Father Anthony

In Memorium-The ever-memorable, Andrew, Metropolitan of Toronto

June 6, 2023 By The Deacon

The ever-memorable, Andrew, Metropolitan of Toronto
+ June 6, 2021

t. Nicholas Orthodox Church Scarborough, English Language Orthodox Church Toronto, Orthodox Services in English Dear and Faithful Orthodox Christians,
As we offer our humble prayers today for our ever-memorable Shepherd, Andrew, Metropolitan of Toronto on the second year anniversary of his repose, we ask Our Saviour to number him among the Just and give him rest in the bosom of Abraham!

Our beloved Andrew, Metropolitan of Toronto, served the Church for so many years , having become Orthodox as a young man at the age of 20, then studying at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, and becoming a monk at Holy Transfiguration Monastery at the age of 25, he was a man of Liturgy and a man of prayer. Serving as Archdeacon since 1988 and then as a Priest, he was consecrated Bishop in March 2013 and made his new home in Toronto serving at Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral and the Parishes of the Metropolis of Toronto. In 2019 he was raised to lead the Diocese as the Metropolitan of Toronto. We can only marvel at his deep knowledge of the Scriptures, Orthodox Church history, the Canons, the Typikon, and his great love for the Saints of God. In matters of the Faith he was strict and insightful, in matters of the heart he was gentle and compassionate.

We miss you dear Vladyka Andrew!

Eternal be his memory!

Father Anthony

The Coming of the Holy Spirit – it is the Day of Pentecost!

June 2, 2023 By The Deacon

Dear and Faithful Orthodox Christians,

Last Sunday God blessed us to celebrate the Feast of the holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council together with our beloved Metropolitan Gregory the locum tenens of the Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto. The Hierarchical Liturgy including concelebrants Father Protopresbyter Anthony, Father Sergei, and Father Protodeacon George and the occasion was made especially joyous as the Servants of God, Justinian and Gabriel were blessed to be Taper Bearers and to serve in the Sanctuary. The Metropolitan’s Sermon included an explanation of the type of the First Council seen in the calling of the 318 men who came together at the call of Abraham to recover his brother Lot. And that we today, hold the Faith of the 318 Fathers of the First Council of Nicea, the Orthodox Faith, the Faith which has established the whole world! All the faithful came together for after Liturgy for a luncheon with the Metropolitan, and were edified by his spiritual insights during a Question and Answer discussion after the lunch.

Metropolitan Gregory, having served at Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral on Sunday May 28, and the Saint Seraphim of Sarov Russian Parish in Toronto, will now continue his pastoral visits to the other Parishes of the Metropolis of Toronto and join the faithful at the Churches in Calgary, Ispas Alberta, and Saskatoon later in June.

English Orthodox Services Toronto And now as we come to the celebration of Pentecost, hear the wonder that Saint Luke records in the Acts of the Apostles:

‘When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place… And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like unto fire and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance…. Now when this sound came about, the multitude came together and were confounded, because each and every man heard them speak in his own language… we do hear them speak in our tongue the great works of God.’

As we come to the celebrate Pentecost, let us all approach the day with anticipation and with joy, asking Our Saviour to bless our Holy Church, our Hierarchs, and to fortify and enlighten us all with the grace of the Holy Spirit, the heavenly King, and Comforter. Amen.

Father Anthony

Message from Father Anthony-Pascha 2023

April 17, 2023 By The Deacon

Dear and Faithful Orthodox Christians,

Christ is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

May the truth of Our Saviour’s victory over Hades, trampling down death by death, and His glorious Resurrection from the dead, be for all of us a wellspring of enlightenment and hope throughout the year ahead.

How blessed we were throughout Holy Week and Pascha to hear together the instructive readings, so many lessons from the holy Gospels, and the prayers and hymns of the Services. And then as we gathered together late in the night in anticipation outside the Church, we heard from the holy Evangelist Mark how the Myrrh-bearing women encountered the Angel in the sepulchre who said to them, ‘Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is Risen; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him.’ And recall also the words in the Gospel of Matthew: ‘Christ is Risen, He is not here… go quickly and tell His disciples that He is Risen from the dead.’

English Orthodox Services Toronto In the stillness of the night we chanted together in joy:

“Christ is Risen from the dead, by death hath He trampled down death,
and on those in the graves hath He bestowed life!”

Renewed in spirit and in faith, let us all rejoice and come together each Sunday and Feast day ahead to honour and worship Our Lord Jesus Christ.

I share with you the 2023 Paschal Encyclical of our Metropolitan Gregory, the Locum Tenens of the See of Toronto. I encourage you to read it through several times in the coming days as it outlines for us so clearly the magnificent and wondrous work of salvation wrought by Our Saviour.

