Academy celebrated the feast of Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos
On the fifth week of the Great Lent, the Holy Church annually celebrates the Feast of Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos, when the akathist to the Mother of God is solemnly read.
The Feast of Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos established in memory of saving Constantinople from enemies. This tradition especially recalls numerous attacks of the Hagarians and Persians, who tried to conquer the capital at night. The Greeks were not ready to defend from their enemies, so they turned with a prayer to the Mother of God and lowered the Robe of the Most Holy Theotokos into the waters of Bosphorus. As a result, a sudden storm wrecked the ships of invaders. After this miraculous deliverance, citizens thanked the Holy Virgin ta the Blachernae church and created a famous kontakion:
Being saved from all wicked and evil, praise to the chosen and victorious Governess, we as your humble servants praise to the Mother of God as to the One Who has an invincible power to free us from all troubles, let us call: Rejoice, the Unmarried Bride».
Over time, the veneration of this holiday spread to other countries, and in the first half of the 7th century, the Akathist of the Mother of God was created. Later, it became a part of the liturgical practice of the Orthodox Church and was included in the service.
On April 16, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, officed an evening service at the Intercession Academic Church, and together with the academic clergy read the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos.
During the reading of the Canon, Bishop Theodorite elevated a first-year Master student monk Savva (Tatsiy) to the rank of a subdeacon.
On April 17, Bishop Theodorite celebrated the Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom, co-served by teachers and students in the priesthood.
After the Eucharistic Canon, the Rector ordained subdeacon Sava (Tatsiy) into an hierodeacon.
Reader Ioann Penkov, a 3rd year undergraduate student, delivered a sermon, in which he spoke about the glorification of the Mother of God and the feast of the Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos.
Orthodox worship is impossible without glorifying of the Mother of God, without recalling Her as the Great Intercessor for the Christians. There are some holidays during the year, when we profoundly praise of the Queen of Heaven, and one of such days is the feast of the Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos. The very name of the holiday reveals its spiritual meaning. The Christian life is inconceivable without the glorification of God and His Mother. The same meaning is behind the very name of our faith, Orthodoxy.
The history of this holiday goes back to the time of the Byzantine Empire, when its capital city was repeatedly besieged by numerous conquerors. And each time it was miraculously saved from complete devastation by the Mother of God. Grateful citizens honored their Heavenly Intercessor. The Feast of Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos was established by the 9th century».
Background information:
Chanting performed by a male choir under the conduct of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov) and a female choir led by K.A. Alekseeva.
Chanting at the Divine Liturgy performed by a female choir under the conduct of Elena Biletskaya.
MThA Press Office
