Evangelismos Tis Theotokou
777 Rue Saint Roch H3N 2X2 Montreal, QC, Canada

On February 6th we commemorate St. Photios the Great, Patriarch of Constantinople The Church obtained you as her strong protector and most ardent help, illustrious teacher, Father; and therefore she is festively observing your memorial. And crying out she says to you: ‘Since you are the Lord's Hierarch, preserve your flock uninjured from heresy and affliction.’

It is needful to do everything with discernment, and to take your own measure, so that you will not be confused later. To perform alms, fasting, or anything else at the highest degree (beyond one's limits or personal measure) lacks discernment, since later it will lead the one who performs them into confusion, despondency, and grumbling. Even God requires that which is according to the strength of man ~ St. Barsanuphios the Great (Instruction #627)

Don’t be deceived regarding the knowledge of what will be after your death: what you sow here, you will reap there. After leaving here, no one can make progress. Here is the work, there the reward; here the struggle, there the crowns. ~ St. Barsanuphius the Great (commemorated on Feb. 6th)

On February 3 we commemorate the holy and just Symeon the God-receiver and Anna the Prophetess. Tell us, Symeon. Whom are you holding in your arms, in the temple rejoicing? Whom are you speaking to and saying, ‘Now I am set free, for I have seen my Saviour’. He is the One born of a Virgin; He is God, the Word of God, who became incarnate for us and saved humanity. Let us worship Him." ~ Vesperal Hymn

Today is one of the 12 Great Feasts of Christ, the feast of His presentation in the temple. As was the custom, He was brought by the Panagia and St. Joseph to be blessed and for them to present their offering and was greeted by St. Symeon the God-bearer. (This tradition is still kept in the Orthodox Church today: a mother will bring her 40 day old baby accompanied by the father and the future Godparents and present the child to the priest for thanksgiving prayers and blessing...s). Tradition has it that St. Symeon was 250 years old when he encountered and received Christ in his arms. This was the moment he was waiting for and upon encountering Him he exclaimed ‘Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’ Now that St. Symeon had seen Christ, albeit a 40 day old baby, his life was complete and he was ready to repose. Imagine that he patiently waited 250 years to see Christ for one single time! Do we have this zeal to encounter Christ when we go to Church? when we commune His precious Body and Blood, are we ready to depart this life? Is Christ the center of our life? Because the Panagia is the perfect and only model for all mothers, today is also Mother’s Day; may all the mothers look to the Panagia for hope and strength and may they try to imitate her as much as possible. May our Panagia guide us all in the right path! See more

From today’s great blessing of the waters.....The Trinity was made manifest in the Jordan: for the Father, supreme in divinity, bore witness, saying: He who is baptized here is My beloved Son. And the Spirit, equal in divinity, rested upon Him Whom the peoples bless and exalt above all forever. ~ Matinal Hymn for Theophany

On January 6 we celebrate the Holy Theophany of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. On Galilee of the Gentiles, on the region of Zebulon and the land of Nephthalim, as the Prophet declared, a great light has shone, which is the Christ. Dark-dwellers have seen a radiant dawn shining out of Bethlehem, rather out of Mary, as the Lord -- the Sun of Justice -- breaks His rays o'er the whole of civilization. Come then, all unclothed offspring of Adam: let us put on Christ and thus keep warm. For, as a mantle for the denuded and a beacon to the be-darkened, You came and shone forth, O Light unapproachable ~ Matinal Hymn of Theophany

That hand of yours that touched the immaculate head of the Master, with the finger of which you pointed Him out to us, lift it up to Him on our behalf, O Baptist, as one who has great freedom to speak. Indeed, that you are greater than all the Prophets has He borne witness concerning you. Again those eyes of yours that beheld the all-holy Spirit when it descended in the form of a dove, cast them up to Him, O Baptist, making Him merciful to us. Then come and stand with us, and set the seal on our song, and be the leader of the festivities. ~ Hymn from the 9th Royal Hour of Theophany

On January 4 we celebrate the memory of our Saintly and God-bearing Father Nikiforos the Leper, who, in these latter times, struggled with endurance on Chios, and was distinguished in asceticism. He is the patron Saint for protecting against infectious diseases. A vigil in his honour will be served tonight beginning at 5 p.m. and ending around 9.00 p.m. (Great Vespers, blessing of the 5 loaves, Paraclisis, Matins and Divine Liturgy). Let us magnify our beloved friend, Nik...iforos, the most sacred treasury of the All-Holy Spirit, who, purer than snow, was the mirror of the virtues, Christ’s meekness and humbleness of heart. For in his soul he magnified the Lord, and sang His sweet words by heart and at length, becoming a consoling voice to all. Therefore, he was rightly honored by Christ, through the ineffable fragrance of his relics, which ever gladden those who venerate them, and who glorify his most festive memory. ~ Matinal Hymn for the Saint See more

Every January, on the first or second Sunday after Theophany, the Ladies Philoptochos Society of our parish has its annual Vassilopita fundraiser luncheon. Because of the current ongoing provincial health restrictions due to CV19, this year’s meal will be takeout (delivery is available in the park ex area), in accordance with all health protocols put in place by Quebec Public Health. Our Church needs everyone’s help to survive and we await your support! Order now by telepho...ne or via email. We thank you in advance and wish you a blessed 2021! , . , Covid-19, ’ . . email. 2021.

