Holy Cross Ukrainian Catholic Church
415 Victoria Ave West P7C 1G8 Thunder Bay, ON, Canada

Христос воскрес! Христос воскрес! Ученики не пзнали, З ким в дороз розмовляли, Аж прийшли до Емауса, Видять Господа суса,... Видять чудо всх чудес: Христос воскрес! Христос воскрес! Christ is risen! The disciples did not realize, while on the road to Emmaus, that it was the Lord Jesus walking with them. O miracle of miracles: Christ is risen!

Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice! Christ is risen, and Life now reigns! Christ is risen,... and the Tomb is emptied of the dead! To Him be glory and power For ever and ever! Amen. ~ St. John Chrysostom ~ Happy Easter Season to all!

The noble Joseph took down Your most pure body from the tree. He wrapped it with a clean shroud, and, with aromatic spices, placed it in a new tomb. Glory to Your Passion, glory to Your long-suffering, O Lord!

With the announcement on Thursday, April 1 by the provincial government, under the new category of the COVID-19 response frame-work starting on Saturday, April 3 at 12:01 a.m., the entire province will see new restrictions and limits on gatherings for at least the next four weeks. This shutdown is similar to the grey lockdown zone, in which we currently stand. All religious, wedding, and funeral services will remain limited to 15% capacity of the indoor room and outside is li...mited to the number of people that can safely physical distance from each other. Furthermore, the Eparchy has requested that we return to the Church Attendance Screening Form at this time. Copies are available in the narthex, or you can visit our parish website (www.holycrosstbay.com) to download a copy bring it completed when you attend. Wishing everyone a Happy and Blessed Easter Day and season!

GREAT AND HOLY THURSDAY We are a covenant people! Our God has called us to come from sinfulness to holiness, from death to life. The Holy Apostle Peter proclaims in his universal epistle: "You, however, are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people He claims for His own..." (1 Peter 2: 9). The Passover Meal (Last Supper) is seen as part of God's saving plan, for the Divine Eucharist -- His real Body and Blood -- was given by Jesus to humanity in perpetuity fo...r the nourishment and healing of our souls. At this Passover Supper, He gave us this great mystery of His love. The New Covenant, sealed in His Precious Blood which trickled from His cross of execution, and promulgated at the Mystical Supper. We who eat His flesh and drink His blood are His "Chosen People" -- the spiritual inheritors of that status given to the nation of Israel of the Old Testament. And in a mysterious and symbolic -- yet ever real way -- we participate most intimately in His salvific acts when we approach the holy altar at every Divine Liturgy and participate in the eucharistic banquet. At every Divine Liturgy, we remember the words and actions of Jesus at the Mystical Supper together with all the events of our salvation. With this reality of faith, we now approach the saving passion and life-giving death of our Lord upon the wood of the Cross. We must view all of the darkness that is to come by the perspective of the reality of God's redeeming love for us given in the Divine Eucharist. Our Byzantine Catholic Church now leads us from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane and begins to reveal to us the meaning of His suffering and death.

We offer our deepest condolences and prayers to Marika (Trusz) Warywoda and family on the sudden passing of her brother, Father Ivan Trusz, on Wednesday, January 13 in Toronto. Father Ivan was the former pastor of the Church of the Holy Protection and Church of the Ascension in Thunder Bay for the better part of 18 years, and also served in parishes in Toronto (Holy Protection), Hamilton (Holy Spirit) and Thornhill (St. Vladimir). We will remember his strong faith and dedication to his church, and of course, his deep melodic voice which was recognizable wherever he served. May the Lord God accept the soul of His faithful servant Father Ivan into His heavenly kingdom, number him among the just, grant him eternal rest, and may his memory be everlasting ~ вчна йому пам’ять.

Due to the extension of the 14-day lockdown, open services are again cancelled until further notice. Stay safe, wear a mask, limit your contact with others, and pray that the Lord will provide a swift end to the coronavirus.

