Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Let me not give Thee a kiss, as did Judas

Meditational Sharing: For Holy Week: -Iconic Images: "Let me not give Thee a kiss, as did Judas, but like the thief do I confess me, remember me in Thy Kingdom O Lord!"

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 10:56 AM




 


 

Palm Sunday at Holy Resurrection Monastery, Diocese of Chisinau, Moldova

General Sharing: ROCA: Palm Sunday at Holy Resurrection Monastery, Diocese of Chisinau, Moldova

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Sun, Apr 24, 2016 at 11:52 AM
*Article found on:<http://internetsobor.org>


"Hosanna! Hosanna! to the Son of David! He Who comes in the Name of the Lord,
 He Who comes to recall Adam from the curse!, HOSANNA In The Highest!"

 
 

РПЦЗ: Вербное Воскресенье в Свято-Воскресенском монастыре Кишиневской епархии.

 

 ROCA: Palm Sunday at Holy Resurrection Monastery, Chisinau Diocese, 

Republic of Moldova- ФОТО- PHOTOS

Автор: Монахиня Вера вкл. Author: Nun On Faith. . . Опубликовано в РПЦЗ (Просмотров: 22) Published in the ROCA (Views: 22)
11/24 апреля 2016 г. 11/24 April 2016

Празднование Вербного Воскресения прошло в Свято-Воскресенском мужском монастыре (Республика Молдова, Чимишлийский район, с. Новый Сагайдак) Кишиневской епархии (РПЦЗ).
 
Palm Sunday celebrations held at the Holy Resurrection Monastery (Republic of Moldova, Cimislia district,. New Sagaidak) Kishinev Diocese (ROCOR).
 
 Божественную литургию возглавил наместник монастыря - Преосвященнейший Анфим, епископ Чимишлийский, викарий Кишиневской епархии.
 
The Divine Liturgy served by the Abbot of the monastery -His Grace  Vladyka Anthimus, Bishop of Cimislia, Vicar of the Diocese of Chisinau.

Во время Всенощного бдения были прочитаны специальные молитвы и освещены праздничные вайи.
 
During the Vigil there were read special prayers and a little blessing of fresh spring green branches.
 
 На Божественной литургии были причастники. In the Divine Liturgy were communicants. На Празднике присутствовало, кроме братий монастыря, много верных прихожан.
 
 At the celebration there was attended by, in addition to the brethren of the monastery, many faithful parishioners.

По окончания литургии братий и гостей ожидало праздничное угощение на свежем воздухе во дворе монастыря.
 
 At the end of the liturgy, the brothers offered a festive meal in the open air, in the courtyard of the monastery.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Recorded Select-Holy Week Services, from Annunciation Hermitage

A Sharing: Recorded Select-Holy Week Services, from Annunciation Hermitage: - Chanted & Recorded in English, from ROCA's Australian/New Zealand Docese

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Sun, Apr 24, 2016 at 11:10 PM






As of today, which in the US is  the evening of Palm Sunday, its  service, and those of Holy Monday, are so far recorded.
More to follow.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Still Trying to Subvert Orthodox-Zealot Mount Athos Esphigmenou Monastery

Sharing: Still Trying to Subvert Orthodox-Zealot Mount Athos Esphigmenou Monastery!: "Shame on Patriarch Bartholomew!": in Russian translation from the Greek and with a humanly smoothed out English:

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Sat, Apr 23, 2016 at 2:32 PM







*
From article found on: <http://internetsobor.org >
This original article is in Greek.





 "Shame on Patriarch Bartholomew!"
 
Фанарские игры с афонским монастырем Эсфигмен
 
 Fanar-games being played on the Mount Athos Monastery of Esphigmenou
 
Автор: Монахиня Вера вкл. Author: Nun On Faith. . . Опубликовано в Константинопольский Патриархат (Просмотров: 53) Published in the Patriarchate of Constantinople (Views: 53)

На фото - игумен монастыря Эсфигмен о.
 In the photo - Abbot Methodius of the Monastery of Esphigmenou.
 Мефодий

Информация о том, что Афонский монастырь Эсфигмен якобы собирается войти в церковное общение с экуменическим Константинопольским патриархатом, которую распространил Romfea.gr и др. греческие религиозные СМИ, не соответствует действительности.
 
There is information being broadcast that the Athos monastery of Esphigmenou supposedly is going to enter into  ecclesial communion with the ecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople, which [false] information has been  distributed by Romfea.gr et al. the Greek religious media, and which  is untrue.
 
