On Saturday 19 December and Sunday 20 December we had services for the Twenty-Ninth Sunday after Pentecost and in honour of Saint Ambrose of Milan (+397 AD).  Receiving Holy Communion for the first time was the newly baptised Ariadna Sakhnova.  In his sermon the parish rector spoke about the remarkable circumstances surrounding the consecration of Saint Ambrose as bishop of Milan - Saint Ambrose was called to accept the episcopacy when he was still unbaptised - of of Saint Ambrose's composition of the "Te Deum" ("Тебе Бога хвалим"), a renowned hymn of thanksgiving.  Noting that the appointed Gospel reading (Luke 17:12-19) concerned the importance of giving thanks to God, he emphasised living a life that showed such thanks for the many blessings granted to us.