The Lord bless!
Dear and faithful Orthodox Christians,
As we begin the holy Nativity Fast, I thank Our Saviour that we have had the opportunity to worship together in the Divine Services over the last months both in Saint Nicholas Cathedral, as well as through our streamed Services from the Cathedral and Father Sergey’s home ministry.
Yet it is with some sadness, as I said last Sunday, that we must again significantly reduce attendance to meet the recommendations of the Provincial Health Authorities. We will, therefore, return to the practices we followed back in March. Only Father Protodeacon George, and I, together with a few chanters and server will attend Church in-person. This is not at all what any of us hoped for, but with God’s help, we have worked through these constraints in the past and will support each other at this time as well.
I ask and encourage everyone to participate, to worship, and pray together with us as we continue to stream all of our Services from the Cathedral or with Father Sergey through Facetime. For each family and individual parishioner to come in front of your icon corner, light a candle, and burn some incense during the Service. Remember that we should dress as we would if attending Church in-person, to stand and to cross ourselves, to attend to the hymns and readings, and to pray for one another, and for all in need.
We have each made our homes into ‘Islands of Holiness.’ As Metropolitan Gregory instructs us to emulate those Orthodox Christians who were nourished by the Faith in their homes in times of persecution in the past, and ‘to convert your living room into a Church, and let your family be the congregation. If you do, have no doubt, Christ will be there with you.’ And to not be discouraged if you live alone, but be comforted by how many Saints prayed individually to God in the wilderness, yet together with their Guardian Angel, ‘for no Christian is ever without their Guardian Angel.’
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, knowing that Our Saviour is the bestower of every good thing, and that we are compassed about with the great company of Saints, let us with faith begin our journey together through the fast, and follow the road with patience to arrive at Bethlehem. And so let us spend this time with prayer, fasting, and repentance, remembering those in sickness, and those in need, and be assured that arriving in Bethlehem we shall behold that ‘great and marvelous mystery’ as Our Saviour comes to be born.
In Christ,
Father Anthony
I heard from many of our Parishioners, as well as our Orthodox brothers and sisters across the country who have also found consolation and spiritual joy through these Services. I can’t tell you how very encouraged I have been to receive pictures of the home Icon Corners of many of our faithful, as well as letters, calls, and emails of appreciation. For me the most uplifting part was to know that so many faithful joined the Services praying together, holding the beautiful palms, and with the lighted Pascha candles that we had distributed from Saint Nicholas, experiencing the hymns, readings, and the blessing of Christ together. May Our Saviour bless all those whose efforts and labour has made all of this possible for the faithful of our Church.
Dear Faithful, in these days approaching Pentecost I ask you to remember and pray for all the clergy and faithful of our Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto: our beloved Metropolitan Andrew, Father Bohdan and flock at Saints’ Peter and Paul, Father Demjan and flock at Saint Andrew’s, the faithful at the Keeper of the Portal Church in Calgary, Father Sergey, Protodeacon George and myself and the faithful at Saint Nicholas, that the Holy Spirit enlighten and strengthen us all.