На самом деле переговоры, проходившие в Эсфигмене 20-22 апреля с.г., имели целью урегулирование юридического статуса монастыря.
 
 In fact, the negotiations that took place in the monastery of  Esphigmenou on 20-22 April of this year, were aimed at simply resolving the legal status of the monastery.
Представители Фанара, тем не менее, затронули богословскую и вероисповедную тему во время переговоров.
 
 Representatives of the Phanar, however, [attempted to] inject  religious and theological topics into the negotiations.
 
 Игумен монастыря Мефодий, как и прежде, категорически отверг возможность Евхаристического общения с еретиками-экуменистами.
 
 Abbot Methodius, as before, categorically rejected the possibility of a  Eucharistic communion with heretics-Ecumenists.
 
Тем не менее, Romfea http://www.romfea.gr/i-romfaia по-прежнему пытается представить данные события, как некое "начало" диалога о единстве.
 
Nevertheless, Romfea http://www.romfea.gr/i-romfaia still tries to portray these events as a kind of "beginning" of a unity dialogue.
Позор патриарха Варфоломея
 
 Shame on Patriarch Bartholomew!
В странные и подозрительные игры стали играть Фанар и патриарх Варфоломей с монастырем Эсфигмен в последнее время.
 
The strange and suspicious games began to be played recently by representatives of  the Phanar and Patriarch Bartholomew upon  Esphigmenou monastery.
 
Искусно просочилась ложная информация из доброжелательного сайта, что Эсфигмен якобы желает «воссоединения» на Афоне, но реальность совершенно иная.
 
There has been artfully leaked false information from a 'friendly site' that Esphigmenou supposedly wants its "reunification" on/with the rest of  Mount Athos, but the reality is quite different.
Началось все 3 месяца назад, когда губернатор Афона Аристос Касмироглу встретился с пресс-секретарем Эсфигмена г-ном Ираклием Мораитисом и специальным секретарем религиозной и политической дипломатии г-ном Стафи Лианти, чтобы исследовать, можно ли подойти Фанару к монастырю Эсфигмен.
 
 It all started three months ago, when the governor of Athos, Aristos Kasmiroglu met with the press secretary for Esphigmenou, Mr. Irakli Moraitis and special secretary for 'religious political diplomacy', Mr. Stafi Lianti,[ apparently a Greek Government representative],  to investigate whether it is possible, or not,  for representatives of the Phanar, to physically come to and enter the monastery of Esphigmenou.
Переговоры были трудным, держались в хрупком равновесии, и представитель Фанара митрополит Андриануполесский Амфилохий, наконец, предложил Эсфигмену принять окончательное решение, выдвинув типичное предложение: "Мы хотим принять Эсфигмен с их позицией». Это означает, что настоятель Эсфигмена о. Мефодий не отступит ни на шаг назад от позиций монастыря, но в то же время его примут в качестве нового игумена Эсфигмен, а Братство Катсулиридон останется делом прошлого.
 
 The negotiations were difficult, and they were kept in a delicate balance, and a representative of the Fanar,  Metropolitan Amfilohije, of Andrianupolessky, finally offered Esfigmenu an ultimatum,  as he  put forward a typical sentence: "We want to accept back,  Esphigmenou,  in their present   position." This means that the abbot of Esphigmenou,  Abbot Methodius was left with nothing to step back from,[i.e.  how could he refuse such a generous offer?, etc.],  in his  current  stance/position of him and his  monastery, but at the same time there  would l be  a new abbot of Esphigmenou, [unclear meaning here], and the current  Brotherhood's problems will be a thing of the past. 
Но все изменилось во вторник днем, когда митрополит Апостолос Милитский вместе со специальным секретарем религиозной и культурной дипломатии Стафи Лианти посетил игумена Мефодия в конаке монастыря в Неа Рода.
 
 But that all changed on Tuesday afternoon, when  Metropolitan Apostolos of Militsky, with the special secretary for  religious and cultural diplomacy Mr. Stafi  Lianti visited Abbot Methodius in the monastery's  konak [embassy]  in Nea Roda.
 
Там митрополит Апостолос, по сути, стал просить Эсфигмен поминать Вселенского патриарха Варфоломея, который никогда не поминался там до сего момента.
 
There Metropolitan Apostolos, in fact, began to request of  Esphigmenou Monastery that they  commemorate the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who has never been commemorated there until this moment.
 
 Кроме того, был поставлен вопрос о совместной молитве с Вселенским патриархом.
 
 In addition, a question was raised about  joint prayer with the Ecumenical Patriarch.
 
