St. Nicholas Orthodox Church Scarborough, Toronto, English Language Orthodox Church Toronto,Orthodox Services English

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The Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross

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Icon-Exaltation-Cross-St. Nicholas Orthodox Church Scarborough, English Language Orthodox Church TorontoSaint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the Cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation.

At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole. Consequently, the precious Cross was lifted on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy.”

It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country (see Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Later, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place.

“By This, Conquer” – Read more on the three Divine Appearances of the Honoured Cross

(The above text is taken from the Great Horologion, Copyright © 1997, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA, all rights reserved.)

The Dormition of the Mother of God, and Ever-Virgin Mary

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St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, English Language Orthodox Church Toronto, Orthodox Services English

“O Strange Wonder, great and marvellous! For the fount of life is laid within a sepulchre; a ladder to Heaven’s heights doth the small grave become.  Be glad, O Gethsemane, the sanctuary of her that gave birth to God.  Ye faithful, let us cry out, possessing as our commander great Gabriel: Maiden Full of Grace, rejoice thou, with thee is the Lord our God, Who abundantly granteth His great mercy to the world through thee.”

—From the Vespers of the Holy Dormition

Concerning the Dormition of the Theotokos, this is what the Church has received from ancient times from the tradition of the Fathers. When the time drew nigh that our Saviour was well-pleased to take His Mother to Himself, He declared unto her through an Angel that three days hence, He would translate her from this temporal life to eternity and bliss. On hearing this, she went up with haste to the Mount of Olives, where she prayed continuously. Giving thanks to God, she returned to her house and prepared whatever was necessary for her burial. While these things were taking place, clouds caught up the Apostles from the ends of the earth, where each one happened to be preaching, and brought them at once to the house of the Mother of God, who informed them of the cause of their sudden gathering. As a mother, she consoled them in their affliction as was meet, and then raised her hands to Heaven and prayed for the peace of the world. She blessed the Apostles, and, reclining upon her bed with seemliness, gave up her all-holy spirit into the hands of her Son and God.

With reverence and many lights, and chanting burial hymns, the Apostles took up that God-receiving body and brought it to the sepulchre, while the Angels from Heaven chanted with them, and sent forth her who is higher than the Cherubim. But a certain Jew, moved by malice, audaciously stretched forth his hand upon the bed and immediately received from divine judgment the wages of his audacity. Those daring hands were severed by an invisible blow. But when he repented and asked forgiveness, his hands were restored. When they had reached the place called Gethsemane, they buried there with honor the all-immaculate body of the Theotokos, which was the source of Life. But on the third day after the burial, when they were eating together, and raised up the artos (bread) in Jesus’ Name, as was their custom, the Theotokos appeared in the air, saying “Rejoice” to them. From this they learned concerning the bodily translation of the Theotokos into the Heavens.

(The above text is taken from the Great Horologion, Copyright © 1997, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA, all rights reserved.)

Holy Transfiguration

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Icon HTM St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, English Language Orthodox Church Toronto, Orthodox Services English“Shining faintly upon Mount Tabor today, Christ laid bare before the disciples the image of His divine brightness as he promised; and they, filled with light-bearing and divine splendour, stand in jubilation: Let us sing unto our God, for He is glorified.”

—Holy Transfiguration Matins, First Canon by Cosmas the Monk, Ode One

Our Lord had spoken to His disciples many times not only concerning His Passion, Cross, and death, but also concerning the coming persecutions and afflictions that they themselves would endure. Since all these evils were near at hand, but the enjoyment of good things which they hoped to receive in their stead was yet to come, our Saviour desired to give them full assurance, evidently and openly, concerning that glory which is prepared for those who endure to the end. Therefore, fulfilling that which He had promised shortly before, that “there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom” (Matt. 16:28), He took His three foremost disciples and ascended Mount Tabor, where He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. Suddenly, together with this dread and marvellous effulgence of light, there appeared those pinnacles of the Prophets, Moses and Elias, who spoke with the Lord Jesus concerning His saving Passion which was about to take place. Standing before Him as reverent servants, they showed that He is the Lord of both the living and the dead, for Moses came forth from Hades, having died many centuries before, and Elias, as it were from heaven, whither he had been taken up while yet alive. After a little while a radiant cloud overshadowed them and out of the cloud they heard that same voice which had been heard at the Jordan at the Baptism of Christ, testifying to the Divinity of Jesus and saying: “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased; hear ye Him” (Matt. 17:5).

Such are the marvels, truly worthy of God, celebrated in this present feast, which is an image and prefiguring of the future state of the righteous, whose splendor the Lord spoke of, saying: “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun” (Matt. 13:43). It is because of this that the Kontakion of this Feast is said daily (when there is not a great feast) in the Service of the Typica in perpetual commemoration of the glory that will be the lot of the Saints. According to tradition, the Lord’s Transfiguration came to pass forty days before His Crucifixion; this is why the Transfiguration is celebrated forty days before the Exaltation of the Cross.

(The above text is taken from the Great Horologion, Copyright © 1997, Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline, MA, all rights reserved.  All reproduction of texts or icons on this website in any form without prior written permission is forbidden.)

Elevation of Bishop Andrew of Markham to Metropolitan of Toronto

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By the Grace of God and the decision of the Holy Synod, the servant of God Andrew, Hierarch, is elevated and installed as the Metropolitan of the Holy Metropolis of Toronto.St. Nicholas Orthodox Church Scarborough, English Language Orthodox Church Toronto, Orthodox Services English

“Receive this staff that thou mayest shepherd the flock of Christ entrusted unto thee; and unto those under thee that are submissive, let it be a staff and support; but unto those that are unsubmissive and unstable, use it as a rod of restraint, a rod of discipline.”

“To Andrew, the most reverend and God proclaimed Metropolitan, of the most holy Metropolis of Toronto, our father and chief-shepherd be many years!”

The Feast of the Nativity of Our Saviour 2018

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Schedule of Celebrations at Saint Nicholas English Parish Chapel

Please join us in the St Nicholas Chapel for the grace-filled Services of the Nativity of Our Saviour Jesus Christ.

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church Scarborough, English Language Orthodox Church Toronto, Orthodox Services in English

“The Virgin cometh to the Cave to give birth”

We will celebrate all the Services of the Feast beginning with:

  • Friday January 4 / December 22 – Royal Hours 7pm
  • Saturday January 5 / December 23 – Vespers 3:30pm
  • Sunday January 6 / December 24 – Divine Liturgy 9am
  • Sunday January 6 / December 24 – Vigil of Nativity 6pm
  • Monday January 7 / December 25 – Divine Liturgy of Nativity 9:30am

Parish Luncheon to Follow Divine Liturgy

Following the Liturgy on Monday morning January 7th / December 25, we will celebrate the Feast together as a parish with a catered Luncheon and Nativity Carol singing.

We request a donation of $25 per adult for the luncheon to assist us to cover the costs; any remaining funds will contribute towards the development of our English Parish.

To help us plan, please advise Father Deacon George or Sarah Tsagarakis if you will be joining us for the lunch; you can also email us at the following address – hello@stnicholasorthodoxchurch.ca