2024 Nativity Encyclical of Gregory Metropolitan of Boston and Toronto
Metropolitan Gregory
Celebrating the Feasts of Saint Nicholas and the Nativity of Our Saviour
Dear and Faithful Orthodox Christians,
Thanks to God for our joyous Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ!
These have been truly remarkable and grace-filled days! Bringing our gifts of prayer, chanting, our offerings to support the Church, and our community spirit of fellowship, it was as if we ascended mystically to Bethlehem and stood in the Church at the cave with the Magi and the Shepherds as our Christian companions. Following the Nativity Services of Royal Hours, Vesperal Liturgy, the Great Vigil, and then the Divine Liturgy of Nativity Day, the joy of the Feastday resounded throughout our Luncheon and the happy singing of Christmas Carols.
Saint Nicholas Church magnificently decorated for Nativity
And just over two weeks before, our Nativity Fast had been illumined at the Feast of our holy patron Saint Nicholas! We can recall now the compunctionate All-night Vigil Service, the Hierarchical Liturgy that was celebrated on the Feast of Saint Nicholas with our Metropolitan Gregory of Boston and Toronto, who presided, together with John, Bishop of Woodside, New York. Father Protodeacon George and I were also accompanied by a number of visiting clergy including our beloved Elder and Abbott Isaac of Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Father Sergey from Saint Seraphim Parish, Father Pedros of Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Boston, Father Bohdan and Presbytera Donna, from the Parish of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Father Demjan of Saint Andrew’s in Saskatoon, and our own dear Father Ephraim, monk.
Metropolitan Gregory and Clergy at the Vigil on Saint Nicholas Feast
On Saint Nicholas morning before the Liturgy, Reader Elijah from Boston was ordained to the Subdeaconate. May God grant him strength to serve Christ’s Church with diligence and joy!
Ordination of Subdeacon Elijah
In his sermon at the Liturgy, Metropolitan Gregory encouraged us to continue in our steadfastness in the Faith and to act with Christian compassion towards others as Saint Nicholas did. The Metropolitan outlined that Saint Nicholas exemplifies using, ‘the right hand of exactness and zeal in matters of the Faith, without compromise, never adding nor subtracting, and using the left hand of compassion, having a compassionate heart with our brethren and towards all. Then peace reigns in the Church.’ After the Liturgy we celebrated the Feast with a Luncheon in the Church hall which was filled with vibrant conversations, and delicious food.
On the Sunday after Saint Nicholas day, the Hierarchical Liturgy was celebrated by Metropolitan Gregory. After the Liturgy, we received a special blessing as the sacred relics of the holy Martyr Saint Maurice of the Theban legion and relics of several of his martyred fellow Soldiers were brought into the Church for veneration. Encompassed with grace and wonder that the sacred relics of these ancient martyred Saints were present before us, we reverenced them with honour, giving thanks for the mercy of God. This was followed by a second Parish Luncheon and a Question and Answer period with Metropolitan Gregory. There was a wide array of interesting questions and the discussions covered areas including: the introduction of Christianity and Orthodoxy in Japan, the different categories and levels of interpretation that the Fathers reveal in the holy Scriptures, and many others, an enlightening conversation for us all.
Metropolitan Gregory, Bishop John and Clergy on the Feast of Saint Nicholas
And now as we progress to the great Feast of Theophany, celebrating the Baptism of Our Saviour and the manifestation of the Holy Trinity, may we rejoice now in this Feast of Lights, and come to draw from the blessed waters, and receiving sanctification from Our Saviour Jesus Christ, may He receive our worship and join it together with the Angels in Heaven.
As King David prophesied, and we have seen fulfilled, ‘The waters saw Thee O God, the waters saw Thee and were afraid. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory hath thundered, the Lord is upon the many waters!’ (Psalm 76)
Services for Theophany:
Friday January 17, 2025 – Royal Hours and Typika for Theophany
6:30 pm Royal Hours
Saturday, January 18, 2025 – Eve of Theophany
8:30 am Vespers and Divine Liturgy followed by the first Blessing of the Waters
3:30pm Vigil of Theophany
Sunday, January 19, 2025 – The Theophany of Our Lord and God and Saviour, Jesus Christ
9:00 am Divine Liturgy followed by the Great Blessing of the Waters
After Coffee Hour we will proceed to Lake Ontario to bless the waters there.