When You had taken the form of a servant, O Lord, You approached John, the voice of the one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord!’ and You requested Baptism, although You were without sin. The waters saw You and were afraid. The Forerunner trembled in reaction, and he cried out and said, ‘How can I, who am the lamp, illumine You, who are the Light? How can I, the servant, lay my hand on You, my Master? I pray You sanctify me and the waters, O Savior, who takes away the sin of the world!’ ~ Hymn from the 1st Royal Hour of Thophany

Don't make requests about your job, about your mother, about your illness, about success. No. Ask Him to enter your heart... Call upon Him even twice a day, after a month you will be sweetened, you will seek Him ten times, then twenty times, and then you will begin to feel Him in your heart. ~Archimandrite Aimilianos of Simonopetra

As Orthodox Christians, our primary consideration, our first obligation and duty, a spiritual necessity for our salvation, is to kneel and raise our hands in prayer to God... after we wake up and bow down before the goodness of Christ, we must thank Him for allowing us to pass the night unharmed... we should pray for our enemies, for all the people who slander us, who criticize us, persecute us, and make things difficult for us. This is the next thing we must do, because if ...we do not forgive them God will not forgive us...wives should pray for their husbands and their children. Husbands should pray for their wives and their children. Similarly children should pray for their parents. United by prayer in this way we will advance toward a spiritual harvest... we will say our prayers in the morning. We will do the prostrations that our spiritual father has appointed, and, if we are physically healthy, we should offer even more... if we pray in the morning as we are obligated, prayer will enlighten us and shine like a light ahead of us all day long. In following, some of us head out for work, others for school, others for a certain task. Which ever path we set out on, we should not let go of the memory of God... when we pray in the morning, we receive grace from God, we receive strength, we receive blessings, we receive our angel our right side, and we proceed toward daily work. Wherever we go, we should hold onto the memories of God...Later on in the evening before going to sleep, we should’ve given you an offer our prayers to God. Moreover, at some point during the day or night, we should open the New Testament and read at least one chapter. ~ Blessed Elder Ephraim of Arizona See more

The beginning of the path to pure prayer is the battle against the passions. There can be no progress in prayer while the passions are active. In the ferocity of the battle with the passions, even while the warrior fights methodically and with a will, it sometimes happens that the passions get the better of him, either through his inexperience due to the unknown form of the war, or through weakness. But for all that, the presence of the grace of prayer is not hindered. When,... however, someone is tripped up by the passions as a result of negligence, or when self-esteem has a part in it, then it is impossible for grace to be present. The intellect according to the measure that it is freed from the passions takes courage through grace and strength for the war against the thoughts, and stands its ground with perseverance in prayer and, generally, in the contemplation of God. ~St. Joseph The Hesychast See more

Since we oppress them (demons) more severely with fasting and prayer during this time (especially Great Lent but any fasting period), they also become more fierce against us. But you don’t see how many of them fall and turn their back’s with every prayer you say. You only see how much you are wounded. But they are also thrashed; they also suffer. ~ St. Joseph the Hesychast

The Lord allows us to be tempted, so that He can test the zeal and love we have for Him. Therefore patience is needed ~ St. Joseph the Hesychast

When one keeps silent, he is given time and freedom for prayer and concentration, but when he passes his hours carelessly, he does not have time to pray. Furthermore, through his careless speech he accumulates various sins. For this reason the Holy Fathers placed the virtue of silence at the summit of the virtues, for without it no virtue is able to remain in the soul of man. ~ Blessed Elder Ephraim of Arizona

At that time. Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ And Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ (John 1: 44-46). St. Philip the Apostle is commemorated on November 14th.

And when he became abbot he always said that he wasn’t responsible for what happened in the monastery: ‘Saint David is the abbot here’, he maintained. When he served with other priests, he went to the corner of the altar, leaving them to lead the service. When they told him: ‘This isn’t right, you’re the abbot of the monastery’, he’d reply: ‘Son, Saint David is the abbot here’. St. Iakovos of Evia is commemorated on November 22nd.

"Glory be to God for all things ~ St. John Chrysostomos’ last words

Our Panagia Has Christ not only as her Son, but also as her Beloved and her God. She has a mother’s love for Him, but also the love of one betrothed. He made her full of Grace due to the boundless love she had for him. Do you see the Panagia speaking out anywhere in the Gospel? Not at all. She had such love for Him! We, too, must have fervent love for Christ. We must beg the Panagia, who loves us so much and gives to us so generously, to grant us a little of her humility. As soon as we call upon her, she fills us with boundless joy and delight. ~Blessed Gerontissa Makrina Vassopoulou

Love Jesus and say the Jesus Prayer unceasingly, and it will enlighten you on His path ~ St. Joseph the Hesychast

Saint John the Merciful never refused suppliants. One day, when the saint was visiting the sick, he met a beggar and commanded that he be given six silver coins. The beggar changed his clothes, ran on ahead of the Patriarch, and again asked for alms. Saint John gave him six more silver coins. When, however, the beggar sought charity a third time, and the servants began to chase the fellow away, the Patriarch ordered that he be given twelve pieces of silver, saying, ‘Perhaps he is Christ putting me to the test.’ Twice the saint gave money to a merchant that had suffered shipwreck, and a third time gave him a ship belonging to the Patriarchate and filled with grain, with which the merchant had a successful journey and repaid his obligations. We commemorate St. John the Merciful on November 12th.