THE FEAST OF THE THEOPHANY OF OUR LORD on January 6 according to the Gregorian calendar places before our eyes one of the greatest and most profound truths of our holy faith the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. At the baptism of Christ, the Most Holy Trinity was clearly revealed and bore witness to the divinity of Christ. In the Third Hour (Terce) of the Vigil of the feast we read: The Trinity, our God, revealed Himself to us today as free from division; for the Father ut...tered the clear testimony to His Son, the Spirit descended from heaven in the likeness of a dove, and the Son bowed His pure head to the Forerunner, and being baptized, saved mankind from bondage, since He is the Lover of mankind. In one of the sticheras in the Lytiya service of the feast we sing: Seeing you, O Christ God, coming to him in the river Jordan, John said, ‘Why do You, Who are undefiled, come to a servant, O Lord? In whose name shall I baptize You? Of the Father? But You bear Him within You! Of the Son? But You are this Son made flesh! Of the Holy Spirit! But You know that through Your own mouth You give Him to the faithful! O Triune God, here revealed, have mercy on us.’ St. John Chrysostom encourages us to have faith in the Most Holy Trinity: Our faith is the throne of the soul, the foundation of life, the immortal root. The life-giving root of faith is the Father; the unwithering branch is the Son; the immortal fruit is the Holy Spirit; that is the Trinity simple, uncomplicated, unspeakable, incomprehensible, undivided in identity, in dignity, action, Divinity and grandeur; however, divided in Persons and names, but One in essence and powers. The Trinity exists from eternity. Its existence had no beginning. It is without beginning; it is eternal, ageless, immortal, without end. Our holy Church begins Matins service with a sublime doxology in honour of the Most Holy Trinity: Glory be to the holy, consubstantial (one is substance) Life-giving and Undivided Trinity, always, now and forever and ever." Troparion from the Feast of the Theophany: When You, O Lord were baptized in the Jordan, worship of the Trinity was revealed; the voice of the Father bore witness to You, naming You the beloved Son, and the Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the word’s certainty. Glory to You, O Christ God, Who appeared and enlightened the world.

On January 1, we, Ukrainian Catholics celebrate two important feastdays: 1) The Circumcision (Naming) of Our Lord; and 2) Feast of St. Basil the Great. The Feast of the Circumcision speaks to us of sacrifice and self-denial. There is no genuine service of God without the observance of God's commandments and the fulfillment of Christian duties. Every Christian, must practice a spiritual circumcision, that is, he/she must conquer his/her senses, his/her evil inclinations and h...is/her passions. The naming of Jesus reminds us of the holiness and power of that name and its great significance for every Christian. St. Basil is one of the greatest and most outstanding Fathers of the Church and doctors of the faith and of monastic legislators. The Church celebrates the memory of his death on January 1. The mark of his deep faith, heroic love of God and neighbour, learning and holiness is stamped on the entire Church of Christ, on the monastic life in the East and on our people. Small wonder then, that the holy Church justifiably gave him the title "the Great."

Благослови, Боже, нам на новий рк, щоби був щасливий кожний чоловк, щоби нам в здоровлю плили дн життя, щоби вс славили любили Тя. Bless us, God our Father, in the coming year, grant that we may prosper as Your children dear, Grant us many blessings, health throughout our days, As we bring You glory, honour, love and praise.

November 12 -- Feast of the Holy Priest-Martyr Josaphat, Archbishop of Polotsk St. Josaphat Kuntsevych was not only a great Saint and zealous Apostle of Christ but was also a martyr. In iconography, he is frequently seen holding in his hands the palm of martyrdom for the holy faith and for the union of our Church with the Apostolic See of Peter (Rome). Where there is true holiness and apostolic zeal, there is also readiness for total self-sacrifice, for suffering and death fo...Continue reading

His Excellency, Bishop Bryan J. Bayda, CSsR, has released a pastoral letter on the occasion of his first anniversary as Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada. For the full text (2 pages) in English and/or Ukrainian, please go to our parish website (www.holycrosstbay.com) and click on the the Bulletins and News tab. Na mnohaya lita, Vladyko!

