Resurrection Sunday! Pascha! A Golden Gate swings wide open, inundating all faith-filled hearts with adoration, celebration, joy, thankfulness, courage, and PEACE! Jesus Christ is alive and left behind an empty tomb. Death could not hold Him! HE is Easter, the Eternal Day without end. Christ is Risen!

Dear Friend,

May God fill your life with His presence and reward your goodness to our community. We pray heartily for you all of Paschal-tide and all year long. At Easter Sunday Vespers the usual Hymn of Sunset is omitted: 

“Gladsome Radiance and Light of Heaven,
the Holy Glory of God the Father Immortal,
the Heavenly, Holy, and Blessed One,
Jesus Christ.”

Our Gift store surprised us. Some shelves of rosary beads, chaplets, medals, and similar devotions are bare - terminating an era of dust-collecting. Friends, visitors, and patrons seem to say times are tough, and we need Divine Assistance. We need to pray! The Mother of God is always the Refuge of Sinners and Help of Christians. Eastern faithful have confidence in the Akathist and so do we - all the more as this devotion is associated with the Annunciation.

Beginning on Monday, April 8th, at 4:30 PM in our Chapel, a five-day Service will begin – to be repeated most weekdays henceforth. Small Compline and Akathist as customary in Great Lent. Six (of 24) stanzas will be sung in each of the four services. The fifth day (service) will have all 24 stanzas. Resurrection Vespers on Saturday and Sunday will replace the Small Compline. This replacement will occur for all major feasts.

United in the love of Christ,
Mother Marija and Sisters

“The oldest and perhaps one of the most treasured icons of all on Mount Athos is that of the Theotokos of the Akathist.

This is the miraculous Icon that Patriarch Sergios held whilst circling the walls of Constantinople. In the year 626, the Christian Capital of Constantinople was in danger and surrounded by barbarians. The Patriarch Sergius led the faithful around the walls of the City praying and singing for the Theotokos intercession throughout the night; as a result of those prayers, the City was saved. Among the prayers offered were 24 verses of Salutations to the Theotokos, which were then given the name “Akathist” (not sitting) in remembrance of how the faithful had stood in reverence and fervent prayer all night.

Those 24 verses are depicted on the icon with 24 small images/scenes surrounding the Theotokos sitting on a throne, giving a visual expression to the Akathist Hymn. The first letter of each verse of the Akathist Hymn corresponds to the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet, starting from “A” and ending to “Ù”.”  (Athonite)