On Saturday 16 December and Sunday 17 December we had services for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Great-Martyr Barbara (+306 AD) and Saint John of Damascus (+776 AD).  On both Saturday night and Sunday morning there were many more worshippers than usual, and on Sunday over forty adults and children received Holy Communion.  In his sermon on Sunday the parish rector spoke about the importance of giving thanks to God (see Colossians 1:12-18 and Luke 17:12-19, the appointed readings for the Twenty-Eighth Sunday) and of the example of Great-Martyr Barbara and Righteous John of Damascus, two quite different saints who were nevertheless united in their faithfulness to Christ.