Australian and New Zealand Diocese (ROCOR)

10th Sunday after Pentecost – Healing the Possessed Youth

Homily From “The One Thing Needful,” Sermons of Archbishop Andrei (Rymarenko)

As last Sunday’s Gospel told us about a storm on the Tiberian Sea, in the same way today’s Gospel also tells us about a storm, only about a storm which is even more terrible. Back then, there were waves on the sea, but here.. .listen to what the father of the youth said to Christ: “Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatic, and sore vexed: for of times he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water” (Mt. 17:15). There, Peter got out of the boat in which the other Apostles were sailing. Notice that Christ did not send him as He sent all the disciples across the sea. But Peter himself, filled with the rapture of faith at seeing Christ walking upon the waves, asked for permission to do the same. And what happened? He doubted and started to drown. And Christ said to him, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Mt. 14:31).

And what about today’s Gospel? In today’s Gospel, the father of the possessed son brought him first to the disciples of Christ. The power to cast out devils and to heal sicknesses had been given to them; this seemed to go along with their obedience. And yet they could not heal hint. And when the father in deep grief related this to the Lord, Christ in anger exclaimed: “O faithless and perverse generation.. .how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him…. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could we not cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. However this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Mt. 17:17-21). (more…)

10th Sunday after Pentecost

MATINS (X)

John 21:1-14

1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. 8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. 9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. (more…)

Да, именно с этой оптимистичной песенки кота Леопольда начался ежегодный концерт Русской школы в Кабраматта. Всем известно, что концерт – дело нелёгкое. Особенно, детский концерт. Для школы это событие большого масштаба. Каждый год – это испытание для всех: учителей, родителей и, конечно, детей. Не обходится дело и без слёз, истерик, обид и раздражения. Да, да, милый читатель и зритель! Всё это – обратная сторона медали, которую вы видите на сцене. Каким трудом даётся успешное выступление маленьких артистов знает только тот, кто когда-нибудь принимал участие в подобном мероприятии. Именно поэтому слова детской песенки как нельзя лучше подходят к тому событию, о котором сейчас пойдёт речь. (more…)

This year, the parish of Saint Panteleimon in West Gosford, on the NSW Central Coast, celebrated its patronal feast over the weekend of Saturday August 8 and Sunday August 9.

The major services were on Saturday August 8, allowing many of the clergy of the Sydney Deanery of the Australian and New Zealand Diocese to be present.  On this day, the Orthodox Church keeps the memory of the holy Hieromartyr Hermolaus, the priest who baptised the Great-Martyr Panteleimon. (more…)

ИСТОРИЧЕСКАЯ СПРАВКА

Небольшое тихоокеанское государство Вануату расположено в Меланезии и граничит территориальными водами с Соломоновыми Островами, Австралией, Новой Каледонией и Фиджи. Бывшее совместное владение Великобритании и Франции, Вануату (в прошлом Новые Гебриды) получило независимость в 1980 году. Численность населения этого государства составляет чуть более 200 тыс человек.

ВАНУАТУ – РОССИЯ

Двухсотлетие первых контактов с Россией отметили в небольшом островном государстве Тихого Океана Вануату в конце августа. История отношений двух стран начинается с того момента, как в 1809 году российский шлюп “Диана” под командованием прославленного адмирала Василия Михайловича Головнина прибыл в Порт-Резолюшен на острове Тана (современная Республика Вануату). (more…)

9th Sunday after Pentecost – The Storm

Homily From “The One Thing Needful,” Sermons of Archbishop Andrei (Rymarenko)

Last Sunday’s Gospel reading told us of a great miracle: the feeding of an enormous crowd of many thousands with five loaves and two fish. The disciples of Christ themselves, through whose hands this miracle was performed, were dumbfounded. And as the Gospel says, Christ at once compelled them to enter a boat and go before Him to the other shore while He dismissed the crowd. “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea” (Mt. 14:22-25). (more…)

9th Sunday after Pentecost

MATINS (IX)

John 20:19-31

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. (more…)

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This year, the Gosford parish will celebrate its patronal feast on Saturday 8 August 2009.  All-night Vigil will begin at 6.00pm on Friday 7 August 2009, with the Lesser Blessing of Waters at 8.15am on Saturday 8 August 2009, and Divine Liturgy at 9.00am.  Afterwards, there will be a festive lunch at the Narara Community Centre.  All are invited!  Clergy and altar servers should bring gold vestments. (more…)

8th Sunday after Pentecost – Feeding the Five Thousand

Homily From “The One Thing Needful,” Sermons of Archbishop Andrei (Rymarenko)

“Give ye them to eat!” said Christ to His disciples. And He said this to them as if answering their advice: “This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.” But Christ insisted, “Give ye them to eat!” Then the disciples said to Him, “[Teacher], we have here but five loaves, and two fishes” (Mt. 14:15-17).

Let us put ourselves in their position: a tremendous crowd  —  the men alone were about five thousand, not counting women and children. With the approach of darkness, the places where bread was sold would be closed. So this crowd of many thousands faced a hungry night in the wilderness. With them were little children. While Christ spoke, all physical needs were silent; but now He fell silent and the people were already beginning to feel hungry. What would happen next? People would become weak, children would cry from hunger, and no one would be able to fall asleep. The result would be despondency, disillusionment, and maybe even murmuring. We believed Thee; we came in search of the Kingdom of God and its Truth. That’s why we came to Thee here. Thou didst promise that everything else would be added to us. But here Thy promise has not been fulfilled. We don’t even have the food necessary for our children; and night is approaching, a dark southern night. (more…)