 Конечно, это предложение о.
 
Of course, this proposal to Abbot Methodius was rejected without question.
 Мефодием было отклонено без вопросов.
 
В среду утром дипломатия Фанара вернулась, сказав, что "должна преобладать любовь", и в связи с этим прозвучали те же требования.
 
 On Wednesday morning, the  Fanar diplomats returned, saying that "love must prevail", and in this connection there were made ​​their  same demands.
 
Как можно легко догадаться, ответ о.
 
 As you can easily guess, the answer from Abbot Methodius was again negative.
 Мефодия снова был отрицательным.
 
 
 Но удивительным явился подход Фанара, и то, как были представлены новости их дружественным сайтом, где ни мало, ни много, заявляется о якобы запросе Эсфигмена на воссоединение!
 
But surprising was the approach of the representatives of the Fanar, and how they were presented in the 'news-friendly site', where no less, no more, they declared that Esphigmenou  allegedly had  requested to be..... reunited!
Вселенский патриарх Варфоломей в очередной раз доказывает, как он заботится о "единстве и примирении" в православии, но работает не покладая рук, чтобы исполнить свои личные устремления в мировой религии и уничтожить любой православный голос.
 
The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, once again proves how much he cares about  "unity and reconciliation" within  Orthodoxy, but how he rather works tirelessly to fulfill his personal ambitions and aspirations in the 'world of religion' and to destroy any Orthodox oppositional voices.
По оценкам, решения Вселенского Патриархата являются интенсивным геополитическим фоном, который связан с предстоящим визитом российского патриарха Кирилла и президента России Владимира Путина в конце мая на гору Афон
.
 
According to estimates,...  the decisions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate are motivated BY  his intense geopolitical background and are  associated with the forthcoming visit of the Russian Patriarch Kirill and Russian President Vladimir Putin, in late May on Mount Athos.
 
 
Разработки в дальнейшем приобретают ошеломляющие темпы.
 
 Developments into the future are coming at a staggering pace.
В среду экзархат Константинопольского Патриархата находился на Афонской горе, в то время как в четверг было созвано двойное Собрание с ... неизвестными до поры до времени последствиями последних драматических событий.
 
On Wednesday, the representatives of the Exarchate of the Constantinople Patriarchate were on Mount Athos, while on Thursday they convened a special meeting,  with the unknown purpose,  for the time being, of supposedly dealing with the consequences of the dramatic events of the recent past events. 
P.S. В четверг экзархат Константинопольского Патриархата (в составе митрополита Апостолоса Милетийского, Амфилохия Андриануполисского и Максима Селимбрийского), вместе со специальным секретарем религиозной и культурной дипломатии г-ном Стафи Лианти, с полудня находились в монастыре Эсфигмен и общались в чате с настоятелем монастыря о.
 
 P.S. On Thursday, representatives from the Exarchate of the Constantinople Patriarchate (composed of Metropolitan Apostolos Miletiyskogo, Amphilochius Andrianupolisskogo and Maxim Selimbriyskogo), together with the special secretary of the religious and cultural diplomacy, Mr. Stafi Lianti,[ of the Greek Government],  from noon, onward,  were at the Esphigmenou monastery and chatting with the abbot of the monastery.
 
 Мефодием о возможности вернуться монастырю в Афонскую общину, пребывая на одном административном уровне.
 
 Methodius would  return with his  monastery to the Athos community, staying on the same administrative level. [ they proposed/announced?].
Время 20:00 - экзархат Константинопольского Патриархата покинул монастырь Есфигмен после драматических дискуссий.
 
Time 20:00 - these representatives of the Exarchate of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, left the monastery after these Esfigmenou dramatic discussions.
 
 Все висит на волоске ...
 
All hangs in the balance ...
Translated into Russian from the Greek:
Пер. Trans. с греч. from the Greek.

Sharing on Lazarus Saturday

Sharing on Lazarus Saturday: Two separate/but combined in this one email: soul-benefitting articles: A Word about St. Mary of Egypt, and this Homily of St. John of Kronstadt for Palm Sunday

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Sat, Apr 23, 2016 at 10:36 AM



*Sent by Archimandrite Alexius in the UK:
> From: info@saintedwardbrotherhood.org
> Subject: Fwd: A short word on St Mary of Egypt
> Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2016 17:26:56 +0100
> To:
>
>
> > From Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos & Fili:
A Word On St. Mary of Egypt:
> > THIS is the pdf link (sorry, but at present I cannot open/copy/paste the texts of pdfs, for easier viewing).
===============================================================================================================================
 *Sent by an Orthodox brother in Virginia:
HOMILY FOR PALM SUNDAY by St. John of Kronstadt
“Much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried: Hosanna! blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord! And Jesus, when He had found a young ass, sat thereon, as it is written: fear not, daughter of Sion! behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt” (John 12:12-15).

