e knew not whether we “Wwere in heaven or earth… We only know that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of St. Sophia Orthodox other nations. a Parish of the Outside of Russia The ” 195 Joseph Street, Victoria, British Columbia Canada V8S 3H6 Orthodox email: [email protected] website: www.saintsophia.ca phone: (250) 704-2838 Church ith these words, envoys sent from Services are in English Russia by Prince Vladimir in the Wyear 987 recorded their impression of Constantinople’s awesome Orthodox Cathedral, . They had been sent to search for Vigil – 6 p.m. – Всенощное бдение the true religion. Within a year of their report, Prince Vladimir and the Russian people were Sunday baptized in Christ by Orthodox missionaries. Hours – 10 a.m. – Часы Today, as in Prince Vladimir’s time, the Orthodox Church – fully aware that man is a union of body – 10:30 a.m. – Божественная Литургия and soul – uses all the beauty of creation to move – 5 p.m. – Вечерня her faithful children to prayer and worship: , beautiful singing, sweet-smelling incense, and Archpriest: Father John Adams majestic services. : Father Gordian Bruce The Greek word ‘Orthodoxia’ means ‘correct praise’ or ‘correct teaching’ and in the Orthodox worship the praise and teaching are closely interwoven.

Jesus Christ founded His Church through the Apostles. By the grace received from God at , the Apostles established the Church throughout the world. In Greece, Russia, and elsewhere, the True Apostolic Church continues to flourish, preserving the Faith of Christ pure and unchanged.) JanuaryJanuary 20120155 ServiceServicess

Saturday January 3- Vigil 6pm Sunday January 4- Liturgy 10:30am Sunday Evening Vespers- 5pm

Tuesday January 6- Eve of Nativity Great and 9pm Wednesday January 7- Midnight Nativity Service (immediately following the above service)

Saturday January 10- Vigil 6pm Sunday January 11- Liturgy 10:30am Nativity Yolka Luncheon

Saturday January 17- Vigil 6pm Sunday January 18- Liturgy 10:30am Sunday January 18- Vigil for the Feast of 6pm Monday January 19- Theophany Liturgy 10:30am with Blessing of the Waters

It is traditional to have our homes blessed on Holy Theophany; please prearrange a time with Father John to come and have your house blessed today- or at another time, very soon

Saturday January 24- Vigil 6pm Sunday January 25- Liturgy 10:30am Sunday Evening Vespers- 5pm

Why We Fast Before Nativity () The time of preparation before the great feast of the Nativity of Christ (i.e. “Christmas”) is, through the wisdom of our holy fathers, intended to be a time of purposeful asceticism, almsgiving, and learning to say “yes” to God while saying “no” to one’s own desires.

Western Christmas (especially in the present day) has become a time of great anxiety and materialism for many, despite the fact that most every song one hears, most every retail ad that one reads, and most every film with “Christmas” as a theme that one watches will try to convince them that Christmas is a time for warmth, joy, spending time with one’s family and even taking a break from the regular hustle and bustle of everyday life. If only this were to be the case… This palpable grief and anxiety should not be so, beloved ones. No, we have certainly missed the purpose of this feast of Nativity- and the time of preparation and that precedes it- if all we can do is approach it with great stress and sorrow…

The fast of Saint Philip/Nativity fast is where our holy fathers inaugurated a 40 day period of fasting and preparation before the annual celebration of Christ’s . This period of 40 days is analogous to the 40 days that the fasted before receiving the statutes of God. Of this connection, a great Saint writes:

“The Nativity Forty-day Fast represents the fast undertaken by Moses, who- having fasted for forty days and forty nights- received the Commandments of God, written on stone tablets. And we, fasting for forty days, will reflect upon and receive from the Virgin the living Word- not written upon stone, but born, incarnate- and we will commune of His Divine Body.” St. Symeon of Thessaloniki (AD 1381-1429)

If nothing else, then, the time of prayer and fasting before Nativity reminds us that we, as Orthodox Christians, are given the immense and unthinkable blessing, privilege, and honour of receiving the very Body and Blood of our Lord, God and Saviour Christ. But as we “say yes to Christ” in the holy mysteries, we must also learn to say “no” to ourselves and to make it a point to both follow Christ and to serve those in need… An effective remedy for the anxieties and desires of this time of year is found in a concern for our fellow man. Rather than being so “caught up” in the materialism and “me too” nature of popular celebration, Orthodox Christians should play a pivotal role in showing a wholly better and more noble way.

It is in these virtues and in a genuine concern and care for others that we can be released from the false cares of this world, especially as they are typically found during the Nativity or “Christmas” season. If we give to the poor, we are giving to God. If we say “no” to our own desires, we can fulfill the needs of those who are looking for someone—anyone—that is willing to say “yes” on their behalf… As individuals, we can honour the fast, spend more time in prayer, and make a conscious effort to love our neighbors as ourselves and to dedicate this season to be a time for ascetic, Spiritual growth…

So then, beloved brothers and sisters, when approaching this Nativity season…dedicate yourself to the true spirit of the season and the greater purpose that lies within: the salvation and healing of the world. -Vincent Martini http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/57756.htm Orthodox Christians and Western Christmas Carols For some Orthodox Christians in the western world … it is sometimes difficult to know what to make of Christmas carols, songs, and their appropriate place in the life of an Orthodox Christian.

