August 9: Herman the Wonderworker of Alaska & First Saint of America![]()
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Saint Herman (his name is a variant of Germanus) was born near Moscow in 1756. In his youth he became a monk, first at the Saint Sergius Hermitage near Saint Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland; while he dwelt there, the most holy Mother of God appeared to him, healing him of a grave malady. Afterwards he entered Valaam Monastery on Valiant Island in Lake Ladoga; he often withdrew into the wilderness to pray for days at a time. In 1794, answering a call for missionaries to preach the Gospel to the Aleuts, he came to the New World with the first Orthodox mission to Alaska. He settled on Spruce Island, which he called New Valaam, and here he persevered, even in the face of many grievous afflictions mostly at the hands of his own countrymen in the loving service of God and of his neighbour. Besides his many toils for the sake of the Aleuts, he subdued his flesh with great asceticism, wearing chains, sleeping little, fasting and praying much. He brought many people to Christ by the example of his life, his teaching, and his kindness and sanctity, and was granted the grace of working miracles and of prophetic insight. Since he was not a priest, Angels descended at Theophany to bless the waters in the bay; Saint Herman used this holy water to heal the sick. Because of his unwearying missionary labours, which were crowned by God with the salvation of countless souls, he is called the Enlightener of the Aleuts, and has likewise been renowned as a wonderworker since his repose in 1837.
August 6: Transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ![]()
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Our Lord had spoken to His disciples many times not only concerning His Passion, Cross, and Death, but also concerning the coming persecutions and afflictions that they themselves would endure. Since all these evils were near at hand, but the enjoyment of good things which they hoped to receive in their stead was yet to come, our Savior desired to give them full assurance, evidently and openly, concerning that glory which is prepared for those who endure to the end. Therefore, fulfilling that which He had promised shortly before, that “there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in His Kingdom” (Matt. 16:28), He took His three foremost disciples and ascended Mount Tabor, where He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. Suddenly, together with this dread and marvelous effulgence of light, there appeared those pinnacles of the Prophets, Moses and Elias, who spoke with the Lord Jesus concerning His saving Passion which was about to take place. Standing before Him as reverent servants, they showed that He is the Lord of both the living and the dead, for Moses came forth from Hades, having died many centuries before, and Elias, as it were from heaven, whither he had been taken up while yet alive. After a little while a radiant cloud overshadowed them and out of the cloud they heard that same voice which had been heard at the Jordan at the Baptism of Christ, testifying to the Divinity of Jesus and saying: “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased; hear ye Him” (Matt. 17: 5).![]()
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(Continued in the comments)![]()
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Χρόνια Πολλά and God bless all who celebrate today! ☦️🙏🏼
9th Sunday of Matthew | Walking on the Water (Matthew 14:22–34)![]()
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The greatest miracle in today’s Gospel isn’t that Jesus walked on water.![]()
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It’s that Peter did too.![]()
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As long as Peter kept his eyes fixed on Christ, he did what was humanly impossible. The moment he shifted his attention to the wind and the waves, fear replaced faith, and he began to sink.![]()
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The same is true for us.![]()
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The storms in our lives are real. Anxiety, illness, financial pressures, broken relationships, temptations—they all rage around us. But we don’t sink because the storm is strong. We sink when we stop looking to Christ.![]()
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Even then, there is hope. Peter’s prayer was only three words:![]()
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“Lord, save me!”![]()
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And immediately Christ stretched out His hand.![]()
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Today, whatever storm you are facing, don’t spend your energy measuring the waves. Fix your eyes on Christ. If you’ve already begun to sink, cry out to Him. His hand is always closer than you think.![]()
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“Take courage! It is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27)
🇬🇷 NOW REGISTERING FOR THE 2026–2027 SCHOOL YEAR! 🇬🇷![]()
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Give your child the gift of the Greek language, culture, faith, and lifelong friendships at the Mississauga Hellenic Academy.![]()
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Whether your child is just beginning their Greek language journey or already speaks Greek, our program provides a fun, welcoming environment where students can grow in confidence while connecting with their heritage.![]()
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📚 Our program includes: 🇬🇷 Greek Language (Reading, Writing & Speaking) ⛪ Greek Orthodox Faith & Traditions 🏛 Greek History & Culture 🎶 Music, Dance & Celebrations 🤝 A Strong Sense of Community![]()
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Children of all Greek language levels are welcome!![]()
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📍 Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church 📝 Registration is now open!![]()
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🔗 Register today: hellenicacademy.ca/registration![]()
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Let’s help the next generation speak our language, embrace our faith, and celebrate our culture.![]()
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Our Language. Our Faith. Our Future. 💙![]()
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#MississaugaHellenicAcademy #GreekSchool #GreekLanguage #GreekCulture #GreekOrthodox
THANK YOU, FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS! 💙🇬🇷![]()
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What an incredible weekend! Greek Fest West 2026 would not have been possible without the amazing support of our sponsors, dedicated volunteers, talented vendors, parish members, and every single person who came out to celebrate with us.![]()
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Together, we shared our faith, our heritage, delicious food, incredible entertainment, and created memories that will last a lifetime.![]()
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📸 Did you take photos or videos during the festival? We’d love to see them! Please post them and tag #GreekFestWest so we can relive the memories together.![]()
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Thank you for making our community so special. We can’t wait to welcome you back next year!![]()
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💙 Ζήτω! See you at Greek Fest West 2027!![]()
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#GreekFestWest #ProphetElias #Mississauga #GreekFestival
