Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We find ourselves at a pivotal moment concerning matters that deeply affect our faith and the moral fabric of our society.

​Recent developments require our prayerful reflection and proactive engagement:

Inclusion of euthanasia "Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)" in Advance Directives

Since November, the federal Ministry of Health has been exploring the possibility of allowing "Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)" to allow its inclusion in advance directives. A final report of their conclusions is to be released this spring. If such changes were permitted, individuals could consent in advance to euthanasia, even if they may not be capable of confirming their consent at the time the procedure is carried out. While dressed up as intended to provide autonomy, this development raises profound ethical and theological concerns, particularly regarding the sanctity of life. This policy risks normalizing a culture of death, in which human life is no longer viewed as a sacred gift from God but as something that can be disposed of when deemed inconvenient. As Orthodox Christians, we affirm that life is given by God and must be met with care, love, and dignity—not premature termination under the guise of “compassion.”

Proposed Changes to Charitable Status for Religious and Pro-Life Organizations

The House of Commons Finance Committee (with members from the Liberal, Conservatives, NDP, and the BLOC) has put forth recommendations that could significantly impact faith-based and pro-life organizations:

• Recommendation 429: Proposes to revoke charitable status from organizations that oppose abortion.
• Recommendation 430: Suggests amending the Income Tax Act to redefine charity, potentially removing "advancement of religion" as a recognized charitable purpose.
• https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/441/FINA/Reports/RP13466781/finarp21/finarp21-e.pdf

If implemented, these recommendations could hinder the vital work of religious communities and organizations that uphold the sanctity of life from conception.

Even if these recommendations are not immediately adopted, their proposal signals a growing hostility toward the Church and toward those who uphold Christian moral teaching. The very notion that faith-based charities and pro-life organizations should be penalized for adhering to their beliefs shows a dangerous shift in the cultural and political landscape. If these measures are being discussed today, what will be proposed tomorrow? We cannot afford to be silent or complacent in the face of such trends.

The Broader Implications for the Church and Society

The normalization of euthanasia, the attack on organizations that defend life, and the potential weakening of religious institutions all point to a future where Christian witness is not only ignored but actively suppressed.

I am concerned that if we remain silent now, more extreme measures will follow. What begins with the removal of tax benefits could soon lead to legal challenges against the Church’s ability to preach, teach, and serve freely. The erosion of religious liberty does not happen overnight—it happens when people fail to resist the first steps.

Call to Action

As Orthodox Christians, we are called to bear witness to the truth, even in times of trial. These developments challenge the sanctity of life and the freedom of the Church to carry out her mission. In response, let us:

1. Pray with vigilance: Seek the intercession of the Theotokos and the saints, asking for God’s mercy on our nation and wisdom for our leaders. Let us also pray for those who are suffering, that they may find comfort in Christ rather than despair.
2. Remain steadfast in our faith: The Church has always stood against the culture of death and the forces that seek to undermine the Gospel. Let us continue to uphold the sacredness of life and the mission of the Church without fear or compromise.
3. Speak the truth in love: Contact your Member of Parliament and express your concerns about these recommendations. Encourage fellow Orthodox Christians and all people of goodwill to take a stand before further measures are taken against religious freedom and the protection of life.

May our response be marked not by fear, but by the unshakable hope we have in Christ. Let us be faithful stewards of the truth entrusted to us, standing together in defense of life and the mission of the Church.

Peace and blessings,

Fr. Paul

Homily on Sunday of the Nativity of the Theotokos / Prefreast of the Cross on September 8th, 2024 by FrDn Michael Luciuk

It's a bit of a special day, today we celebrate 3 feast days. This isn't something that happens on your average sunday.

First of all we have the pre-feast of the Elevation of the Cross, the feast which will be celebrated on Saturday with a teaching liturgy at 9am, I think everyone should come! Officially celebrating the recovery of the cross by Helen, it kind of replaces or is the christian version of Yom Kippur, where the sins of Israel were remembered and imparted to a scapegoat driven out and killed outside the city gate. Yom Kippur is a feast of repentance, of remembering our sins and srael's first sin of the hours old covenant with the Golden Calf. But it's also considered the second holiest day, the one where God restores his covenant and is closest to his people. As you can see, there is some connection with Christ's sacrifice if you have been listening to St Paul. Christ, “being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” as we hear in today's epistle. Christ is “sacrificed outside the camp” , the suffering servant that “bore our sins … like a lamb… and by his wombs we are healed”. The feast of the cross is a strict fasting day, meant to be a day of repentance, with a procession of the Cross for the populace to lift their prayers for spiritual and physical healing.

We are called to live this cross, we are the people of the cross, Christ doesn't promise a happy and pain free life, but rather that we “have life abundantly”, that we will find salvation “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “. By taking our cross and following Christ through the lowest point, even unto death we may have our hearts break but they will find peace. By “glorying in our sufferings” that is our boast, it is in that journey that God puts before us. One of pain, but of great victory, of resurrection!

