On Thursday, August 6, 2026, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, the first Divine Liturgy was celebrated on the grounds of Holy Transfiguration Antiochian Orthodox Monastery in Selwyn, Ontario, a historic and holy milestone marking the first public gathering at what will become the Bethany Retreat Centre.
Approximately 150 faithful attended, traveling from St. George Church and the greater Toronto area, with additional participation from parishioners of St. Elias Cathedral in Ottawa, a notable showing of support given that the feast fell on a weekday.
The day began with Orthros (Matins) followed by the Divine Liturgy of the feast, celebrated under large tents erected for the occasion. Serving together were V. Rev. Fr. Georges Mokbel, V. Rev. Fr. Nektarios Najjar, and Rev. Fr. Ibrahim Farah, with the choir of St. George Church leading the hymns of the feast.
In his homily, Fr. Georges reflected that the Transfiguration is the revelation of Christ’s divine glory rather than a change in who He was: on Mount Tabor, the veil of His humanity was drawn back so that what had always been true could, for a moment, be seen. Drawing on St. Gregory Palamas, he explained that Christ was not taking on something new at the Transfiguration, but manifesting the uncreated light of His own divine nature, which had been hidden beneath His flesh from the beginning, and that this same light may be granted to others as well, through repentance, spiritual discipline, and contemplative prayer, though never automatically or on demand.
He traced how this revelation was centuries in the preparing, through the Law and the Prophets, through Moses and Elijah, who stood beside Christ on Tabor, and noted that even Peter, James, and John, having seen Christ’s glory and heard the Father’s voice, did not yet fully understand, their faith would only ripen later, after Pentecost. From this he drew the sermon’s central teaching: the revelations of God take time, and are received through faith, perseverance, and patience in the spiritual life, as with Noah, who labored a hundred years in faith before seeing the promise fulfilled.
He connected this teaching directly to the day’s gathering: the community’s presence on the property was itself a living icon of that patience, the fruit of years of belief and labor by those who worked toward the founding of the first Antiochian Orthodox monastery in Canada, now the owner of the future Bethany Retreat Centre. Many more revelations of this project, he said, will unfold by God’s grace and in His own timing, as the community continues to labor in faith and patience toward them.
Following the Liturgy, the community observed the traditional Blessing of the Grapes for the Feast of the Transfiguration, offering the first fruits of the harvest to God. The grapes carry deep symbolism: Christ’s own words, “I am the vine,” the transformation of grapes into the wine that becomes His Precious Blood in the Divine Liturgy, and the patience required for the fruit of the vine to mature.
A potluck meal followed, with parishioners sharing food and breaking bread together on the feast. Afterward, attendees walked the grounds of the property, and the youth enjoyed sports and fellowship in the fields.
The day concluded with a Paraklesis service to the Theotokos, during which the Great Canon was chanted. Fr. Georges offered a closing contemplation on the Gospel account of Christ’s visit to Bethany, where He was received by Martha and Mary: Martha anxious and burdened with many tasks, and Mary sitting at the feet of Christ to listen to His teaching. He noted the fitting coincidence that this same Gospel of Bethany, the place where Christ found rest among His beloved friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, was appointed for the Great Paraklesis on this very day. It is this Bethany that gives its name to the future Bethany Retreat Centre, whose purpose will be to offer the faithful a place of rest at the feet of Christ, for prayer and spiritual life, under the shelter and guidance of the monastics of Holy Transfiguration Monastery.
We would like to thank all who worked hard to prepare for this milestone, all who attended, and God Who allowed us to be part of this glorious day.
