Articles by Fr. Ihor Kutash

The Glorious Beauty of the Liturgical Calendar

Orthodox Christianity joyously proclaims that with God's entry into the space time continuum through the Incarnation of the Logos, the Second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, true God of true God, time itself has been forever changed. The time before the Incarnation was the time of awaiting the Messiah and the time since then has become the time of the Messiah, the time of our salvation and the transformation of the cosmos into the manifest Kingdom of God which shall continue "unto ages of ages", in other words, forever. The Church, the Body of Christ, lives in this time. It does so especially by celebrating the hours, the days, the weeks, the months and the years of space time through the Church Calendar. In this section I intend to reflect upon the beauty of this Calendar by which the people of the Lord share and grow in the Life He has so graciously and abundantly shared with us.

• Неділя про Митаря і Фарисея -- The Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee«Дякую, Боже, Тобі, що я не такий, як інші люди: здирщики, неправедні, перелюбні, або як цей митник.» Як дивно, що згідно з Притчею Господньою, яку чуємо в сьогоднішній Євангелії (Луки 18:10-14), ці горді слова були частиною молитви!
  
  'God, I thank You that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector'. It is strange to think that, according to the Lord's parable that we hear in today's Gospel (Luke 18:10-14), these proud words are part of a prayer!
• St. Nina, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Enlighter of Georgia - January 27Св. Рівноапостольна Ніна, Просвітитель Грузії
  На 27-го січня (це – 14-го січня за юліанським календарем) ми святкуємо пам'ять надзвичайної жінки, Св. Ніни, яку Церква називає «Рівноапостольною», тому що через її служіння країна Грузія стала однією з найперших Xристиянських держав.
  St. Nina, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Enlighter of Georgia
  On January 27 (which is January 14 on the Julian Calendar), we celebrate the memory of a remarkable woman, St. Nina, whom the Church calls 'Isapostolos' which means 'Equal to the Apostles'. It was by her ministry that the nation of Georgia became one of the first Christian nations.
• Holy Martyr Tatiana - January 25Свята Мучениця Татіана, Диякониса Римська
  На 25-го січня (це – 12-го січня за юліанським календарем), Церква святкує пам'ять молодої жінки 3-го століття в Римі, Татіани, якої відвага та молитви знищили ряд ідолів, найголовніших з-поміж богів язичників, та яка дала виклик одній з наймогутніших з-поміж земних імперій, проголошуючи вартості справжнього Царства Царя над царями.
  Holy Martyr Tatiana the Deaconess of Rome
  On January 25 (which is January 12 on the Julian Calendar), the Church celebrates the memory of a young woman of third century Rome, Tatiana, whose courage and prayers destroyed a series of idols of the most prominent of pagan gods and challenged one of the mightiest of earthly empires with the values of the true Kingdom of the King of kings.
• Богоявлення: Хрещення Господнє -- The Theophany: The Baptism of Our LordЄвангелія, яку читаємо в Неділю по Богоявленні, - від Св. Матвія (4:12-17). У ній він він цитує пророцтво Ісаїї (9:2): «Народ, що в темноті сидів, світло велике побачив». Таким чином Євангелист підкреслює, що служіння Господа Ісуса, Якого хрестив Св. Іван Предтеча (котрого Ірод скоро по цьому ув’язнив) - це сповнення пророцтва. Бог остаточно приводив довго ждане спасіння народові Ізраїля і всьому світові.
  
  The Gospel reading on the Sunday after the Theophany is that proclaimed by St. Matthew (4:12-17). In it he quotes the prophecy of Isaiah (9:2): 'The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light'. Thus he shows that the ministry of Jesus, Who was baptized by St. John (who was imprisoned by Herod shortly after that event) was a fulfilment of prophecy. God was at last bringing the long-awaited salvation to the people of Israel and to the world.
• Святі Мученики Феопемпт і Феона - Holy Martyrs Theopemptus and TheonasУ Навечір’я Свята Богоявлення, 18-го січня за григоріанським календарем (це – 5-го січня за юліанським), ми святкуємо пам'ять двох Мучеників Христових, яких імена говорять про Бога – по грецькому «теос» - Феопемпта й Феону. Перший був Єпископом, а другий – чародієм, якого заангажували умертвити Єпископа.
  
  On the Eve of the Feast of the Theophany, January 18 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is January 5 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of two Martyrs for Christ. whose names refer to God: Theopemptus and Theonas. One was a Bishop, the other a sorcerer enlisted to bring about the Bishop’s death.
• Cвяті Невинні Немовлята -- The Holy InnocentsCвяті Невинні Немовлята: 14,000 немовлят від Ірода в Віфлеємі вбитих
  Дуже скоро по преславному Святі Народження Христового, 11-го січня за григоріанським календарем (це – 29-го грудня за юліанським), ми святкуємо пам'ять перших Мучеників Христа ради, хлопчиків-немовлят Віфлеємських, у віці 2-ох літ і нижче, яких наказав забити Ірод у його божевільному намаганні затримати свою земну владу на віки (Матвія 2:1-18). Число 14,000, яке подане в церковному календарі не треба сприймати в буквальному розуміння, бо ж у Віфлеємі мабуть ніколи не було настільки хлопчиків. Це число – символічне, як нижче побачимо.
  
  The Holy Innocents: 14,000 Infants slain by Herod in Bethlehem
  Very soon after the Glorious Feast of the Nativity of Christ, on January 11 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is December 29 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of the first martyrs for Christ, the male children of Bethlehem, 2 years and younger, who were put to death by Herod in his mad quest to keep forever his earthly power (Matthew 2:1-18). The number 14,000 which appears on the Church Calendar is not to be taken literally, as there have most likely never been that many male babies in Bethlehem. It is a symbolic number as we shall see later.
• Святі Богоотці -- The Ancestors of GodНеділі після Різдва Христового завжди посвячується «Святим Богоотцям», як називаємо їх: Йосипу Обручнику, Давиду Царю та Якову Брату Господньому.
  
  The Sunday after the Lord’s Nativity is always dedicated to “the Ancestors” of God as they are called: Joseph the Betrothed, David the King and James the Brother of the Lord.
• Чому Втілився Син Божий? -- The Reason For The IncarnationРіздво Господа Бога і Спаса нашого Ісуса Христа
  
  Сьогодні святкуємо великий Празник Народження на землі Сина Божого, Господа, Бога і Спаса нашого Ісуса Христа, Другої Особи Пресвятої Тройці. Він народився на світі, щоб бути з нами, щоб нас піднести до гідності дітей Божих.
  
  The Nativity of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ
  
  Today we celebrate the great Feast of the Nativity upon the earth of the Son of God, our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity. He was born in this world to be with us, to elevate us to the dignity of the children of God.
• The Sunday of the Holy Fathers (Before the Nativity) In today’s Gospel (Matthew 1:1-25) we hear a great number of names that sound strange to our ears. It is the geneology of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why do we read it? This list of unusual names does not sound very edifying. Yet the answer to this question is most relevant to our celebration of the Feast of the Lord’s Nativity and to all our celebrations of the Church’s Holy Days.
  
  Неділя Святих Отців (Перед Різдвом)
  
  У сьогоднішній Євангелії (Матвія 1:1-25) ми чуємо багато імен важких до вимови непризвичаєним до того. Це – родовід Господа нашого Ісуса Христа. Чому ж читаємо його? Яке ж натхнення в тому, що чуємо такий список імен? Відповідь на це питання дуже важливе в нашому святкування Празника Різдва Господнього – як і для всіх Церковних Свят.
• St. Wenceslaus (Vyacheslav), Kniaz of the CzechsOn October 10 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is September 28 on the Julian) we celebrate a Saint who is particularly renowned because of the popular Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslaus”. It describes a miracle which came about as he and his elderly servant, Podevoj, were bringing gifts to a poor man to brighten his life on the third day of Christmas, the Feast of St. Stephen. It was a bitterly cold day but the ground was warm wherever the saintly young King Wenceslaus (also known as Vyacheslav or Vaclav) walked ahead of his servant, who is also honoured as a Saint by the Czechs.
  
  СВЯТИЙ В’ЯЧЕСЛАВ, КНЯЗЬ ЧЕСЬКИЙ
  На 10-го жовтня за григоріанським календарем (це - 28-го вересня за юліанським), ми святкуємо пам'ять Святого, особливо відомого завдяки популярній англійській колядці, що носить його ім'я: “Good King Wenceslaus”, тобто «Добрий князь В’ячеслав». Вона оспівує чудо, яке сталося коли він і його старенький слуга, Подевой, приносили дари бідному чоловікові, щоб облегшити його життя, саме на третій день Різдва, тобто День Св. Степана. Був тоді гострий мороз, але де тільки ступав молодий Князь В’ячеслав (його також звуть Вацлав) перед своїм слугою, якого також шанують чехи, як Святого, земля була теплою.
• St. Spyridon of TremithusThe day that Christians who follow the Gregorian Calendar celebrate Christmas,December 25, corresponds to December 12 on the Julian Calendar, and it is a day for celebrating a remarkable Saint who was a friend of St. Nicholas, and whose memory is also closely linked with the time of giving gifts. It is St. Spyridon the Wonderworker, Bishop of Tremithus (sometimes roughly transliterated from the Greek as “Trimythous”).
  
  Св. Спиридон Чудотворець, Єпископ Тримифунтський
  День, коли Християни, що празнують за григоріанським календарем, святкують Різдво, 25-го грудня, відповідає 12-му грудню за юліанським. У той же день ми празнуємо пам’ять надзвичайного Угодника Божого, який був другом Св. Миколая, та який також тісно пов’язаний з цим святковим часом, коли дають подарунки. Він - Св. Спиридон Чудотворець, Єпископ Тримифунтський.
• Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Let’s Cultivate Our Garden. The noted French writer Voltaire ended his magnum opus Candide with the words: 'Let us cultivate our garden'. James Billington responded to him in his critique of the Russian Enlightenment period: 'Perhaps there is no point in cultivating one’s garden, as Voltaire advised, because nothing but poisoned fruit will grow' (The Icon and the Axe, p. 238).
  Yet Voltaire’s counsel may, oddly enough, be an echo of Christ’s message in the Parable of the Great Banquet which we hear in today’s Gospel (Luke 14:16-24).
  28-ма Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Обробляймо свій сад!
  Визначний французький письменник Вольтер закінчив свій видатний мистецький твір Candide словами: 'Обробляймо свій сад'. А Джеймз Билинґтон відповів йому в своїй критиці періоду Російського Просвітництва ось так: 'Можливо, що немає сенсу в обробітку саду свого, як Вольтер радив, бо не зростатиме там нічого, крім отруєних фруктів' [The Icon and the Axe (Ікона й сокира), ст. 238].
  Проте, як не дивно, порада Вольтера могла б бути луною навчання Христа в Притчі про Великий Бенкет, яку чуємо в сьогоднішній Євангелії (Лк. 14:16-24).
• St. Joasaph, Bishop of Belgorod - December 23On December 23 (which is December 10 according to the Julian Calendar) we commemorate the memory of another great Saint from Ukraine. It is St. Joasaph, Bishop of Belgorod (in western Russia, 40 kilometers from the border of Ukraine).
  