None of us live in a vacuum. As such, the varied music of our culture almost inevitably finds its way into our lives, our memory, and our heart. Orthodox liturgical music represents the central place of music in the life of any faithful Orthodox Christian: it is music suited for the right worship of God, and comes to us through the life and experience of the countless holy ones that make up the communion of saints…

For North Americans, most of the Christmas carols that have come to us in the English language date from the 1700s and 1800s, and offer narratives of the accounts of the Nativity of Christ. While these usually use archaic English in a creative way, they are certainly faithful witnesses to the Gospel. We can think of favourites such as Angels We Have Heard on High, Away in a , or God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen… Other traditional carols convey the story of events close to the Nativity of the Lord: the traditional Latin melody O come, O come, Emmanuel dates to near pre-Schism times (the early 12th century, in this case), and can almost be described as a song from an Orthodox culture. The Coventry Carol tells the tragic tale of the massacre of the innocents described in the second chapter of Saint Matthew…

Some carols offer poetic allusions to Gospel or other Scriptures. Songs such as Ding Dong Merrily on High, We Three Kings, , and While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night, are artistic folk songs of their time, and warmly tell parts of the Nativity story. … The Holly and the Ivy offers a Christian understanding of pagan symbols that would be familiar to many Slavic Orthodox. Even the famous carol, Hark The Herald Angels Sing by the Protestant preacher Charles Wesley, provides poetry relating to the Gospel in a way that does not contradict an Orthodox understanding…

Similarly, Christmastime tales of the life of an Orthodox saint like Good King Wenceslas (who died as a martyr at the hands of his pagan brother Boleslaus) provide a small sample of the lives of the saints which faithful Orthodox Christians read each day…

Secular wintertime folk songs, such as Deck the Halls and , are Victorian age nostalgia… The silly, modern secular songs such Rocking Around the etc have little at all to do with Christmas, and even less to do with aspiring to emulate the best offerings of western civilization.

In his letter to the Philippians (4:8), Saint Paul tells us to hold to everything that is good. A wonderful variety of Christmas carols that affirm the truth of the Gospel, and the Nativity of Christ, have come down to us in the English language, and are entirely suitable for use in the homes of Orthodox Christians… Apart from the Resurrection, this is the single greatest event in human history, and it gives us our very identity as Christians – and identity which solves any identity crisis we might ever face in our lives. We should celebrate it at every opportunity. -Fr. Geoffrey Korz

-http://www.pravmir.com/article_1188.html - http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/12/orthodoxy-and-western-christmas-carols.html

Original Hymn to the Music of Good King Wenceslas

We all know the popular : Good King Wenceslas. While this song describes an action of the Czech Orthodox Saint, King Wenceslas, the tune however, used for this song is much older than the words written circa 1850. the Hymnographer of the 9th century wrote this hymn nearly 1000 years earlier to the tune that we are familiar with today. It was often sung on the feasts of martyrs. This is an English translation.

Christian friends, your voices raise. Wake the day with gladness. God himself to joy and praise turns our human sadness: Joy that martyrs won their crown, opened heaven's bright portal, when they laid the mortal down for the life immortal.

Editor's Note: While there were many ancient non-liturgical carols written for all feast and saints' days, it is only the Nativity Christmas Carols which have mostly survived.

The Reasons Why Jesus Christ Came into the World The reasons why Jesus Christ, the , came into the world are these:

The love of God for the human race: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). The restoration in fallen humanity of the image and likeness of God, as the holy Church celebrates it: "Man who, being made in the image of God, had become corrupt through sin, and was full of vileness, and had fallen away from the better life Divine, doth the wise Creator restore anew" (First of Matins for the Nativity of Christ). The salvation of men’s souls: "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17). And so we, in conformance with the purposes of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, should spend our life in accordance with this Divine teaching, so that through it we may obtain the salvation of our souls. - St. Seraphim of Sarov

From Birth to Baptism: The Glory of The 12 Days of Christmas

One of the many wonderful aspects of the Orthodox-Catholic celebration of the birth of Christ is the traditional season of "Christmastide" or the "12 Days of Christmas." This is one of those rare periods in the life of the Church where all fasting is suspended and where the fullness of Christ's Incarnation is on display in the following days.

Thankfully, people have come to understand more and more that the feast of Christmas was not established as a replacement of a "pagan holiday" (as is proposed in popular discussion), but is rather an intentional celebration of the unique birth of our Lord according to the flesh. The (celebrated March 25/April 7) was celebrated as a feast …and Christ was born nine months later on December 25/January 7.

This period of Christmastide is fast free, but not because we are fulfilling the desires of our flesh and embracing gluttony. Instead, it is fast free because we are celebrating the purification and redemption of creation that is wrought by Christ's Incarnation (whereby all foods are "holy" and acceptable for Christians). We will traditionally give gifts to one another, imitating both the magi of the east (who brought gifts to the Saviour) and the who offered Christ as a gift for the life of the world.

