Sunday, September 20, 2020
Nativity of the Mother of God
The feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Melbourne, Australia.
Sunday, July 12, 2020
Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul in Melbourne
The Annunciation monastic community has moved to Melbourne.
The first Divine Liturgy in the new location took place on the feast of St John of Shanghai and San Fransisco. Due to the current restrictions, only the residents of the community were able to be present at the Vigil and Liturgy for the Apostles Peter and Paul on 28-29.6./11-12.7. Nevertheless, the Liturgy marking the end of the Apostles’ fast was joyous and prayerful.
Glory to God for all things!
Monday, April 8, 2019
Feast day of the Annunciation monastic community
On March 25/April 7, the monastic community of the Annunciation celebrated its patronal feast day. The Vigil with the Litya was filled with festal hymns in place of most of the fasting texts, giving great joy to all present.
In the morning, we celebrated midnight office, the hours and the Divine Liturgy, where all received Holy Communion. At the conclusion of the service, we made a procession around the monastery. At the meal, the order of the Panagia concluded the festal celebrations.
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Christmas greeting from the Annunciation Hermitage
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Transfiguration at the Convent of the Annunciation in London
On the great feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord, Bishop John visited the historical Convent of the Annunciation in London, UK. The Convent was established in the 1950s by St. John of Shanghai and San Fransisco and nuns from the Holy Land, guided by the ever-memorable Abbess Elizabeth (Ampenoff).
The Midnight Office, Hours and Liturgy were read and chanted in Slavonic, Arabic and English, and attended by faithful of diverse national backgrounds. Bishop John blessed the grapes and fruits brought by the people. After the service, the sisters invited the parishioners for tea.
Newly-ordained priest Nicolae Capitanu (Old Calendar Orthodox Church of Romania) services the large population of Old Calendar Romanian faithful in London.
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Paschal Epistle
Let us awake in the deep dawn and instead of myrrh, offer a hymn to the Master; and we shall see Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, Who causeth life to dawn for all. (Ode 5, Irmos)
The myrrh-bearing maidens anticipated the dawn, seeking as it were day, the Sun Who was before the sun and Who had set in the tomb, and they cried out to one another: O friends come let us anoint with sweet-smelling spices the life-bringing and buried Body, even that Flesh which raiseth fallen Adam who lieth in the grave. Let us go hence, let us make haste like the Wise Men, and let us adore and offer before Him myrrh as it were a gift to Him, Who is no longer wrapped in swaddling bands, but in a winding sheet. And let us make lamentation and cry aloud in exclamation: Arise O Master, Thou who dost grant resurrection to the fallen. (Ikos)
Dear brothers and sisters,
Christ is Risen!
Our Lord Jesus Christ has opened the door to Eternal Life for us mortal men. The True Sun of Righteousness has enlightened the world with True Light, in the midst of this sinful and fallen existence. This Light is the knowledge of the True God, and the Path of Righteousness - by which we can enter the Eternal Life.
Let us, my dear friends, be vigilant! Let us set out hastily like the myrrh-bearing women, and offer myrrh to God! Let us not allow ourselves to be weak-hearted and afraid, making all sorts of excuses in avoiding Church attendance and prayer. Let us use our God-given time, freedom and energy for attaining eternal life for our eternal souls!
Let us remember the five foolish virgins who were unable to enter the Wedding Feast because they had not sufficient oil in their vessels. They were called, but they did not respond to the call, thinking their calling was sufficient for salvation. They had not used well the time allotted to them.
Do we have sufficient Grace to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and live eternally with God? Are we not excessively distracted by mundane things of this earthly existence, by which one day we are completely engrossed with, and which by the next day we have forgotten about? If we spend most of our time, thoughts and effort for physical things of this world, then we become like spiritual corpses lying in our graves! If we do not adore (pray to) God, and offer myrrh (good deeds, as defined in Gods Law; and living a church-centred life) as it were a gift to God, we will remain as fallen Adams imprisoned in our self-imposed graves. We decompose further in our sins, and become more and more unbearable by the smell of sins, both for ourselves and to all that come near us.
To rise up, pray at home and in the Church, and to do good deeds beyond what is ‘natural’ and a ‘duty’, are actions which are possible and open to us all. There is nothing great or difficult in this – but our fallen nature and the evil one make virtue appear “too hard”, grim and unbearable, so as to dissuade us from seeking God, Who is our actual source of joy, life, strength, and peace…! The earthly pleasures with which we attempt to replace His gifts leave us feeling empty, sad and exhausted.
Dear brothers and sisters, before the door is shut unexpectedly and our physical death confronts us, let us make that effort against our lazy and self-loving will to arise from our sleep of self-righteousness and inaction, and seek God! We must get out of our “comfort zone” and make an effort…. and God WILL reward.
When God sees us rising up to seek Him with effort, He will reward us with His Grace - joy, life, strength, and peace of heart.
Christ is Risen !
Bishop John of Melbourne
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Great Saturday and Annunciation feast at the Annunciation Hermitage
This year the feast of the Annunciation fell on Great Saturday, according to the typikon of St Savvas, which is used in the Russian Church.
The festal hymns for the “beginning of our salvation” were combined with the hymns to the very culmination of our Saviour’s great self-emptying Passion for the salvation of us all.
All present stood around the tomb and chanted the moving lamentations together in English.
The next morning we read the hours, then the Old Testament prophesies of the Resurrection of Christ at the Liturgy of St Basil the Great.
The Gospel at the Liturgy of St Basil the Great.
Vladyka blessed wine and bread for our refreshment, but we did not serve a festal meal in the trapeza, keeping the fast until the Resurrection of Christ.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Pilgrimage to Romania
Please see: Internet Sobor article for full view of photos.
Bishop John, bishop Glicherie (Abbott of Slatioara monastery), bishop Anfim.
The bishops travelled to Niamets to venerate the relics of the venerable Paisius Velichkovsky (n.s. church)
Visit to Varatec monastery (n.s.), where there live 700 sisters:
In the old calendar monastery Dobru, 100 sisters struggle under the guidance of Abbess Barbara:
In the Annunciation monastery at Moisa live Abbess Alexandra and 35 sisters:
Further travel to the skete of the Holy Mhyrrbearing Women, where Abbess Tatiana leads about 30 sisters:
Thereafter we travelled to bishop Sofronie, to the monastery of St Glicherie the Confessor:
Bishop Sofronie, bishop John, bishop Anfim, bishop Glicherie
Further on to bishop Demosfen and the monastery Bratitel Suceava. Here lives Abbess Ierusalima and 300 sisters:
