The academic family prayed at the first Lenten services
On Monday, March 2nd, the first week of Great Lent, first Lenten services were held at the Moscow Theological Academy.
They different in structure from ordinary ones and usually abound with knee-prayers and singing psalms.
The service began with morning prayers and matins. The bishop of Zvenigorod Pitirim, Rector of the Academy, read six psalms in the academic church of the Intercession of Theotokos.
Let our fast be pleasant, pleasing to the Lord: the true fasting is evil alienation, abstinence of the tongue, fury refusal, lust excommunication, desecration, lies and oath-crimes. Them impoverishment is true and auspicious fasting.»
At the end of Vespers, the bishop of Zvenigorod Pitirim, together with ordained academic teachers performed a memorial service.
In the evening of the same day, the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy performed a great supper with the reading of the great compline with a canon of St. Andrei of Crete.
After reading the canon, a fourth-year student Arseniy Smirnov said a sermon which was dedicated to the meaning of fasting:
Fasting makes us more sensitive and attentive to our spiritual inner world. It provides an opportunity to think deeply and intently. It also helps to direct our inner gaze to the window of our soul in order to open it and let Christ into our heart. To let the Doctor in we need to show our determination, our desire to change, to work, to exercise, to act. After all, the Christian is a fighter and an ascetic».
Background information:
Утреннее богослужение в Покровском академическом храме совершил иеромонах Феодор (Юлаев). Ему сослужили: диаконы Димитрий Маслов, Захар Савельев, Антоний Лужанский, Димитрий Лукаченков, Дионисий Ким.
На утреннем богослужении пели второй академический хор под управлением Дмитрия Михалёва и третий академический хор под управлением Серафима Мороза.
Великое повечерие совершил епископ Звенигородский Питирим. Ему сослужил архимандрит Платон (Игумнов).
На вечернем богослужении пел второй академический хор под управлением Виталия Чувилова и третий академический хор под управлением Серафима Мороза.
MThA Press Office
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