On the day after Christmas (Dec. 26/Jan. 8), a synaxis—a coming together or gathering—of all the feasts and the whole life of the Theotokos is celebrated; first and foremost because by giving birth to Christ, she became an instrument of our salvation through his Incarnation. Mary served as the prototype of a living "temple of the Holy Spirit," and those of the Church after her—both individually and collectively— imitate her in this regard.

This celebration of Mary is followed by the commemoration (Dec. 27/Jan. 9) of the first Martyr of the Church ("Protomartyr") after Christ's ascension: the deacon Stephen. The of this feast tells the story beautifully, in that: "Yesterday the Master arrived in the flesh; today the servant departs from the flesh. Yesterday he who reigns was born; today the servant dies for him by stoning." As a holy martyr, Stephen was a true "witness" (which comes from the Greek word for "martyr") of the importance of Christ's Incarnation.

On the 29th of December/Jan. 11, we remember the horrific slaying of approximately 14,000 infants at the behest of Herod, whose jealousy of the coming was manifested in this slaughter (and including his own child). This day implores us to emphatically not be like Herod in our own attempted destruction of Christ in our lives. A life in Christ is a life of martyrdom (as shown by Stephen) and submission (as shown by Mary); in other words, it is a life of humility. By fearing this humility, Herod "lamented that his power would soon be destroyed" (Kontakion) and sought to destroy Christ instead.

The Sunday after Nativity serves as a commemoration of many of Christ's relatives "according to the flesh." These "ancestors of God" serve as the first examples of how we are to both worship and imitate our newborn Saviour: St. Joseph the Betrothed, the elderly man entrusted with the care of his young relative, the Virgin Mary, believed in the Lord through an angel and overcame the temptations of Satan. With the magi of the east, he too bowed down and worshipped the newborn King. , the king and psalmist, serves as an of true repentance and provided the people of God with an abundance of prayers and songs for both our own acts of repentance and the continual praise of Christ. These psalms, of course, also serve as beautiful reminders of Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection. And finally, James, the "brother of God" (being the son of the previously widowed Joseph), was the first leader of the Church of Jerusalem: "As the Lord's disciple, O righteous One, you received the Gospel; as Martyr, you have unwavering courage; as the Lord's brother, you have forthrightness; as Hierarch, intercession" ().

The circumcision of Christ is then celebrated (Jan. 1/14), not only as a beginning to his fulfillment of the Law, and the transition of God's revelation to mankind (after the fall) from "shadow" (Heb. 8:5) to reality, but also as the occasion of the naming of the child as Jesus (which means "Saviour"). We too receive a new name through the Church in the mystery of Baptism—the Christian fulfillment of circumcision—after the example of Christ. Through this, our whole life is dedicated to Christ through the intercession of saints (Heb. 12:1; Rev. 8:4) and the protection of angels (St. Matt. 18:10; Jude 1:9).

On January 3/16, the holy prophet Malachi, the last of the so-called "minor ," is commemorated. Malachi prophesied in the middle of the 5th century before Christ (B.C.), within the Persian court of Artaxerxes, that the "Sun of Righteousness" would soon enter the world, with "healing on his wings" (Mal. 4:2).

On the following day, the original "seventy apostles" of Christ are commemorated (cf. Luke 10:1-16), who were first sent into the world with the Gospel message. These men and women remind us that, as we have received the infant Christ in his Nativity, it is now our turn to share him (imitating Mary) with the rest of the world. We must take this message of an infant King of Kings, along with the good news of his life, death and resurrection, into all creation (St. Mark 16:15), just as these first apostles and disciples of Christ did.

And finally, we conclude the Christmastide with the Great Feast of the Theophany (sometimes called ) on January 6/19. In the baptism of Christ, by the hands of the servant St. John the Forerunner and Baptist, the Divinity of Christ and the full mystery of the all-Holy are revealed. "Theophany" means "divine manifestation," and we are reminded continually, in the life of the Church and her worship, of this manifestation of Christ as the "God-Man," along with the unique and incomprehensible mystery of the Trinity. In fact, the abundance of our rituals regarding the sanctification of this created order—including within our churches—is a reflection of this Incarnational mystery: "Our reverence, our veneration is never related to 'matter,' but always to that which it reveals, of which it is an epiphany, i.e., a manifestation and presence ... consecration in the Church is not a creation of 'sacred objects' ... but their referral to their original and at the same time ultimate meaning" (Schmemann, The Eucharist, p. 61). Along these lines, we hear in the Kontakion: "You appeared to the world today, and Your light, O Lord, has left its mark upon us." We must share this light with the "darkness" of the world, as "little Christs" (i.e., "Christians"), cooperating with the Spirit of God in the redemption of creation through Christ Jesus. Christ, who entered this world with the humility of a child born to die—being wrapped in the swaddling burial cloths of death—who by his own death defeated death itself.

Ultimately, then, the meaning of both the Nativity of Christ (i.e., Christmas), and the entirety of the Christmastide, is the receiving and giving of Christ, who is truly the Gift and the Giver, the Receiver and the Received.

