Antiochian Sisterhood of the Diocese of Ottawa, Eastern Canada & Upstate NY

Chapter 8 questions are ready...

Christ is in our midst!

Included are Chapter 8 Book Club suggested questions.

Please disburse to your women who are reading Pearl of Great Price: The Life of Mother Maria Skobtsova 1891-1945.

Once again, thank you, for the opportunity to serve the sisterhood as your Religious coordinator.

Holy Mother Maria, pray unto God for us!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AMObcT2QwMGO5OJHiNlcAXHYncqj2en7/view?usp=sharing

I'm happy to offer the documentary to stream
(different levels to purchase). www.lovetotheend.com
Please share! Thank you!!
(refresh your browser after opening).

Western NY & Central NY Parishes
(as well as Ontario and those close to Niagara Falls, NY)
Please join us!!

Register with this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0849A8AE2AA1F58-48095548-womens

We are looking forward to welcoming you all and to hosting this year’s Conference in Montreal.

What makes this more special is the fact that we will be celebrating a milestone, the 125th anniversary of the founding of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church by St. Raphael.

We encourage everyone to visit the website for all the info. Here you can register, purchase event tickets, become a sponsor, place an ad in the Souvenir Journal or give a general donation (one-stop shopping). The site is user-friendly, just click on online registration at the top of the page. Then select your choice and from there you enter the information required.

Don’t delay as deadlines are approaching and events will be filled up quickly. Please register today!
July 4-7, 2024
ottawaplc.org
We wish you all the best of health and we thank you in advance for your generosity and participation.

Gail Chacra
Kh. Rola Wyatt
Conference Co-Chairs

https://antiochianevents.com/ottawa

https://www.antiochianevents.org/events/diocese-of-ottawa-eastern-canada-and-upstate-new-york-1/

Celebrate the Feast, February 2nd

Listen here:
https://youtu.be/PxmHyM8NbwY?si=b4MVUE-_yZOGkfge

“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
which Thou has prepared before the face of all people,
a Light to enlighten the Gentiles and the Glory of Thy people Israel.”

Hot off the Press!!
Our E-Bulletin Winter Issue is now available.
It includes beautiful & personal reflections by our Sisters in Christ from across our Antiochian Archdiocese.
Share with the women of your parish family!
https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/1917

Antiochian Women Winter 2024 E-Bulletin is Available Online Stories from monastery pilgrims, dealing with postpartum depression, all about St. Brigid of Ireland, and more!

Our Sisters in Christ, the Antiochian Orthodox Women of the East are holding a Virtual Book Club with this year's AW Book selection "Pearl of Great Price."
Registration is required.

New chapter questions for 6 & 7...

Looking for an opportunity to retreat at Antiochian Village / here is the perfect opportunity!
For complete info visit: https://registration.antiochianvillage.org/LentenSpring2024

Memory eternal! Ms. Isabel Elac She served as the first “elected” president of the North American Board of the Antiochian Women, devoting her life to the organization and her home parish of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Los Angeles.

"Theophany is the Feast which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). God the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by Saint John the Forerunner, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son in the form of a dove. From ancient times this Feast was called the Day of Illumination and the Feast of Lights, since God is Light and has appeared to illumine “those who sat in darkness,” and “in the region of the shadow of death” (Mt.4:16), and to save the fallen race of mankind by grace."

"In the ancient Church it was the custom to baptize catechumens at the Vespers of Theophany, so that Baptism also is revealed as the spiritual illumination of mankind."

Further reading here:
https://www.oca.org/.../100106-feast-of-the-theophany-of...

Troparion of the Theophany, Tone 1
When Thou wast baptized in the Jordan, O Lord, the worship of the Trinity made its appearance. For the voice of the Father bore witness to Thee when He called Thee His beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truth of the word. O Christ our God, Who hast appeared and hast enlightened the world, glory to Thee!

Kontakion of the Theophany, Tone 4
Thou hast appeared today to the world, and Thy light, O Lord, has been signed upon us who with full knowledge sing to Thee. Thou hast come, Thou hast appeared, O Unapproachable Light.

Article by Fr. Patrick Reardon
http://ww1.antiochian.org/node/17819

The icon of Theophany explained- so interesting!
https://www.orthodoxroad.com/theophany-icon-explained/

Commemorated January 2

Righteous Juliana of Lazarevo is an astonishing example of a self-denying Christian woman. She was the daughter of a nobleman. From her early years she lived devoutly, kept the fasts, and set aside the majority of her time for prayer. Early on, having become orphaned, she was given over into the care of relatives, who laughed at her. Juliana bore everything with patience and without complaint. Her love for people was expressed by nursing the sick and sewing clothing for the poor.

The pious and virtuous life of the maiden attracted the attention of Yurii Osoryin, who soon married her. Her husband’s parents loved their gentle daughter-in-law and left the running of the household in her hands. Domestic concerns did not disrupt the spiritual efforts of Juliana. She always found time for prayer, and she was always prepared to feed the orphaned and clothe the poor. During a harsh famine, she herself remained without food, having given away her last morsel to a beggar. When an epidemic began, Juliana devoted herself completely to the nursing of the sick.

Righteous Juliana had six sons and a daughter. After the death of two of her sons, she decided to withdraw to a monastery, but her husband persuaded her to remain in the world and to continue to raise their children. On the testimony of Juliana’s son, Kallistrat Osoryin, who wrote of her life, she became all the more demanding towards herself. She intensified her fasting and prayer, slept no more than two hours at night, and only then would lay her head upon a board.