  Св. Йоасаф, Єпископ Білгородський
  
  На 23-го грудня (це ж - 10-го грудня за юліянським календарем) ми поминаємо ще одного великого Святця з України. Це - Святий Йоасаф, Єпископ Білгородський (місто в західній Росії, 40 кілометрів від кордонів України).
• The Conception by the Righteous Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos - December 22On December 22 (corresponds to December 9 according to the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the Feast of the Conception by the Righteous Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos. It comes 9 months, less a day, before the Feast of her Nativity (September 8/21).
  
  ЗАЧАТТЯ ПРАВЕДНОЮ АННОЮ ПРЕСВЯТОЇ БОГОРОДИЦІ
  
  На 22-го грудня (відповідає 9-му грудня за юліянським календарем) ми святкуємо Празник Зачаття Праведною Анною Пресвятої Богородиці. Припадає він 9 місяців, менше одного дня, перед Святом її Народження (8/21 вересня).
• St. Innocent (Kulchyts’kyy), first Bishop of Irkutsk - December 9On December 9 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is November 26 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of another of the marvelous Saints offered to Christ by the people of Ukraine. It is that of St. Innocent, the first Bishop of Irkutsk in Siberia.
  Св. Інокентій (Кульчицький), перший Єпископ Іркутський
  На 9-го грудня за григоріянським календарем (це - 26-го листопада за юліянським) ми святкуємо пам’ять ще одного чудового Святого, якого дав Христу-Господу народ України. Це – Святитель Інокентій, перший Єпископ м. Іркутська в Сибірі.
• St. Amphilochius of the Kyivan Caves - December 6On December 6 on the Gregorian calendar (which is November 23 on the Julian), we celebrate the memory of our Holy Father among the Saints, Amphilochius of the Kyivan Caves, Bishop of Volyn’.
  
  Святитель Амфілохiй Печерський
  На 6-го грудня за григоріянським календарем (цебто 23-го листопада за юліянським) ми святкуємо пам'ять Святого Отця нашого Амфілохія Печерського, Єпископа Волинського.
• The Entrance of The Theotokos into the Temple - December 4On December 4 (corresponds to November 21 on the Julian calendar) the Church celebrates the Feast of the Entrance (or Presentation) of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. It is one of the Twelve Great Feasts on the Church Calendar, one of four dedicated to the Theotokos.
  
  Введення у Храм Пресвятої Богородиці
  На 4-го грудня (відповідає 21-му листопада за юліянським календарем) Церква відзначує Свято Введення у Храм Пресвятої Богородиці. Це Свято – одне з Дванадцятьох Великих Свят на церковному календарі, а між ними одне з чотирьох на честь Богородиці.
• THE MARTYRS OF THE HOLODOMOROn the fourth Saturday of November Ukrainians throughout the world remember the millions of people who died in what has been called the greatest crime the world has ever known, the Holodomor of 1932-33 in the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine.
  МУЧЕНИКИ ГОЛОДОМОРУ
  На четверту суботу листопада українці по всьому світі поминають мільйони людей, що згинули в найбільшому злочині, якого коли-небудь зазнав світ: Голодомор 1932-33 рр. в житниці Європи, якою завжди була Україна.
• The Sunday After The Exaltation Of The CrossIn these times of economic turmoil and testing we would do well to heed the words of our Lord in the Gospel on the Sunday after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (Mark 8:34-9:1): '[W]hat will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?' (New King James Version).
  
  У цю пору економічної метушні та випробовувань, добре нам звернути увагу на Господні слова, яких чуємо в Євангелії в Неділю після Воздвиження Чесного Хреста (Марка 8:34-9:1): «Яка ж користь людині, що здобуде ввесь світ, але душу свою занапастить? Або що назамін дасть людина за душу свою?»
• The Sunday After The Exaltation Of The Cross: Free to serve - Love! In today’s Epistle (Galatians 2:16-20) the Apostle Paul, says: 'I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me'.
  
  У сьогоднішньому Апостолі (Галат 2:16-20) Ап. Павло каже: «Я розп'ятий з Христом. І живу вже не я, а Христос проживає в мені. А що я живу в тілі тепер, живу вірою в Божого Сина, що мене полюбив, і видав за мене Самого Себе».
• The Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross - September 27This Feastday was established in the year 335 by the Christian Emperor, St. Constantine the Great (306-337), the day after the consecration of the great Temple of the Resurrection which houses within it Golgotha, where the Lord was crucified and the Holy Sepulchre, where His Body was laid and from which He rose from the dead.
  
  Це Свято встановив в р. 335-му Імператор Християнин, Св. Константин Великий (306-337), у слідуючий день після посвяченні великого Храму Святого Воскресення в Єрусалимі, який у собі приміщує Голгофту, де був розп’ятий Господь і Св. Гріб, де положили Його Пречисте Тіло, та з якого Він воскрес із мертвих.
• The Sunday Before The Exaltation Of The Cross'He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God' (John 3:18) These words follow immediately after today’s Gospel (John 3:13-17) - which also contains what is likely the most well-known verse of the New Testament: 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.'
  
  «Хто вірує в Нього, не буде засуджений; хто ж не вірує, той вже засуджений, що не повірив в Ім'я Однородженого Сина Божого» (Івана 3:18). Ці слова приходять зразу після сьогоднішньої Євангелії (Івана 3:13-17) – яка також містить у собі мабуть найбільш знайомий стих у Новому Заповіті: : «Так бо Бог полюбив світ, що дав Сина Свого Однородженого, щоб кожен, хто вірує в Нього, не згинув, але мав життя вічне.»
• The Nativity of the Theotokos: Sorrow is transformed into Joy - September 21On September 21 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is September 8 on the Julian) we celebrate the great Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is also the Patronal Feast Day of Ukrainian Churches and Cathedral bearing the name of Holy Wisdom (popularly rendered in English as St. Sophia or St. Sophie – since 'Sophia' is the Greek word for 'Wisdom').
• The Placing of the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos - September 13This is the day that we celebrate the Feast of the Placing of the Belt of the Most Holy Theotokos. Tradition says that Mary wove the Belt herself out of camel hair and gave it to the Apostle Thomas after her resurrection as she was ascending to Heaven following her Falling Asleep (commemorated on August 15/28), perhaps to comfort him for arriving too late to take part in her funeral. The Belt as well as the Robe of the Theotokos are evidences of her resurrection - there are no other Relics, as would be the case had her Body remained upon the earth as is the case with other Holy Persons venerated by the Church.
  
  У цей день ми святкуємо Покладення Чесного Пояса Пресвятої Богородиці. Передання каже, що Марія сама виплела свій Пояс із волосся верблюжого, і передала його Апостолу Томі після свого воскресіння, коли возносилася на Небеса після свого Успіння (святкуємо 15/28-го серпня). Цим, може, потішала його, бо ж він запізнився на її Похорон. Пояс як і Риза її – ознаки її воскресіння бо ж інших Мощей немає, як мусіло б бути, коли б вона залишила своє Тіло на землі, як буває з іншими Угодниками Божими, яких шанує Св. Церква.
• The Sunday of All Saints The Sunday following Pentecost is dedicated to All Saints, both those who are known to us, and those – a huge number - who are known only to God. There have been Saints at all times and they have come from every corner of the earth. They were Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Hierarchs, Monastics and Righteous, yet all were perfected by the same Holy Spirit.
• Cheesefare Sunday – the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from ParadiseToday is the last day of the preparation for Great Lent. Tonight this long-awaited guest arrives. Tomorrow shall be Pure Monday.
• The Sunday of the Prodigal Son'While he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him'. This is what the father does in Jesus' Parable of the Lost Son. He does not wait for his son to get to him to tell him what he wants, so that he would then have the advantage over him to tell him to come on in, or to leave. He ran to him. There was no doubt about what he would tell his son to do. He welcomed his lost son with open arms.
• St. John the Forerunner as the Baptizer of our LordIn a liturgical hymn preparatory to the Feast of the Nativity the Church has John the Forerunner protesting that he is unworthy to baptize the All-pure One, Jesus the Messiah Who is coming to the Jordan to him for that very reason. He says: 'Being hay, I do not dare to touch Fire'.
• A Christmas Meditation - Роздумування на Різдво"Thy Nativity, O Christ our Lord Has Shone the Light of Knowledge upon the World!"
  «Різдво Твоє, Христе Боже наш, принесло світло пізнання цілому світові!»
• The Conception of the Holy, Glorious, Prophet and Forerunner John - October 6On October 6 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is September 23 on the Julian) we celebrate a Conception – of St. John the Forerunner (commonly known as St. John the Baptist), the Cousin according to the flesh of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
• The Beheading of the Holy, Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John - September 11There are important teachings offered by this Feast, celebrated on September 11 (which is August 29 on the Julian Calendar). First, as is the case with the Feast of the Exaltation of the Life-giving Cross, which follows 16 days later, the Feast is also a Fast. It is a time for spiritual joy at the faithfulness and heroism of this great Man of God, cousin to Jesus. He it was who proclaimed the coming of the Lord in this world of space and time, and then in the place where the souls of all who had died from the time of Adam to his day awaited the coming of the Saviour, Who would destroy hell by His victorious arrival as the Conqueror of Death and Sin. And it is a time for fasting in sorrow over the sins of the world where just and holy men, women and children not infrequently prepare and proclaim the victory of righteousness and truth by their martyrdom.
• The Dormition of our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary - August 28This Feast, which falls on August 28 (corresponds to August 15 on the Julian Calendar) is of such great significance that it is preceded by a Fast which lasts for thirteen days. It is called the Dormition Fast. In Ukrainian it is commonly called 'Spasivka' since the Feast of the Lord’s Transfiguration ('Spasa') falls during this time.
• The Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ - August 19Today (August 19 – which is August 6 on the Julian Calendar) is a great Feast Day of the Lord, the 'Second Feast of the Saviour' – the Feast of His glorious Transfiguration before His disciples Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor.

Great Fast

• Св. Апостол Закхей -- Holy Apostle ZacchaeusМи готуємося до цього Свята зі Свят строгим постом. Назва його - Святий Великий Піст. Він триває 40 днів, на спомин Господнього посту в пустині перед початком Його Месіянського служіння, і потім завершується додатковим постом Страсного Тижня. Готуємося і до самого Великого Посту в Неділі та тижні, які попереджують його. Вони пригадують нам, чому саме ми постимо і приборкуємо надмірні вимоги свого «я». Це приготування починається у Неділю, коли ми читаємо Євангелію про короткого збирача податків, митаря Закхея (Луки 19:1-10).
  
  We prepare for this Feast of Feasts, the Bright Resurrection of our Lord, by a time of strict fasting. This time is called the Great Fast. It goes on for 40 days in commemoration of the Lord’s fast in the wilderness prior to His Messianic ministry and culminates with the additional fast of Passion Week. We also prepare for the Great Fast itself on the Sundays and weeks which precede it. They remind us about the purpose of our fasting and self-sacrifice. This preparation begins on the Sunday when we read the Gospel about the short tax-collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10).
• The Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast – St. Mary of EgyptOn the Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast the Orthodox Church commemorates a woman who, after 17 years of licentious living in Alexandria in Egypt, found the grace of repentance in Jerusalem at the Church of the Holy Resurrection and spent nearly 50 years in the desert beyond the Jordan in spiritual labour and rejoicing.
• Fourth Sunday of the Great Fast: Commemoration of St. John ClimacusOn the Fourth Sunday of the Great Fast the Orthodox Church commemorates a Holy Father born in the 6th century in Constantinople who became a monk around the age of 16 and laboured in the spirit in a Monastery on Holy Mount Sinai.
  