With prayers and blessings of the Feasts!
Father Anthony
Visit of His Eminence Gregory, Metropolitan of Boston and Toronto
Visit of Gregory, Metropolitan of Boston and Toronto,
and his Grace Bishop John of Woodside,
on the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman
June 1 to June 3, 2024
Dear and Faithful Orthodox Christians,
We were blessed with the visit of our Metropolitan Gregory and his Grace Bishop John of Woodside from Saturday June 1st to Monday June 3rd, 2024. The Metropolitan’s time with us at Saint Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral was part of a larger programme during which he is visiting, serving, and gathering with the faithful at the Churches of the Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto including: St Seraphim Mission Parish (Toronto), St Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral (Toronto), the Church of St Andrew the Apostle (Saskatoon), the Church of Sts Peter and Paul (Ispas, Alberta), and the Church of the Mother of God, Keeper of the Portal (Calgary).
At Saint Nicholas the Saturday Vigil was held, and then on Sunday June 2, 2024, the Hierarchical Liturgy Concelebration with Metropolitan Gregory of Boston and Toronto, together with his Grace Bishop John of Woodside, Father Sergey of St. Seraphim Parish, and Father Anthony and Father Protodeacon George of St Nicholas. It was a full day and evening on Sunday! After the sacred Liturgy on Sunday morning, we joined together in fellowship, sharing a meal and then hearing spiritual insights from our Metropolitan and Bishop John on the many questions that parishioners had submitted. There were so many great questions that we couldn’t finish them all!
Great Vespers for Saints Constantine and Helen followed the Q & A as we began our commemoratoin of these two great Saints of the Church. And then on Monday, we served the Liturgy with Metropolitan Gregory presiding and enjoyed a wonderful luncheon together afterwards.
Our Metropolitan reminded us in his Sunday sermon that as Orthodox Christians we must never be complacent, but to thirst for Christ! He said,
‘In this great mystery of which all of us are members and parts, that is, that we of all peoples, unworthy, sinful though we are….we have been given this marvelous opportunity to be true worshippers of God, in Spirit and in Truth, to be members of Christ’s body, to have received holy Baptism, of being clothed over by Christ Himself, of having the opportunity to receive the Body and Blood of Our Saviour.’
With thanksgiving to God for all these blessings, let each of us offer a prayer of ‘Many Years!,’ for our steadfast and faithful Hierarchs Gregory and John!
With prayers,
Father Anthony
Most holy Saint Nicholas, intercede in our behalf!
In Memorium – the Ever-memorable Andrew, Metropolitan of Toronto
The Ever-memorable Andrew, Metropolitan of Toronto
+ June 6, 2021
Our beloved Andrew, Metropolitan of Toronto, served Our Saviour in our holy Church for so many years, having come to the Orthodox Faith at the age of 20, then studying at Holy Trinity Seminary in Jordanville, and being tonsured a monk at Holy Transfiguration Monastery at the age of 25, he was a man of Liturgy and a man of prayer.
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 be the Metropolitan of Toronto and to lead the Holy Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto; he did so with discernment, strictness of faith, and compassionate love. We can only marvel at his deep knowledge of the Scriptures, Orthodox Church history, the Canons, the Typikon, and his great reverence for the Saints of God.
A Memorial Service was held for him on Saturday June 1st, with his Eminence Gregory, Metropolitan of Boston and Toronto presiding, together with Bishop John of Woodside, Protopresbyter Anthony and Protodeacon George of Saint Nicholas Cathedral, and Father Sergey of Saint Seraphim Parish. A memorial was also held at Saint Nicholas Cathedral today, the day of his repose.
In matters of the Faith, our dear Metropolitan Andrew, was resolute, firm and insightful, in matters of the heart he was gentle and compassionate.
As we offer our prayers to God on the third year anniversary of his repose, we ask Our Saviour to number him among the Just and give him rest in the bosom of Abraham!
We miss you dearly Vladyka Andrew!
Memorial for Metropolitan Andrew – Saturday May 19/June 1 2024
Eternal be his memory!
Father Anthony
The Coming of the Holy Spirit – it is the Day of Pentecost!
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.
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