Selected hymns from the Service to St. Gavrilia the Ascetic of Love (+1992)

St. Gabrilia the New (source)

Selected hymns from the Service to St. Gavrilia the Ascetic of Love (+1992) - Commemorated on March 28th (the day of her repose) and July 18th (the translation of her Holy Relics), composed by Dr. Charalampos Bousias.

Prosomoia of the Vespers Stichera in the Fourth Tone. You have given a sign.

O Gavrilia, you became a lamp of goodness, shining with light to the ends of the world in the last days, working and preaching love to all, O Mother, and having worked with strength like an Angel, you emptied yourself, and through pains and trials, you thus filled up your all-good heart, O all-famed one.

O Gavrilia, you mounted a golden chariot driven by stallions of chastity, and were taken up to the all-radiant mansions of Heaven to rejoice together with the ranks of the Angels, and to be glad together with the divine choirs of Mothers, O Spirit-bearer, and support of love and archetype of compassion, who pleased Christ through your practical ways.

As we celebrate your all-sacred memory today, O Gavrilia, the ranks of the faithful bless you as the new boast of Missionaries, and all-radiant lamp of ascetical Mothers, and they place blossomed crowns of hymns upon your head, O beloved of God, who led mortals without delusion towards the Heavens.

O newly-planted aromatic herb from famed Constantinople, and fragrant flower of the Church, and beautiful rose of the island of Leros, who truly pours forth the fragrance of your ascetical pains, O Gavrilia, along with your all-praised and wise [words], and the fragrance of healings of both soul and body which is carried to the ends of the world.

Doxastikon of the Stichera in the Plagal of the Second Tone.

She who was lifted up by the Angels to the ends of the world, to transmit the springs of her love to water thirsty souls of mortals, O Gavrilia, the Ascetic of Love, in compunction let us honor her, and cry out to her in faith: O Mother, equal to the Angels, who dedicated herself to Christ, and healed those in need and suffering, make us worthy as well to serve everyone in need, imitating your ways, and those of Him Who came to serve, and not to be served: our Lord the God-man.

St. Gavrilia the New (right), depicted with Sts. Maria of Paris (left) and Matrona of Moscow (center) (source)

Idiomelon of the Litia in the First Tone.

She who ever counted the deeds of service to her neighbor to be pleasing to God, let us honor, the noble and all-praised Gavrilia, for she gave this offering to all as a seal of the presence of Christ, and shone forth without ceasing with His love from her whole heart to the whole race of men. And truly, Christ rejoices together with her love, and she ever entreats Him on behalf of our souls.

Apolytikion in the Plagal of the First Tone.

O you worker of love, and most chaste ascetic nun, * O Gavrilia, protector of those in danger and need,  * and great helper and a missionary of our Christ, * let us all praise her with our hymns, * for she offers unto all the great graces of her nepsis, * and she entreats to our Creator * on behalf of those blessing her.

Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone. O Champion General.

O fellow traveler of warm love and humility, * and in the world you lived, but your life surpassed this world, * and who ever prayed and offered up her very self, * as a sacrifice most willingly unto Christ, * Gavrilia, let us hymn God's bright ascetic Saint, * and with fervor cry out: * Rejoice, O Mother inspired by God.

Oikos

An Angel of love, of offering and sacrifice, you were shown to be, O chaste Gavrilia, and the adornment of ascetics, and the most-precious pride of missionaries, and the director of mortals towards Heaven, therefore, we cry out to you these things:

Rejoice, haven of the love of Christ,

Rejoice, protector of those in dangers.

Rejoice, shoot of the City of Constantine,

Rejoice, adornment of Lambs of the Most-high.

Rejoice, most-precious and holy dwelling place for Leros,

Rejoice, beautiful and radiant treasure of Heaven.

Rejoice, seal of the love of Agathangelos,

Rejoice, you who froze the traps of him who hates goodness.

Rejoice, unemptying spring of nepsis,

Rejoice, stacte of fragrant asceticism.

Rejoice, rod for lost sheep,

Rejoice, protection for many who are suffering.

Rejoice, O Mother inspired by God.

Synaxarion

On March 28th [or July 18th], the memory of our venerable and God-bearing Mother Gavrilia, the New Ascetic of Love.

Verses

With love, O chaste one, you ever covered all,

And a covering covered by God, Gavrilia was shown to be.

Icon of St. Gavrilia, detail, by Julia Bridget Hayes, available for order here. (source)

Prosomoia of the Praises in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone. O strange wonder.

O strange wonder! The lily of Constantinople, Gavrilia the New, the chaste, who filled the world with the fragrance of your pains and groins and your divine words, O Spirit-bearing Ascetic of Christ, who ever emptied herself for all those in need. And those who approached you, to them you made known the name of Christ, O missionary.

Rejoice, dwelling-place of love, O Gavrilia, you became a spring of offering and self-emptying of the treasures of your heart for those far and near. Rejoice, speedy protector of the poor. Rejoice, new adornment of Mothers. Rejoice, example of a life of purity. Rejoice, unassailable shield of piety. Rejoice, banquet of faith.

Rejoice, offering equal in zeal of the chaste Agathangelos, who gave you your dwelling-place which you named "The House of the Angels" in Athens, in which you gave shelter and hospitality and guidance for all those who came to you suffering and in need. Rejoice, O radiant lamp of grace.

As we celebrate your sacred and bright memory, O Gavrilia, and desire to achieve your feats, O most-compassionate Mother, as you gave yourself towards the perfection of virtue and towards love and good deeds, with compunction we cry out to you: Protect and guide and surround all of us, and deliver those in dangers, who honor you with psalms and hymns.

Doxastikon of the Praises in the Plagal of the First Tone.

Those whom you lifted up many from the bed of the passions towards dispassion, and from sinfulness towards repentance, from poverty towards fulness of good things, and from ignorance towards knowledge, and from delusion towards the Orthodox faith, their ranks now honor you, O Spirit-bearing Gavrilia, and they cry out to you: O most-compassionate Mother, equal to the Apostles in zeal, and fellow-dweller with love: do not cease entreating the Lord of glory for peace of the whole world, and for salvation of souls for those who honor your memory.

 (source)

The Holy Grave and Relics of St. Gavrilia on the island of Leros (source)

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Mother Gabriela, the Ascetic of Love, is canonized (Gerontissa Gavrielia Papagiane +1992)

St. Gabriela, the Ascetic of Love - Commemorated on March 28th (the day of her repose), and July 18th (the day of the translation of her relics) (source)

Gerontissa Gabrielia (Gavrielia) was born in Constantinople more than a hundred years ago on October 15, 1897 to Helias and Victoria Papayanni and was the fourth and last child of the family.

Gerontissa means further than an older nun, supervising the youngers, a spiritual person, who guides others with wise advice and knowledge given from God, in prayers. Her life is a trail of wonders.

She grew up in Constantinople until her family moved to Thessaloniki in 1923. She went to England in 1938 and stayed there throughout the Second World War. She trained as a chiropodist and physiotherapist. In England they honored her for her services during the war and after.

In 1945, she returned to Greece. In 1954, March, her mother died and it changed her life. Sister Gabrielia left Greece and traveled overland to India, where she worked with the poorest of the poor, even the lepers, for five years. She worked with Baba Amte and his family, who built and organised village-communities for the lepers of India. She kept no penny in her pocket. Just trusted herself in His hands.

In 1959, she went to the Monastery of Mary and Martha in Bethany, Palestine, to become a nun. When she arrived, she asked Fr. Theodosius the chaplain for a rule of prayer. Fr. Theodosius was somewhat surprised to find that she could read even ancient Byzantine Greek. Therefore, for her first year in the monastery he set her to reading only the Gospels and St. John Climacus.

She was three years in Bethany. In April 1962, Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople sought to send an Orthodox monastic to Taize in France. Sister Gabrielia went from Taize to America.

In 1963, she was back in Greece. The Gerontissa was tonsured to the Small Schema by Abbot Amphilochios (Makris) on Patmos in the Cave of St. Anthony under the Monastery of Evangelismos just before she and the nun Tomasina left again for India. Elder Amphilochios was enthusiastic at the idea of a nun, who would be open to the active outreach in the world. In India, she was for three years in Nani Tal in Uttar Pradesh, where Fr. Lazarus (Moore) was the priest and where he consulted the Gerontissa in his translations of the Psalter and the Fathers. Between 1967 and 1977, Gerontissa traveled in the Mission field of East Africa, in Europe, including visiting old friends and spiritual fathers Lev Gillet and Sophrony of Essex, again to America, and briefly in Sinai, where Archbishop Damianos was attempting to reintroduce women's monasticism.

She traveled extensively, with much concern and broad love for the people of God. Some of her spiritual children found her in Jerusalem beside the Tomb of Christ; others found her on the mission field of East Africa. In the 50s and 60s, she used to have a few thousands of spiritual friends from all over the world! She used to pray for everybody day and night!

In the year 1977, she lived hidden in a little apartment, the "House of the Angels" in Patissia, Athens, in the midst of the noise and smog and confusion of central Athens. In 1989, she moved to Holy Protection hermitage on the island of Aegina, close by the shrine of St. Nectarios. There she called the last two of her spiritual children to become monastics near her, and there she continued to receive many visitors. At the start of Great Lent in 1990, she was hospitalized for lymphatic cancer. She was forty days in the hospital, leaving during Holy Week and receiving communion on Pascha. And to the puzzlement of the doctors, the cancer disappeared. It was not yet her time.

Gerontissa finally withdrew to quiet. With only one last nun, she moved for the last time in this life, to the island of Leros. There they established the hesychastarion of the Holy Archangels. Only in this last year of her life did she accept the Great Schema at the hands of Fr. Dionysious from Little St. Anne's Skete on Mount Athos. He came to give her the Schema in the Chapel of the Panaghia in the Kastro on the top of Leros.

Gerontissa Gabrielia reposed on March 28, 1992, having never built a monastery. Her biography and collected writings were published in Greek in 1996, through the work of her last monastic daughter and the contribution of many, many others, who held the Gerontissa dear.

Anyone, who knew the Gerontissa realized that God has not left us without His saints, even down to the present day. The few words recorded here scarcely suggest the clarity and love of her soul. Words are only the tools of this world; the wonder of Gerontissa was wrapped in the mystery of the silence of the world to come. She was humility and love incarnate.

(source)

See here for a recent feast on the 22nd anniversary of the translation of her holy relics.

St. Gabriela, the Ascetic of Love (source)

On October 3rd, 2023, she was canonized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate (source)

Selected Quotes

Two things are very important… “Love one another,” and “Fear not, only believe.”

We become a reflection of Heaven by saying: ‘Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven’.

 If you have love for all the world, the whole world is beautiful.

If you do not get rid of “No” and “Tomorrow” from your life, you will never get to where the Lord wants you, Who grants you everything. He will give you the bodily strength when you answer “Yes” and “Now”. The prophets, the angels and the saints all said, “Behold here I am… Let it be according to Your word.”

Truth and light are synonymous.When you follow the truth you are in the light, you are with Christ.

True prayer always reaches heaven. The angels carry it to the right place and the answer comes. Its basis is Truth, and “Not My will, but that of the Father Who sent me.”

Say prayer-ropes also just with “Thank you”. 
 The angels always come. You should have continual conversation with your guardian angel. About everything. Especially in difficulties and when you cannot get across to someone. He always helps.

 When it is in God’s programme for you to go somewhere, you will go. That is why I am generally quiet in life. I have observed that even if a person does not want to, God moves him.

Never expect anybody to understand you. Only God.

When one is alone with God, the time passes unimaginably quickly. More quickly than when you have companionship… And yet even within the world one can remain united with God. How? When whatever he is doing he directs his thoughts to Him… when whatever good comes his way he gives Him glory… and whatever testing he meets, he gives Him thanks.

Love means to respect the freedom of the other.

You must not talk about persons who are absent.

 Love is always on the cross. Because Christ is on the cross.

If coal is not “beaten”, can it become diamond?

The Lord allows those who love Him to be tested, first, so that their faith in Him may grow stronger, and second, to set an example for those around.

Some people want to go to the Resurrection without passing by way of Gologatha.

The sermon on the mount and the epistle of Saint James. Every day! What a pity that we do not hear them more often…

My wishes: may the grace of our Christ, the love of the omnipotent Father and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit be with you! May your example be the life of the Mother of God, who will lead you at every step with her archangels and angels as your heavenly mother; that you love your mother who brought you into life and brought you up, and may you give love and joy first to her, and then to all who come near you.

Nun Gavrilia (1999). Mother Gavrilia: The Ascetic of Love. Athens: Ekdoseis K. Papagiannoulis Tertios & Sia. (source)

Another interview on the Saint here, and writing here.

St. Gabriela, the Ascetic of Love (source)

Apolytikion (Plagal of the Fourth Tone)

In thee the image was preserved with exactness, O Mother; for taking up thy cross, thou didst follow Christ,and by thy deeds thou didst teach us to overlookthe flesh,for it passeth away, but to attend to the soul since it is immortal.Wherefore, O righteous Gavrilia, thy spirit rejoiceth with the Angels.

(source)

"My heart will burst from Love" - About Mother Gavrilia - Orthodox Christian Talk (Nov 30 2019), Speaker: Heiromonk Michael of St. Gregory Palamas Monastery in Perrysville, Ohio - Recorded Nov 30 2019, In this presentation Fr Michael will offer reminiscences of Mother Gavrilia of Leros, "The Ascetic of Love," and her five languages of Christian living. Given at the St John the Baptist  Ukrainian Orthodox Church Oshawa Spiritual Retreat (Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church Oshawa) (source)

The first liturgy celebrated in her honor at the Metropolis Chapel of St. Sophrony on Leros, before her Holy Skull, celebrated October 4th, 2023 (source)

The Metropolitan of Leros chanting her Megalynarion for the first time during liturgy on October 4th, 2023 (source)

   

Icon depicting Sts. Maria of Paris, Matrona of Moscow and Gavrilia (source)

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Mother Gavrielia: "When we surrender ourselves totally..."

Jesus Christ the Son of God the Savior of the world (source)

  
"When we surrender ourselves totally to the Power and the Love of God, then we will understand that all things occurred as God desired, and because God allowed them."
-Eldress Gavrielia (+1992).

(source)

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Elder Nikon of New Skete: "Show me your faith from your works..."

Excerpt from an interview with Elder Nikon of New Skete where he discusses faith, works and evangelism as regards the Christian faith (source)

   

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!

Mother Gavrielia: "If you have love for the whole world..."

Mother Gavriella (+1992) (source)

   

"If you have love for the whole world, the whole world is beautiful."

-Mother Gavriella the Missionary, the "Ascetic of Love" (+1992)

   

(source)

   

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!