In this Eucharistic Mystery, we are called to imitate Christ's Mother in our sharing of Christ with the world; to imitate Stephen in our being a true "witness" (i.e., "martyr") for Christ, to this world that would seek to imitate Herod; to imitate a life of true repentance like David and a life of simple, prayerful obedience like the elderly Joseph; to imitate the Theophany of Christ with our own manifestation of the light of Christ in the darkness of this world; and to be a true reflection of the all-Holy Trinity through our unity, communion, and mutual love within the Church.

We receive the uncreated light of the Christ-child on the day of Nativity, and are made ready to share that light with the whole world by the end of the Christmas season. May we all come to fervently appreciate the commemorations and feasts of this wonderful time of the year; not only for our own sakes, but especially for the life of the world. - Vincent Martini http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/58528.htm Month of January Saint’s Days Congratulations to Tobias, Christos, Anysia, Melania, Genevieve, Tatiana, Nina, Theophan, and Anthony!

May God grant you many, many, years!

Church Cleaners

Thank you month of December Church Cleaners and Gardeners. May God reward your efforts!

Let Us Be Ready to Receive the Lord

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The Gospel, all the Gospel is a gift of God to us, and although we are not continuously reminded of the need to be grateful, how can we not respond with gratitude to what the Gospel brings to us? God has so loved the world that He has given His only begotten Son that the world may be saved; and the Son has given Himself freely, in the sovereign freedom of His Divinity to us; no-one has taken His life from Him—these are His own words; He gave His life willingly, freely, that we may live.

And today we have in the Gospel a short example of the way in which we, most of the time, receive the gifts of God. Ten men came, covered with leprosy, condemned to a cruel death by illness, but also rejected ritually by their own people for the impurity of this infectious disease. They came to Him, but stood at a distance, because they knew that according to the Jewish Law they had no right even to come near Him or to touch Him. They asked for mercy. And God sent them to the priests to bring a sign of their gratitude for the healing which they had not even received; and they believed, and they went, and they were healed even before they reached their destination... We might have expected them to rush back to fall to the feet of Christ, to touch Him in gratitude. But no... Nine of them went their way; it was enough for them to have been healed—that was all they needed from God. One of them, however, turned round, and came to thank the Lord.

Isn’t this an image of the way in which we so often also behave? We pray, we ask the Lord for something that matters to us. It may not be life and death, it may just be that we need so much; we need one thing or another. Or, that we don’t even need it so much, but that we long for it so much. And then it is given us; and we receive the gift, and we rush into life with this gift in our hearts, this gift in our hands, we rush to life because it is enough for us that our prayer was fulfilled. How seldom it is that we come back, leaving our gift to be used later, but first of all turning to God and saying: What a wonder! What love You have! How great, how compassionate, how humble that You have responded to my prayer... One out of ten came back to the Lord Jesus Christ. How many of us have ever come immediately, before they took advantage of the gift, to turn to God with a smile, like a child turns and says, “Thank you!” even with a smile, without words, before taking advantage of what is given. And we lose so much by not being grateful; because if we would learn to be grateful for the obvious gifts of God, we would gradually discover that we can be grateful for a great deal more, for everything that Providence puts in our way— not only things we rejoice in, not only the wonders of life, but even the challenges of life, the things that require from us courage, greatness, and nobility; things that we fear. And how often could we overcome vanity by gratitude! Because vanity consists in looking at ourselves, and thinking how wonderful we are, forgetting that all that we are, all that we have is a gift of God. If only—every time we have said the right thing, done the right thing; been worthy of our human quality, human greatness and nobility, and also of the name of disciples of Christ—if every time we turned to God and said, ‘Yes! How wonderful are the words I have spoken, how good is the action I have performed—and everything was of You. The occasion was given by You, O Lord! I was able to perceive the need because You whispered into my heart: Look! I could understand because I had my mind enlightened by the Gospel! My heart responded because You touched it, and the heart of stone that I carry in my bosom most of the time became a heart of flesh full of compassion and understanding! And You gave me the means by which to meet the need, and the joy of meeting this need!

If we could respond to everything this way, we would discover that life is made into an act of worship and of gratitude.

Let us reflect on this, because we are coming to a day when our heart should be aflame with gratitude: for God has loved us so much as to become one of us. While we were strangers, alien to Him, often inimical to Him, He came, and He gave His life for us that we may live! We must prepare for it, for joy, gratitude, faith, openness to God does not happen all of a sudden- we must prepare for it. Let us reflect on what is going to happen- what happened over 2000 years ago that we shall remember as an actual event now, and be ready, with a heart tilled, deeply furrowed by faith; by reflection, having thought out all our life. Let us be ready to receive the Lord like a shepherd, in the simplicity and purity of our hearts, or like the Wise Men in the deep understanding of wisdom. Amen! -Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh Pearls of Wisdom And the Word became flesh! ...in order to make us earthly beings into heavenly ones, in order to make sinners into saints; in order to raise us up from corruption into incorruption, from earth to heaven; from enslavement to sin and the devil – into the glorious freedom of children of God; from death – into immortality, in order to make us sons of God and to seat us together with Him upon the Throne as His royal children. - St. John of Kronstadt

All that you can take with you is what you've given away. - unknown

Not in glory and magnificence, but in poverty, wretchedness, and humiliation does the Creator and Lord of heaven and earth appear in the world; not a luxurious palace, but a humble cave, receives the King of those who reign and the Lord of those who rule. By this we are shown the greatness of humility, poverty, meekness, and simplicity, and the ruinousness of pride, riches, vainglory, and luxury… The first deemed worthy to hear the Good News of the angels concerning the Birth of the Saviour of the world, and the first to bow before Him, were the simple shepherds of , and after them the wise Persian magi; and thus at the manger of the Saviour we see two kinds of people: pastors and magi, i.e., the simplest people and the most cultivated… The three magi from the East, who learned of the Birth of the Saviour by a miraculous star and brought gifts and worshipped Him, and later received baptism from the Apostle Thomas in Parthia and themselves preached Christ. They, as Archbishop Innocent of Kherson has written, "represent the whole of mankind; and their gifts- , , and - symbolically represent all that we can offer to our Saviour. Gold represents material gifts and is offered by those who sacrifice something from their labor or acquisitions for the glory of God... Frankincense is offered by those who use, for the glory of God and the benefit of their neighbor, their talents, knowledge, and skill, which are something that cannot be bought with gold. These are God's gift to man, but they can and should also be man's gift to God... Myrrh, like frankincense, gives a fragrance, but its distinguishing characteristic lies in its extreme bitterness; therefore it represents our misfortunes, sorrows, tears, and suffering. They offer myrrh as a gift to the Lord who bear misfortunes in life and suffer innocently, without falling into despondency or complaining... This is the most precious of all the gifts that we can offer the Lord... -Excerpt from The Feast of the Nativity in the flesh of our Lord, and God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ. From the "Manual for Orthodox Priests" (Nastolnaya Kniga), Kharkov, 1900 -http://www.orthodox.net/nativity/nativity-bulgakov.html

The science of the soul is noetic and can be examined and experienced only through the activation of the nous. The nous in Orthodox Christian theology is the “eye of the heart or soul”, the mind of the heart. God created us with the nous because the human intellect is not capable of knowing Him without it. The intellect alone cannot know God, for human reasoning is limited to the things that are of a material nature. God is unknowable without His divine revelation, and only the nous can perceive this knowledge. God’s essence remains inaccessible without noetic knowledge. Science has its place, but only the heart can know God. Quantum physics, while mysterious, is still part of the created material realm, and is fairly explainable now. The real difference isn’t between seen and unseen, but at its root, created and uncreated. It was the uncreated energies of God that Moses saw in the burning bush, or that the Apostles experienced in the transfiguration. A scientist will understand the properties of light (photons), but will have no clue about the uncreated light, which heals, deifies and casts no shadow. Fr. George Calciu of blessed memory experienced this light in the midst of the worst Romanian prisons, and the result is another effect that science cannot explain: incorruption of body after death. It has been said that humans are a microcosm of the whole universe because we have within ourselves the entire material world, and with it the noetic powers of the cosmos. Created as we were for immortality, it is our fallen nature that has separated us from that which God had intended. When we avail ourselves to the transformational healing that comes with repentance, we will see the Kingdom of God, which is within. -Abbot Tryphon

On The Lord's Prayer - St. Nikolai Velimirovic Part 3 (continuing from December 2014 Issue)

HALLOWED BE THY NAME

Thou wouldst not be holier by our hallowing Thee, but in hallowing Thy Name we make ourselves holy. Thy Name is wondrous.

The people quarrel on this earth about names: whose name is great? It is good that sometimes Thy Name is mentioned in these quarrels, because all the loquacious tongues become at once slow and hesitating, and all the great human names melted together cannot compare with Thy Name, Holy, All- Holy!

When men want to hallow Thy Name they ask nature for help. They take stone and wood to make the temples; they adorn the altars with pearls and flowers, and make fire of plants, their sisters; and take scent of the cedars, their brothers; and strengthen their voices by the voice of the bells; and call the animals for help, to hallow Thy Name.

Nature is as pure as Thy stars, and as innocent as Thine Angels, O Lord. Be merciful with us for the sake of the pure and innocent nature which hallows Thy Name, together with us, Holy, All-Holy! In what way should we hallow Thy name? Is it by innocent joy? Then be merciful with us for the sake of our innocent children. Is it by suffering? Then look at our cemeteries. Or is it by self-sacrifice? Then remember our mothers, O Lord!

Thy name is stronger than steel and clearer then light. Blessed be the man who depends upon and enlightens himself by Thy Name! …Terrible is Thy Name, O Lord! It illuminates and it consumes like a great fire-cloud. Nothing is holy and nothing terrible that is not bound with Thy Name... Let us remember Thy Name in every moment of our joy and of our abasement in life, as we remember it in the hour of our death, yea, our heavenly Father, our Holy Father! -http://www.atlantaserbs.com/learnmore/library/LordsPrayer.html

Orthodox Feast Days Civil Calendar Dates from January - June 2015 NATIVITY ACCORDING TO THE FLESH OF OUR LORD Wed January 7 GOD AND SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST

THEOPHANY Mon January 19

Publican & Pharisee Sunday - fast free week February 1

Sunday of the Prodigal Son February 8

MEETING OF THE LORD & Meat Fare Sunday February 15 (Sunday of Last Judgment) Cheese fare Week begins (no more meat until Pascha) Mon February 16 Cheesefare (Forgiveness) Sunday (Blini-Pancakes) February 22 Great begins Mon February 23 Sunday of 1st Sunday of Lent March 1 Sunday of St. 2nd Sunday of Lent March 8 Sunday of the Holy Cross 3rd Sunday of Lent March 15 Sunday of St. 4th Sunday of Lent March 22 Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt 5th Sunday of Lent March 29

Lazarus Saturday Sat April 4 (& Western ) Sun April 5 starts Mon April 6

ANNUNCIATION & Holy Tuesday Tues April 7

Holy Thursday Thurs April 9 Holy Friday Fri April 10

Holy Saturday Sat April 11

P ASCHA - & fast free week Sun April 12 Midfeast of Pentecost Wed May 6

ASCENSION Thursday May 21

PENTECOST SUNDAY - fast free week May 31 Apostles Fast begins Mon June 8 (for 34 Days)

Nun, the Wiser A fictional novelette by © Jane MacGregor, used with permission -Continued from the December 2014 Sophia

Chapter 6 The Call

Dad phoned with news after breakfast that mom's surgery was scheduled tomorrow morning. I spoke with mom for a long time. Her voice was weak, but her spirit sounded strong.

"I can't get to church," she said, "so Father Paul is coming by this afternoon… to give me and Communion before my surgery." Mom added gratefully.

I was pleased to hear that, told her I loved her, and said we were all praying for her. I mentioned that Father Andronic was here at the convent, and he remembered her and dad. Mom was surprised. "Please ask him to pray for me too. "

I assured her I would. When I hung up the phone, I realized I forgot to tell her about the Molieben again.

Matushka blessed me to visit Father Andronic's cabin with Faith, to pass along mom's prayer request. Father invited us to stay for tea, and I watched in fascination as he heaped six spoonfuls of sugar in his mug. The tea brewed all day long on the back of a wood stove. It was so black and strong you could almost stand a spoon upright in it. Father offered us some biscuits. I wanted to decline as they were no doubt stale, but thought it might seem rude. After the second bite, they seemed as delicious as anything you could ever hope for! Strange thing about food, Faith and I debated on the walk back to the convent… it's so simple, but always tastes so good after its been blessed!

I kept busy so I wouldn't fret about mom's surgery. After lunch I helped Sister Anna and Mother Matrona weed the large vegetable garden. We soon decided it was too hot and should stop. I agreed and realized I shouldn't have eaten so much at lunch. It was uncomfortable bending over, and I plunked down exhausted in the dirt.

"Mind the radishes!" squeaked Sister Anna, mopping her moist face with her sleeve.

Mother Matrona returned from a quick trip to the kitchen, bearing a pitcher of ice tea and three tall glasses. We moved over, to sit in the shade under a nearby tree.

"How long have you been here?" I asked Mother Matrona.

"Hmmm. Let's see… I've been a monastic for nearly thirty years," she said. I was tonsured at another convent, and have been here at Annunciation for almost ten years now!

Sister Anna said she had been here for nearly three years, and was still a novice, like Sisters Maria and Juliana.

Mother Matrona said she used to visit here as a youngster. "The last time I came here, before becoming a monastic, I was nearly eighteen years old. I did, not, want, to, come- but my parents insisted. To their horror, I spitefully wore my shortest shorts, with a skimpy halter top. I also sarcastically donned the required head scarf too! While my parents ignored me, and visited with the then Abbess Lydia and Father Andrei, I walked around the grounds to work on my tan."

Sister Anna puckered her brow at Mother Matrona.

"There's a little monastic cemetery near our current Father Andronic's cabin. I peered over the fence awhile, then decided to go in and view the crosses with names and dates of people interred there. Upon opening the entry gate, a nearby grave's tall wooden cross toppled over for no reason, right in front of me, blocking my way. It didn't fall completely over, but it seemed I was barred from going further. I was scared, and backed out." Mother Matrona paused, and asked Sister Anna for a refill of ice tea.

Sister Anna poured more ice tea, and her large, expressive gentle doe-like brown eyes were huge as she waited to hear more.

Mother Matrona continued after a few sips. "I walked back along a different route to wait for my parents in our car. I was creeped out and wanted to leave. As I approached the little convent church something caught my eye. Standing beside the church was a tall monastic woman. She was regal, beautiful, and wore a deep sky blue ryasa. By her piercing gaze I understood I had displeased her terribly. She slowly turned away from me and went down the path I had just come by. I was compelled to follow her. I wanted to speak with her, but she wasn't there. She had disappeared, and I felt completely bereft! I bumped into Father Andrei returning from his visit with my parents. I asked who the nun was, and described her in detail. He crossed himself frowning, and said there was nobody here, fitting that description… It must have been the Theotokos herself, as this was her convent."

Mother Matrona paused again, swallowed the last sip of her ice tea lost in thought, leaving us hanging.

"Then what?" Both Sister Anna and I shouted together at the exact same time. I yearned to add the childish word 'jinx', but thought that would just be too immature.

