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Nativity Epistle of Archbishop Gabriel .
06:38 PM
NATIVITY EPISTLE
To the clergy and God-saved flock of the Diocese of CanadaBeloved brothers and sisters in Christ!
“Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16), as Apostle Paul already testified
near the dawn of Christianity in a letter to his beloved disciple Timothy. The Holy Gospel, describing the way this
greatest event in the history of mankind – God manifesting Himself in the flesh – has come about, says that the Angel,
announcing the Nativity of Christ to the Bethlehem shepherds, spoke thus: “I bring you good tidings of great joy
which will be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord… Glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Lk. 2:10-11, 14). During solemn celebration of the
Feast of the Nativity of Christ, the Holy Church keeps reminding us of the compassion and love of Him, Who came
down from the unapproachable and Awesome Throne of His divine Glory and appeared on our sinful earth “for us
men and for our salvation”.
The joy of the Nativity of Christ, that joy, which the Angels announced to all mankind, is that the Almighty Maker of
all things appeared on earth, lived among men, freed us from sin, curse and death, and opened for us the gate to His
Heavenly Kingdom, giving us eternal joy of being in God and with God. God’s peace is indeed His precious gift to
each of us, despite all that we see around us on earth now. The Feast is coming – let every soul rejoice in these days!
Dear brothers and sisters! We are entering the historical one-hundredth year of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside
Russia. Its creation is related to a great historical tragedy, not only for Russia as a country, but for the entire Russian
Orthodox civilisation. Hundreds of thousands of Russians found themselves outside Russia in those sorrowful days.
Over 125 ships sailed from Crimea in late October 1919, and on 6/19 November came to anchor at the Constantinople
harbour. The same day, aboard the ship Grand Duke Alexandr Mikhailovich, the Temporary Higher Church
Administration in South-East Russia met for the first time since leaving the Motherland, and decided to extend its
operation as a Church entity in exile. That’s how our Russian Church Abroad was born. Among participants was evermemorable Metropolitan Anastasy (Gribanovsky), our second First Hierarch, the successor of Metropolitan Antony
(Khrapovitsky). As Vladyka Anastasy said later, “The wider and further we are scattered by destiny in the immense
expanses of the world, the stronger is our conviction that we are sent by Providence to the different and often the most
distant ends of the earth not only in order to preserve the treasure of our Orthodox culture, but also to spread this seed
everywhere”. By God’s will this has indeed happened: the Russian Church Abroad carried the Orthodox Faith
throughout the world. All our Dioceses are preparing for the commemoration of this historic anniversary.
We hope that the Canadian Diocese, too, will find a fitting way to celebrate such an important event in the history of
the Russian Church.
CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!
GABRIEL
Archbishop of Montreal and Canada
Nativity of Christ, 2019/2020 -
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70 years Anniversary of Holy Trinity Church of Toronto
06:44 PM
Vigil
Liturgy
Celebration of 70 years Anniversary.
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11/24 November – “Iveron – Myrrhstreaming” (Montreal) Icon of the Mother of God
03:02 PM
Montreal Iveron icon was painted on Athos in 1981 by a Greek monk, who copied the original icon of the Mother of God Keeper of the Portal. In 1982, this icon was brought from Mount Athos to Montreal (Canada) by Joseph Muños-Cortez, of Spanish decent, who converted to Orthodoxy.
“On 24 November, at 3:00 AM, I woke up because of a strong fragrance. Initially, I thought that it emanates from the relics, or from a spilt bottle of perfume, but, having approached the icon, I was amazed: it was all covered by fragrant myrrh! I was motionless in place on account of such miracle!” – brother Jose related later on.
Soon the myrrhstreaming icon was taken to the church. Since then, the icon of the Mother of God streamed myrrh continuously, with the exception of Holy Weeks. It is notable, that the myrrh flowed mainly from the hands of the Mother of God and Christ, and also from the star, on the right shoulder of the Most Pure One. At the same time, the back side of the icon was always dry.
The wonderworking icon visited North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, and Western Europe. Everywhere, throughout its travels it spread love and harmony, as for example in one parish, where all those gathered once again found a way toward prayer and church unity. Its presence intensified the fervor of prayer to such and extent, that Liturgies, served with it in church could be compared to those of Pascha, that are so fervent in the Orthodox Church.
Many counts of people coming back to church, confession, and communion are known. Thus, one woman, having learned of the death of her son, prepared to take her own life, but, touched to the depths of her soul at the sight of the wonderworking icon, she repented of her awful intention and immediately confessed.
The icon streamed myrrh for 15 years. On the night of 31 October, 1997, the keeper of the icon, Joseph Muños-Cortez, was brutally murdered in Athens, Greece, while the Wonderworking Iveron Icon disappeared without a trace…
The icon appeared soon after the glorification of the New Martyrs of Russia, the Holy Royal Martyrs, it appeared in the place where the martyrs were first glorified, in the fold of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, in the Russian Diaspora… It also appeared to us on the eve of the changes in the entire realm of Historical Russia.
Evermemorable brother Jose quoted the words of a certain pious maiden in this regard: “Myrrhbearing women came to anoint the Body of Christ before His Resurrection. Like unto them, the Mother of God today anoints the Russian People, foreshadowing the resurrection of Russia.”
In the last years of his life, brother Jose always thought that the Icon, of which he was the keeper, would have to visit Russia soon. At the same time, he repeated several times that the Icon cannot come to Russia secretly, “over the fence”, “through the back door.” It should enter the Fatherland by the main gates, with a solemn celebration, so that the entire orthodox Russia could make a prostration to the ground before the Most Pure One. The meeting of the Keeper of the Portal, Who would have returned to Her Own Home, could have marked the beginning of the church unity…
However, the Lord judged things to be different.
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