am, followed by a Bring-and-Share lunch.

All services are followed by a Bring-and-Share meal; the faithful are reminded that, as this is Great Lent, the Orthodox Church observes a form of fasting that precludes meat, fish, poultry (e.g. eggs) and dairy products.