  У Четверту Неділю Св. Великого Посту, Православна Церква святкує пам’ять Святого Отця, що народився в 6-му столітті в Константинополі, і став Ченцем у віці 16 літ та потрудився духом у Монастирі на Саяті Горі Синай.
• Fourth Sunday of the Great FastWe are at the mid-point of our journey through the Fast to the Bright Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a good time to pause and check out what we have achieved up until now.
• Third Sunday of the Great Fast: The Veneration of the Life-giving CrossThe theme for the Third Sunday of the Great Fast invites us to ponder what real power is about.
  
  We have now been observing the Fast for three weeks with, perhaps, some measure of success – although for many of us the success may simply lie in the awareness of how weak we are and how susceptible to the desires of the flesh.
• Third Sunday of the Great FastThe Third Sunday of the Great Fast gives us what we need to help us in our search. It holds before us the Lord’s Cross. The Cross reveals many things to us.
• St. Gregory Palamas Since 1368 upon his canonization the Second Sunday of Great Lent has been dedicat-ed to St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thes-salonica, as a Second 'Triumph of Orthodoxy'.
• Second Sunday of the Great FastToday's Gospel reading (Mark 2:1-12) invites us to find inspiration and direction for our lives in the example of the four friends of the paralyzed man who were so very determined to help their friend. They were not discouraged when they could not get into the crowded house where Jesus was speaking. They made an opening in the roof to let their friend down on his pallet. The Lord recognized the amazing faith expressed by their unflagging determination, and healed the sick man, first proclaiming that his sins were forgiven.
• First Sunday of the Great Fast: The Triumph of OrthodoxyToday the Orthodox throughout the world celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy over the last of the great heresies.
  
  A heresy is a deviation from the truth of the faith. Orthodoxy does not have an official compendium of doctrines apart from the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed proclaimed by the first two Ecumenical Councils of 325 and 381. However this Creed lays the groundwork for a consistent and excellent perspective on Who God is and what He does for His creation.
• First Saturday of the Great Fast: Great-Martyr Theodore the TyroOn the first Saturday of the Great Fast (and also on March 2 on the Gregorian Calendar, which is February 17 on the Julian Calendar), we celebrate the memory of a youthful Saint named Theodore the Tyro.

Pascha

• Seventh Sunday after Pascha - The Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council On the Seventh Sunday after Pascha the Holy Church commemorates the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. This Council was convened in 325 A.D. in the city of Nicea (today Iznik in Turkey, a source of popular brilliant blue ceramics) by St. Constantine, Equal-to-the-Apostles, the Emperor of Rome who stopped all persecution of the Faith of Christ and made it the faith of his Empire.
• Sixth Sunday after Pascha, of St. Celidonius the Blind ManThe Sixth Sunday after Pascha is dedicated to the remarkable account of our Lord’s healing of the Blind Man (John 9:1-38). Again the Church reminds us about the meaning of Christ’s Resurrection for humanity. On the Fourth Sunday we realized that the Resurrection brought us wholeness. On the Fifth Sunday we recalled that the Risen Christ energizes us with the Holy Spirit. Today we recall that it is by His Resurrection that we are able to see.
• St. Photina, the Samaritan WomanThe Fifth Sunday after Pascha is dedicated to recalling the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman. The theme, as on the Fourth Sunday, is the meaning of Christ’s Resurrection for humanity.
  У П’яту Неділю після Паски ми згадуємо зустріч Господа Ісуса Христа з Самарянкою. Як і в Четверту Неділю тема – значіння Воскресення Христового для людства.
• Fourth Sunday after Pascha, of the ParalyticOn the Fourth Sunday after Pascha, the Church remembers the marvelous event of our Lord’s healing of the man who had lain for 38 years paralyzed beside the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. This miraculous pool was sometimes stirred up by an angel and whoever got into it first would be healed of their infirmities. This man had been there waiting for this for nearly two generations! So was not Jesus’ question to him strange? 'Do you want to be made well?'
• The Sunday of The Myyrh-Bearing WomenOn the third Sunday after Pascha the Church remembers the early-morning journey of the Myrrh-bearing Women to the tomb of Our Lord. We who walk thrice around the Church on the night of Pascha represent those blessed Women – and they represent the Church which continually seeks the Presence of the Lord and always emerges from darkness into glorious light and joy!
• Antipascha. St. Thomas Sunday.O excellent unbelief of Thomas, which led the hearts of the faithful to knowledge…
  О блаженний сумнів Томи, який привів серця вірних до пізнання …
• The Lord’s Pascha. The Radiant Resurrection of Christ.Once again the great wheel of the Church calendar has brought us to the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection. What is it that we are celebrating today? A historical event? Yes. Christians throughout the ages have lived and died with the conviction that Jesus of Nazareth truly lived, truly died and truly rose from the dead and ascended to the Right Hand of the Father.
• Palm Sunday. Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem
  Today we join in with the joyful throng greeting our Lord as He rides into Jerusalem! What joy! What exhilaration! The hope of the ages is fulfilled. God has kept His promise. He has sent His Messenger, His Anointed One to restore that which we lost – and continually lose – by our apostasy and betrayal.
  -

Pentecost

• Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost: The Adventure of Battle!Christians affirm decisively, with profound conviction, that this is God’s world. God is the Maker of all that is. He is the true Lord and King of the universe and no competitor can challenge Him with any lasting success. The adversary, the devil (the name 'Satan' means just that) does his best to oppose God, but his efforts are always foreseen by God. They are accounted for in God’s plan and actually end up by adding to God’s victory. (This can be clearly seen in the events leading up to and following Christ’s crucifixion).
  
  27-ма Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Пригоди битви!
  
  Християни твердять рішуче та з глибоким переконанням, що це – Божий світ. Бог же – Творець усього, що є. Він – правдивий Володар і Цар вселенної і жодний суперник не може конкурувати проти Нього з тривалим успіхом. Супостат, диявол (це ж значіння назви «Сатана»), робить що лише може, щоб супротивлятися Богові, але його зусилля завжди Богом передбачені. Вони і враховані у Божих планах та остаточно навіть добавляють звершеності Божої перемоги. (Ясно бачимо це в подіях навколо Христового розп’яття).
• Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: Let us find the real world! The parable that Jesus relates in today’s Gospel (Luke 12:16-21) is very meaningful indeed. For example it reminds us of something that we probably do not usually like to think about. It calls us to awareness of the inescapable fact that one day we must leave this world which we love and which is so familiar to us. In this way it invites us to think deeply about the meaning of the things we do and the things to which we attach ourselves.
  26-та Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Знайдімо справжній світ!
  Притча, яку розповідає Господь у сьогоднішній Євангелії (Луки 12:16-21) - справді багатозначна. Bона нагадує нам те, про що ми переважно не хочемо думати. Вона усвідомляє нас про те, чого ніяк не можна уникнути – що колись ми мусимо покинути цей світ, якого ми любимо та що такий знайомий нам. Таким чином, вона нас запрошує глибоко застановитися над значінням того, що ми робимо та й того, до чого ми прив’язуємось.
• Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost: Imagine Your Neighbour! If we listen carefully to today’s Gospel (Luke 10:25-37) we may be able to hear Jesus telling us that good religion requires imagination.
  With this Gospel the Lord gives us a precious, inexhaustible treasure: the Parable of the Good Samaritan. This parable invites us to see those whom we have become accustomed to consider enemies and opponents in a different way. It tells us that we can come to see them as neighbours whom we very much need to have in our lives.
  
  25-та Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Уявімо собі сусіда!
  Якщо уважно прислухаємось до сьогоднішньої Євангелії (Луки 10:25-37), то може почуємо у ній учення Ісуса, що добра релігія потребує й доброї уяви.
  Цією Євангелією Господь подає нам цінний та невичерпний скарб: Притчу про Доброго Самарянина. Ця притча ж запрошує нас дивитися інакше на тих, яких звикли ми уважати за ворогів та опонентів. Вона каже нам, що ми можемо дійти до того, щоб побачити їх, як сусідів, яких ми дуже потребуємо у своєму житті.
• Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: Family to God and Each Other! In today’s Epistle (Ephesians 2:14-22) we hear Paul tell his readers, the Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians of Ephesus, the joyous news that God had included them in His eternal family, which He loves and for which He has made the greatest of sacrifices. Meditating upon this mysterious inclusion can lead us into wonder, hope, faith, peace and joy!
  24-та Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Рідні Богові – і одне одному!
  У сьогоднішньому Апостолі (Ефесян 2:14-22) ми чуємо радісну вістку, яку звіщає Павло Християнам-неєвреям міста Ефесу про те, що Бог їх приєднав до Своєї вічної родини, яку Він любить і ради якої Він віддав найбільшу Жертву. Роздумуючи над цим таїнственним приєднанням, ми можемо дійти до подиву, до надії та віри, і здобути спокій та радість!
• Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost: Victim No Longer!Today's Gospel (Luke 8:26-39) tells the terrible story of the pigs who were drowned because of the action of evil spirits which possessed them. Jesus had commanded them to leave the man who had been their victim. At the same time, it is the wonderful story of the man who was restored to society by Jesus' act.
  23-тя Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Уже більше не жертва!
  Сьогоднішня Євангелія (Луки 8:26-39) розповідає про страшну подію потоплення свиней, коли їх опанували злі духи, після того як Ісус наказав був їм залишити чоловіка, який був їхньою жертвою. А рівно ж це - розповідь про чудове повернення цього чоловіка до суспільства дією Ісуса.
• Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost: The Power of Suffering! Today`s Gospel (Luke 16:19-31) talks about a whole range of subjects. It can be seen that they all deal with power.
  First of all it speaks - by implication, rather than directly - about the concrete acts of love and concern that ought to proceed from God`s children, we whom He has created in His image.
  22-га Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Сила в стражданнях.
  Сьогоднішня Євангелія (Луки 16:19-31) торкає багато справ. А можна зауважити, що всі вони відносяться до питання сили.
  Перш за все вона говорить – небезпосередньо – про конкретні діла любові та зацікавленості, які повинні проявляти діти Божі,- ми що створені Ним на Його Образ.
• Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost: Everything Speaks of Him!Today’s Gospel (Luke 8:5-15) speaks to us of the seed of the Gospel, the good news from Heaven, which Jesus brought into this world and which He so generously sows everywhere - all over our planet. Today on our planet there are many Bibles, many radio and television broadcasts, many Churches and missions which proclaim this Good News. They tell us about God’s love and about the pardon and restoration He offers to all - especially to all who have become aware of their sins and their need of His help and care. They tell us of the continual possibility of growth and transformation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
  21-ша Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Усе промовляє про Нього!
  Сьогоднішнія Євангелія (Луки 8:5-15) говорить нам про насіння Євангелії, добру звістку від Неба, яку Ісус приніс у світ, та яку Він щедро сіє всюди – по всій нашій планеті. Сьогодні на нашій планеті - багато Біблій, багато трансляцій по радіо та телевізії, багато Церков та місій, які звіщають цю Добру Новину. Вони розказують нам про Божу любов, про прощення та відновлення, яких Він всім пропонує – а особливо тим, які свідомі про свої гріхи та свою потребу на Його поміч та опіку. Вони говорять про постійну можливість зростати й перемінюватися під проводом Святого Духа.
• Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Missing Out on God? And, dear brothers and sisters, when we do, and when we consider the wonderful revelation in today’s Gospel (Luke 7:11-16 – illustrated in the accompanying religious painting) we get a picture which dispels our fear of God, and replaces the anger and resentment towards Him - of which we may not even be conscious – with hope and trust.!
  
