Christmas - birth, death, and the mystery of Love
This morning we went to Mamelodi to fetch people to take to the Divine Liturgy at St Nicholas of Japan Parish, in Brixton, Johannesburg.
We called at the Malahlela household, and found that Grace Mabena, our oldest catechumen, had died on 24 December. She was over 80 years old. As a result, no one from the Malahlela household could come, as they were all in mourning, and busy making arrangements for the funeral.
Grace Mabena was one of the oldest, but one of the most faithful. When we arrived at the school for Sunday services, she would often be waiting for us, all alone. Because she was old, she walked slowly, and so she left home well before the rest of the family to make sure she got to the service in time.
She spoke practically no English, and really appreciated the services being in Northern Sotho. Though she could not read, she quickly learned the hymns and antiphons, and joined in the parts that we sang in Northern Sotho.
On a number of occasions she came with us to St Nicholas Church in Brixton, especially during Holy Week and Pascha, and loved the Orthodox worship.A couple of months ago her son-in-law, Philip Malahlela, died, and the family was still in mourning for him when death struck again.
So there were only a few who came with us to Matins and the Divine Liturgy.
And today we sang the Polyelei (Psalm 135/136). We haven't sung it for ages, and I love it. It always puts me in mind of the Archdeacon in Charles Williams's War in heaven, who progresses through the Polyelei all the way through the book, and I love that too: "Sihon, king of the Amorites. For his mercey endureth for ever. And Og the king of Bashan, for his mercy endureth forever".
Of course Williams has Christmas Matins too, or rather Mattins, with a double t, because it's Anglican. But that's in The greater trumps, and Anglican Mattins doesn't have the Polyelei, and Williams focuses instead on "rise to adore the mystery of love". And that will do nicely too.
We have a full church. The coloured kids from Eldorado Park are there, all wearing their bright new Christmas shirts. The Romanians, lots of them this time, just back from pig sticking no doubt. They sing Romanian Christmas carols just before we receive the Antidoron. Father Michael, the priest, is Romanian, and says at the end what a joy it is to serve in a church where people are really keen to experience the Orthodox faith.
We take some extra pices of Antidoron, for the Malahela family, and call to see them on the way home, and pray with Alinah, who lost her husband a couple of months ago, and her mother last night. And while we are there, a drunk neighbour comes in and starts wittering nonsense. It can't be a very good Christmas for Alinah. Yet no doubt there was drunken carousing at the bar of the inn where our Lord was born. He's been here, done this. Rise to adore the mystery of love. Give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, Alleluia. For his mercy endureth for ever, Alleluia.
Christ is born: glorify Him!
We called at the Malahlela household, and found that Grace Mabena, our oldest catechumen, had died on 24 December. She was over 80 years old. As a result, no one from the Malahlela household could come, as they were all in mourning, and busy making arrangements for the funeral.
Grace Mabena was one of the oldest, but one of the most faithful. When we arrived at the school for Sunday services, she would often be waiting for us, all alone. Because she was old, she walked slowly, and so she left home well before the rest of the family to make sure she got to the service in time.
She spoke practically no English, and really appreciated the services being in Northern Sotho. Though she could not read, she quickly learned the hymns and antiphons, and joined in the parts that we sang in Northern Sotho.
On a number of occasions she came with us to St Nicholas Church in Brixton, especially during Holy Week and Pascha, and loved the Orthodox worship.A couple of months ago her son-in-law, Philip Malahlela, died, and the family was still in mourning for him when death struck again.
So there were only a few who came with us to Matins and the Divine Liturgy.
And today we sang the Polyelei (Psalm 135/136). We haven't sung it for ages, and I love it. It always puts me in mind of the Archdeacon in Charles Williams's War in heaven, who progresses through the Polyelei all the way through the book, and I love that too: "Sihon, king of the Amorites. For his mercey endureth for ever. And Og the king of Bashan, for his mercy endureth forever".
Of course Williams has Christmas Matins too, or rather Mattins, with a double t, because it's Anglican. But that's in The greater trumps, and Anglican Mattins doesn't have the Polyelei, and Williams focuses instead on "rise to adore the mystery of love". And that will do nicely too.
We have a full church. The coloured kids from Eldorado Park are there, all wearing their bright new Christmas shirts. The Romanians, lots of them this time, just back from pig sticking no doubt. They sing Romanian Christmas carols just before we receive the Antidoron. Father Michael, the priest, is Romanian, and says at the end what a joy it is to serve in a church where people are really keen to experience the Orthodox faith.
We take some extra pices of Antidoron, for the Malahela family, and call to see them on the way home, and pray with Alinah, who lost her husband a couple of months ago, and her mother last night. And while we are there, a drunk neighbour comes in and starts wittering nonsense. It can't be a very good Christmas for Alinah. Yet no doubt there was drunken carousing at the bar of the inn where our Lord was born. He's been here, done this. Rise to adore the mystery of love. Give thanks unto the Lord for He is good, Alleluia. For his mercy endureth for ever, Alleluia.
Christ is born: glorify Him!