Pithy ways to remember those first Greek phrases you learn in Apollonia in Newport Pagnell

The tastes and smells of Greece in Apollonia in Newport Pagnell (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

Patrick Comerford

It’s still less than a month since I was in Crete, celebrating Holy Week and Easter in Rethymnon. But already I’m feeling homesick for Greek food, Greek coffee, Greek wine, Greek music, and the smells, tastes and sights of Greek life.

Newport Pagnell is about 9 km east of Stony Stratford, and we had a number of tasks there yesterday [16 May 2025], including photographs to take of some interesting buildings associated with the architect Edward Swinfen Harris. It was a good suggestion from Charlotte to have dinner afterwards to have dinner in Apollonia, the Greek restaurant on the High Street, almost directly opposite the Dolphin.

The Greater Milton Keynes area has a number of good Greek restaurants, including Eating Greek MK on Church Street in Wolverton, Greek Souvlaki on Brooklands Road, Bletchley, and, of course, Souv Lucky Day which offers authentic Greek street food on Midsummer Place.

An old time recipe for traditional Greek tzatziki in Apollonia (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

It was a balmy late Friday afternoon that felt like early summer, and Apollonia offered us authentic Greek tastes and sounds that met some of that homesickness and yearning late yesterday.

But while many Greek restaurants, both in England and Ireland offer the sights of Greece through large prints and photographs – typically of Santorini, Mykonos and Athens – Apollonia has a different, and humorous approach to the framed decorations on its walls.

Yes, there are prints with recipes for Gyros and traditional Greek tzatziki, and there are sketches of ouzo bottles that are reminders of Rhodes. But if you want to be reminded of the sounds of Greek conversation, there half a dozen or so flash cards, with the pithy dictionary-like of some of the basic words and phrases that any visitor or tourist can quickly pick up on the first few days in Greece.

Καλή Όρεξη, kali orexi … more than just ‘bon appetit’ (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

kali orexi
[ph] [Greek]

a Greek blessing for food lovers everywhere. More than just ‘enjoy you’re meal,’ it’s a call to savour every bite, share laughter at the table, and let the flavours of life fill your soul. Warning: may lead to spontaneous dancing and an extra serving of tzatziki.

Καλημέρα, kaliméra … Good Morning to all (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

kaliméra
[noun] [Greek]

meaning good morning and is happily bestowed upon anyone who is walking past.

Γειά Σου, Yia Sou … you are more than welcome (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

Yia Sou
[noun] [Greek]

A warm Greek greeting, wishing health, happiness, and comfort to all who enter. A reminder that every guest is welcome, and every moment is a celebration of life.

'Γεια Μας, Yia Mas … it means much more than ‘cheers’ (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

Yia Mas
[noun] [Greek]

A toasted friendship, love, and the moments that bring us together. A celebration of health, happiness, and all that is good in life.

Μαλάκας, Malakas … the meaning depends on context and tone (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

Malakas
[noun] [Greek]

A word with versatile meanings. It can denote ‘wanker,’ ‘asshole,’ or ‘jerk,’ but also ‘dude’ or ‘mate,’ depending on context and tone. It can express pleasure, anger, affection, or other emotions.

Σ'αγαπώ, s'agapo, I love you (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

s'agapo
[verb] [Greek]

a tender and expressive phrase in Greek, translating to ‘I love you.’ It encapsulates profound emotions and conveys deep affection and attachment.

Here there is humour, wit, sincerity, and even the bar-room Greek that sometimes shocks new students approaching Biblical Greek as they realise that even Saint Paul uses the word μαλάκας.

It is a pity, perhaps, that the original Greek words themselves are not part of the framed flash cards: καλή όρεξη, καλημέρα, Γειά Σου, 'Γεια Μας, μαλάκας, σ'αγαπώ.

A taste of Greece in Apollonia in Newport Pagnell (Photographs: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

Daily prayer in Easter 2025: 28, Saturday 17 May 2025

‘If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it’ (John 14: 14) … sunset in Rethymnon in Crete (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2025)

Patrick Comerford

Easter is a 50-day season, beginning on Easter Day (20 April 2025) and continuing until the Day of Pentecost (8 June 2025), or Whit Sunday. Tomorrow is the Fifth Sunday of Easter (Easter V, 18 May 2025).