  20-та Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Упускаємо Бога?
  І, дорогі брати й сестри, коли ми так робимо і коли ми застановляємось над чудовим відкриттям у сьогоднішній Євангелії (Луки 7:11-16 – висвітлене в супроводжаючому релігійному малюнкові), то подається нам картина, яка проганяє страх, і заміщає гнів та образу проти Нього – яких, може, ми не вповні усвідомляємо – надією та довіря’м.
• Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: To Enter the Uninviting Place.In today`s Gospel (Luke 6:31-36) we are encouraged to enter into a part of our soul which is dark and uninviting. It is the place whence come the feelings of hatred, of the thirst for vengeance, for violence. Our Lord issues this invitation to us by telling us to love our enemies and to do good to them. It is a very hard thing He is asking us to do. It is hard enough to act in this way to those who have done us some personal wrongs. But it gets even harder.
  19-та Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Увійти в непривітне місце.
  Сьогоднішня Євангелія (Луки 6:31-36) заохочує нас увійти в похмуре й непривітне місце в нашій душі. Це те місце, з якого виходять почуття ненависті та жадоба помсти та насилля. Господь запрошує нас туди, кажучи що ми повинні любити своїх ворогів і робити їм добро. Це дуже важка справа, на яку він нас наставляє. Досить важко так відноситися до тих, які нам особисто вчинили кривду. Але справа буває іще важчою.
• Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Real Autonomy! In today’s Gospel (Luke 5:1-11) we hear how Jesus helped the fishermen get a huge catch of fish, after they had laboured all night in vain. They were amazed by this! It was a sign to them that they were in the presence of Divinity. Who else but God could give them such a huge catch when they had not been able to get anything at all, experienced fishermen though they were.
  
  18-та Неділя по П’ятидесятниці: Справжня свобода!
  
  У сьогоднішній Євангелії (Луки 5:1-11) ми чуємо, як Ісус допоміг рибалкам здобути величезний улов риби після того, як вони цілу ніч натрудилися даремно. Вони були цим дуже здивовані! Це була для них ознакою, що вони знаходяться в присутності Божества. Хто ж як не Бог міг би був їм дати такий колосальний улов, коли вони не змогли були зловити нічого, не зважаючи на їхній немалий рибальський досвід?
• Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Idoloclasm – Smash Your Idols!'What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God'. Such is the question posed – and the very question answers itself in St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (6:16-7:1) which we read in today’s Epistle. God and idols – these are two mutually exclusive opposites, like light and darkness. The one rules the other out. St. John Chrysostom puts it thus: 'Do you bear God within you and run to them, God, Who has nothing in common with them?'
  
  «[Я]ка згода поміж Божим храмом та ідолами? Бо ви храм Бога Живого». Таке питання поставлене – і в самому ж питанні маємо й відповідь – у Другому Посланні Св. Ап. Павла до Коринтян (6:16-7:1), яке сьогодні читаємо в Апостолі. Бог та ідоли: ось дві взаємовиключні протилежності, подібні до світла й темряви. Одна другу вилучає. Св. Іван Золотоустий пише про це ось як: «Чи ти носиш Бога в собі, і далі таки біжиш до них (цебто до ідолів – іюк)? Бога, Який з ними нічого спільного не має?»
• Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Now is the time! St. Paul tells us in today’s Epistle (2 Corinthians 6:1-10): 'We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain… Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation'.
  
  Св. Ап. Павло каже нам у сьогоднішньому Апостолі (2 Коринтян 6:1-10): «А ми, як співробітники, благаємо, щоб ви Божої благодаті не брали надармо… Ось тепер час приємний, ось тепер день спасіння!»
• Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Convert to Love! 'What is the greatest commandment in the law?' Such was the question Jesus was asked in today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 22:35-46). Jesus answered immediately that it was to love - to love God and to love one’s neighbour. This included loving one’s most immediate or closest neighbour. Who would that be? Of course! It is YOURSELF! For if one can not love oneself then one can not love ANYONE ELSE.
  «[К]отра заповідь найбільша в Законі?» Таке питання поставили Ісусові в сьогоднішній Євангелії (Матвія 22:35-46). Господь відразу відповів, що це – любити. Любити Бога і свого ближнього. У цьому й любов до ближнього, котрий справді найближчий нам. А це хто такий? Звичайно! Це МИ САМІ! Бо ж якщо людина не може любити сама себе то й не зможе вона любити НІКОГО ІНШОГО.
• Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: What is the purpose of painful emotions? St. Paul says in today’s Epistle (2 Corinthians 1:21-2:4): '[O]ut of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you'. Paul’s words give us a valuable lesson regarding human relations.
  
  Св. Ап. Павло каже в сьогоднішньому Апостолі (2 Коринтян 1:21-2:4): «[З] великого горя та з туги сердечної я написав вам з рясними слізьми не на те, щоб були ви засмучені, але щоб пізнали любов, що в мене її пребагато до вас!» Павлові слова дають нам ціну настанову щодо людських співвідношень.
• Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Acting in Love!In today’s Epistle (I Corinthians 16:13-24) our Teacher, the Apostle Paul, tells us to do everything in love. Good advice, no? But we might want to ask whether Paul himself is acting in love when we read him saying in this same section: 'Whoever does not love the Lord - a curse on him!' Did not Jesus say that we should bless those who curse us? How is this acting in love?
• Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: The Good One!Today let us reflect on Jesus' words to the rich young man who came to Him seeking eternal life, as recorded in the Sunday Gospel (Matthew 19:16-26).
  
  Давайте, сьогодні застановімося над словами Господа Ісуса до юнака, що прийшов до нього шукаючи вічного життя, як написано в Недільній Євангелії (Матвія 19:16-26).
• Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost: Prepare - forgive!
  Today's Gospel reading (Matthew 18:23-35) emphasizes the responsibility which accompanies the Lord’s forgiveness.
  
  Сьогоднішня Євангелія (Матвія 18:23-35) підкреслює відповідальність, яка супроводить Господнє прощення.
  *
• Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Mission Impossible?
  Сьогоднішній Апостол (I Коринтян 4:9-16) описує, що це таке бути Апостолом. Важче покликання трудно собі уявити.
  
  
  Today's Epistle (I Corinthians 4:9-16) describes what it means to be an Apostle. A more arduous calling would be difficult to imagine.
  -
• Ninth Sunday after Pentecost: He Went up to Pray!Сьогоднішня Євангелія (Матвія 14:22-34) хвилююче описує чудо Ісусового ходження по морю. Його учень, Петро, побачивши це надзвичайне видовище, відчув натхнення попросити благодаті те ж саме робити – і так сталося!
  - -
  Today's Gospel reading (Matthew 14:22-34) gives a dramatic account of the miracle of Jesus' walking upon the sea. His disciple, Peter, seeing this most extraordinary sight, was inspired to ask for the grace to do the same - and did so!
• Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: Be United!У сьогоднішньому Апостолі (I Коринтян 1:10-18) Апостол Павло закликає нас виконати те, що виглядає майже неможливим. Він каже: «Тож благаю вас, браття, Ім'ям Господа нашого Ісуса Христа, щоб ви всі говорили те саме, і щоб не було поміж вами поділення, але щоб були ви поєднані в однім розумінні та в думці одній!».
  
  In today's Epistle (I Corinthians 1:10-18) the Apostle Paul exhorts us to accomplish something which seems to be virtually impossible. He says: 'I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and same judgment'.
• Seventh Sunday after Pentecost: What are we Communicating?Ми можемо знайти певну іронію, читаючи сьогоднішню Євангелію (Матвія 9:27-35). Ось чоловік, що не міг говорити бо ж був опанований бісом. А коли Ісус вигнав біса, то чоловік, що до того часу був німим – став розмовляти.
  
  As we read today's Gospel (Matthew 9:27-35) we discover something ironic. Here is a man who could not speak because he was possessed by a demon. And as soon as Jesus cast the demon out of him the man who had been dumb until that time began to speak.
• Sixth Sunday after Pentecost: God’s forgiveness - the way to eternal life!In today's Gospel (Matthew 9:1-8) we read of Jesus' pardoning the sins of the man who was paralysed - just prior to healing him of his infirmity and restoring to him the gift of mobility.
  
  У сьогоднішній Євангелії (Матвія 9:1-8) читаємо про те, як Господь Ісус простив гріхи чоловікові спаралізованому – перед тим, як уздоровив його, повернувши йому дар руху.
• Fifth Sunday after Pentecost: Evil -Unmasked!In today's Gospel reading (Matthew 8:28-9:1), we may hear the voice of evil speaking. It comes from the demons possessing the two men from Gadara, whom Jesus was about to free from their horrible bondage: 'If you are going to drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs' (Today's English Version). These words are revealing. They give us a glimpse into what evil is really about.
• Fourth Sunday after Pentecost - Are We Really Free?This Icon of Christ graces the Russian Orthodox chapel of the Resurrection built at Dachau, the site of the first Nazi concentration camp. The chapel is a memorial to the many POWs from the former Soviet Union who died there. The ones who were liberated at the end of the second world war did not fare much better. They were treated as traitors by the Soviet government when they got back to their homeland - and were shipped off to the gulags.
• Third Sunday after Pentecost - At the Right Time!In today’s Epistle we read Saint Paul’s good news: "While we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6).
  В Апостолі сьогодні ми читаємо: «Бо Христос, коли ми були ще недужі, Своєї пори помер за нечестивих» (Римлян 5:6).
• Second Sunday after Pentecost: All Saints Who Shone Forth in and from Rus’- UkraineOn the Second Sunday after Pentecost it is the tradition of the Orthodox to remember the Saints who have been glorified in their own land or locality.
• Trinity Sunday - Pentecost - The Descent of the Holy Spirit Today's Feast - the Day of Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Spirit brings us a Gospel reading (John 7:37-52,8:12) with images which speak of a happiness that lasts and that makes other people happy, too. Jesus says: 'If any one thirsts, let him come to Me and drink'. It is not only water for which people thirst. Jesus offers that which responds to a spiritual thirst, a thirst for lasting happiness, a thirst for answers to our hard questions - a thirst for meaning.
• Twenty-Ninth Sunday after Pentecost: Against All Hope!The longest night of the year is fast approaching. For someone who does not remember how it was in previous years, and, especially, who does not have faith, this night may be an invitation to despair. Why does the sun hide itself away so quickly? Will the days keep on getting shorter and shorter until they disappear altogether? Will winter and cold hold sway over the earth forever?
• Twenty-Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: In Him New Life Begins!As winter strengthens its hold upon our land, while nature rests under its mantle of snow, it is good to think about life that will never die - the life that has been given to us, as well as to all who thirst for it, by Jesus the Messiah.

Icons of the Mother of God

Often the Church Calendar besides the names of the Saints lists also Holy Icons, especially those of the Mother of God. The Orthodox Church has a special reverence for Icons for our Church experienced a most trying time of persecution of iconodules (those who venerated Icons) in the age of iconoclasm which lasted from 725 to 842. The veneration of Icons was confirmed in the Orthodox Church based on its teaching on the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity.

