New Location and Holy Week!

New Location
By God's grace we are at our new location:
   237 Sackville Street
   Toronto, Ontario
   M5A 3G1
(Enter by the three doors at street level on Sackville Ave. Once inside, head downstairs and enter the first door on the right.)
There is no dedicated parking so you may wish to use street parking or the Green P lot across from the church.
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We wish to thank everyone who helped us move and St George's Macedono-Bulgarian Orthodox Church for hosting us for the last two months.  We are truly blessed by the generosity we have been shown and God's amazing hand in all of this.  

Upcoming Services
The next week is a busy one as we journey to the Cross and on to the Joyous Resurrection. Come, join us!  As Christ invited us, "keep watch with Me." 

Sunday, ​April 21st	Monday, ​April 22nd	Tuesday, ​April 23rd	Wednesday,​April 24th	Thursday, ​April 25th	​Friday, ​April 26th	Saturday, ​April 27th	Sunday, ​ April 28th
9am:  Matins and 10am: Liturgy for Palm Sunday	-	-	-	-	2pm:  Royal Hours and Decoration of Tomb (Epitphion)	-	-
-	-	-	-	5pm: Vesperal Liturgy of the Last Supper	3pm:  Vespers of the Crucifixion ​	4pm: Holy Saturday Vesperal Liturgy & Chrismations	4pm:  Agape Vespers and Meal
7pm: Bridegroom Matins	​7pm: Bridegroom Matins	​7pm: Bridegroom Matins	​7pm: Holy Unction	​ 7:30pm:  12 Gospels of Christ's Passion	​7pm: Burial Service of Christ (Jerusalem Matins)	​11pm:  Removal of Shroud 11:30pm:  ​Pascha Matins & Liturgy	-

What is this about?

• Bridegroom Matins:  We wait for the moment of Christ's coming (traditionally thought to be Pascha) and remember that today is the acceptable time of salvation.   
  • ​Sunday:  Patriarch Joseph & Fig Tree:  What is the fruit of our lives? Do we live the Gospel even if we don't know when it will bear fruit?
  • Monday: 12 Virgins:  Are you watchful? Will your virtue be found wanting when Christ comes in glory?  Despite our hypocrisy, Christ has longed to gather us under his wings.  
  • Tuesday:  The Sinful Woman:  Do I realize true grace and repentance like the woman who washed Christ's feet with her hair? Am I like Judas?
• Unction:  Anointing for healing of souls and bodies, allowing us to enter whole into the final journey.
• Vesperal Liturgy of St Basil for the Last Supper: Commemorating where the liturgy began, the first Eucharist.  
• Matins of the 12 Gospels of Christ's Passion:  Walking with Christ from the Last Supper to his death.
• Royal Hours and Vespers of the Crucifixion:  The moment that Creation turned upside down, the moment our Savior gave his spirit on the Cross.
• Burial/Funeral Service of Christ:  The funeral and lamentations, seeing the darkness and hopelessness of Christ in the Tomb but but also the hope humanity has called out for since the beginning.
• Holy Saturday:  The first service of Pascha! Read the prophecies of Christ's Resurrection, and celebrate Christ's descent into and destruction of Hell!
• Pascha:  Come and see the joy of death's destruction and the new life in Christ's Resurrection!
• For More Info:
  • Find background information, customs, and scripture references for each of the services of Holy Week here
  • Fr Alexander Schmemman on Holy Week​

Paschal Feast
There is a signup sheet for our tradition of breaking the fast of Pascha after liturgy.  Do sign up if you can and don't feel like you can't stay if you dont bring anything, there will be a lot of food. 

Other Ways to Help Out

• If you are interested in bringing red eggs at Pascha, do let us know!   
• If you have an icon of the Last Supper or Crucifixion it would be appreciated!
• Flowers!  Let's make Christ's Tomb a place of beauty.
• We could use some help putting up tables and taking them down. 
• Any one willing to help with the inevitable renovations or painting are appreciated
• We could still use some materials for our new building, do see the email that was sent out
• Prayers!  If you would like help pray let Fr Paul know, we could use some discrete people to pray.  If you have someone you would like us to pray for, let Fr. Paul know.  
• If you would be able to help with reading, please sign up here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pNJgJKwHvxUp-96M4-Q5WuIMgUefkF9NfcDhiBRPqaI/edit?usp=sharing​

Reception of Jolene and Rowan
As you may have heard, with the bishop's blessing we will be receiving Jolene and Rowan through Chrismation into the Orthodox church on St. Basil's Liturgy on Great and Holy Saturday.  Prayers would be appreciated for their journey.
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Resources for Parents
Holy Week is a wonderful, special week for Orthodox Christians. It is also filled with long services that can be challenging to anyone, but especially to young children. This post offers suggestions for Holy Week that can help to make Holy Week more meaningful for children of different ages. There are many ideas here. They range from ideas of ways to prepare yourself for the week to ways to help your children understand the services to crafty things you can do together.

Check out these ideas if you have time, and apply any that you wish. Please do not let these many suggestions discourage you, especially if you do not have the energy to add “one more thing” to your family’s schedule! You know your family, and what each member needs the most. So live accordingly!

• Find encouragement and ideas for Holy Week from an Orthodox mama here
• Potential Activities
• Another Activities List

Above all, let us love our Lord and each other throughout Holy Week. May we live this week together, in awe of His compassion and mercy, and in gratitude for His great gift to us. May all that we do (or do not do!) prepare us to celebrate His holy resurrection!
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​SEE YOU AT THE FINISH LINE!