FEATURES: NEW PHOTOS:Wedding Liturgy RESOURCES PHOTO ALBUM ICON GALLERY *********** CANADIAN ORTHODOX BROADCASTING AUDIO AND VIDEO AUDIO SERMONS BLOG FEATURES DAILY LIFE IN THE MONASTERY (A regular  "diary" description of mundane daily life  in our monastery, by one of the monks) SCIENCE & ORTHODOXY: A DIALOGUE A REGARD FOR CREATION: DAVID GOA SPIRITUAL TALKS  BOOKREVIEWS EXPLORING ORTHODOXY ON THE PHILOKALIA EDITORIALS RUSSIAN VOICE MONASTERY KITCHEN QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ST. ANTHONY KHRAPOVITSKY AUGUSTINE: AN EXPLORATION Archbishop Lazar's Speaking Schedule EVENTS AND SERVICES SCHEDULE OTHER LANGUAGES: RUSSIAN PILGRIM'S PAGES GREEK PAGES SYNAXIS PRESS THE OCA WEBSITE THE JOY OF CANADA ICON THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ORTHODOX MISSION BOOK LIST To make donations or pay for books, please click on the line below:

NEW UPDATES: SCIENCE AND ORTHODOXY:  THE NEW AXIAL AGE (updated 1 Sept. 2010)
 (1) Spiritual Talks: (20 Aug. 2010) // (2) Book Reviews (9 Jul. 2010)// (3)  Lead Article (10 Aug.2010)  (4) Podcast (8 Jul.2010) (5) Youtube Broadcasts (updated every 3rd day);  (6) Canadian Orthodox Broadcasting, longer video programmes and audio presentations (updated every second week). (6) Photo Album (10 Aug.2010) (7). Daily Life in the Monastery (updated every day).
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A Saint is one who, through the conquest of his own passions, has acquired the grace of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and reached a stage of co-suffering love so that he is able to heal the soul and restore the conscience in others. He leads others to the door of metanoia, and reminds them that repentance is not an event but a process of inner healing that leads us back to true humanity. (Archbishop Lazar Puhalo).
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  Elena Koutorjevskaya.
   
    There are different kinds of feastdays. Some are noisy and crowded for which you spend a long time in preparation, and when they pass you sigh with relief. Others are quiet and scarcely noticeable, observing some personal events. But there are feastdays which bring a feeling of true joy that lasts in one's soul for a long time. Feastday and joy are words of one root, are they not?
    For many years, each time in mid-summer, the Canadian Orthodox Monastery of All Saints near Dewdney, B.C. has marked the feast of its patronal icon --- the Icon of the Canadian Theotokos, known as the Joy of Canada. This year it occurred on 25 July. This feast gathers together not only the faithful from many Orthodox churches in Greater Vancouver, but also guests from other provinces of Canada, and even some American states. At this service under the warmth of a bright sun, you find yourself among people of many nationalities: Ukrainians, Romanians, Russians, Greeks, Serbs, Bulgarians and others. “Before the face of the Most High, we here are all children of our heavenly native land, without boundaries and nations,” Archbishop Lazar Puhalo, Abbot of the monastery addressed the assembled pilgrims.
    Early in the morning, even before setting out to the monastery, I stood at my accustomed morning prayers. I besought the Lord to grant me, without condemnation, "to partake of the saving Mysteries." Suddenly, on the icon of the Theotokos, just above her head, there burst forth an opalescent, multi-coloured spot, trembling like a tongue of flame. It is not proper to be clever and become self-deluded, knowing that this little ray of sunlight that had fallen on a pendant of the chandelier, had refracted and emitted such an enchanting gleam, but all the same, one's heart joyously responds -- the Theotokos gives a sign that she has a feast today! It is necessary to hurry, the service today is special, and it is not at all befitting to be late.
    I do not recall when and who introduced it, but the festive service in honour of our main icon always takes place outdoors in the spacious monastery yard. There always are so many people that the monastery walls cannot contain them. Not once has the weather let us down. A convenient recess beneath the vaults of the spacious and high grand staircase was, through effort and love, transformed into a temporary sanctuary. The garland-like iron gates became the Royal Doors. All around were fragrant beds of blooming flowers and climbing plants. All those who had gathered, both regular worshippers and guests, stood under the canopy of giant cedar trees which formed living walls of this natural temple.