Upon the death of her husband, Juliana distributed to the poor her portion of the inheritance. Living in extreme poverty, she was nonetheless vivacious, cordial, and in everything she thanked the Lord. The saint was vouchsafed a visitation by St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and guidance by the Mother of God. When Righteous Juliana fell asleep in the Lord, she was buried beside her husband at the Church of St. Lazarus. Her daughter, Theodosiam, was also buried there. In 1614, the relics of Righteous Juliana were uncovered, exuding a fragrant myrrh, from which many received healing.

Troparion (Tone 4) –

By your righteous deeds you revealed to the world,
An image of the perfect servant of the Lord.
By your fasting, vigil and prayers,
You were inspired in your evangelical life,
Feeding the hungry and caring for the poor,
Nursing the sick and strengthening the weak.
Now you stand at the right hand of the Master, Christ,
O holy Juliana, interceding for our souls.

By permission of the Orthodox Church in America (www.oca.org)

Life size Icon of the life of St. Juliana, Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration, Ellwood City, PA)

Read more about her life: https://stjuliana.com/the_saints_life

Nativity message from our beloved Spiritual Father, Fr. Maximos Saikali.

On this Music Appreciation Sunday in our Archdiocese, let us all give thanks to our choirs & chanters. Our liturgical services wouldn’t be the same without them!!

Many years to His Eminence, Saba, on his name's day!

Blessed Feast of St. Saba the Sanctified
Patron Saint of our beloved Chief Shepherd & Metropolitan SABA

The Venerable Sabbas the Sanctified was a Palestinian monastic who is credited with composing the first monastic rule of church services, the so-called "Jerusalem Typikon". He was a staunch opponent of the heretical Monophysites and Origenist movements.
His feast day is on December 5.

He was born in Mutalaska, near Caesarea in Cappadocia of pious Christian parents, John and Sophia, during the year 439. When the boy reached eight years of age, he entered the monastery of St. Flavian located nearby. The gifted child quickly learned to read and became an expert on the Holy Scriptures.

In 491, Patriarch Salustius of Jerusalem ordained him a priest. In 494, the patriarch named St. Sabbas the archimandrite of all the monasteries in Palestine.

Saint Euthymios directed the young monk's life, and seeing his spiritual maturity, he began to take him to the Rouba wilderness with him. They left on January 14, and remained there until Palm Sunday. Saint Euthymios called Saint Savva a Child-Elder, and encouraged him to grow in the monastic virtues.

When Saint Euthymios fell asleep in the Lord (+ 473), Saint Savva withdrew from the Lavra and moved to a cave near the monastery of Saint Gerasimos of Jordan (March 4). After several years, disciples began to gather around Saint Savva. As the number of monks increased, a Lavra sprang up. Guided by a pillar of fire which appeared before him as he was walking, Saint Savva found a spacious cave in the form of a church.

The holy Elder founded several more monasteries. Many miracles took place through his prayers: at the Lavra, a spring of water welled up, during a time of drought there was abundant rain, and the sick and those possessed by demons were also healed. Saint Savva composed the first monastic Rule of Church Services, the “Jerusalem Typikon," followed by all the Palestinian monasteries. The Saint surrendered his soul to God in the year 532.

Saint Savva is depicted holding a scroll which reads: "He who loves God disdains corruptible things, and prefers the knowledge of Him."

St. Sabbas reposed in 532.

Antiochian Women Announce 2023-2024 Project: Endowment Fund for Widowed Clergy Wives "As we look to the future, we have realized the need to support and show appreciation for the women who serve Christ as helpmates to their priest-servant husbands."

As promised, suggested chapter questions for chapters 3, 4 and 5.
Please disperse and share with the Sisterhood Book Clubs who are reading
"Pearl of Great Price"
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QL7ZLHjWqyUsQY0-Dr4ENeJWSGqi5PDY/view?usp=share_link
Chapter questions will also be available on the AW NAB Archdiocese website.

Once again, if you have any questions you'd like to contribute, please email [email protected]. I would be happy to include them.

Also, you may like to know that there is a children's book through SVS Press about Mother Maria entitled "Silent as a Stone" by Jim Forest.
https://svspress.com/silent-as-a-stone/

All I can say is, what a timely read! Holy Mother Maria of Paris, pray to God for us all!

Faithful gathered at the DOCUNY Fall Retreat in Montreal!
A blessed time!

As part of the 50th Anniversary of our Antiochian Women's Ministry, a documentary "Bearing Myrrh" was commissioned that was produced by Fr. Adam Roberts.
We encourage you to watch it & share it with the women of your parish family.
Click on the image below or use this link to share it: https://www.antiochian.org/regulararticle/1818

Bearing Myrrh: A documentary about the Antiochian Women The video documents the spiritual life of three women who share the story of the Antiochian Women within their communities.

We should all strive to learn these languages!

Book Club discussion questions are ready for Ch 1-2

BOOK CLUB -- Discussion Questions Ch 1-2!!
"Pearl of Great Price: The Life of Mother Skobtsova 1891-1945"

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yOWt0R-jMwI_U7r_eqgygAlTT_EjYrun/view?usp=share_link

Antiochian Women Fall 2023 E-Bulletin is Available Online Celebrating 50 years of service, the organization's latest newsletter filled with information about the projects and initiatives that the women of the Archdiocese will be undertaking in the coming months.