• The Mother of God “Multiplier of Bread” On October 28 (which is October 15 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the Icon of the Mother of God 'Mulitiplier of Bread'. This Icon was written in the late 19th century, likely by Monk Daniel (in the world Dmytro Mykhaylovych Bolotov) with the blessing of the Starets’ Ambrose of the renowned Optina Hermitage near the town of Kozels’k, formerly part of the Chernihiv Principality, in the Kaluga Oblast’ of the Russian Federation.
  Божа Мати «Спорителька хлібів»
  На 28-го жовтня за Григоріянським календарем (це - 15-го жовтня за Юліянським календарем) ми вшановуємо Ікону Божої Матері «Спорительки хлібів». (Слово «спорити» в давнину означало – «покращувати», «удобрювати».) Цю Ікону написав, у другій половині 19-го століття, правдоподібно Монах Данило (в мирі Дмитро Михайлович Болотов) з благословення Старця Амвросія зі славної Оптини Пустині, що знаходиться біля міста Козельська, яке колись належало до Чернігівського князівства, а зараз є частиною Калузької Області Російської Федерації.
• The Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God - October 25On October 25 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is October 12 on the Julian) we celebrate the Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God, which is particularly popular among Ukrainian Orthodox in Canada due to numerous copies of it (on paper) which were once available from the Consistory Church Goods Supply in Winnipeg. Despite its popularity it is quite likely that most of us who have this Icon in our homes and our prayerbooks are unaware of its name or origin.
  
  На 25-го жовтня за Григоріянським календарем (це – 12-го жовтня за Юліянським) припадає Свято Єрусалимської Ікони Божої Матері, яка особливо популярна поміж православними українцями в Канаді з огляду на численні копії (паперові), яких колись можна було отримати від Складу Церковних Речей при Консисторії в Вінніпезі. Не зважаючи на поширеність її, дуже правдоподібним є, що більшість з нас, які маємо цю Ікону в себе вдома чи в наших Молитовниках не свідомі її імені чи походження.
• The Myrozh Icon of the Mother of God, 1198On October 7 (September 24 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate another Icon of the Mother of God, the Myrozh Icon. The original is said to have appeared in 1198 in the Saviour-Transfiguration Monastery which was founded in about 1156 by Sts. Niphont and Abramius of the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves . . .
  
  На 7-го жовтня (24-го вересня на юліанському календарі) ми шануємо знову окрему Ікону Божої Матері – Мирозьку. Оригінал мав появитися в р. 1198 у Спасо-Преображенському Монастирі, якого заснували приблизно в р. 1156 Преподобні Отці Нифонт та Авраамі з Києво-Печерської Лаври . . .
• The Svena-Caves Icon of the Mother of GodOn August 30 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is August 17 on the Julian) we commemorate a Saint whose Relics repose in the Near Caves (St. Anthony’s) of the Kyivan Caves Monastery: the Venerable Alypius the Iconographer. We also commemorate a miracle-working Icon which he wrote, called the Svena-Caves (“Svens’ka-Pechers’ska”) Icon.
  
  На 30-го серпня за григоріянським календарем (це 17-го серпня за юліянським), ми святкуємо пам’ять Святого, якого нетлінні Мощі спочивають у Ближніх печерах (Св. Антонія) Києво-Печерської Лаври: Преподобного Аліпія Іконописця. А також ми поминаємо чудотворну Ікону, яку він написав, що зветься Свенською-Печерською.
• The Troyeruchytsia Icon of the Mother of GodНачебто для підтвердження важливості чудової Ікони Богородиці «Троєручиці», її святкує Церковний Календар аж двічі в двох тижнях (11-го липня григоріянським /28-го червня юліянським і 25-го липня григоріянським/12-го юліянським)!
  
  As though to make sure that we note the significance of the wonderful Icon of the Troyeruchytsia (“Three-handed”) Mother of God, the Church Calendar celebrates it twice within two weeks (July 11 Gregorian/June 28 Julian and July 25 Gregorian/July 12 Julian)!
• Kasperivs’ka Icon of the Mother of GodOn July 12 (which is June 29 on the Julian Calendar), on the Feast of the Leaders of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, we celebrate the Kasperivs’ka Icon of the Mother of God. The Icon is also commemorated on Bright Wednesday and on the Feast of the Protecting Veil of the Theotokos, Svyata Pokrova, on October 14 (which is October 1 on the Julian Calendar). It is an Icon of Tenderness. Mother Mary caresses her Son, Who holds a scroll in His hand. St. John the Baptist and the Martyr, St. Tatiana, are on either side, probably because they are the patrons of the unknown original owner.
• Icon of the Seven Arrows (celebrated on the Sunday of all Saints)On the Sunday of All Saints, as well as on the Feast of the Meeting of Christ (February 2/15) and on the second to last day before the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God (August 13/26) we celebrate an Icon of the Mother of God with two names: “The Softening of Evil Hearts” and “Of the Seven Arrows”.
• The Icon of The Mother Of God of The St. Elias Monastery in ChernihivOn April 29 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is April 16 on the Julian) the Icon of the Mother of God of the St. Elias Monastery in Chernihiv is remembered. This Monastery was founded by the Venerable Anthony, founder of monasticism in Ukraine, who came to Chernihiv in 1069 and dug a cave on Mount Boldynia.

The Radiant Beauty of the Saints

Fr. Anthony Coniaris has written: "...[W]hen a saint gets to heaven, he will be surprised by three things. First, he will be surprised to see many he did not think would be there. Second, he will be surprised that some are not there whom he expected to see. Third, he will be surprised that he himself is there." The veneration of Saints and prayerful requests for their help in our daily walk are essential components of Orthodox Christian spirituality. The following meditations are gleaned and edited from various published sources and passed through the filter of this sinner's personal experience and pastoral work. He offers them for the encouragement and edification of fellow-sojourners on the way to the Kingdom - which has already manifested through these glorified Brothers and Sisters of ours and which is yet to come.

• The Righteous Priest Aaron, Brother of MosesOn some Orthodox Calendars March 25 (which is March 12 on the Julian Calendar) is the day we commemorate a prominent Old Testament Saint, Aaron, the brother of Moses the Prophet and God-seer. Aaron, together with his grandson, the Righteous Phineas. From him comes the line of Old Testament Priests who served the Lord, and he is a prototype of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, the One Who confers the Royal Priesthood upon all the baptized, and the Sacramental Priesthood upon those so chosen by God and the Church.
• Our Venerable Father Acacius of SinaiOn December 12 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is November 29 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a monastic Saint mentioned by St. John Climacus (ca. 579-649) in his spiritual classic The Ladder of Divine Ascent. It is St. Acacius, whose name in its Greek original ('Akakios') means 'innocent, not evil' (evil in Greek is 'kake').
• The Holy and Glorious Martyrs Adrian and Natalia of NicomediaOn September 8 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is August 26 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a married couple, Saints Adrian and Natalia of Nicomedia (today Izmit in Turkey), whose nuptial union, of which God became the Source and the Goal, produces an innumerable multitude of spiritual children.
• St. Alexis, Metropolitan and Wonderworker of Kyiv and all Rus’On October 18 on the Gregorian calendar (which is October 5 on the Julian), we celebrate the memory of three Metropolitans of Kyiv, Sts. Peter, Alexis and Jonah, who led their flock in very difficult times of Mongol invasions and occupation of their lands, which made it necessary for them to exercise their archpastoral ministry, under the jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople, from the city of Moscow, thereby laying the foundations for the Church of Russia
• Venerable Alypius, the Іconographer, of the Near Kyivan CavesOn August 30 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is August 17 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of one of first Monastic Saints of Kyivan Rus’, the Venerable Alypius [his name may be a Slavicized version of the Greek name Olympius].
  
  На 30-го серпня за григоріянським календарем (відповідає 17-му серпня за юліянським календарем) ми святкуємо пам’ять одного з первісних Ченців Київської Русі, Преподобного Аліпія [це ім’я мабуть слав’янізований варіант імені «Олімпій»].
• Venerable Anastasia (Romanova) of KyivEach year since April 26, 1986, Ukrainians throughout the world have gathered on the anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster to remember and to pray and thus to express their faith and hope that this tragedy, whose destructive effects will be felt for generations, has not been meaningless. Coincidentally this day is also remembered as the day of repose in 1900 of the Venerable Anastasia, known in the world as the Grand Duchess Alexandra Petrivna Romanova, founder of the Holy Protection Women’s Monastery in Kyiv.
• Our Venerable Father, Anthony the Great On January 30 on the Gregorian calendar (which is January 17 according to the Julian calendar) we celebrate the memory of one of the first Desert Fathers, St. Anthony the Great, who was the first person to be canonized, who was not martyred for the Faith. Instead, he took upon himself a voluntary ongoing martyrdom - that of living a solitary monastic life in the Egyptian desert.
• St. Anthony the Great and St. Isaac the SyrianOn January 30 (January 17 – Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of St. Anthony of Egypt. He was born in 251 in the village of Coma near the Thebaid desert. His parents died while he was about twenty, leaving him in charge of his young sister.
  
  Perhaps it was St. Anthony’s example that inspired this famous saying by St. Isaac of Syria (Jan. 28/Feb. 10) describing a compassionate heart:
  
