Gospel Homilies
Homily for Pentecost VII, 2020
Fr Andrew Louth · 26 July 2020 · 6 min read
“The Gospel tells the story of the healing of two blind men and a dumb demoniac.”
Read the homily →
Orthodox Church of St Cuthbert and St Bede, Providence Row, Durham City, DH1 1RS
Continuous Catechism & Education
Weekly sessions on the sacraments and the life of the Church, led by Fr Justin, with time for your questions.
Saturdays, 16:00
Before 17:00 Vespers
The Weekly Catechism
Each Saturday afternoon, before Vespers, Fr Justin leads a session on the sacraments of the Church. He teaches on the week’s topic, takes questions on it, and then opens the floor to wider questions about the Orthodox faith.
Those who come choose the topic for the following week, so the sessions follow the questions people actually have. Everyone is welcome, whether you have been Orthodox all your life or are asking your first questions.
Becoming Orthodox
Catechumens
A catechumen is a person preparing to be received into the Orthodox Church, by baptism, or by chrismation if they were baptised in another Christian church. The word comes from the Greek for instruction: a catechumen is someone being taught the faith.
From the day they are received, catechumens belong to the parish. They come to the services, take part in the life of the parish and are prayed for at every Liturgy. They do not yet receive Holy Communion. How long the preparation lasts is agreed with the priest, and is different for each person.
In the early Church the catechumenate could last several years, and the four stages described below are the shape it took. Today the weekly catechism, the services and time with the priest do the same work.
Becoming a catechumen
Ask Fr Justin
Anyone who wishes to become a catechumen should speak to Fr Justin, on a Sunday after the Liturgy or by email. He will talk with you about where you are and what preparation suits you, and will receive you as a catechumen.
At the Sunday Liturgy
Come forward for the blessing
At the Sunday Liturgy, after the Gospel reading, the Church prays the Litany of the Catechumens. All catechumens are invited to come to the front of the church, before the altar, so that the whole parish can pray for them, and to receive a blessing from Fr Justin.
Preparation
Learn on Saturdays
The weekly catechism at 16:00 on Saturdays is where catechumens are taught, with time for their questions, and Fr Justin meets with each catechumen as their preparation goes on. The Saturday Vespers that follows at 17:00 is a good service to stay for.
Catechumens, depart
Catechumens do not need to leave the church.
The Litany of the Catechumens ends with the words “Catechumens, depart”. In the early Church the catechumens left at this point, before the Liturgy of the Faithful. The words are part of the Liturgy’s ancient text and the parish keeps them, but in our church no one is asked to go out. When you hear them, stay where you are. Catechumens stay for the whole Liturgy, with everyone else.
The Tradition of Catechesis
Catechesis is the Church’s teaching of those coming to the faith, and it is as old as the Church itself. In the early centuries it was a serious, structured preparation in four stages, described below. Our weekly sessions follow the same tradition.
Stage 1
Moral
The candidate's way of life was examined against the Commandments before any teaching began, including whether their trade or habits could be reconciled with the Gospel.
Stage 2
Biblical
Scripture was then taught in an ordered way. The Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete, read in Great Lent, is seen as continuing this stage today.
Stage 3
Dogmatic
The Creed was taught and recited back, the question-and-answer form by which the Church's confession of faith was passed on word for word.
Stage 4
Liturgical
This came last, after baptism: the meaning of the Liturgy and the sacraments was explained to those who now took part in them.
You do not need to be preparing for baptism to attend. Enquirers and lifelong Orthodox Christians are equally welcome.
Where to Find Resources
Books, icons and recommended reading, most of it available at the Church Stall next to the church.
The Church Stall
In St Nics Youth Centre, next to the church, we keep the Church Stall: Orthodox books in English, Romanian and Greek, alongside icons, candles, incense, necklaces, ornaments and Orthodox magazines, including the latest edition of Apostolia. Much of the reading recommended below is kept there.
Everything is offered for a suggested donation, marked on each item, and all donations go to the parish. We understand that not everyone can give the suggested amount.
Where to begin
- ‘The Orthodox Church’ - Timothy Ware
- ‘The Orthodox Way’ - Timothy Ware
- ‘Religion of the Apostles’ - Fr Stephen De Young
- ‘Thinking Orthodox’ - Eugenia Constantinou
To listen
- ‘Lord of Spirits’
- ‘Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy’
- ‘Daily Orthodox Scriptures’
Recommended by the parish clergy as good places to begin.
To pray
The sessions explain the faith; a rule of prayer is how it is kept from one Saturday to the next. The Prayer page covers:
- The Jesus Prayer
- A day of prayer, morning to evening
- A rule at five, fifteen or thirty minutes
- Prayer books, and where to get one
1 of 5 most recent · 28 in the archive
The sermon archive
The Sermons
The Sermons page holds Fr Andrew Louth’s homilies, going back several years. The catechism sessions are also published there: each one is recorded, and the transcript is added once it has been prepared, so anyone who misses a Saturday can read it afterwards.
The five most recent homilies are on the cards alongside. Use Older and Newer to move through them.