Over the weekend of 5 January – 7 January we had a number of services to prepare for and celebrate the Nativity of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Matins for the Eve of the Nativity and in honour of the Martyr Eugenia (+AD) was served on the evening of Friday 5 January.  On the morning of Saturday 6 January Divine Liturgy and Vespers with the eight prophetic readings from the Old Testament were served, after which we decorated our small church for the main festive services.  On Saturday evening we had All-night Vigil with the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and five loaves and on Sunday morning the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great.  In place of a sermon, our parish rector read aloud the Nativity Epistle of Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York in Russian and in English.  In accordance with parish custom, prayers of thanksgiving were offered at the end of the Christmas Day service to commemorate the deliverance of the Russian Church and Empire from the French and Twelve Other Nations on this day in 1812.  Following the service many gathered in the church hall for a festive meal.