Great Lent 2007

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

"The waters of a river give joy to God's city,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken;
God will help it at the dawning of the day!" (Ps. 45:5-6)

These words from Psalm 45, which describes a boundless trust in God's power, perhaps best summarize the spiritual situation prevailing at the monastery over the last year. It was then that the first rumours of the impending sale of our Marian Sanctuary by the Eparchy of Toronto came to light, in order to resolve serious Eparchial debts not attributable to the monastery proper. Amidst the newly-created instability and consequent drop in financial support from the wider Ukrainian community, the devoted prayer community at the monastery, along with its extended group of laity, responded with even more fervent prayer and Liturgical Services, trusting that the Lord Himself will manifest His Divine Will with respect to this holy place. And, indeed, the hand of the Lord has opened a miraculous outpouring of graces, as demonstrated by the following:

• To date, the Eparchy has lost, one after another, at least three serious buyers of which we are aware.
• The Annual Patronal Feast and Pilgrimage in September attracted more participants than ever in previous years – approximately one thousand over the two-day celebration, including nine parochial priests, seven deacons and a substantial representation from the Roman Catholic Church. Even more dramatic, however, was the sensible presence of the Holy Spirit of God throughout the celebrations, experienced in a most extraordinary way by very many participants, including clergy.
• The doors have opened unexpectedly to a new potential influx of monastics from the mother monastery of the Studites in Ukraine – the first time in four years.
• The miraculous image of the Mother of God "not made by human hands" from Guadalupe was ceremonially installed in the monastery chapel. Once again, many in attendance experienced the sensible presence of the Holy Spirit, and the protection of Our Lady.
• The miraculous healing of a heart patient, who turned to the Mother of God at the monastery in repeated pilgrimages, has been confirmed.

Unfathomable are the ways of God's providence! Although we are not able to foresee God's long-term plans for the monastery, we can certainly bear witness to His unmistakable works in our midst. We certainly believe that "Wisdom has built her house" (Prov. 9:1) on this holy mountain, and that the Lord will guide all things for the greater glory of His Immaculate Mother. We continue to pray that the fountain of God's grace be outpoured from here onto the whole Church in this time of the "new evangelization", so ardently called for by Pope John Paul II of blessed memory, while a new effort is being launched from all sides to undermine the Christian faith.

To you, Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, our donors and benefactors, our most heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering faith in the Lord, which manifests itself in your ongoing moral and financial support for the preservation of this Holy Monastery. You are always in our hearts and in our liturgical prayers, as are your families, children and grandchildren. We pray especially that our Heavenly Mother may safeguard your true faith in Her Son and God at this time of the growing apostasy.

The monastery is open for you, especially during this time of the Great Lent, for personal retreats and spiritual rejuvenation. Special Lenten services are celebrated daily, and Sorokousty prayers for the faithfully departed loved ones in your families are being celebrated every Saturday at 11:00 am. Please use the enclosed envelope for submitting names, if you so wish.

May the Lord and His Blessed Mother reward you most abundantly for your prayers and support, and may you truly experience the triumph of Christ's Resurrection in your lives in the coming Paschal Feast!

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Subdeacon Petro Humennyj
Spiritual Administrator