Australian and New Zealand Diocese (ROCOR)

The website of the South American Diocese is now online.

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– Отец Михаил, расскажите немного о своей семье.

– Я родился в городе Якиши, недалеко от границы Китая с Россией, в Северной Маньчжурии. В этом городе была православная община, которую окормлял отец Антоний Яков. Впоследствии, во время «культурной революции», он был убит китайскими коммунистами. Можно сказать, что я и родился в церковной ограде. Мои родители работали в храме, выполняли даже послушание старост. Так вот, моя мама просто не успела доехать до больницы и родила меня прямо на ступеньках храма. Когда мне был годик, мои родители, взяв меня и старшего брата, перебрались в Австралию. Там тогда была довольно большая русская община, особенно много людей было собрано вокруг храма Покрова Пресвятой Богородицы в Кабраматте. Правда, в те годы он еще только строился, и я помню, как мы ходили в старую церковь – маленькую-маленькую церковку. Руководил всем и всеми прекрасный священник – батюшка Ростислав Ган. (more…)

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The website of the Canadian Diocese is now online.

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21st Sunday after Pentecost – the Sower

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

Brothers and sisters! Did you know that there exists a psychological law by which under the influence of thought, a feeling, a desire is kindled; and from desire comes action. This law was discovered back in the first centuries by the Fathers of the Church, and then it passed on into secular life. In any sphere of life, there isn’t a single action which is not provoked by feeling and desire. And in their turn, feeling and desire are kindled by thought; just as any flammable substance will catch fire if, for a sufficient length of time, one holds over it a magnifying glass through which a ray of sun is concentrated. And so: thought  —  feeling  —  action.

Both readings for this Sunday, the Apostle and the Gospel, are in a wonderful way connected with this law. Even more: without this law we wouldn’t even be able to understand them in all their depth. The Gospel tells us about the Sower, the seed, and the ground. Different kinds of ground are mentioned: the ground by the wayside, the stony ground, the ground overgrown with weeds, and finally, good ground. (more…)

21st 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…)

20th Sunday after Pentecost – Resurrection of the Son of the Widow

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

Christ, surrounded by His Apostles and a multitude of people, moved toward the gates of the town of Nain. And at that time, from the town of Nain appeared a funeral procession. A young man was being carried out, the only son of a widow from Nain. Imagine the suffering of the mother: the only one, the favorite, the hope of her old age.

What was the mother going through? But at this time, Christ, with a multitude of people and His Apostles, approached this procession on the road. He came closer and closer. He was walking on the same road on which the deceased was being carried. He saw the suffering of the mother, came up to her and said, “Weep not” (Lk. 7:13). Who could, who had the right to say these words to a mother at the coffin of her son? He alone, because He conquered death. The bearers stopped. Christ took the young man by the hand and said: “Arise!” (Lk. 7:14). And He returned him to his mother. (more…)

20th 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, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the LORD. 21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (more…)

– Ваше Высокопреосвященство, прошло больше года с тех пор, как Вы были избраны Первоиерархом Русской Зарубежной Церкви и правящим архиереем Восточно-Американской епархии. По Вашему мнению, какие положительные перемены произошли в жизни епархии за это время?

Я принял первоиераршество как послушание перед Святой Церковью, и в своем служении надеюсь исключительно на помощь Божию и молитву наших архипастырей, пастырей и всех Православных о том, чтобы наша Церковь преуспевала бы и духовно росла, и чтобы люди наши находили спасение в лоне Церкви. Я не могу сказать о положительном, потому что это не мои личные заслуги, а заслуги всей нашей паствы. Но можно в первую очередь указать на воссоединение, которое произошло в 2007 г. между двумя частями единой Русской Православной Церкви.

На смену тревожным событиям – трагическому уходу части нашей паствы, не принявшей воссоединения, из лона Церкви – к нашим церквам зарубежным приходит мир, спокойствие, и укрепление. Это был болезненный процесс, но я думаю, что те, кто от нас отошел, со временем увидит, что это было неправильным решением, и вернется в лоно Русской Православной Церкви. (more…)