Palm Sunday 

We celebrate, dear brethren, the triumphant entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. His procession was quite extraordinary: He entered on a young ass who had never worn a yoke, attended by a great multitude of people, who walked in front and behind and cried: Hosanna! blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord! The people greeted the Lord triumphantly and joyously for His having resurrected His friend Lazarus – already a decomposing dead man – from the dead with solely His word. This great and fearful miracle was performed by the Lord as an example and portent of the universal resurrection of the dead that is to take place in its own time, also by the mighty word of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that He came to Jerusalem, in order to suffer and die, and – as Life-giver and God – to vanquish by His death and overcome the universal death of mankind, to arise from the dead by His own power, and to grant universal resurrection. Thus, remember that Jesus Christ entered into Jerusalem in order to suffer for the sins of all mankind, including mine and yours, in order to vanquish our death, and turn it into a mirage, and resurrect all humanity from the dead, and after the universal judgment grant all believers and all genuinely repenting sinners an eternal life of rapture.
Do not forget at what terrible and immensely great cost did the Lord gain victory over this horror of mankind – death, and with what suffering was lifted from us God’s just condemnation for man’s damning, incongruous, and pernicious sin, and was granted blissful immortality and a rapturous life in the celestial dwelling, in the incorruptible homeland. This victory was gained through the Son of God’s unimaginable anguish, terrible suffering, and tormenting death on the cross in His human nature.
Many of those who do not believe in this righteous, wise, and loving design of God for salvation express the following query: why and for what reason was needed such a terrible sacrifice of His Son on the part of God the Father? Why this voluntary, horrific passion of the Son of God, His humbleness, descent, humiliation, His surrender into the hands of His enemies, and the allowance of such horrible accountability on the part of His disciple Judas and all Jesus’ enemies: the high priests, the Jewish elders, the people, the scribes and the Pharisees, Pilate, the Roman soldiers, and all the participants in the Son of God’s unjust condemnation and suffering? One must be quite nearsighted and dim-witted to ask such questions and not see the connection between mankind’s infinite guilt before God because of its innumerable and heavy sins, its boundless accountability and liability for punishment on the part of God’s truth, and sinful mankind’s inaccessibility to the wrathful God without the intercession of the Mediator between God and men, Who, solely out of love and compassion for perishing souls, took upon Himself, as the sole and greatest Righteous One, this endlessly great responsibility before God’s judgment, and through His absolute truth, His suffering for the sake of atonement, and His death redeemed guilty mankind from righteous wrath, damnation, and eternal condemnation for its sins.
God, being all-just, could not absolve sinful mankind without the offering of a sacrifice of truth for it, otherwise He would not have been God, for what communion is there between truth and iniquity? What commonality between light and darkness? (2 Cor.6:14). It was impossible not to justly punish the sins of mankind in the person of the greatest Righteous One, Jesus Christ, Who voluntarily took upon Himself the sins of the entire world, so that He could justly acquire power from the Father to forgive the sins of all those who believe in Him, have been illuminated by His light of grace, have become cognizant of their sins and repent of them; He had to taste our death, combat it, and vanquish it, in order to deliver all of us from our many centuries’ of enslavement to it and, finally, to conclude His glorious work of atonement by His resurrection from the dead, in order to have the power to resurrect all mankind, for whose sins He had offered His Father full ransom with His own self; for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:23).
This is the reason why the Son of God’s sufferings and His death for mankind were necessary. Without them humanity would have perished forever, completely, irreversibly, as have perished all the demons.
As regards the terrible accountability that exists for Judas’ betrayal, for the demonic schemes against the Saviour on the part of the high priests and Jewish elders, the scribes and the Pharisees, – they sinned against the promised Messiah of their own free will, through their willful blindness, through their avarice and envy; and seeing the Saviour’s charity and miracles, and His righteous life, – it was as though they did not see; and hearing His holy words, – it was as though they did not hear; and finally, they could have repented and could have been pardoned, to which they were invited by the Apostles, – but they did not repent. For this reason they will answer for all their evil deeds at the Last Judgment: they shall look upon Him Whom they have pierced (Zach. 12:10).
In conclusion I would like to say to both you and myself: let us make an all-out effort to guard ourselves from sin, which had engendered mankind’s disaffection from God and His life, from His holiness and truth, which brought upon us a just condemnation, which prepared for us the fiery, insatiable abyss of hell and all its fathomless depths. Only by means of a sincere belief in Christ and His redemptive suffering, death, and resurrection, and through constant repentance and a virtuous life may we be delivered from hell. God forbid that any of us be thrown into it amid the general bundle of tares mentioned by the Saviour to His angels: gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into My barn (Matt. 13:30). Whosoever has ears to hear, may he hear. Amen. 

