Selwyn, Ontario, August 7, 2026
Photo: Holy Transfiguration Antiochian Orthodox Monastery
The first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the grounds of Holy Transfiguration Antiochian Orthodox Monastery last week, marking the first public gathering at what will become the Bethany Retreat Centre in Canada.
The Liturgy took place on Thursday, August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, and drew about 150 faithful who traveled from the greater Toronto area and Ottawa, the monastery reports.
The day began with Orthros, followed by the Divine Liturgy of the feast, celebrated by three priests under tents erected for the occasion.
In his homily, Fr. Georges Mokbel reflected that the Transfiguration reveals Christ’s Divine glory rather than a change in Who He was, with the veil of His humanity drawn back on Mount Tabor so that what had always been true could, for a moment, be seen. Drawing on St. Gregory Palamas, he explained that Christ was manifesting the Uncreated Light of His own Divine nature, hidden beneath His flesh from the beginning—a light that may be granted to others too, through repentance, spiritual discipline, and contemplative prayer, though never automatically or on demand.
Photo: Holy Transfiguration Antiochian Orthodox Monastery
He traced this revelation back through the Law and the Prophets, through Moses and Elijah, who stood beside Christ on Tabor, noting that even Peter, James, and John didn’t yet fully understand what they had witnessed—their faith would only ripen later, after Pentecost. From this he drew the homily’s central teaching: the revelations of God take time, and are received through faith, perseverance, and patience, as with Noah, who labored a hundred years in faith before seeing the promise fulfilled.
Following the Liturgy, the community observed the traditional Blessing of the Grapes for the feast, offering the first fruits of the harvest to God.
A potluck followed, with parishioners sharing food together on the feast, and attendees later walked the grounds while the youth enjoyed sports and fellowship in the fields.
Photo: Holy Transfiguration Antiochian Orthodox Monastery
The day closed with a Paraklesis service to the Theotokos, during which the Great Canon was chanted. Fr. Georges reflected on the Gospel account of Christ’s visit to Bethany, where Martha, anxious and burdened with many tasks, and Mary, sitting at his feet to listen to his teaching, received him—noting the fitting coincidence that this same Gospel was appointed for the Great Paraklesis on this very day. It’s this Bethany that gives its name to the future Bethany Retreat Centre, meant to offer the faithful a place of rest at the feet of Christ, under the shelter and guidance of the monastics of Holy Transfiguration Monastery.
The monastery, established on a donated property with 750 feet of shoreline on Pigeon Lake, was visited by His Eminence Metropolitan Saba in late June, when he blessed the grounds and met with the project’s board of directors to discuss plans for the retreat center and the future monastery buildings.
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