Before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks, to reflect, to pray and to read in these ways:

1, reading today’s Gospel reading;

2, a short reflection;

3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;

4, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.

‘If you know me, you will know my Father also’ (John 14: 7) … an icon of the Holy Trinity in Saint Nektarios Church, Tsesmes, near Rethymnon in Crete (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

John 14: 7-14 (NRSVA):

[Jesus said:] 7 ‘If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’

8 Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’ 9 Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.’

Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father’ (John 14: 8) … the Ancient of Days depicted in a fresco in the church in Piskopiano near Hersonissos in Crete (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2024)

Today’s Reflection:

Today’s short Gospel reading provided in the Lectionary at the Eucharist continues our readings from the ‘Farewell Discourse’ in Saint John’s Gospel.

This chapter (John 14) includes questions from three of the disciple and three answers from Jesus, which we hear over the course of three days, yesterday, today and on Monday:

• ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ (Thomas, John 14: 5)

• ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied’ (Philip, John 14: 8)

• ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ (Judas Thaddeus, John 14: 22)

These are also the questions and problems faced by the communities and churches gathered around Saint John in Ephesus and in Asia Minor. The answers Jesus gives to these three questions are like a mirror in which those communities find a response to their doubts and difficulties.

Jesus is preparing his friends to separate themselves and reveals to them his friendship, communicating to them security and support.

Today’s reading begins with Jesus reminding the disciples: ‘If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him’ (verse 17).

This continuing use of encouraging words in the face of troubles and differences reflects the many disagreements within those communities, each claiming to have the right approach to living out the faith and believing the others are living in error.

Jesus’ words in this morning’s reading are reminders that the unity of the church should reflect the unity found in the Trinity.

Jesus then makes a statement that at first seems strange: ‘Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father’ (verse 12).

How can we possibly do far greater things than Jesus did? Yet, in a way, it is very true. Because of his human nature, Jesus’ accomplishments were limited during his short time on earth. He lived in one small place, he reached relatively few people and he was intimate with only a small number.

Christians today, with the means of easier travel and modern communications, can bring his message to far greater numbers and more efficiently.

Jesus, now in his risen Body, the Church, can indeed ‘do greater works than these’, and this is made possible by his going back to the Father and passing on his work into our hands.

Given the instruments at our disposal today, we have a great responsibility to do those ‘greater works’. But to do that work we need, of course, to rely on his help and guidance of Jesus through his Spirit. As he says in conclusion today: ‘If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it’ (verse 14).

Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father’ (John 14: 8) … an icon of Saint Philip the Apostle in the chapel at Saint Columba’s House, Woking (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Today’s Prayers (Saturday 17 May 2025):

‘Health and Hope in the Manyoni District’ provided the theme this week in ‘Pray With the World Church’, the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel). This theme was introduced last Sunday with a programme update from Dr Frank Mathew Haji of the Integrated Child Health and End Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Programme in Tanzania.

The USPG Prayer Diary today (Saturday 17 May 2025) invites us to pray:

Gracious God, we thank you for Dr Frank Mathew Haji and other medical staff like him. May they be strengthened in their service and inspired to continue making a difference in the lives they touch.

The Collect:

Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life:
raise us, who trust in him,
from the death of sin to the life of righteousness,
that we may seek those things which are above,
where he reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Post-Communion Prayer:

Merciful Father,
you gave your Son Jesus Christ to be the good shepherd,
and in his love for us to lay down his life and rise again:
keep us always under his protection,
and give us grace to follow in his steps;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect:

Risen Christ,
faithful shepherd of your Father’s sheep:
teach us to hear your voice
and to follow your command,
that all your people may be gathered into one flock,
to the glory of God the Father.

Collect on the Eve of Easter V:

Almighty God,
who through your only–begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help
we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Yesterday’s Reflections

Continued Tomorrow

Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father’ (John 14: 8) … Saint Philip (left) in a window in the Chapel of Saint John’s Hospital, Lichfield (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org