Our Holy Father Nektarios was born on 1st October 1846 at Selymvria in Thrace, Northern Greece. His parents, Demos and Maria Kephalas, were pious Christians but not rich in this world's goods. Their son was baptized Anastasios and, from infancy, showed great piety and love for study. When his mother taught him Psalm 50 (51), he liked to repeal the verse: "I shall teach Thy ways unto the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto Thee."

"The Lord has set up his throne in heaven, rules with universal sway. Bless the Lord, all you Angels of his; Angels of sovereign strength, that carry out His commandment, attentive to the word He utters; bless the Lord, all you Hosts of His, the servants that perform His will; bless the Lord, all you creatures of His, in every corner of His Dominion; and thou, my soul, bless the Lord" (Psalm 102:19-22).

In the 4th century, Pope Sylvester and Patriarch Alexander established this day to celebrate the nine orders of Angels. According to a Church Canon of the Fourth-century Council of Laodicea, Angels are not to be worshipped. Each Angel has his particular service, but all are equal in honor. The Hierarchy of the Nine Orders is six-winged Seraphim, many-eyed Cherubim, godly Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels.

It is characteristic that our Lord teaches us to address God not only Father, but as our Father, not my Father. Thus, he deters us from a selfish relationship with God. There is God and us, not God and I. Thus our heart 'embraces' all our fellow men who are by nature our brethren, due to our common origin from God, the Father. Our heart also embraces all Orthodox Christians who, due to our common faith and common birth from the same spiritual 'womb' of the Church, the Holy Font, are in addition our brethren by Grace and by Spirit.

The Lord's Prayer begins with this invocation. The Lord teaches us to name God, Father.

Father, because He is Our Creator and Maker, the granter of being, of life.

Father, because for us Christians He is also the granter of well being, of the adoption which He gave us through Jesus Christ. Before Christ, due to our apostasy from our Heavenly Father, we were not only separated from Him, but we were, also, His enemies. Jesus Christ, the Son of God the Father, by nature, with His Incarnation and His Crucifixion, reconciled us to God the Father and made us His children by Grace. With Holy Baptism, we received the grace of adoption. Thus we became brethren in Christ, Who is the first born amongst many brethren.

Meanings in Gospel discourse are formulated in the Holy Spirit and therefore with enduring value and view to eternity.

Every teaching, parable, story and description, as well as every phrase, every word and every "detail" contained in the Gospel of Christ is of greatest depth and significance. These are not exhausted by a mere superficial interpretation, the most our own poor spiritual measure can conceive.