www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Prayer Praying with Canadian Studites

Dear Friends,

On Friday I am leaving for 4.5 days of private retreat among the Studite Monks in Orangeville, Ontario(not far from the Toronto airport), who run the Monastery of the Mother of God (www.motherofgodmonastery.ca [motherofgodmonastery.ca]). Permit me to ask you to pray for me that it is a holy retreat. Permit me, too, to ask if there are any especial prayer requests that I can take with me. Please let me know if there are!

Most Mother of God Studite Monastery [motherofgodmonastery.ca]

Pray for Hieromonk Taras and his monastery.

Daniil

Dear Adam,

Please pray for our Administrator that God continue to richly bless him and his vocation and ministry with this Forum!

Alex

Dear Adam:

I second our friend Daniil, please pray for Fr. Taras and his monastery.

JL.

Dear Adam,

Actually, when you are there with the Studites, could you report back as to what they have for sale in terms of religious items?

That would be great, if you can!

Alex

Adam, may God grant you a safe, holy retreat.

Would you kindly remember my special intentions during your retreat? Thank you!

" Pray for Hieromonk Taras and his monastery."

Dear Daniil,
Are you referring here to Fr. Taras Kraychuk? If so, I just thought I'd let you know that Fr. Taras is a very good friend of mine. He was just recently in my home town (Vancouver, B.C.) where we sang the Divine Liturgy at the Benedictine Monastery in Mission, B.C. (Westminster Abbey). It was a blessed experience! (I am a Catholic of the Roman Rite by the way.) Fr. Taras sent me a copy of the musical text and I put together a choir to sing the liturgy. Needless to say, we were quite nervous. But I think it turned out alright.
Fr. Taras is a wonderful and holy priest full of the love of God. I admire him so very much.

God bless,

Ed

Dear Adam:

I pray that your journey may be spiritually fulfilling and that by the grace of God, through the Holy Intercession of the Blessed Theotokos, your fondest prayers may be answered.

Good retreat.


JL.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Orthodox Catholic:

"Actually, when you are there with the Studites, could you report back as to what they have for sale in terms of religious items?"

Dear Alex and Friends,

I am back after a splendid time (save for the temperature in the place--the stone cloisters of 13th century France would have been warmer! LOL) at the Mother of God Monastery.

They do liturgy superbly well there. Their numbers are small right now (about six brothers and six sisters) but they sing and pray with great devotion and beauty. And the Divine Liturgy is celebrated with all-stops-pulled splendour each and every day at 6:45am (preceded by Matins and First Hour at 4am, and Third Hour at 6:30). This is not an abbreviated version, either, but the full version of St. John Chrysostom, which lasts about 2 hours (longer of course on Sunday and feasts). Sixth Hour is sung at noon; Vespers in the evening at 6pm (save on major feasts, when small Vespers is at 5 and Great Vespers with Lytia and Matins begins at 2am); and Compline at 8:30. Vespers is just wonderful--it has always been my favourite, and while theirs needs a bit of work yet (ie., more voices) it's great.

In sum, I can't wait to go back and would heartily recommend it to any who can go. There is an enormous piece of land to roam on, silence galore, and a great atmosphere. And Fr. Tarras rocks!

As for what they have for sale, I can report the following: they have excellent honey and pure beeswax candles (which smell divine!), a small number of chotki, a few incense burners (for personal use) and oil lamps, a small collection of books (90% in Ukrainian) and Bibles, and then of course lots of icons. Most of the icons are copies mounted on a board; a few are painted directly onto wood. Sizes range from small (about 2" by 2") through to medium, and the largest one I saw there was probably about 2' by 3'. Prices range from $5 for the very small to about $80 for the large ones. As for selection, they are rather limited to what I would call standard fare--most of the Theotokos and Pantocrator; one or two of feast days (eg., Easter and Christmas); and a few small ones of patron saints. In sum, I didn't buy any because I didn't find any of them outstanding, and especially because I have been looking high and low for a good icon of the Transfiguration, and have not been able to find one anywhere! (If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.)

But, once more, the monks love having visitors and retreatants. Most of them are quite newly arrived from Ukraine, and tend to feel a bit lost and isolated out there, and are heartened to know that people are interested, are praying for them, and want this marvellous monastery to flourish. So, by all means, visit them if you can! But take a sweater! And be prepared for a vegetarian diet (which as of next week--on the Julian paschalion--would be great, but until then I want me meat, I intend to stuff myself with meat! LOL).


Adam

thank you,

Charlotte has suffered electricution from a water and electric accident at home 3 weeks ago and is having many difficulties in stableizing her body.

my husband and I were a bad accident on 2/22. I praise God for the protection and miracles he has done in our lives, that our recovery will be complete. More important thanksgivivg forr com[assion given us and prayers given. sorry this is hard type

rose

Dear Adam,

I grew up on a bee farm (a stinging indictment, no?) not too far from that monastery and I know what you mean about the cold!

How heartening that they are truly an Eastern Monastery that don't do "liturgical short cuts."

Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm and I'll be out there just as the weather warms up a bit.

Alex

Adam, please remember in your prayers special intentions I have. Have a spiritually fruitful retreat.

In IC XC
Samer