The Christian life is a dynamic and relentless process of getting to know the True Source of this life. Thanks to sacraments, a man can be in touch with God in person. Uniting with Christ in the Eucharist and a prayer, the believer gains strength and inspiration to transform his life. At the same time, God gives man an opportunity to discover in himself an inexhaustible depth of the Divine wisdom. At the Liturgy, we unite in one community gathered in the name of Christ.
On August 31, Archimandrite Kirill (Zinkovsky), Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, headed the Akathist to the Mother of God at the Intercession Academic Church.
On September 1, Archimandrite Kirill (Zinkovsky) celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the home church of the Moscow Theological Academy co-served by the academic clergy.
After the communion verse, Archimandrite Simeon (Tomachinsky) delivered a sermon, in which he explained the Gospel passage of the day:
Pray and work are basic things of our life. They are the two wings that take us to Heaven. If there is no prayer, then we will not have inspiration and will not have the strength to do some creative work. If we only pray and abandon daily tasks, we will not get the result we are expecting.
At the end of the service, the Rector greeted teachers and students with the beginning of a new academic year.
After the dismissal, they offered up a prayer to the Lord to bestow on them wisdom and enlightenment to understand the teaching.
At the end of the prayer service, teachers and students went on a procession to the Trinity Cathedral to pray at the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh asking him a blessing for the new academic year.
The Bishop of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov Thomas, Abbot of the Holy Trinity- St. Sergius’s Lavra, officed a prayer service at the Trinity Cathedral.
Thanking St. Sergius for taking care of the Lavra and the Academy, Bishop Thomas addressed Archimandrite Kirill with a welcoming speech:
It is easy to build houses, to repair buildings or to gild domes. However, the most difficult thing is to bring up a person. It is even more difficult to bring up a true priest. Dear Archimandrite Kirill, I wish you God’s mercy and the intercession of St. Sergius to do this difficult but salvific work. I wish all your affairs were blessed and support by St. Sergius.
The archpastors also congratulated teachers and students of the Academy on the beginning of the new academic year:
Dear brothers and sisters, dear students, I would like to wish you wisdom. As apostle James said, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3, 17). I wish you improved and strengthened in the virtues and become good Christians and true priests studying here, in the monastery of St. Sergius.
After the prayer service, according to a tradition teachers and students venerated the relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh.
Then, the Rector, teachers and students took a collective photo on the steps of a bell tower. After that, they proceeded to an academic necropolis to pray for the repose of the deceased mentors and honor the memory of Professor Konstantin Efimovich Skurat on the 93rd anniversary of his birth.
Hieromonk Vyacheslav (Sorokin) led the funeral service.
Background information:
Clergy prayed at the Divine Liturgy: Archimandrite Kirill (Zinkovsky), Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Archimandrite Venedikt (Knyazev), Archimandrite Hilarion (Forkavets), Archimandrite Luke (Golovkov), Archimandrite Simeon (Tomachinsky), Abbot Lazar (Gnativ), Abbot Nikifor (Kirzin), Archpriest Pavel Velikanov, Archpriest Sergiy Zhirov, Abbot Melety (Sokolov), Abbot Adrian (Pashin), Archpriest Sergei Zabelich, Hieromonk Varnava (Losev), Archpriest Mikhail Vakhrushev, Hieromonk Theodore (Yulaev), Priest Stefan Domuschi, Priest Dimitry Baritsky, Hieromonk Kassian (Flat), Priest Pavel Lizgunov, Hieromonk Vyacheslav (Sorokin), Priest Andrey Lysevich, Hieromonk Mikhey (Kopytov), Hieromonk Athanasius (Italo), Hieromonk Procopius (Rudchenko), Hieromonk Boris (Zelyuchenko), Hieromonk John (Merzlyakov), Hieromonk Serapion (Zalesny), Deacon Dimitry Maslov, Deacon Nikolai Goyuk, Hierodeacon Ioanniky (Pajan), Hierodeacon Job (Urum).
Chanting at the Akathist performed by academic choirs under the conduct of E.V. Borovinsky and V.V. Chuvilov.
Chanting at the Liturgy performed by a male choir led by Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov) and a mixed choir under the conduct of K.A. Alekseeva.
Chanting at the prayer service to St. Sergius of Radonezh led by Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov).
Chanting at the funeral service at the academic necropolis performed by a choir under the conduct of E.V. Borovinsky.