Mother Matrona sighed. "I waited in the car for my parents while they finished visiting with Mother Lydia. I felt ashamed for wearing what I had worn to the convent. I never told my parents what I saw. For months afterward, I kept thinking about what happened, and longed to return. Then, in God's time it became vividly clear, and that was when I knew."

"Knew what?" I asked breathlessly.

"I was being called. After that, I visited another convent closer to our home, many, many times. I needed to make sure this was what I truly wanted. I couldn't return here initially, for financial reasons, but did so when I was able. This is now my earthly home. What sweeter life is there?"

Sister Anna sniffled. I sat quietly looking at Mother Matrona. "Thank you for sharing this with me," I said earnestly.

Mother Matrona inclined her head and when she looked up again she smiled, radiantly. "They that live in the wilderness, have an unquenchable longing for God, as they are far from the tumult of life."

I stood up and decided to go for a walk. Eventually I wound up at the little monastic cemetery, and searched for Father Andrei's and Mother Lydia's grave. Picking some wildflowers, I placed them at the foot of each of their crosses.

"God rest your souls," I breathed. "!"

The sun shone at an odd angle through the trees. It was getting late, and the cattle should be watered. The trough would evaporate quickly in this heat. I decided to stop by the barn in case Faith or Marina hadn't done so yet. As I jogged along, I wondered what would I say, if I accidently bumped into the Theotokos along the path? These were her grounds after all! There was an unexpected rustle from the woods beside me, and my heart skipped a beat.

A black blur scooted out from the underbrush, and Koshka trotted, along, tail held high, the rest of the way with me. "We're both a couple of silly girls!" I chided, giggling.

Unkinking the water hose, I turned it on and directed it into the trough. The sound of water tantalized the thirsty bulls grazing close by, and they meandered over.

Koshka hopped up and sat on the rail surveying the scene below. As the cattle butted their heads together to drink from the trough, Koshka jumped down a rung, and swatted her paw at them through the fence rail. One backed away, mooing loudly in protest, then he returned, dipping his huge muzzle back into the trough. Again Koshka swiped her paw at him, and paraded back and forth, swatting and irritating all the parched bulls. It was so funny I couldn't stop laughing.

Koshka gracefully leaped back up onto the top of the fence. She came close, and when I bent my head down, she rubbed both her cheeks against mine. Her nose was cold, and she had a tiny white spot on her black face. I liked the way her long white whiskers stood way out on end when she rubbed my face. Looking disdainfully down at the cattle, Koshka hopped off the fence, flicked her tail, and without a backward glance trotted off, continuing on with her rounds.

Yup. Word was out… I had an axe to grind with the bovine race!

Stay tuned for February's Sophia… Nun, the Wiser… Chapter 7

Theophany and What Sacred Art Does

…As we come to the feast of Theophany, we encounter with the icon of the Baptism of Christ. We enter the church. On a stand in the center, sitting at a 45° angle is the icon. It sits at an angle not so much for you to look at it, but for you to kiss it. All around are flickering candles, and in your approach sweetness surprises you as wearing shiny robes passes, swinging incense around it. The icon is surrounded by flowers. It is surrounded by flowers because today is a celebration, the feast of Theophany, and the icon of the Baptism of Christ is the icon for that feast. That is the reason why it is displayed.

To see the icon is to hear the chanting, the hymns of Theophany, the feast of light. “On this day you have appeared unto the whole world, and your light, O Sovereign Lord, is signed on us who sing your praise and chant with knowledge: you have now come, you have appeared, O Light unapproachable.”

Light is related to baptism because as the Divine Man enters the waters of baptism it is light entering the chaotic waters, light entering the deep. The festal hymn which is also sung at this feast suddenly takes all of its meaning in the light of the icon on the stand: “For as many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ, .”

The icon of the Baptism makes visible the root of our own spiritual journey to be united with the Divine, having put on Christ, we are called to share in his inheritance. The icon reminds us of our belonging, of our own baptism and our initiation into the Church, marking therefore our participation in the very community with which we are now standing, now bowing, now chanting, now praying.

In this image of baptism, the feast of Theophany is also the blessing of the waters, and so after a font of water is blessed, the faithful drink it, and are doused by the priest who walks around the church flinging water all over the place. So now you walk out of the church, not alone, but surrounded by your community. The icon, that piece of sacred art, is carried with you in a procession to the nearby shore of a river, a lake or an ocean.

This baptism, this light that entered the waters of the Jordan 2000 years ago cannot be contained within walls. A cross is thrown into the deep, to show that all of creation receives the Divine light, that the entire universe is contained by the Divine .

These actions mark the very meaning of sacred art, how it is not only us, the people that are baptized. Rather with us and in some manner through us, these painted objects, these metallic vessels, these stone constructions, these human melodies are also “baptized into Christ”, they have also “put on Christ” so to reflect the Logos, so to be united to the Logos at the level at which they are capable. And ultimately, though it remains a mystery to most of us, it is the entire cosmos, the whole of creation that has been given to participate in this process.