IMPORTANT UPDATE AND CLARIFICATION Holy Cross Church in Thunder Bay now offers Divine Liturgy (Mass) on Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. BUT ONLY ON THE 2ND AND 4TH SATURDAYS OF THE MONTH -- NOT EVERY OTHER WEEK. Again, this is on a trial basis only. The dates for this month are: November 14 and 28. Once again, help will therefore be needed (3-5 persons) after the service to clean/disinfect the church proper/washrooms in preparation for the next morning. STREAMLINED ENTRANCE PROTOCOLS... Entrance protocols have changed slightly to keep things flowing without the 'bottle-neck' that has been occurring in the narthex. Read the screening questions on the sign on the main door (and the lift doors). If you cannot answer 'yes' to all of the screening questions, you are advised not to enter the church. Questionnaires completed prior to entering the narthex will be accepted, but are not mandatory. A sign-in sheet will be maintained to keep track of who has entered the church. THERE SHOULD BE NO MORE THAN 4 PEOPLE WITHIN THE NARTHEX. Worshippers are also requested to check their own body temperature at home before attending as this practice upon entering is discontinued during the colder weather. These new requirements have been discussed and recommended by the Parish Council and are now in effect. Masks/facial coverings are still required to be worn and regular hand sanitizing must be done.

CHRISTMAS CHEER PROJECT This year, due to COVID-19, we will not be able to take donations for our Christmas Cheer Mugs. The Christmas Cheer Organization will only be accepting monetary donations so that it alone can purchase the hamper items. You can donate directly to it or through our Mission Collection in November. If you have any questions, please call Sherry Opaski (numbers are not published online).

October 26 - Feast of the Holy and Glorious Great-Martyr Demetrius, from whose tomb myrrh streams forth The Holy and Glorious Great-Martyr Demetrius was a Christian and the only son of the military commander of Thessalonica in the early fourth century. Because of this, he most carefully cherished and educated. When his father died, Demetrius was appointed by Emperor Maximian to take his place. Maximian was an opponent of Christ and charged Demetrius to persecute and to kill t...he Christians in that city. Instead, Demetrius disobeyed Maximian and openly confessed and preached Christianity. Hearing of this, the Emperor was furious and on his way back from battles against the Sarmathians, he went to Thessalonica to look into the matter. He summoned Demetrius and questioned him about his faith. Demetrius confessed his belief as well as his disgust for idolatry (and thus openly criticizing the Emperor himself). The enraged Emperor cast him into prison, and Demetrius, knowing his fate, had his servant Lupus give his wealth to the poor (being glad that suffering for Christ was to be his lot). Troparion, Tone 3: In you, O martyr Demetrius, the world has discovered a champion in its travails, for you have routed the nations and so, as you smashed the pride of Lyaeus, encouraging Nestor to struggle, pray to Christ our God to grant great mercy to our souls. Kontakion, Tone 2: With streams of your blood, O Demetrius, God, Who gave you invincible strength, has dyed the Church in royal crimson and preserved your city invulnerable for you are its fortification.

IMPORTANT NOTICE On a recommendation from Parish Council, and with approval from our pastor, Father Stepan Didur, Divine Liturgy (Mass) on Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. will resume, but will only on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month (not every other Saturday). THIS WILL BE ON A TRAIL BASIS ONLY. The first date will be October 10, 2020. Help will therefore be needed (5-10 persons) after the service to clean/disinfect the church proper/washrooms in preparation for the next mornin...g. If you have not yet attended Sunday services to witness the proceedings, please arrive early as there may be a slight delay entering (bring an umbrella if it's raining). A questionnaire must be completed (available on our parish website), testing with a non-contact thermometer will be administered, and hand sanitizing must be done BEFORE ENTERING THE NAVE. Also, masks have been mandatory since July 24, 2020 - a directive from the TB Health Unit. Those who use the lift will be required to submit to the same testing. Your patience, cooperation, and compliance are appreciated - thank you. Stay safe and healthy.

Among the Marian feasts listed in our Liturgical Year, the feast of the Protection (Patronage) of the Most Holy Mother of God deserves special consideration. From the very beginning of our Kyivan State, we have had great and powerful enemies. It is small wonder then that our people sought the assistance and protection of the Most Holy Mother of God whose intercession is all-powerful. For our motherland and its people, and those scattered throughout the diaspora, the feast of ...the Protection (Patronage) of the Mother of God has always been, and still remains, a day of great manifestation of love and gratitude to the Most Holy Mother of God, a day of joyous praise and glorification of her protection and intercession. Troparion, Tone 4: Today, we believers radiantly celebrate, flooded in light by your coming to us, O Mother of God; beholding your pure image, we say with contrition: Shelter us with your precious protection and deliver us from every evil, entreating your Son, Christ our God, to save our souls. Kontakion, Tone 3: Today the Virgin stands before us in the church and together with the choirs of saints invisibly prays to God for us. Angels are worshipping with hierarchs, Apostles exult with prophets, for the Mother of God prays in our behalf to the eternal God.