To Him be glory and dominion unto the ages! Amen.

Father Anthony

Our Saviour has blessed our 10th Year at Saint Nicholas

December 31, 2022 By The Deacon

Dear and Faithful Orthodox Christians,

In these final days of the Fast, as we approach the Feast of the Nativity of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, we rejoice together in all the blessings we have received from the Lord over the last twelve months as we celebrated our Ten Year Anniversary of the founding of Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral.

And what a year of blessings it has been for us! Our beloved Metropolitan Gregory, our Father and Elder Isaac, Father Bohdan, and Father Sergey all joined in the Hierarchical celebration of our Ten Year Anniversary, during Great Lent, on the Sunday of the Holy Cross on March 27. In April, our brother Justinian was baptized into the Orthodox Faith and we celebrated together with him and his extended family following the Service. In June, my dear mother Patricia was baptized, and in August, Timothy and his family, Christine and Eva, were baptized the day before the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. During the year, we also received Elias and Peter as members of our Parish and Orthodox family.

We also ensured the improvement of the Cathedral replacing the entire, very large roof, in the fall. Six of our Parishioners joined the Metropolitan on a pilgrimage to the sacred places of Georgia. On that pilgrimage, through a number of donations, we commissioned and received a beautiful enamel Icon of the “Meeting in the Temple” made according to method of medieval Georgia enamel artists. And the Cathedral was further adorned with our Bishop’s throne hand-carved in Greece and received through the generosity of a few parishioners

Our Metropolitan Gregory celebrated with us again in May for the Feast of the Translation of the relics of Saint Nicholas during which he provided to Father Anthony a number of holy relics as most sacred treasures, including a relic of the Holy Chief Apostle Saint Paul. Father Protodeacon George and Father Anthony traveled to the Mother of God Church in Calgary as our brother in the Faith, Subdeacon Antony was ordained Deacon on October 16/29. Axios, Father Deacon Antony!

And just over a week ago, Metropolitan Gregory, Father Isaac, Father Sergey, and Father Deacon Antony served at the Cathedral on Sunday and Monday December 6/19 as we honoured our holy patron on the Feast of Saint Nicholas. We were all very excited as the servant of God, Nektarios, was ordained a Reader just before the Liturgy on Monday morning. All these blessings made our Luncheon together after Liturgy, and our spiritual talk with the Metropolitan even more special.

Strengthened and encouraged by all these blessings, dear Faithful, let us all prepare now to offer our Saviour our love and gratitude at the Feast of His holy Birth. And let us call to mind this wonderful hymn of the Forefeast of the Nativity:

“Behold, the time of our salvation is at hand. Prepare, O cave; the Virgin draweth nigh to give birth. Rejoice and be glad, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, for from thee our Lord is risen up as the sun….for Christ cometh.”

Glory to God for all things!

Father Anthony

Message from Father Anthony on the Nativity of Our Saviour 2021

January 10, 2022 By The Deacon

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

In his Nativity Sermon, Saint John Chrysostom proclaims:

“I behold a new and wondrous mystery! My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full force a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing! The Archangels blend their voices in harmony! The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise! The Seraphim exalt His glory! All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth, and man in Heaven. He Who is above, now for our redemption dwells here below; and he that was lowly is by divine mercy raised up.”

And so, dear and faithful Orthodox Christians, since the Feast of Nativity began three days ago, our voices have also been joined with the Angelic Choirs giving glory to Our Saviour Jesus Christ. And today on the Feast of Saint Stephen let us resolve to continue praising Christ each day until until the next Great Feast of Theophany a few days from now. Asking Him to come into our hearts and enlighten us and bless us all.

You can listen to a recording from St Nicholas Cathedral of the Kontakion hymn for the Nativity of Christ here.

Grotto Church of Nativity of Jesus-St. Nicholas Orthodox Church Scarborough, English Orthodox Church Service — Grotto-Church of the Nativity of Jesus Christ, Bethlehem

Saint John Chrysostom encourages and instructs us at Nativity to consider the gifts of the Magi and how we should come before Our Saviour. He says, “Approach, then, bringing gifts – not gifts like the Magi brought but ones that are much more solemn. They brought gold; you must bring temperance and virtue. They brought incense; you must bring pure prayers which are spiritual incense. They brought myrrh; you must bring humility and a humble heart and love.”

His Eminence Metropolitan Gregory, the Locum Tenens of Toronto sends fatherly blessings upon us all and greetings for the Feast!

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Father Anthony