  It is a heart which burns with love for the whole of creation: for humankind, for the birds, for the beasts, for the demons, for every creature. . . . . . .
• Hieromartyr St. ArseniusOn March 13 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is February 28 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a Saint of Ukraine, whose earthly path, especially in its final stage, included the most fiery ordeal which can be imagined. It is the Hieromartyr Arsenius (baptized Alexan-der) (Matsiyevych), Metropolitan of Rostov (1697-1772), a devout servant of the Lord, born into a priest’s family in Volodymyr-Volyns’kyy in Ukraine, who struggled for the rights of the Clergy under the authoritarian regime of the Tsarytsia (Empress) of Moscow, Catherine II.
• The Righteous Child Artemius Of VerkolaOn November 2 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is October 20 on the Julian), we celebrate the memory of the Righteous Child, Artemius of Verkola, a boy whose earthly life ended on June 23 (July 6 on the Gregorian Calendar), 1545, when he was only twelve years of age. His memory is celebrated on this day (as well as on June 23/July 6, the day of his repose) since it is the Feast day of His heavenly Patron, the Holy Great Martyr Artemius of Antioch, martyred in 361 by the order of the Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate.
  Праведний Отрок Атремій Веркольський
  На 2-го листопада за Григоріянським календарем (це – 20-го жовтня за Юліянським) ми святкуємо пам'ять Праведного Отрока Артемія Веркольського, хлопця, якого земне життя скінчилося 23-го червня (це – 6-го липня за Григоріянським календарем), 1545-го р., коли йому було лише 12 літ. Ми поминаємо його в той день (як також на 23-го червня/6-го липня, в день його упокоєння), тому що це – Празник його небесного Покровителя, Св. Великомученика Артемія Антіохійського, який прийняв мученичу смерть 361-го р. за наказом римського імператора Юліяна Відступника.
• The Venerable Athanasius of Mt. AthosWhy do bad things happen to good people? This is a question that has troubled people of faith for millennia. On July 18 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is July 5 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a man who made an outstanding contribution to the monastic heritage in Orthodoxy, and whose departure from the world on this day at the beginning of the second millennium of Christianity highlights the challenge presented by the above question. It is St. Athanasius, the founder of the Great Lavra of Mount Athos (in 963), and thus of the monastic community that has flourished there to this day.
• St. Athanasius, Patriarch of Constantinople, Wonderworker of LubnyOn May 15 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is May 2 on the Julian) we commemo-rate a native of Crete, who was Patriarch of Constantinople and was eventually glorified by the Lord as a Wonderworker of Ukraine.
  На 15-го травня за Григоріанським календарем (це ж 2-го травня за Юліанським) ми святкуємо пам'ять уродженця Криту, який став Патріархом Константинопольським, та якого прославив Господь, як Чудотворця України.
• Great Martyr BarbaraBarbara (we commemorate her on December 4, which is December 17 on the Gregorian Calendar) lived and suffered during the reign of the Roman emperor Maximian (305-311). Her father, Dioscorus, was a wealthy man in the Syrian city of Heliopolis (literally 'the city of the sun'). After the death of his wife, he devoted himself to his only daughter, who was so lovely that he decided to protect here by hiding her in a tower, where only her teachers could come to see her. But the maiden was not alone for the Holy Spirit was leading her, through her view of the beauties of creation – which she could only enjoy by seeing it, to ask questions about the Creator of such a wonderful world.
• St. Basil the Fool for ChristOn August 15 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is August 2 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of one of those unusual Orthodox Saints who are called 'Fools-for-Christ'. It is St. Basil, who is popularly known as 'Vasyliy Blazhennyy' (literally 'Basil the Blessed'). So profoundly has he been venerated that the renowned Cathedral which is one of Moscow’s most familiar sights, the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Theotokos on the Moat, is rarely known by that name but rather as 'St. Basil’s Cathedral' simply because his body is buried in one of its eleven sanctuaries.
• New Hieromartyr Basil (Zelentsov)On April 4, 1998, in Poltava, Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriar-chate) glorified one of the vast number of new Confessors who suffered under the militant atheistic Soviet Empire, New Hieromartyr Basil (Zelentsov), Bishop of Pryluky, Vicar of Poltava.
• Hieromartyr Blaise the Bishop of SebasteOn February 24 (which is February 11 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of a Saint beloved by humans and animals, the Hieromartyr Blaise (Blasius), Bishop of Sebaste. He ministered to his flock during the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Licinius (307-324), who were fierce persecutors of Christians.
• Martyr Boniface of TarsusOn January 1 (December 19 – Julian Calendar), the civic New Year according to the Gregorian Calendar, the Church celebrates the memory of the Martyr Boniface, who suffered in 290 (some sources say 307), in the city where the Apostle Paul was born, Tarsus, in Cilicia (this city in Turkey still bears that name).
• The Holy Great Martyr Chryse (Zlata)On October 26 (which is October 13 according to the Julian Calendar) we remember a young woman renowned for her beauty and strength of character. Her name in Bulgarian is Zlata (meaning 'the golden one'), although she is usually known by the Greek equivalent of this name, Chrysa. (Note the similarity to the title of the great Saint John Chrysostom – meaning 'golden-mouthed' – whose Liturgy we celebrate on most of the Sundays of the year).
• St. Clement of Ochrid, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Bishop of Greater MacedoniaOn August 9 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is July 27 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of five Slavs who were disciples of the Holy Brothers known as the Enlighteners of the Slavs - Saints Cyril and Methodius of Thessalonica. These five are Saints Clement, Naum, Sava, Gorazd and Angelar. Most distinguished among these five is the one known as “Equal-to-the-Apostles”, St. Clement of Ochrid, Bishop of Greater Macedonia.
• Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia and Their Mother, the Venerable TheodotaOn November 14 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is November 1 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a particularly intriguing group of Saints: the Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries, the brothers Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia (some sources say Asia) and their Mother, the Venerable Theodota. There are a number of reasons as to why they are so special.
• St. Cuthbert, Wonderworker of BritainOn April 2 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is March 20 on the Julian) we remember a Saint of 7th century Northumbria in Britain.
• St. Demetrius (Tuptalo), Metropolitan of RostovOn October 4 on the Gregorian Сalendar (which is September 21 on the Julian) we commemorate the Uncovering of the Relics of St. Demetrius (Tuptalo) a genial Ukrainian Churchman, whose life and work – as well as miracles – have had a dramatic effect on the lives of millions.
• St. Dionysius of ZakynthosA new year has dawned! May it bring us joy and peace in the Lord and fruitful work in His vineyard, this beautiful world that He has made with a plan and vocation for each of us.
  
  As last year drew to a close on December 30 (it corresponds to December 17 on the Julian calendar) the Ecclesia (the Church) celebrated the birthday into Heaven of a great Man of God, St. Dionysius of the Greek island of Zakynthos.
• St. Emilian Bishop of CyzicusOn August 21 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is August 8 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a Bishop who upheld and defended the Church’s veneration of Icons before the iconoclast ('icon-smashing') emperor Leo V the Armenian. It is St. Emilian, Bishop of Cyzicus.
• Venerable Ephraim the SyrianDuring the Great Fast we have often heard the name of Saint Ephraim the Syrian for it was he who, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit gave us a prayer which we pray each day at this time.
• St. Epiphanius the Bishop of CyprusThe Ukrainian Orthodox of Montreal, and especially those of the Hromada of St. Mary the Protectress of which I am honoured to be the current Pastor, recall with fondness the zeal and dedication of a good Shepherd and Confessor who wrote, preached and taught his flock and presided over the building of Churches – including ours – who celebrated his Patron Saint’s Day on May 25.
• St. Eusebius, Bishop of SamosataOn July 5 (which is June 22 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of St. Eusebius of Samosata, a Bishop noted for his defence of the teaching on Christology proclaimed at the First Ecumenical Council held in Nicea (today Iznik in Turkey) in 325. His life gave his colleague and friend, St. Gregory the Theologian, the occasion to praise him as: “a pillar of the Church", "a gift of God" and "a rule of faith".
• The Child-Martyr Gabriel of Bialystok (1690)On May 3 Gregorian Calendar (which is April 20 on the Julian), Orthodox Christians celebrate the memory of a child-martyr, Gabriel Gavdel, of the village of Zwierki near the town of Zabludow in the diocese of Bialystok who died on April 11, 1690.
• The Holy Archangel GabrielOn July 26 on the Gregorian calendar (which is July 13 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate a Feast which seems to just come out of the blue. It is the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel. Usually a Synaxis follows a major feast day as a liturgical assembly in honour of the Saint or Saints involved in the primary celebration. Such is not the case here. Why it is celebrated on this day is a bit of a mystery.
• Св. Архангел ГавриїлНа 26-го липня за григоріянським календарем (це – 13-го липня за юліянським) ми святкуємо Празник, що начебто несподівано появляється у церковному році. Це – Собор Архангела Гавриїла. Переважно такий Собор слідує після великого Свята, як нагода відслужити Божественну Літургію на честь Святого чи Святих зв’язаних з головним Празником. Тут такого немає. Якась таємниця в цьому, чому саме в цей день святкують цей Собор.
• Holy Great-Martyr George The VictoriousOn November 16 (corresponds to November 3 on the Julian Calendar) on the Julian Calendar the Orthodox celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Church of St. George in Lydda during the reign of St. Constantine the Great (306 to 337).
  St. George is one of the most highly and universally revered Saints in the Christian Church.
  Св. Великомученик Юрій
  На 16-го листопада за григоріянським календарем (відповідає 3-го листопада за юліянським) православні відзначають Свято Освячення Церкви Св. Юрія в м. Лідді за володіння Св. Костянтина Великого (306 до 337 р.).
  Св. Юрій (або Георгій) – один з найбільш пошанованих Божих Угодників у Церкві Христовій.
• Venerable Gerasimus of the JordanThe saying goes that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. And a lion figures prominently in the story of a Saint who is celebrated on March 17 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is March 4 on the Julian). It is St. Gerasimus of the Jordan – so called to differentiate him from another Gerasimus, the “walking Saint” who is the Patron of the Greek Island of Kephalonia.
• St. Gregory of Nyssa On January 23 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is January 10 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of one of the Cappadocian Fathers, called by some 'The Father of Fathers', St. Gregory of Nyssa. He was part of a remarkable family of godly folk – he was mentored by his elder brother, St. Basil the Great and guided by the example of his mother and his sister, St. Emily and St. Macrina. St. Gregory Nazianzus was his friend. On the same day we also remember St. Theosebia, who St. Nikolai Velimirovic, in his Prologue from Ochrid, says was his wife who died at a young age, which prompted Gregory to join St. Basil and St. Macrina in a monastic life.
• The Three Hierarchs - Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John ChrisostomThis very day (February 12) we celebrate the memory of these three Holy Men who shone like stars in the Church in a most trying time – when the Christian faith was being established as the faith of the Roman Empire.
• St. Hilarion of the Kyiv caves, Metropolitan of Kyiv (11th century)There are a number of Hilarions commemorated on November 3 (corresponds to October 21on the Julian Calendar). One of them is the Venerable Hilarion of the Kyiv Caves, who is usually identified with the first Ukrainian Metropolitan of Kyiv - all the previous ones since the Baptism of Rus’ in 988 had been Greeks. He was enthroned in 1051 in the splendid new Cathedral of Holy Wisdom (Sophia) and most likely reposed in 1053.
• St. Ignatius the GodbearerVery close to Christmas, on January 2 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is December 20 on the Julian Calendar), we commemorate an Apostolic Father, St. Ignatius the Godbearer, the disciple of St. John the Theologian. He was the third Bishop of Antioch and is held in great esteem by the Church of Antioch, which is especially dear to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada, for it was a Bishop of the Patriarchate of Antioch, Metropolitan Germanos (Shehadi), who accepted to be the hierarch of our Church from 1918 until 1924, at which time he graciously handed over episcopal authority to Bishop (later Metropolitan) John Teodorovych, who came from the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine to lead the Ukrainian Church in Canada
• Holy Right-Believing IhorOn October 2 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is September 19 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of the Holy Right-Believing Passion-Bearer Ihor, in Baptism George, Tonsured Gabriel, Knyaz’ of Chernihiv and Great Knyaz’ of Kyiv.
  