15th Annual Undercover Project Community Clothing Assistance is gathering NEW packages of socks and underwear for youth ages 4 to 14 in our community. It relies on support and donations from the community to successfully run this program. Donations in kind or monetary donations will be accepted if you cannot shop during this time of COVID-19. A basket will be placed in the narthex for donations until November 30. Questions? Contact Zenya Puchalski (numbers are not published online).

Saint Chariton the Confessor was born at Iconium in the province of Lycaonia, and suffered there during a persecution against Christians in the reign of Emperor Aurelian (270-275). The example of the holy Protomartyr Thekla (September 24), who was also a native of his city, encouraged him to confess Christ, since he had a great devotion to her. St. Chariton (pronounced KA-ri-ton) bravely denounced the pagan gods and staunchly confessed faith in the one True God, Christ the ...Saviour. The holy Confessor underwent fierce tortures but, by God's Providence, he survived. The persecution ended after Aurelian's death in 275. Saint Chariton was among the many Christians who were released from prison, and he resolved to dedicate his entire life to the service of the Lord. Although he escaped death, he grieved because he had not received the crown of martyrdom. At the end of his life, Saint Chariton struggled in a cave atop a hill near the Souka monastery, but he did not cease to provide guidance for all three of the monasteries which he founded. He fell asleep in the Lord peacefully and at an advanced age on September 28, 350. Troparion, Tone 8: With the streams of your tears you cultivated the barren desert, with deep sighs your toils bore fruit a hundredfold. You became a beacon, shining throughout the world by your wonders, our venerable Father Chariton. Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.

To Your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection. The feast of the Exaltation is one of the twelve great feasts of our Church and has a one-day pre-feast and a seven-day post-feast. The Saturday and Sunday before and after the Exaltation carry the name before or after the feast of the Exaltation, because on those days the Epistle and Gospel speak of the Holy Cross. The Servant of God Andrew Sheptytsky once said in one of his pastoral ...letters that the veneration of the Holy Cross of the Lord is one of the most significant aspects of the worship of the God-Man...Signing ourselves with the sign of the Cross is one of the oldest customs of Christians. St. John Chrysostom, author of our Divine Liturgy, speaks of the significance of the Cross for us: The Cross is a trophy against the demons, a weapon against sin, a sword with which Christ pierced the serpent. The Cross is the will of the Father, the glory of the Only-begotten One, joy of the Spirit, ornament of the angels, fortress of the Church, the glory of Paul, stronghold of the Saints, the light of the whole world. Save Your people, O Lord, and bless Your inheritance. Grant victory to Your faithful people against enemies, and protect Your community by Your cross.

One of the great feasts we celebrate at the beginning of the Liturgical Year is the feast of the Nativity of the most Holy Mother of God, in Ukrainian Богородиц (Bohorodytsi) on September 8. As is evident from the words of the troparion of this occasion, it is a joyful and significant feast. Joyful, because it is the birthday of the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven and earth, and significant because it places before our eyes the great truth of our holy faith concerning t...he Divine Motherhood of the most pure Virgin Mary, from whom ‘shone forth the Sun of Justice, Christ our God. The morning star has risen, therefore, the rising of the sun is not far off. The sublime name of the feast given in our liturgical books also indicates the great significance of this feast: The Nativity of our most Holy Queen, the Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary. Kontakion, Tone 4: By your birth, O immaculate one, Joachim and Anna were freed from the reproach of childlessness, and Adam and Eve from the corruption of death. And your people, redeemed from the guilt of their sins, celebrate as they cry out to you: The barren one gives birth to the Mother of God and nourisher of our life.

THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL touched on the lives of countless Christians, among whom were included apostles and disciples of Christ, in miracles manifesting the power of God. One of these miracles, wherein St. Michael was invoked by a man whose only claim to fame was the fact that he was a Christian, occurred at a place called Colossae (Chonais) in Asia Minor and is celebrated on September 6. The divine manifestation was only one example of the miracles ascribed to St. Michael, but... has been selected by Church Fathers for commemoration because it exemplified the power of the archangels. Among the first of the new faith of Jesus Christ to pay tribute to the great Michael were the disciples St. John the Evangelist and the dedicated St. Philip, both of whom are credited with having introduced Christianity to many parts of Asia Minor. Following a successful mission in the areas of Phrygia, the two disciples preached in Ephesus and went on to Hierapolis, a city in which a huge venomous snake was worshipped by a spiritually deprived populace who paid no heed to either John or Philip until the snake died after the two missionaries invoked the power of the Lord to demonstrate the futility of snake worship. As a result of this gallant action, Philip was crucified, and when the mob turned to John for more vengeance, a sudden earthquake rocked the city and the thoroughly frightened snake worshipers recoiled and decided to listen to John tell of Jesus Christ, after which they were converted in great numbers to Christianity. St. John remained in the area of Hierapolis and Colossae for several months, leaving with the prophecy that the community would soon be blessed with a miraculous well to which the ailing could go for cure. When the prophecy came true, the people unanimously dedicated the well to St. Michael the Archangel. St. John had so often told them he had the power of the Lord to work miracles. Troparion, Tone 4: O captain and leader of the armies of heaven, unworthy as we are, we beseech you without cease to surround us with your intercessions and cover us beneath the shelter of the wings of your ethereal glory. We bend our knee and cry out with perseverance, Deliver us from danger, O Prince of the Powers on high!

Happy New Church Year! The first day of the New Church Year is also called the Beginning of the Indiction, a term that comes from a Latin word meaning, to impose. It was originally applied to the imposition of taxes in Egypt. The first worldwide Indiction was in the year 312 A.D. when the Emperor Constantine saw a miraculous vision of the Cross in the sky [as he and his army marched against Rome]. Before the introduction of the Julian calendar, Rome began the New Year on ...September 1. In modern times, the Roman Rite Liturgical year begins with Advent the time of preparation for both the celebration of Jesus' birth, and His expected second coming at the end of time. According to Holy Tradition, Christ entered the synagogue on September 1 to announce His mission to mankind (Luke 4:16-22). Quoting Isaiah (61:1-2), the Saviour proclaimed, The spirit of the Lord is upon me; because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to proclaim release to captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord... Tradition also says that the Hebrews entered the Promised Land in September. The Liturgical Year is so arranged that its central place is occupied by our Divine Saviour; around Him are gathered all the angels and saints. The Most Pure Virgin Mary, who has been accorded the most prominent place after Christ in the work of redemption, also stands nearest to Christ in the Liturgical Year; this is evident in the various feasts in honour of the Mother of God. In summary, our Liturgical Year is a mighty hymn of honour and glory to God, in which the threefold Church takes part the Church Triumphant in heaven, the Church Suffering in purgatory, and the Church Militant on earth. In the Church Year, the entire content of our holy faith finds its most beautiful expression. Like a colourful rainbow our Liturgical Year joins earth to heaven, and enlightens, purifies, sanctifies and lifts us up to God. So, having begun both another Liturgical Year, may we continue our devotion to God, embrace the Living Word of God, Jesus, in our lives daily, and may we truly have a Happy and Blessed New Year!

Holy Cross Parish joins in mourning with our mother parish, Church of the Transfiguration, on the passing of its pastor, +Reverend Vladimir Chvets, who fell asleep in the Lord on Saturday, August 15. May the Lord accept the soul of His faithful and humble servant into His heavenly kingdom, number him among the just, grant him eternal rest in the bosom of Abraham, and may his memory be everlasting ~ вчна йому пам'ять.

The very ancient, universal and profound veneration of the Most Holy Mother of God left a special mark, above all, in our Liturgical Year, which is not only rich in the variety of feasts honouring Mary, but begins and ends with her feasts. The Liturgical Year opens with the Nativity of the Mother of God (September 8) and closes with her Dormition (‘falling asleep’) on August 15. And although the feast of the Dormition reminds us of the sad occasion of death, nevertheless, it ...belongs to the joyful feasts. The services of the feast are filled hymns of joy and gladness. On this day the holy Church rejoices because the Most Holy Mother of God was transferred body and soul from this earthly life to join her Son in eternal glory; because of her Dormition we have a powerful intercessor and protectress in heaven. We sing your praises, O Virgin Mary, in celebration with peace and love. For your Dormition, gives us hope eternal, showing us the path to heaven above.

