“Rejoice the earth! Praise the heaven the glory of God!” The Academy celebrated the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

A miraculous event took place in a city of Galilee named Nazareth, where the angel Gabriel was sent by God to bring unbelievable news to the Virgin. Who will comprehend this great Sacrament? Or who can truly praise the Virgin, who accepted the news for the sake of the Incarnation of the Lord?

«Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!... The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible» (Luke.1:28,35-37)

During the evening service, The Bishop of Zvenigorod Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, led the evening service with the Great Compline, a festive lithia and polyeleos matins/ Bishop Kirill performed a lithia and blessed the bread. 

Before the Kathisma, Prokhor Ivanov, a fourth-year undergraduate student, delivered a sermon dedicated to the courage and determination of the Virgin. She was not afraid to take the responsibility of becoming the Mother of God and through this played Her role in human salvation. 

On April 7, Bishop Kirill co-served by the academic clergy celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Academic Church. 

Newly tonsured monks Philaret, Innokenty, Anthony, Arseny, Gregory and Pimen prayed in the altar of the Intercession Church. 

After the Sacrament verse, Nikolai Shcherbatykh, a first-year Master's student, delivered a sermon. In his speech, he turned to the Old Testament image of the Burning Bush as a prophetically sign of the Mother of God. 

After the dismissal, the clergy sang the glorification in front of the central icon of the Annunciation. Then Bishop Kirill addressed an assembly with his archpastoral word: 

Background information: 

Clergy served at the All-night Vigil: Bishop Kirill co-served by Archimandrites Venedikt (Knyazev), Platon (Igumnov), Hilarion (Farkovets), Luka (Golovkov), Simeon (Tomachinsky), hegumens Lazar (Gnativ), Adrian (Pashin), Gerasim (Dyachkov), hieromonk Varnava (Losev), Archpriest Sergiy Zabelich, Hieromonk Theodore (Yulaev), Priest Dimitry Baritsky, Hieromonks Apollinaris (Panin), Cassian (Plosky), Mikhey (Kopytov), ​​Boris (Zelyuchenko), Procopius (Rudchenko), Serapion (Zalesny), Deacons Dimitry Maslov, Nikolay Goyuk, Alexander Vivtonenko, Hierodeacon Job (Urum).

Clergy served at the Divine Liturgy: Bishop Kirill co-served by Archimandrites Platon (Igumnov), Hilarion (Farkovets), Luka (Golovkov), Simeon (Tomachinsky), Abbots Lazar (Gnativ), Adrian (Pashin), Gerasim (Dyachkov), Hieromonk Barnabas (Losev), Archpriest Sergiy Zabelich, Priest Dimitry Baritsky, Hieromonks Cassian (Plosky), Mikhey (Kopytov), ​​Boris (Zelyuchenko), Prokopy (Rudchenko), Serapion (Zalesny), Deacons Dimitry Maslov, Nikolai Goyuk, Hierodeacon Ioanniky (Padzhan). 

Chanting performed by a male choir conducted by V.V. Chuvilov and a mixed choir led by S.P. Borovinskaya.Chanting performed by a male choir conducted by V.V. Chuvilov and a mixed choir led by S.P. Borovinskaya. 

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