Our services during the fifth week of Great Lent were Matins with the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete and the reading of the Life of Saint Mary of Egypt on the evening of Wednesday 21 March and the General Service of Anointing on the evening of Sunday 25 March.  At Matins on Wednesday 21 March the odes of the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete were read alternately in Slavonic and English, and the Life of Saint Mary of Egypt was read in full in English.  Known colloquially as “Saint Andrew’s Standing” (“Андреево стояние”), this solemn and edifying service commenced at 6.00pm and finished just before 10.00pm.  On the evening of Sunday 25 March forty-six parishioners gathered for the General Service of Anointing.  Although this service is ideally served by seven priests together, our distance from other parishes meant that it was served by our rector alone.  Both Slavonic and English were used during the service.