Second we have Nativity of the Theotokos, a feast recorded in the non-canonical book the Gospel of James, which is our church's source for much of the life of the Theotokos. Joachim and Anna were a pious Jewish couple who were among the small and faithful remnant—“the poor and the needy”—who were awaiting the promised messiah. The couple was old and childless. They prayed earnestly to the Lord for a child, since among the Jews barrenness was a sign of God’s disfavor. In answer to their prayers, and as the reward of their unwavering fidelity to God, the elderly couple was blessed with the child who would bring the messiah. The story goes that Joachim is cast out of the temple as a priest for his childlessness and in his shame abandons Anna to flee into the wilderness. It is there that they receive a vision that they will be given a child and meet each other and embrace each other at the gate. It is this moment of embrace that is captured in the icon of the conception. It's a loving moment of Joy in despair, of God's blessing being beyond our time and of the love of two individuals.

Please note that in the Orthodox church, there is no doctrine of immaculate conception, Joachim and Anna are normal human beings with a normal conception, but through their offering a human is born that will become amazing. One ready to truly say yes to God, in many ways the crowning moment of humanity. But it is through her personal goodness and holiness that she becomes the closest to our original image throwing off our corruption, that God will make into his throne and take flesh and dwell among us. The birth isn't some moment of magic, the magic is that God prepares a path for human to run that will lead to the crowning moment of incarnation.

Thirdly we are celebrating the joining together of two beautiful servants of God who have chosen to offer their lives jointly to God as an offering and offer it back. And we have the conclusion of their rite celebrated at the end of this service, the removal of their crowns and their return from their taste of the victory banquet to normal time and life. And it is fitting that this falls today on both the feast of the Cross and of Joachim and Anna. The icon of the Conception of the Theotokos is often considered the icon of marriage,(well other than the wedding of Cana which we have on the left wall) it's one of the few examples of marriage we have in our literature of saints, at least in a church dominated by monastic saints.

There are two themes from the wedding of Alexei and Vanessa (and Teo and Shayna for that matter) that I think are very fitting with today. First of all Vanessa and Alexei are wearing the crowns of Victory, they have stepped into eschaton time as father said yesterday. What a moment of potential, of hope and grace, anything is possible, and we celebrate the beginning of something beautiful. The cross is a moment of victory, death no longer has sting, through it the demons quake and hell shakes. We can get so caught up in our problems we literally forget that Christ has conquered all. But we are here in the Liturgy, about to step into the heavenly banquet, the one at the end of all, that everyone is invited to, one where we will wear our crowns as our callings to be kings & queens, prophets and priests. There are few moments in our lives of oases, where we get a taste of that moment, that moment where the victory of God is tangible in our lives. Weddings and baptisms being some of the few fleeting moments, and the moment of Pascha the most regular. But there is nothing stopping us, I tell you nothing stopping us from experiencing God and his Joy of experiencing that Victory. Any persecution or pain,any demonic influence in your life remember Christ has conquered all. That hope and potential of new beginnings is before you, you are the one telling yourself you can't change, that the journey seems hopeless. But if you listen to that inner voice, you will hear that cry of your heart, Christ is Risen! Rise my child and live.

But remember there will also be entering normal life, and wow, can the world beat you down. I guarantee if you seek this moment of joy whether it's in this liturgy, in a wedding, or your life, everything will rise to throw you down. But remember that's the moment grace can work, if you see it through God’s eyes, either the tribulations will seem trivial, will seem given to you for growth, will be given because God needed you to be there or you will see that the grace of God can overcome!

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” These wedding crowns are the crowns of the martyrs, who have fought the good fight. Yes, sometimes we are given the grace of not realizing what we would go through in life, as well we end up in crowns, if we knew the struggle we would never go through it. I think of this in my life, I would have never run the race if I knew the path, but now that I am hear, I wouldn't change it. So we arrive at victory, and are given the further grace of knowing the victory ahead of us.

The Theotokos will be most climax of the entire salvation story starting with Adam and Eve, but for now she is just a child. There is an entire race of her life, with great pain and challenges. Its a story to be written, not one only of of unicorns and rainbows.

If you are going to run this race, I suggest running it in Joy. Say yes….

• Use fewer words – be silent if possible. (Eccles. 3:3)
• Only speak the truth, though it is not necessary to be unkind. (Eph. 4:15)
• Resist the effort to defend yourself. (Matt. 10:19)
• It is not important to be right. (Proverbs 26:21)
  
• Do not argue. Your effect on someone else’s ego will come to nothing.  (Hos. 4:4)
• Tell your anxieties that everything will be ok. (Phil. 4:6)
• Don’t be in a hurry to speak. Let someone else finish their thought. (Proverbs 29:20).
• Breathe.

From Fr Stephen Freeman's blog - Is Anybody There? Speaking to the Heart