    The sun keeps rising higher and higher. The icon of the Canadian Theotokos, adorned with living garlands is on an elevated place of imminence and held in a festive carrier, which is provided with special rods to enable it to be more easily carried in the Cross Procession. In the brief intervals between the prayerful singing, one  hears how everything in nature resounds and hums, the air becomes warmer and floats together with the words of the prayer above the heads of the assembled: "Ever blessed and Most Pure and the Mother of our God."
    Even before the beginning of the service, a long queue of those who desire to have confession forms before Bishop Varlaam. In festive vestments, Vladika stands slightly to the side in the shade from the building in order to make it more comfortable for those who are confessing. The service is beginning, the shade moves deeper, and the sun becomes unrelentingly hotter on Vladika's head, white as snow as he bends over the line of those who wish to confess. He quickly has to move over into the shade -- today there are many desirous of communing according to all the rules.
    To the right side of the ambon, on tables covered with embroidered cloths, the holy relics, one of the basic treasures of the monastery, were displayed; the holy relics of our righteous fathers and mothers — the Saints of God. People remember Vladika relating how many years ago, when the monastery was just being formed, he prayed diligently that the Lord might allow them the possibility of preserving such holy things. The Most High did hear. Today there are more than 110 of them and their number ever increases in a wondrous manner. Thus, amidst the already familiar cypress and rosewood caskets with relics, new ones appeared quite recently. This priceless gift was received from Metropolitan Theodosius from America. The Metropolitan, now retired, discovered that in our monastery there are regular Cross Processions, and that the veneration of the relics is taught and encouraged, so he decided to bestow them on this monastery for their preservation. On this day the newly-arrived relics also have a special feast — for the first time they will process, together with the Cross Procession of the Theotokos, Joy of Canada, in the monastery which is new to them.
    The service takes its normal course. In a harmonious chorus we sing out: "Our Father, Who art..." in Slavonic, and then the very same in English, in Romanian, many voices joining in Greek, and a single, but strong and assured voice in French. This is Bishop Irinee, a vicar of Vladika Seraphim, a guest from distant Quebec and an old friend of the monks. He takes a most lively participation in this festive service and Vladika Lazar, like a cordial host, gives him the possibility to give a sermon to those gathered. Bishop Irinee's address is heartfelt and simple.
    Before Holy Communion there is another occurrence. Before the gathered, our subdeacon Phillip Ptashnik is ordained a deacon. Unpretentiously and at the same time assiduously, he is embraced on the shoulders by Father John Bingham who gently leads him to the doors.
    "Axios?" the bishop questions. "Axios!" which means "worthy", the worshippers respond in a harmonious chorus. For Phillip this is a double feastday, for after the solemn rite of ordination, he communes in the altar with all the clergy for the first time.
    It is becoming even hotter. Wind from the nearest of the monastery's fields wafts the resinous aroma of various ripening hays. Urged on by this gentle fragrance, we spread out into three streams leading to Holy Communion. A young father who staunchly held in his arms a sturdy five month old infant during the entire service is one of the first to approach the chalice. The child's feet wiggle animatedly and an enchanting toothless smile appears. A young woman kindly allows an elderly lady to move ahead. Here is an entire family: two young sons, father with daughter, young mother and the family head. It is so beautiful.
"Receive the Body of Christ, taste the fountain of immortality..," the words soar upward higher and higher, above the ridge of the roof, above the tops of the tallest cedar and fir trees, where the sky has no boundaries and upon which it is almost impossible to gaze — it is so blinding...
    Animation has begun at the tables with the relics and icons. Volunteers help to distribute the caskets with holy relics and icons into waiting hands. People take them carefully, holding them with embroidered cloths. Someone piously reverences the relics, asking for something personal. The procession begins to take shape and steps aside to allow the festal icon ahead. Slowly, with psalmody and prayer, the Cross Procession advances, in what is already dearly accustomed, to the memorial. Past a small cemetery, past overgrowths of blackberries, along a little bridge over a placid stream, along an alley of ancient apple and pear trees, we slowly reach the middle of our path. Here are the concrete paving stones, an alleyway with young coniferous trees and the icon is carried up into a small area in front of the memorial. All the participants of the Cross Procession move closer to each other and form a semi-circle in the freshly mown field.