  На 2-го жовтня за григоріанським календарем (це - 19-го вересня за юліанським) ми святкуємо пам’ять Св. Благовірного Страстотерпця Ігоря, у Хрещенні Юрія, у Чернецтві Гавриїла, Князя Чернігівського, Великого Князя Київського.
• Hieromartyr Irenaeus, Bishop of LyonsOn September 5 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is August 23 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a luminary of the Church, St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons in France, or as it was called in those days, Lugdunum in Gaul. It was from the writings of Irenaeus that the once popular Canadian television show about matters of faith, Man Alive, took its name.
• St. Isidore the Constant of WordOn May 27 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is May 14 on the Julian) the Orthodox Church commemorates another of its vast multitude of monastic Saints, a man with a unique title - given to him because of the consistency and dependability of his words. It is St. Isidore Tverdyslov – i.e. the “Constant of Word” - who reposed in the Lord in 1474.
• The Holy and Righteous Ancestors of God Joachim and AnnaOn September 22 (corresponds to September 9 on the Julian Calendar), the day after the Feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, we celebrate the memory of her parents, the grandparents of Jesus, whom we joyously and gratefully proclaim as True Man and True God. This perfect union of earth and Heaven, of humanity and Divinity, which heals the alienation between God and His human children, finds a beginning in the union of these two righteous Saints of the Old Testament, Joachim and Anna. We read about them primarily in the ancient Protoevangelion of James.
• Venerable John of the Goths in CrimeaOn July 9 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is June 26 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a Man of God who is remembered for saying something quite different. It is Saint John, Bishop of the Goths, who laboured in the Lord’s Vineyard in the eighth century at a time when the Eastern Church was assailed by the controversy over Icons.
• St. John the New Martyr of SuchavaOn June 15 on the Gregorian calendar (which is June 2 on the Julian) Ukrainians, especially those hailing from the south-western province of Bukovyna, celebrate the memory of a wealthy merchant from Trebizond (today the Turkish city of Trabzon) along the shores of the Black Sea.
• St. John the TheologianOn May 21 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is May 8 on the Julian) the Orthodox Church commemorates the Beloved Disciple, St. John (his name means 'God is gracious') the Theologian because for many, many years there was a tradition to visit his grave near Ephesus on this day.
• St. John (Maksymovych), Archbishop of San Francisco, WonderworkerOn July 2 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is June 19 on the Julian) we commemorate a modern-day Saint, born in Ukraine, who is often known as John of Shanghai, or John of San Francisco, or simply John the Wonderworker.
• St. John 'the Russian' UkrainianOn May 27 according to the Modified Julian Calendar Orthodox Greeks celebrate the memory of a Saint from Ukraine whom they call 'St. John the Russian'. (This Calendar coincides with the Gregorian – most Greeks celebrate immovable Feastdays according to it, while Ukrainians and most other Slavs celebrate them according to the Julian Calendar, so for us this Feastday falls on June 6 according to the Gregorian calendar).
• Holy Prophet JonahOn October 5 (which is September 22 according to the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of the Holy Prophet Jonah, the son of Amittai, who lived in the Galilean village of Gath-hepher (today el-Meshhed) in the ninth century B.C. He was of the tribe of Zabulon.
• The Righteous Priest Jonah of OdesaFor May 30 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is May 17 on the Julian) the Ridna Nyva of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada lists another twentieth-century Ukrainian Saint – the Righteous Priest Jonah Moyseyevych Atamansky of Odesa, on the day of his repose in the Lord in 1924.
• Holy Knyahynia Juliana Ol’shans’kaOn October 11 on the Gregorian calendar (which is September 28 on the Julian), we celebrate the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kyivan Monastery of the Caves, whose Relics are in the Near Caves (of St. Anthony). There are 70 of them. The 71st person whose Relics repose in these Caves is a young girl, the Knyahynia (Princess) St. Juliana (a popular form of the name among Ukrainians is 'Ulyana') Ol’shans’ka who departed this earthly life at the tender age of 16.
  Свята Княгиня Юліянія Ольшанська
  На 11-го жовтня за Григоріянським календарем (цебто 28-го вересня за Юліянським) ми святкуємо Собор Святих Отців Києво-Печерської Лаври, яких Мощі спочивають у Ближніх Печерах (Св. Антонія). Їх - 70 осіб. А 71-ша особа, якої Мощі спочивають у Печерах – молода дівчина, Княгиня Юліянія (популярна форма цього імені – Уляна) Ольшанська, що відійшла від цього земного життя у юному віці 16 літ.
• St. Lavrentiy of ChernihivJanuary 19 (which is January 6 on the Julian Calendar), the Feast of Theophany, marks the 61st anniversary of the repose of a Ukrainian saint of modern times, the Venerable Lavrentiy of Chernihiv. During my visit to Chernihiv in the summer of 2006 I had heard of this remarkable man who kept the Faith as a Monk in the some of the most difficult days that the people of Ukraine have ever known. He is much revered in this district of Ukraine which has given the Church many Saints.
• St. Leo, Bishop of CataniaOn March 5 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is February 20 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of an Orthodox Saint of Sicily on the day of his repose in the Lord in 789. It is St. Leo who was Bishop of Catania beneath the volcanic Mt. Etna. He was born in May of 709 and raised in Ravenna in Italy. Leo was renowned for his kindness and charity. Following the example of the Great and Good Shepherd, He showed great love for strangers and for the poor. The Lord made him worthy of the gifts of working miracles and healing people of various illnesses.
• Virgin-Martyr Lucy of SyracuseOn December 26 on the Gregorian calendar (which is December 13 on the Julian), we celebrate the memory of the Virgin-Martyr Lucy of Syracuse.
• New Martyr Lazarus the Shepherd of BulgariaOn May 6 according to the Gregorian Calendar (which is April 23 on the Julian) we commemorate, beside the greatly renowned Great Martyr George, another much less familiar one. It is the New Martyr Lazarus the Shepherd, of Bulgaria who gave his life for the Lord in the year 1802.
• The Holy Apostle and Evangelist LukeOn October 31 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is October 18 on the Julian), when so many are celebrating the secular holiday which still bears the ecclesiastical name of Halloween (which means 'the Eve of All Hallows’ [i.e. All Saints’] Day'), the Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke.
• Hieromartyr Macarius, Metropolitan of KyivOn May 14 (Gregorian – which is May 1 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of a Saint whose Holy Relics are venerated in the St. Volodymyr Cathedral in Kyiv, the seat of Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate). It is the Hieromartyr Macarius, Metropolitan of Kyiv, who gave his life for Christ on this day in 1497 during the celebration of Liturgy in the village of Stryholovo on the banks of the Prypyat’ River in what is now Belarus’.
• The Miracle of the Archangel Michael at ColossaeOn September 19 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is September 6 on the Julian) we commemorate an event of which many – probably most Orthodox Christians are unaware. It is the Miracle of the Archangel Michael at Colossae (an ancient city in Phrygia, today in Turkey), the ruins of which, near the town of Honaz, have yet to be excavated).
• St. Michael, First Metropolitan of KyivOn June 28 (which is June 15 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of the first Metropolitan of Kyiv, St. Michael, who reposed in the Lord on that day in 992.
• St. Mamas of CaesareaOn September 15 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is September 2 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of another Saint who befriend beasts, giving us a glimpse of Paradise as it was and as it shall be. It is St. Mamas the Martyr whom we commemorate together with his parents the Martyrs Theodotus and Rufina. Some sources add St. Ammia, about whom we shall speak shortly.
• St. Monenna, Founder of the Killevy Monastery in IrelandOn July 19 (which is July 6 on the Julian calendar) we celebrate the memory of one of the many Saints of the undivided Church of the first millennium – St. Monenna, founder of the the Killevy (often spelled “Killeavy”) Monastery in Northern Ireland, who reposed in the Lord on that day in 518.
• Our Venerable Father Moses the BlackOn September 10 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is August 28 on the Julian) we celebrate the life of a remarkable Saint: Moses the Black, also known as Moses the Ethiopian.
  
  На 10-го вересня за Григоріянським календарем (це - 28-го серпня за Юліанським) ми святкуємо життя надзвичайного Святця, Преподобного Мойсея Мурина, також відомого, як Мойсея Ефіопця.
• St. Nectarius the Wonderworker, Metropolitan of Pentapolis On November 22 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is November 9 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a relatively modern Saint - St. Nectarius, Metropolitan of Pentapolis, the Wonderworker
• St. Nicephorus the Confessor, Patriarch of ConstantinopleOn March 26 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is March 13 on the Julian) we celebrate the Translation of the relics of Saint Nicephorus the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople, another hero of the Holy Icons.
• St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in LyciaOn December 19 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is December 6 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of one of the most popular of Saints – whose representatives we so often see in this Advent season in the form of 'Santa Claus'. It is St. Nicholas whose name means 'the victory of the people'.
• St. Nicholas (Kasatkin), Enlightener of JapanThe word 'missionary', at times, has a negative connotation as the "mission" of the zealous folks who journey to other lands has not infrequently been cultural assimilation and even eventual political domination by the authorities sending the missionary (sincere and selfless though the missionariesmay have undoubtedly been). Such is, however, not usually the case with Orthodox missionaries. It was not the case, as we shall see, with St. Nicholas (Kasatkin), Enlightener of Japan, commemorated on the Church Calendar on August 14 Gregorian style (which is August 1, Julian), on the anniversary of his birth.
• Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Knyahynia of Kyiv Ol’haУкраїнці зокрема, але також і росіяни, білоруси та інші спадкоємці скарбів Київської Русі повинні бути дуже вдячними Св. Ользі, яку поминаємо. Нехай її приклад зворушує й нас, як це було зі Св. Володимиром, намагатися щораз сильніше встановлювати Царство Христове в наших серцях та в світі навколо нас.
  