Saint Lawrence or Laurence (31 December AD 225 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome, Italy, under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman Emperor Valerian ordered in 258. Lawrence encountered the future Pope Sixtus II, who was of Greek origin and one of the most famous and highly esteemed teachers, in Caesaraugusta (today Zaragoza). Eventually, both left Spain for Rome. When Sixtus became the Pope in 25...7, he ordained Lawrence as a deacon, and though Lawrence was still young appointed him first among the seven deacons who served in the cathedral church. His feastday is August 10. Troparion, Tone 4: O Lord our God, your holy martyr Lawrence has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good fight. Armed with Your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors and crushed Satain’s dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ God, save our souls. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen. Kontakion, Tone 2: Holy Martyr Lawrence, the pillar of those who struggles, while your heart was a flame with the love of God, the fire of the passions died out in you. In the midst of your effort, you cried out, Nothing will cure me from the love of Christ!

August 6 on the Gregorian calendar is the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord -- an extraordinary feast of hope which can help us to live differently, right now. We are invited, by reflecting on this significant event in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, to focus us on the end of the Christian life. End in the philosophical and theological sense means purpose or goal. The Transfiguration helps to explain the very meaning and purpose of life. We will all be transfig...ured, as the Lord Himself was transfigured, when our redemption is complete in the Resurrection of the Body. Then, we will live in the new heaven and new earth, in a transformed cosmos. This reality is meant to affect the way we live our lives beginning right now. The Christian life is meant to be a real participation in the Divine Nature, every day. We are being transfigured in Christ, even now, as actively we follow Him. This transfiguration will only be complete when the entire person, including the body, is fully redeemed and transformed. In fact, the effects of the Transfiguration also will involve the entire created order; it too will finally be reconstituted in Jesus Christ and handed back to the Father. The followers of Jesus, the Transfigured One all of us - now walk in His Way and are being transformed into His likeness. We are all invited to join with Peter, James and John and cry out: "Lord, it is good for us to be here with You." O Holy Tabor, mountain of glory, shining in splendour on this great day! More brilliant than the sun in the heavens, Christ on your summit, God in our midst. Christ in His glory, bringing salvation, Light of the Father to every nation, Saviour and King, Beloved Son.

August 1 (on the Gregorian calendar) marks the Procession of the Holy Relics of the Precious and Life-giving Cross of the Lord. This is also the first day of the Dormition Fast. The propers of the Divine Liturgy (parts that vary according to the date and commemoration) of the feast are combined with those of the Holy Maccabean Martyrs, the commemoration of whose endurance is deemed appropriate for the first day of a fast. Unlike the September 14 observance, this commemoration is considered to be a minor feast, but it does have the bringing out of the cross and veneration by the faithful like the September feast. The Epistle and Gospel readings are also identical. Хресту Твому поклонямось, Владико, i святе воскресння Тво славим. To Your Cross, O Master, we bow in veneration and we glorify Your holy resurrection.

July 25 marks the feast of the Dormition of St. Anna (Anne), mother of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos or God-bearer and grandmother of the Lord on the Gregorian calendar. The details we know about her life, and that of her priest-husband, Joachim, are from sources within the Tradition (though not within the Scriptures). They are often pointed to as one of the great examples of married saints. Their story, like many in the Old Testament, include a time of barrenness and no chi...ld, and the promise and gift of a child in the old age. This child, Mary, was chosen of God and appointed to be the mother of the Incarnate God. But as Mary is no accident, so her parents are no accident, nor the entire history of Israel. It is all the economy of God, working out the salvation of mankind, through mankind and His grace. Troparion, Tone 4: O godly-minded Anna, you bored in your womb the pure Mother of God, who gave birth to Life. Rejoicing, therefore, in glory you have passed today to a heavenly inheritance, where those who exult have their dwelling. There you intercede for the forgiveness of sins of those who love you, O ever-blessed one.