Ukrainian Orthodox Church Of Canada
9 St. John's Avenue R2W 1G8 Winnipeg, MB, Canada

CHANCELLOR’s REFLECTIONs of Sun Feb 7th, and on the Feast-Day (also known as the Synaxis or Sobor) of the Three Holy Hierarchs the patron Saints of Learning: Sts. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom (Feb. 12th) Слава Богу за все! Glory be to God for all His many blessings! and certainly for His sustaining Love for us, and His always Providential care for everyone of us!... On Sunday Feb 7th we heard or read in the prescribed Gospel reading (St. Luke 18: 35 43, the second of two Sunday Gospel readings carried over from last fall,) about Jesus healing the blind beggar near Jericho. A key element is in how this account begins when the blind man learns that Jesus is passing by, he cries out (first and above all else,): Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! May our first and foremost, and simplest prayer daily and regularly be the same Господи, помилуй Hospody pomylui Lord, have mercy. Today we hear the troparion (main hymn) for this feast day: Teachers of the universe, you share in the likeness of the apostles, entreat the Master of all, that He grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls. Let us celebrate and give thanks that God has brought us to this day, and to this feast, and having created us in His image and Likeness, has granted us the ability to learn and to grow and to love and to serve. May these three beloved holy hierarchs, who certainly struggled and laboured as we are called to, inspire us to do the same today, in our time of this Covid winter and pandemic now. З нами Бог! God (is) with us! (Fr.) Taras Udod, Chancellor The following is a reproduction of an icon of the Three Holy Hierarchs, who are commemorated individually at other times of the year, and for very specific reasons together on this blessed day.

CHANCELLOR’s REFLECTIONs Of Sun Jan 31st, 2021 and for this first week of February 2021 Слава Богу за все! Glory be to God for all His many blessings!... One gift that we are blessed with this year comes about as a result of the combination of a earlier Pascha (on April 19, 2020,) last year, and a later Pascha (on May 2, 2021) this year. What this means is that the Sunday of Zaccheus falls on February 14th, (the first of five Sundays leading to the start of the Great and Holy Fast, on Sunday evg March 14, 2021.) The gift is simply this we hear gospel readings (on Sun Jan 31st, and on Feb 7th,) that were put over from the normal order of readings which we would hear in the fall or early winter, and which we may otherwise not turn our attention to. The gospel reading which was read on Sun Jan 31st is from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, (Ch. 18: 18 27,) about the Rich Young Man testing Our Lord. And Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in turn challenges this Rich Young Man to give everything away and come and follow Jesus. This same challenge is put to everyone of us. Indeed, we are called to commend ourselves and one another and all of life unto Christ Our God at the end of several litanies in our divine liturgy. The key here is to strive to commend all of our life our thoughts, our fears, our anxieties, and most definitely, at this time of the continuing Covid pandemic, and these next several months in the life of our UOCC and our parishes preparing for our 24th (virtual) Sobor in July, all of our uncertainties as well unto Christ Our God. Our predecessors who served our UOCC on an administrative level sought to ensure that our organization would have a building, a centre, near our Metropolitan’s Cathedral the Office of the Consistory building to serve the needs of our membership. Through the gifts of time, energy and money, this building was built and has been maintained to date. Instead of photos of church services, this week, (which remain very limited in Manitoba,) I invite everyone to partake of the building report in photos below - from the summer of 2020 in the middle of winter, as something to look forward to for all of us. (This report will also be posted on the UOCC web-site shortly.) Let us all do our best, by God’s grace, to live, to love, and to serve, commending all our life unto Christ Our God, being assured in His own words that while this is impossible with men (people) it is (always) possible with God. (Lk. 18:27) з нами Бог! God (is) with us! (Fr.) Taras Udod, Chancellor, UOCC The photographic building report (of the summer of 2020,) follows. (I apologize that I over-looked to add initially the following:) I express my sincere appreciation to Ivan Zhovnych, a recent graduate of St. Andrew's College's Faculty of Theology for his efforts and service in compiling the beautiful graphic design for this report. Д'якую ване!

KONTAKT Ukrainian TV - interview with His Eminence Metropolitan Yurij. https://youtu.be/gU5Hdi-TXLs