  Ukrainians especially, as well as Russians, Belarusians and other beneficiaries of the legacy of Kyivan Rus’, have much for which to be grateful as we commemorate St. Ol’ha. May her example move us, as it did St. Volodymyr, to seek to establish ever more firmly the Kingdom of Christ in our hearts and in the world around us.
• Преподобний Онуфрій ВеликийПостать Преподобного Онуфрія, високого стрункого чоловіка з довгою білою бородою, що спливає перед ним майже до землі, дає натхнення Східнім Християнам століттями. На 26-го червня 1996 між-церковною Відправою Духовенство Українських Канадських Церков Католицької та Православної посвятили Українську Католицьку Церковцю, як експонат в Музею цивілізації в Оттаві.
• Venerable Onuphrius the GreatThe vision of the Venerable Onuphrius, a tall slender man with a long white beard flowing to the ground before him, has been an inspiration for Eastern Christians for hundreds of years. On June 26, 1996, a Ukrainian Catholic Church was dedicated in an inter-Church ceremony (with clergy of the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches of Canada participating) as an exhibit at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa.
• Venerable Paisius, Abbot of UglichOn June 19 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is June 6 on the Julian) we commemorate the Venerable Paisius Abbot of Uglich, an Orthodox monk who laboured for the Lord in his particular vocation for 96 years. It was on this the day that he reposed in the Lord in 1504 at the age of 107 years!
• Our Holy Father, the Venerable Paisius (Velychkovs’kyy)On November 28 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is November 15 on the Julian), the day that the Nativity Fast begins, we celebrate the memory of the Venerable Paisius (Velychkovs’kyy), a Ukrainian Saint who made a momentous impact on human culture by his participation in the restoration of mystical spirituality in the Hesychast tradition, which is centered upon the Jesus Prayer (the attentive repetition of the words: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner').
• The Paris Martyrs: Saints Elie Fondaminskii, Fr. Dimitri Klepinine, Yuri Skobtsov and Venerable Mother MariaOn August 2 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is July 20 on the Julian Calendar) we celebrate the memory of four Orthodox Christians, the Paris Martyrs, who bore worthy testimony to the reality of the hope brought into this world by our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the fiery furnace of the second world war.
• St. Paul the Confessor, Archbishop of ConstantinopleOn November 19 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is November 6 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a Bishop whose life was marked by controversy, suffering, exile and finally martyrdom at the hands of those who opposed his Orthodox Faith.
  It is Paul I, Confessor and Archbishop (that is, Patriarch) of Constantinople who glorified the Lord by his martyrdom in 350, as he celebrated the Divine Liturgy during his exile in Cucusus in Armenia. He was strangled with his own Episcopal Omophorion.
  Св. Павло Ісповідник, Архиєпископ Константинопольський
  На 19-го листопада за Григоріянським календарем (тобто 6-го листопада за Юліянським) ми святкуємо пам’ять Єпископа, якого життя було сповнене суперечками, терпінняи, засланням і на останку й мученичою смертю з рук супротивників Віри Православної.
  Мова йде про Павла І, Сповідника й Архиєпископа (тобто Патріярха) Константинопольського, який прославив Господа своєю мученичою смертю, підчас служіння Св. Літургії на засланні в м. Кукузі в Вірменії. Його задушили власним Єпископським Омофором.
• Venerable Paul the Obedient On December 20 on the Gregorian calendar (which is December 7 on the Julian), we celebrate the memory of our Venerable Father Paul the Obedient.
• Holy Martyr Peter the Aleut On December 25 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is December 12 on the Julian), according to the Ukrainian Orthodox Calendar-Almanac Ridna Nyva for 2010, we celebrate the memory of a First Nations Orthodox Martyr, St. Peter the Aleut.
• Our Venerable Father PiorSt. Anthony the Great of Egypt, the Patron Saint of the founder of Ukrainian monasticism, St. Anthony of the Kyivan Caves, once said: “Our life and our death are with our neighbour. If we gain our brother, we have gained God, but if we cause our brother to stumble, we have sinned against Christ.” On June 30 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is June 17 on the Julian) we commemorate one of Abba Anthony’s disciples, St. Pior, who is remembered chiefly for a teaching of his about the way we ought to relate to our brothers and sisters.
• St. Raphael of BrooklynOn February 27 on the Gregorian Calendar, which is February 14 on the Julian, we celebrate the memory of a 20th century Saint from the Patriarchate of Antioch, who received part of his education in Kyiv, and whose labours also brought a blessing to the Ukrainian Orthodox community of Montreal, Quebec. It is St. Raphael (Hawaweeny), Bishop of Brooklyn, a portion of whose Holy Relics are in St. George Antiochian Church in Montreal.
• St. Sampson the Hospitable of ConstantinopleOn July 10 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is June 27 on the Julian) we commemorate a Saint who moved from Rome to New Rome (Constantinople). His name is linked with an important event in the history of Russia and Ukraine. He is remembered on the Church Calendar as St. Sampson the Hospitable of Constantinople.
• St. Seraphim of SarovOn August 1 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is July 19 on the Julian) we celebrate the uncovering, in 1903, of the Relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, universally beloved by Orthodox and other Christians throughout the world.
• Holy Martyr Seraphima (Serapia)On August 10 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is July 29 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a female Martyr of the second century who seems to be the first among the Saints of the Church whose name is linked with the celestial beings called the Seraphim, who, according to the Prophet Isaiah surround the Throne of God. It is St. Seraphima, a maiden of Antioch who bore witness to the power of Christ during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus, 117-138).
• Holy Martyrs Sergius and BacchusOn October 20 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is October 7 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of the Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, who glorified God by their faithful testimony during the reign of Emperor Galerius Maximianus in the year 303.
• Hieromartyr Simeon the Bishop in Persia The Hieromartyr Simeon, Bishop of Ctesiphon in Persia, suffered during a persecution against Christians under the Persian emperor Sapor (Shapur) II (310-381), who, in a letter to Roman Emperor St. Constantine the Great, referred to himself as 'king of kings, partner with the stars, brother of the sun and moon'. Sapor accused Bishop Simeon of collaborating with the Roman Empire and of subversive activities against the Persian emperor.
• Hieromartyr Simeon, Kinsman of the LordOn May 10 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is April 27 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of another of the kinsmen “according to the flesh” of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, St. Simeon, the second bishop of Jerusalem.
• Our Venerable Father Shio (Simeon) of MgvimeOn May 22 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is May 9 on the Julian) we commemo-rate the falling asleep of a great Saint of the Church of Georgia of the 6th century, St. Shio (Simeon) of Mgvime.
  
  На 22-го травня за Григоріанським календарем (це – 9-го травня за Юліанським), ми поминаємо успіння великого Святого Церкви Грузії 6-го століття, Преподобного Шіо (Симеона) Мгвимського.
• Our Holy Father Simon, Monk of the Kyivan Caves Lavra, Bishop of Suzdal’ and VolodymyrOn May 23 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is May 10 on the Julian – this year, 2010, it coincides with Pentecost) we celebrate the memory of another “Podvyzhnyk” (Ascetic) of the early Kyivan Church. It is St. Simon, a Monk of the Kyivan Caves Lavra who became first Bishop of the newly-created diocese of Volodymyr (on the Klyaz’ma River) and Suzdal’.
• New Martyr Schema-Abbess Sophia of KyivOn April 4 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is March 22 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of one of the countless martyrs of the Communist persecution in the captive lands which comprised the former Soviet Union. It is the New-Martyr, Schema-Abbess Sophia of the Holy Protection Monastery of Kyiv.
• Holy Martyr Sophia and her Three Daughters Faith, Hope and Love On September 30 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is September 17 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of the Holy Martyrs Sophia (whose name means “wisdom”) and her daughters Faith (in Greek 'Pistis', in Ukrainian 'Vira', usually spelled Vera in English), Hope (in Greek 'Elpis', in Ukrainian 'Nadiya', usually spelled Nadia in English – sometimes rendered as Nadine) and Love (also called Charity) (in Greek 'Agape', in Ukrainian 'Lyubov' – often rendered as the adjective 'Lyuba' which means 'beloved'.
• Venerable Stephen, Abbot of the Kyivan Cave Lavra, Bishop of Volodymyr-Volyns’kyyOn May 10 (Gregorian Calendar – which is April 27 on the Julian) we commemorate a Ukrainian Holy Father from the eleventh century. It is the Venerable Stephen, third Abbot of the Kyivan Cave Monastery (Kyyivo-Pechers’ka Lavra), who later was the Bishop of Volodymyr-Volyns’kyy.
• New Hieromartyr Sylvester On May 25 each year patriotic Ukrainians prayerfully remember Symon Petliura, a hero of the struggle for Ukrainian sovereignty, at one time head of state and of the armed forces of the Ukrainian National Republic, who was as-sassinated on that day in 1926 in Paris. It was well-known that Symon was a seminarian in Poltava and that he was expelled for his political activity. His sisters were nuns in Poltava, arrested and shot by the NKVD. His nephew, Stepan Skrypnyk, eventually became the first Patriarch of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Or-thodox Church taking the monastic name of Mstyslav.
• Our Holy Father, Sylvester, Pope of RomeThe name 'Sylvester', for those of us raised in North America, immediately calls to mind a funny cartoon character- a pussy cat who is always (unsuccessfully) seeking to catch a canary with a huge head named Tweety. It always brings a smile. However there are a number of Saints on the Church Calendar who bear this Latin name, which is derived from 'forest' (silva). The first is the one whom we celebrate on January 15 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is January 2 on the Julian). He is a Saint of the undivided Church of the first millennium, Sylvester, the Pope of Rome.
• New Martyrs Fr. Paul and Dobrodiyka Joanna SzwajkoOn the great Feastday of the Dormition of the Mother of God (August 28 – Gregorian Calendar which is August 15 on the Julian) we also commemorate the New Martyrs Fr. Paul and Dobrodiyka Joanna Szwajko. They joined our Lady in their martyrdom after the celebration of the Liturgy as well as the Baptism of the daughter of a brother Priest, Fr. John Zbiorowski. This took place on the Feastday of Her Dormition in the year 1943 in the village of Grabowiec in the Hrubieszow district of Poland, largely inhabited by Ukrainians known as Lemkos.
• St. Tabitha, the Widow Raised from the Dead by the Apostle PeterOn November 7 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is October 25 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of St. Tabitha (also known by her Greek name 'Dorcas' which means 'gazelle'), who is mentioned in the Book of Acts as one of the Disciples of Christ (9:36-42). There are several interesting points to be made about this wonderful lady whom we venerate today.
• St. Tarasius, Patriarch of ConstantinopleOn March 10 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is February 25 on the Julian) we remember a Saint after whom the great poet of Ukraine Taras Shevchenko was most likely named as he was born on the day before his Feastday and died on that very Feastday, 47 years later. It is St. Tarasius, Patriarch of Constantinople.
• Our Venerable Father, Theodore the BrandedOn January 9 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is December 27 on the Julian) – in fact on the third day of Christmas - we commemorate a most determined confessor of the true meaning of Christmas, as well as the unity and authority of the Church. He is a Saint who bore the marks of his confession for everyone to see – branded upon his face! He is the Venerable Theodore, surnamed Graptus or 'the Branded', Confessor of Palestine and Bithynia.
• Saints Theodore and John, His Son, Varangian Martyrs of KyivOn July 25 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is July 12 on the Julian) we remember the first Martyrs for the Faith of Christ in the lands of Kyivan-Rus`(today Ukraine) who bore testimony to it with their lives on this day in 983. There is a curious link between Sts. Theodore and John, the Varangian Martyrs of Kyiv, and St. Stephen the first Christian Martyr, as we shall see.
• St. Theodosius , Archbishop of ChernihivOn February 18 (corresponds to February 5 according to the Julian Calendar) we commemorate the repose in 1696 of St. Theodosius, Archbishop of Chernihiv.
  
  His was a challenging ministry, for it was the time of tragic struggle between Christians of the Orthodox and Catholic folds. Political considerations were united with the particular view of Christians under the jurisdiction of the Pope of Rome who felt that authentic Christian unity could be attained only by adherence to the See of Rome.
• St. Ursula and Her Companions, Martyrs at CologneOn November 3 on the Gregorian calendar (which is October 21 on the Julian), we celebrate the memory of St. Ursula and her companions, martyred at Cologne, Germany, in the fourth century. They are Saints of the undivided Church of the first millennium.
• Holy Right-believing Equal-to-the-Apostles Volodymyr the GreatOn July 28 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is July 15 on the Julian) we celebrate the Baptizer of Kyivan Rus` the Great Kniaz`Volodymyr, who, like his grandmother, St. Ol`ha, is titled 'Equal-to-the-Apostles'
  
  На 28-го липня за Григоріянським календарем (це – 15-го липня за Юліянським) ми святкуємо пам’ять Хрестителя Київської Русі, Великого Князя Володимира, прозваний, як і бабуня його, Св. Ольга, Рівноапостольним.
• St. Wilfrid, Archbishop of YorkOn October 25 on the Gregorian calendar (which is October 12 on the Julian), we celebrate the memory of St. Wilfrid (ancient versions of his name include Wufrid and Wilfrith), who held the post of Archbishop of York, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury in the English Church.
• Right-believing Yaroslav, in Baptism ConstantineOn June 3 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is May 21 on the Julian) we commemorate the Wonderworkers of Murom, the Holy Knyaz’ Yaroslav and his sons, Michael and Theodore. They are, most likely, commemorated on this day because it is also the Feastday of the Equals-to-the-Apostles, Saints Constantine the Emperor and his mother, St. Helena. Yaroslav, great-grandson of St. Volodymyr the Great, grandson of St. Yaroslav the Wise (known in Norse sagas as Jarisleif the Lame), son of Svyatoslav (all of the above held the distinguished post of Great Knyaz’ of Kyiv), was baptized Constantine and thus commemorated his Patron Saint on this day.
• Holy Right-Believing Knyaz’ YaropolkOn December 5 on the Gregorian Calendar (which is November 22 on the Julian) we celebrate the memory of a Royal Martyr of Kyivan Rus’, the Holy Knyaz’ Yaropolk, son of Great-Knyaz’ of Kyiv, Izyaslav, grandson of St. Yaroslav the Wise, and great-grandson of St. Volodymyr the Great. He may be considered a “Passion-bearer” (in Ukrainian “Strastoterpets’”), one of the particular group of Orthodox Saints who were victims of political conflicts and intrigues, and refused to defend themselves, choosing to view their sufferings as a participation in the Passion of Christ, rather than adding to the fighting and bloodshed that so ravaged their land.

 

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