    The memorial was erected in 1995 in memory of all Orthodox martyrs and passion-bearers. After the NATO attacks in Yugoslavia, memorial plates were added. From that time it has become a fine tradition for the festive Cross Procession to stop here to pray, to remember the fallen and martyrs, and to send the living a mental greeting. Vladika Lazar gives a brief word about how we must always remember our Orthodox brethren, that we are one body of one Church of Christ. The maturing oak tree that was planted by students from Kosovo, nods to him in agreement with its branches and the rustling of its young foliage. We pray...
    There is yet another tradition in this feast. From the hands of Miodrag Petrovich, a Serbian benefactor, Vladika accepts a magnificent round loaf which his family bakes each time, specially for the sake of this event. The loaf is raised above the heads and held from all sides by the hands of the clergy and some of the faithful. The participants ritually rotate it around, with the singing of hymns, andthen it is cut crosswise with the words, "Christ is in our midst! He is and always shall be!" Later, in the dining hall, everyone can taste a piece of the blessed bread which has been placed upon a special platter.
    The Cross Procession sets out on its return to the monastery and pauses at the gatehouse chapel at the entrance to the monastery gates. The icon is carefully lowered and the clergy line up for the blessing. Each person reverences the holy icon and receives a blessing. Children have a little basket of petals from live flowers and one can take a handful to bestrew the icon of the All Blessed Theotokos. Animated voices can be heard: "We greet you with the feast! We greet you with the feast!"
    What kind of a feast is it without presents? They are obligatory. Each year the monks prepare something special for everyone. I am already in possession of an entire collection. Here is a little braided cross from a women's monastery in Romania which Vladika Lazar visited while travelling in Europe — the Romanian nuns braided it with their own hands. And here is a miniature icon of the Theotokos to be worn and which I have worn around my neck together with the cross. Then there is a medallion in the shape of a maple leaf with the Theotokos in the middle, a symbol of Orthodoxy in Canada. And what is it this time? It is little pocket size phials with holy oil from the icon's votive lamp. How convenient to always have at hand a part of this holy thing. Thank you Vladika.
    And all the while the ringing of the bells is heard. We do not yet have many, just two, one larger and the other smaller. The altar servers, the brothers Luke and Andrew, are trying as best as possible to do the festive ringing. It drifts over the field and neighbouring farms, like a silver stream and all around is unimaginable beauty – Mother Summer herself... a Feast.
    In the dining hall preparations for the festive table are progressing at full speed. Everything is potluck and each person has brought something delicious. What only wasn't here! Cabbage pies, Moldovian tarts, Greek spanakopita, pickled provisions, appetizers and salads. And what is this unusual thing? Dumplings with grapes — I must try them and wonder which national kitchen they come from... On a separate table are platters with blueberries, cherries, peaches, apricots, watermelon — bountiful is our Canadian land. Glory to God!
    After Vladika's prayer and blessing the meal begins. One must hurry to taste everything, to visit with friends, and to acknowledge all acquaintances. No one must be forgotten. Part of the people settle down in large groups outdoors. A young man hurries to come up to each person. In his hands is an immense box of ice cream on sticks. The product is delicate and begins to thaw before one's eyes. He hastens not to offend anyone. "Please help yourself" "Oh, no, no, thank you. I am not eating anything sweet, I am on a diet." "Help yourself. Today you can. Today is a feast!" he smiles so cordially that one cannot refuse!
    The children have space for laughter and playing. On the terrace. Father Moses is surrounded by youth and, as always, he introduces them to some useful and interesting diversion — they have a mutual adoration. Father Andrew Somow, although tired, smiles happily while conversing with old acquaintances whom he has long not seen. Seldom does Father Andrew happen to come here because of old age and the condition of his health does not always allow it. Each year, however, he and Matushka manage to come and again the aged clergyman is at his post, again standing at duty. We are glad to see you, Father Andrew, come more often.
    Each year new people are met. Guests from Seattle, "We have heard much of your monastery and the icon of the Canadian Theotokos, and so we decided to come out to see for ourselves." Welcome, have a rest, and be replenished through the grace of our feast. The return home is distant. But there are old familiar faces, guests from Vancouver Island. They also had to make a lengthy trip, both by sea and by land. Each year our feast gathers friends here.
    Vladika Lazar leaves one group of people and hurries across the lawn to another; he is awaited everywhere. His stride is broad and sprightly and he looks younger. Vladika is happy. This time, also, the feast has been a success! It is no laughing matter that over two hundred people were present. And there was room for everyone, and warmth, and joy, and something else which we lack so much in our daily life — a Feast...