CHANCELLOR’s REFLECTIONs From the Sunday after the Epiphany (Jan 24, 2021,) on the Leave-taking of the Epiphany, (Jan 27th,) and the Feast-Day of St. Nina the Enlightener of Georgia, (and on the occasion of Bell Canada’s Let’s Talk initiative addressing mental health Jan 28, 2021.) Слава Богу за все! Glory be to God for all His many blessings, and for His love, care and concern for us including providing all that we need. ... Our on-going struggle is to have eyes, ears and a heart and soul to perceive and partake of His sustenance and providence! On the Sunday after Epiphany, we hear from the Evangelist Matthew, quoting from the Prophecy of Isaiah, just before Our Lord begins His preaching ministry: The people who have sat in darkness have seen a great light, and those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned. (St. Matt. 4:16 [from Isaiah 9:1]) We have celebrated the Jordan Feast in this 2021 year in most unusual ways in many places, including receiving our Holy Water by means of a drive-by (or curb-side) pick-up. Having received it thus we have been called upon to bless our own homes by bringing that Holy Water into our homes, praying and trusting that indeed the Blessing of Jordan has come upon us and our loved ones and our homes. The Gospel writer’s quoting from the prophecy of the Old Testament reminds us that the Light is ever-present now with us, the Light has shone on us, and does shine on us. And by the hand of God, the Epiphany Feast (the liturgical celebration of it,) ends on the day that the Church commemorates a woman-saint, St. Nina who is called the Enlightener of Georgia, for bringing that same Light to the people of Georgia many centuries ago, which St. Ol’ha and St. Volodymyr brought to our ancestors over a thousand years ago. In our time, and in our age and yes, most specifically in and through this Covid-winter when we continue to live, love and persevere, and are called to be mindful of our and each other’s physical, mental and spiritual health and well-being, let us gratefully thank God that indeed once again through the "Jordan Feast," and through that Blessed and Holy Water, the Light has shone on us, does shine on us, and gives us what we need to live, to love and to serve all those around us. з нами Бог! God (is) with us! (Fr.) Taras Udod, Chancellor, UOCC All six photos that follow were taken on Tues morning Jan 19th at the St. Mary the Protectress Sobor parish, in Winnipeg a Light has shone and does shine

CHANCELLOR’s REFLECTIONs: For the Great and Most-Glorious Feast of the Theophany or Baptism of Our Lord на ЙОРДАН (or simply, on JORDAN!) Jan 19th (and also noted in the Western Church as the Twelfth Day of Christmas.) ХРИСТОС ОХРЕСТИВСЯ! В РЦ ЙОРДАН! CHRIST IS BAPTIZED! IN THE RIVER JORDAN!... We are blessed in so many ways by Our Loving God! He reaches out to us to call us to back Him, to call us to fully live the life that He has called everyone of us to live! And He does so in many different ways out of His boundless love for everyone of us! In our Ukrainian culture, we refer to the entire period from early January until after Yordan, (the Epiphany,) as Svyata (the Feasts or Holy Days,) in the plural. One reason (amongst others,) for this is because we know that, as the prayer over the water at the Great Blessing makes reference to in the first feast (the Nativity,) we meet the new-born Christ, whereas in this feast, we meet the God-Man, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God the Father speaks to us from above and He says to everyone of us at this Feast: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Mt. 3:17, Mk. 1:11, and Lk. 3:22) In this way, Our Lord’s brief earthly ministry begins. We who are called to follow Our Lord here and now, in our time, and who are called to live through this Covid winter in the Northern Hemisphere, would do well to bear in mind that in descending into the waters of the River Jordan, God renews and once again sanctifies all of His Holy and Blessed Creation for us. Let us remember what we learned long ago, as was handed down to us from our parents and grand-parents, that by partaking of the blessed water it can and does become that fountain that leads us up to life eternal! May that hope and joy be renewed in and for everyone of us in the great feast of Yordan, knowing yet further and deeper that з нами Бог! God (is) with us! (Fr.) Taras Udod, Chancellor Photos that follow are of the immediate preparations for and delivering of the Свята Йорданська Вечер’я (Holy Epiphany Eve Supper) to His Eminence Metropolitan Yurij. (True to custom the Nativity Feast was pleasantly mild the weather turned much colder in recent days, [smiley!]) And then, a long-standing practice was maintained, even in the present Covid environment over at the Sobor Parish (St. Mary the Protectress,) here in Winnipeg, with the preparation of an ice-cross for the Great Blessing of the Water. [Photos taken this morning, Jan 19th on a crispy, cool and windy morning at -22 degrees C (without the wind-chill factored in.)]

CHANCELLOR’S REFLECTIONS: On Mon Nov 23, of Sat Sun Nov 21 22, 2020 the Feast-Day of the Holy Archangel Michael (21st), the 24th Sunday after Pentecost, and a milestone anniversary. Слава Богу за Все! Glory be to God for all His many blessings!...Continue reading

Многая Лта, Владико! May God grant you many years, Your Eminence!

ПРИВТАННЯ ВД КАНЦЕЛЯР КОНСИСТОР GREETING FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CONSISTORY The full greeting on the Feast-Day of the Holy Archangel Michael and the 10th Anniversary of the Enthronement as Metropolitan and Primate of the UOCC, His Eminence Metropolitan Yurij can be found on the UOCC website. https://uocc.ca//11/21/привтання-вд-канцеляр-консистор/