Saint John of Kronstadt

Friday, April 22, 2016

Bitter Fruits of the Union

A General Sharing: From Vladyka Archbishop Andronik: ( dated: 7/20 April, 2016): "The Bitter Fruits of the Union of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate"


English PDF

Russian PDF

Official ROCA Assistance Fund Announcement

General Sharing: ROCA: An Official ROCA Assistance Fund Announcement, found on: http://www.rocana.org:

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 1:39 PM



 
ANNOUNCEMENT
A general reminder to all rectors, parishes and the faithful, that the collection on Palm Sunday should be designated for the ROCA Assistance Fund, which assists with various needs throughout our entire Church.  Please send all collections by check to:

ROCA Assistance Fund
PO Box 7343
Alexandria, VA  22307

Please make checks payable to "ROCA Assistance Fund."
Thank You.

1.Lazarus Saturday • 2.Annunciation

Sharing: Two Separate Articles: 

Sermon of St. Metropolitan Philaret on Lazarus Saturday,(+1985): 

and- In the UK: at the GOC St. Edward's Brotherhood in Brookwood: The Annunciation, Three Bishops and Three Archimandrites

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Dan Everiss

<oregdan@hotmail.com>
Fri, Apr 22, 2016 at 1:16 PM




 *Both articles shared by Archimandrite Alexius of St. Edward's Brotherhood:
The Annunciation celebration was of this year, 2016.
"After my death our beloved Church abroad will break three ways .... first the Greeks will leave us as they were never a part of us ... then those who live for this world and its glory will go to Moscow ... what will remain will be those souls faithful to Christ and His Church." St. Philaret of NY 1985   

Lazarus Saturday


Sermon on Lazarus Saturday by Metropolitan Philaret (Voznesensky, +1985)
of Eastern America and New York
It often happens that a child does a bad thing, and his father properly punishes him.  But when he sees the child crying in sorrow, parental love takes hold and the father seeks to console the punished child.
A terrible sentence was imposed upon our fallen ancestors living in the Garden of Eden.  The Lord, after their terrible sin, when they betrayed Him and heeded the tempter, His enemy, said: “thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou taken,” that is “unto dust thou shalt return.”  In this way the Lord sentenced our ancestors and their progeny to death, for before this, mankind was not to taste death.  Having no sin, man could not before then die and would have lived forever, but after that, he became the prey of death.  But our Lord knows that death is terrifying for man, that nothing terrifies him more.  That is why, in order to ease the very thought of death, in order to alleviate this fear, the Lord performed His wondrous deeds of which we read in the Holy Gospel.
In particular, He performed the miracle we remember today, the greatest of His miracles—the Raising of Lazarus.
The Lord had earlier told the Apostles: “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”  He said that the moment would come when those in the grave would hear the voice of the Son of God and would emerge alive.  And yet death, which destroys the body of man, horrifies us.  And the Lord, consoling us, encouraging us, made an example of Lazarus, who, hearing the voice of the Son of God, came out of his tomb.  He spoke, His Omnipotent Voice shook the depths of hell, and Lazarus, whose body had already begun to decay, came out of the tomb alive, unharmed and in good health.
Today’s holiday is for this reason especially close to our hearts, especially joyful.  Today we celebrate our future resurrection.  In seven or days the Holiday of Holidays will arrive, the Triumph of All Triumphs, when we will celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, “raising us with Him,” as the Church sings.  And so to illustrate how this will occur, how the dead will rise from their graves to the sound of the voice of the Son of God, the Lord raised the dead Lazarus.  That this is so is declared by the troparion which will be sung today and tomorrow: “By raising Lazarus from the dead before Your Passion, You confirmed the universal resurrection, O Christ God!”—that is, it confirmed that there will be resurrection for all.
Our souls are filled with special joy on this day, a brilliant joy, because death ceases to terrify us.  How unfortunate are the godless!  Of course, we know that they are in error, that man is not annihilated after death.  But these poor folks think that death comes and everything comes to an end, the person is dead, his body is killed and there is no question of any life.  All their talk about how their leaders live in eternity in the hearts of their followers are simply nonsense!
The human soul does not seek this, it seeks only an escape from the fear of death.  The Lord grants it, for after all He had done for us, it turns out that death is not disappearance into the abyss of non-existence, but only a temporary slumber, but longer than earthly sleep.  But sleep nonetheless, for with His Almighty Voice, He will wake us all at a time known only to Him so that we pass into eternity.
How bright and happy is this day!  The human soul cannot but tremble with elation because, again, we are celebrating our universal resurrection!  Remember this, o human soul, and thank your Lord for His great mercy to you.
Amen.
        

