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Magnificent Athonite Feast of Our Lady of the Harvest, on Limnos
The wonder-working icon of Our Lady of the Harvest is kept and venerated in the Dependency of the Holy Monastery of Simonos Petras in Propouli on Limnos.
Together with the icon of Our Lady, we also have the icon of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. The Fathers teach us that it’s impossible to view the Incarnate Word separately from Mary, His Mother.
In the same place we find icons of the Apostles, what we call the ‘Feast of the Twelve’. We’re taught by tradition and the hymns of the Church that almost 2,000 years ago, the Apostles ‘hastened on clouds from the ends of the earth, in order to bury Our Lady’.
Faithful to the Apostolic tradition, the fathers of Simonos Petras go to the dependency of Our Lady of the Harvest in order to honour the great feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.
The focal point of the celebrations is the services which take place in the little church. These are performed in the Athonite manner.
People of all ages, from not only the island but the whole of Greece, contribute towards helping the Simonopetrite fathers in whatever way they can.
The feast lasts four days. This being Greece, one of the most important tasks is setting the tables!
Everything is done for the glory of God, in honour of His Mother and for love of the fathers of the monastery.
The numbers of people attending were particularly impressive.
Those in the choirs sang in the Athonite manner.
Vespers and a canon of intercession to the Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God, were held every evening.
Mattins in the morning, with the Divine Liturgy.
The Small Entrance
Come let us worship and bow down before Christ…
‘Peace be with you all’. ‘And with your spirit’.
Wisdom. Arise. Let us hear the Holy Gospel.
The blessed, departed founders of this Holy Monastery…
Let us lift up our hearts
Learning by experience
Part of the celebrations was devoted to the one-year memorial service for the repose of the late Dimitrios Markakis, always a warm participant in the feast, whom the Lord called to the bosom of Abraham while he was still a young man.
Local priests also played their part in the proceedings, together with the Athonite fathers.
With the spirits of the righteous…
May your memory be eternal, our blessed and ever-remembered brother.
Before the festal Vespers, the wonder-working icon of Our Lady was welcomed.
The icon was carried to the entrance of the dependency by the people of Propouli and Atsiki
Our Lady of the Harvest is one of the very few icons of the Mother of God in which she is depicted as wearing white.
Entrance into the narthex, where the faithful were able to venerate the icon.
Have mercy upon us Lord, according to Your great mercy, we beseech You hear and have mercy
Most Holy Mother of God pray for us.
Gladsome light of the holy glory…
Front and centre, the editor of the English edition of Pemptousia.
Rejoice Mother of God and Maiden Mary, full of Grace, the Lord be with you.
Intercede always for the protection and salvation of the young
... for we have been granted your protection
…unto the ages we bless you in your radiance
Service to others is a fundamental monastic virtue.
The scent of spiritual fragrance
Learning by experience
Prokeimenon of the Epistle
Those who seek the Lord shall not lack anything that is good
Apostles gathered here from the ends of the earth...
The procession of the icon
Those on earth rejoice, adorned by your divine glory...
And I have you as an intercessor towards the merciful Lord, that He will not censure my actions before the angels...
Again we pray for those who live, work and bring forth fruit on this island...
Hail, you who are full of grace, the Lord is with you
He Who blessed the five loaves and from them filled five thousand men...
Your mysteries are a source of wonder, Pure Lady
The rich have been made poor and hungry…
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