Finally, that icon we began with, that piece of sacred art is never seen alone and for its own sake. It is experienced in song, in movement and in the smoky smell of incense. It is not an intellectual game or an aesthetic experience. It does something. It participates in the identity of a community of believers. It makes them participate in a moment of sacred history, accompanies them on their spiritual journey and engages the root of their relationship with God as well as with the entire cosmos. That’s what sacred art does. -Jonathan Pageau http://www.orthodoxartsjournal.org/theophany-and-what-sacred-art-does/

Cruise to Orthodox Alaska

Last year a group from the trip came to our church to look at the mosaics and they said how much they enjoyed this cruise. http://www.travelorthodoxy.com/ It would be an opportunity for many to make their own pilgrimage to visit and pray at some of the holy places in Alaska.. To "taste" this unique part of North American Orthodox history… to visit some of the oldest holy places on our continent and the birthplace of the Orthodox Church here in the New World. Note that cruises tend to need about a 6+ month lead time to book, so thinking about next summer now is not at all "too early".

Practical Tip

Ten lepers were healed, but only one came to thank the Lord. Isn’t there generally a similar proportion of people who are grateful after receiving benefactions from the Lord? Who has not received good things; or, rather, what do we have in us, or whatever happens to us that is not good for us? Even so, is everyone grateful to God, and does everyone give thanks for everything? There are even those who permit themselves to ask, “Why did God give us existence? It would be better for us not to exist.” God gave you existence so that you would be in eternal bliss; He gave you existence as a gift, as a gift He has furnished you with every means for attaining eternal bliss. The job depends on you: you need only to labour a bit for this. You say, “But I have only sorrows, poverty, diseases, misfortunes.” Well, these are also some of the ways to attain eternal bliss. Be patient. Your entire life is less than a moment compared with eternity… Even if you had to suffer unceasingly your entire life, against eternity it is nothing; and you still have moments of consolation. Do not look at the present, but at what is prepared for you in the future, and concern yourself with making yourself worthy of that; then you will not notice the sorrows. They will all be swallowed up by unquestioning hope in eternal consolations, and your lips will never cease to utter thanks. - St. Theophan the Recluse

Links

St. Sophia Orthodox Church, Victoria BC http://saintsophia.ca/

Official site of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/synod/indexeng.htm

Official site of the Montreal and Canadian Diocese http://mcdiocese.com/en/

The Rudder: Streaming Orthodox Christian sacred music 24/7 http://www.myocn.com/rudder/

The Silver Prince: By Alexey Tolstoy; Translated by Nikita S. Galitzine http://bookstore.trafford.com/Products/SKU-000167307/The-Silver-Prince.aspx

St. Sophia Parish’s FREE Lenten Cookbook Recipes “Come and Dine” http://comeanddinerecipe.blogspot.ca/

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Vancouver BC http://russianorthodoxchurch.ca/en/

St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Vancouver BC http://www.stnicolaschurch.ca/home_eng.html

"Be the Bee” on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=i60S6r_sf8o

Pravoslavie.Ru http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/

All-Merciful Saviour Monastery Vashon Island, Washington USA http://vashonmonks.com/wp/

NEW Morning Offering by Abbot Tryphon http://blogs.ancientfaith.com/morningoffering/

Holy Trinity Monastery Jordanville, New York http://www.jordanville.org/

Western America Diocese Official Site http://www.wadiocese.org/en/

The Children's Word http://myocn.net/orthodox-christian-news/orthodox-christian-childrens-newsletter/

Coffee With Sr. Vassa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUQPAtvsh9U e knew not whether we “Wwere in heaven or earth… We only know that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of The other nations. Orthodox” Church ith these words, envoys sent from Russia by Prince Vladimir in the Wyear 987 recorded their impression of Constantinople’s awesome Orthodox Cathedral, Hagia Sophia. They had been sent to search for the true religion. Within a year of their report, Prince Vladimir and the Russian people were baptized in Christ by Orthodox missionaries. Today, as in Prince Vladimir’s time, the Orthodox Church – fully aware that man is a union of body and soul – uses all the beauty of creation to move her faithful children to prayer and worship: icons, beautiful singing, sweet-smelling incense, and majestic services.

The Greek word ‘Orthodoxia’ means ‘correct praise’ or ‘correct teaching’ and in the Orthodox worship the praise and teaching are closely interwoven.

Jesus Christ founded His Church through the Apostles. By the grace received from God at Pentecost, the Apostles established the Church throughout the world. In Greece, Russia, and elsewhere, the True Apostolic Church continues to flourish, preserving the Faith of Christ pure and unchanged.) Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven

pillars: She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her

wine; she hath also furnished her table.

She hath sent forth her maidens:

she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for “Christ the Power of God, and the Wisdom of God” him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

– First Corinthians Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. in the Second Tone We bow down before Thine all pure image, O Good One, asking forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ God; for Thou wast well pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh of Sophia Thine own will, that Thou mightest save what Thou hadst created from slavery to the enemy. Wherefore, we cry out to Thee in thanksgiving: Thou hast filled all things with joy, O our Saviour, Who hast come to save the world. A Devotional Newsletter of St. Sophia Parish

Kontakion in the Second Tone St. Sophia Orthodox Church O uncircumscribable Word of the Father, knowing the 195 Joseph St. victorious image, uninscribed and divinely wrought, of Thine Victoria, BC ineffable and divine dispensation towards man, of Thy true V8S 3H6 incarnation, we honour it with veneration. Canada