CHANCELLOR’S REFLECTIONS Of the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost Sun Nov 15, 2020 The Gospel reading for this past Sunday (St. Luke 8:26 39) seems especially applicable in these days of increased numbers of Covid-19 infections across Canada. Our church life has been restricted yet further in Manitoba, only five people can gather for a church service. And yet, we are called to live and practice our faith, and this gospel account of Our Lord’s healing emphasizes how close He is ...to us always. Our Lord comes upon a man who is not in his right mind. The scene that is presented to us is very stark, and the man is quite ill possessed by demons. And the man’s first reaction and response to Our Lord’s presence is: get away from me and do not torment me. Our Lord heals him anyways knowing that he both needed to be healed, and deep down inside, wanted to be healed. Many of us may well identify with this man. We may be experiencing waves of fear, fatigue, anxiety, and uncertainty as to what lies ahead, and when will this be over. Now is the time to take this gospel account deep to heart. Our Lord heals us by giving us what we need to keep on going. We ask for our daily bread (all that is to sustain us for today,) and we continue and put one foot in front of the other. May everyone of us serve the people around us, and serve one another by fervently seeking this healing from Our Lord, and be the calming presence to, with and for one another, as we all make our way through these pandemic times. A blessed week ahead to everyone, including in preparation for the Feast-Day of the Holy Archangel Michael on Saturday Nov 21, 2020. з нами Бог! God (is) with us! (Fr.) Taras Udod, Chancellor, UOCC Photos that follow: What we are all aspiring to, and God-willing, soon to partake of Holy Communion in the gathered life of our parishes. ***Photo taken in 2019, at All Saints parish in Transcona (Winnipeg,) and two exterior photos of this parish church, awaiting to resume active liturgical life once more.

CHANCELLOR’s REFLECTIONS: Слава Богу за Все! Glory be to God for all His many blessings! amongst which we are called to be grateful for is His ever-sustaining Providential Love and care for everyone of us.... Today (Nov 14th,) our attention is drawn to God’s healing power. We commemorate the Holy Unmercenary Brothers-Healers Sts. Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia. (There are indeed two other Sts. Cosmas and Damian, also Unmercenary Healers commemorated in the Orthodox Church.) By their prayers and intercessions may we all be strengthened at this time of the pandemic, and may all be healed of all their afflictions, griefs, pain, sorrow and suffering. Many of us certainly in Manitoba, as well as many other places of Canada are likely only attending church through our computers tomorrow morning. I invite everyone to prayerfully read the Epistle and Gospel readings designated for the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost: Ephesians 2: 4 10, and St. Luke 8: 26 39. In the very last verse of this passage, Our Lord challenges everyone of us and perhaps particularly in these Covid times, to proclaim how much God has done for us. As blessed Sunday to everyone! (A further reflection to follow by the Grace and Will of God on Monday Nov 16th.) з нами Бог! God (is) with us! (Fr.) Taras Udod, Chancellor, UOCC Photo that follows is of St. Michael’s Church, in Winnipeg, taken earlier today. We celebrate the Feast-Day of the Holy Archangel Michael next Saturday, Nov 21st. This church was in fact the very first cathedral of the UGOCC.

CHANCELLOR’S REFLECTIONS: On Sun Nov 8, the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, and the Feast-Day of the St. Demetrius the Great-Martyr, and in our Covid-19 circumstances a Panakhyda (Панахида) for Remembrance Day was served. Слава Богу за все! Glory be to God for His many blessings!... As I noted on Saturday, we are blessed this year with three dates aligning in a way that they do only every 5-6 or 11 years. The divine liturgy was celebrated at Holy Trinity Cathedral (in red vestments, commemorating a Great-Martyr,) by Fr. Gene Maximiuk. In his sermon, Fr. Gene drew particular attention to the challenge always before us to grow into serving as warriors for Christ following the example of St. Demetrius the Great-martyr of Thessalonica. At the end of the divine liturgy, our Primate, His Eminence Metropolitan Yurij offered the following in his Word (Слово) on the occasion of the memorial prayer for our fallen brothers-sisters who paid the ultimate price in war or who served and have now gone to their eternal rest. Vladyka Mytropolit noted that it was the sons and daughters of people who had been interred during the First World War who joined upwards of 40,000 in total to serve our country during the Second World War. His Eminence drew particular attention to our role and that is to pray fervently for the repose of the souls of those who gave their lives so that we may enjoy the freedoms to practice our faith and live in a safe and secure country governed by the rule of law. During the panakhyda, the honour guard was provided by the Winnipeg Chapter of the Order of St. Andrew. As is customary, there were wreaths placed at the tetrapod, and consistent with our Ukrainian tradition the pomana (the kolachi, [breads] and fruit,) along with the Red Poppies. I am grateful to have been blessed to serve this panakhyda and to hold up in memorial prayer our UOCC priest-chaplains who served in His Majesty’s Armed Forces, including Fr. Dr. S.W. Sawchuk, long-time Chair of the Presidium of the Consistory, as well as Fr. Dmytro Luchak, who served in the Armed Services during World War Two before becoming a priest, and later also serving as Chair of the Presidium of the Consistory. These are but two of the 40,000 Canadians of Ukrainian descent who served. Вчная Пам’ять! May their memory be eternal. з нами Бог! God (is) with us! (Fr.) Taras, Chancellor Photos that follow are of the wreaths and kolachi in preparation for the Panakhyda, His Eminence Metropolitan Yurij’s Word prior to the start of the Panakhyda, followed by two photos taken during the memorial service, and then the distribution of the prosphora (in the Covid era,) following the conclusion of the liturgy and panakhyda.