Shared also by Archimandrite Alexius in the UK:
Subject:  In the UK: at the GOC St. Edward's Brotherhood in Brookwood: The Annunciation, 2016,
Three Bishops and Three Archimandrites



Begin forwarded message:

From: Alex Spiroglou 
Subject: Ποιμαντικὴ Ἐπίσκεψις στὴν Ἀγγλία
Date: 22 April 2016 17:47:38 GMT+01:00

​​Two photos and the Greek GOC text of this event:
THE ANNUNCIATION, THREE BISHOPS
& THREE ARCHIMANDRITES

MEMBERS of the Saint Edward Brotherhood met His Grace, Bishop Ambrose, on his arrival in this country at Gatwick on 24th April / 6th March, and took him to the Convent, where the Vigil for the Great Feast of the Annunciation, the community’s dedication festival, was chanted.  Fr Borislav Popov joined the Bishop and the Brotherhood clergy in this celebration and for the Divine Liturgy the next day.  After both services, Mother Vikentia and her sisters invited the participants to festal meals.  After taking his leave of the faithful there, Bishop Ambrose came to Brookwood, where he stayed until the following Sunday.  He was present at our celebration of the Presanctified Liturgy on the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel, and that evening chanted the Akathist service for us, as Fr Alexis was indisposed.  On the Saturday, he attended the services for the Soul Sabbath.  On that day Bishop Sofronie of Suceava, who had arrived in England on the Friday evening, celebrated the Mystery of Holy Unction at the Convent for the Romanian Faithful.  On the Sunday, Saint John of the Ladder, both Bishops celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Brookwood and were joined by Bishop Evloghie of Sibiu, the three hierarchs concelebrating together. 
* During the Matins service, before the Divine Liturgy, Archimandrite Daniel (Toyne), a clergyman formerly of the Œcumenical Patriarchate, was received into our Diocese and back into Traditionalist Orthodoxy by cheirothesia, Bishop Ambrose reading the prayer for him and completing his vesting.  Fr Daniel then joined us in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. 
 We were also joined by Archimandrite Seraphim and Father Deacon Nicolae from Romania, and thus had three Bishops and three Archimandrites serving together, with Fr Borislav, assisted by Fr Nicolae and our Fr Sabbas as deacons.  During the Liturgy, Bishop Ambrose preached a sermon in English, and then Bishop Evloghie preached in Romanian, explaining the significance of sequence of the Sunday commemorations during Great Lent.  At the end, Bishop Ambrose gave a further short address, introducing Fr Archimandrite Daniel to our people.  Fr Daniel had been baptised by Metropolitan Cyprian the Elder at Fili about 38 years ago, and on returning to England was a parishioner at the old Russian Orthodox Church Abroad Cathedral at Emperor’s Gate, Kensington.  His work took him to Singapore, where there was only a church of the Œcumenical Patriarchate, for which after some years he was ordained, and built up the mission there, travelling to Pakistan and other countries in South East Asia, doing missionary work.  He is now resident in Germany, and will be there until his retirement from his teaching post, by which he supports himself.  His Grace pointed out that by now joining our diocese, he is returning home.  Though staying in Germany, Fr Daniel will be returning as often as possible to England to help our communities here.  About 200 people attended the celebration on this Sunday, and we are thankful that again Catalin Tamasanu provided us with a sound system, so that the sermons could be heard by all. We are also thankful that the weather was fine, so that the many people whom we could not accommodate within the old Mortuary hall, could eat outside. While they did so, the three Bishops and our new Archimandrite were able to mingle among them and speak to them.  Fr Borislav then kindly drove Fr Daniel to Heathrow to catch his flight, and Vasileos Cancanteras drove Bishop Ambrose back to the priest’s house attached to the Convent in London, where he stayed before returning to Greece.