Categories: uncategorized
Date: 13 June 2005 13:32:25
Today was the Queen's Birthday Holiday in most of Australia [Western Australia doesn't celebrate it until later in the year]. I find it interesting that while we have this holiday, the UK doesn't! I think it says a lot about our work ethic Down Under! But, we don't have a lot of holidays at this time of year so it's a nice one. And it also serves to mark the official start of the ski season: but I believe snow is in short supply [at least in NSW].
Anyway...about seventy people from our parish and other parishes set off to the Holy Cross Women's Monastery -- under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese -- at Mangrove Mountain [about 1.5 hrs north of Sydney] for our parish's annual monastery visit. It was my first visit to an Orthodox monastery, and I felt greatly privileged to be able to share a small part in the sisters' lives through worshipping with them in a service.
There was a bit of a surprise for the service: both for us and for the sisters. A priest from Sydney brought up an icon from Mount Athos to give as a gift to the monastery. A procession was used to bring the icon into the church, accompanied by some wonderful bell-ringing [with only 2 bells!]
The service was the Little Canon of Supplication to the Most Holy Mother of God: a beautiful service with such deep imagery, constant praise, and calls for help in time of need. Particularly relevant as the icon presented was of Virgin Mary -- Tender Mercy. The service was conducted in various stages in English, Greek and Arabic, and the haunting refrains of 'Kyrie Eleison' ('Lord have mercy') are still with me. The nuns, though small in number, had very beautiful voices. And the incense used was beautifully fragrant: I do love incense!
Some women saw the nuns for a talk, and most of us went off for lunch, walks, or to shop at the monastery shop where items both made by the sisters and brought in by them [books, icons] to help with the building of the monastery: they are looking at building a full-sized church soon [they currently have a small one within their main building which all may visit; and a private one within the sisters' residence and work area].
Matins and Vespers services were conducted as we went to and from the monastery on the hired coach.
An absolutely beautiful day. Monasteries are truly "fortresses" and "prayer powerhouses" of Orthodoxy. Thank you Lord for those you have called to the monastic life: may you bless, guide and sustain them in their life.