Sunday services on the Week of the Prodigal Son
On February 28, a name of this second preparation week before the Great Lent comes from the Gospel parable of the Prodigal Son read at the Sunday service.
In this parable, the Savior gives an example how much God loves His creation, it illustrates His mercy and endless love. The Creator is ready to forgive any faults, mistakes and wrongdoings. If a person takes a step towards God admitting his sin, the Lord embraces His lost child into His arms.
«And he said to him, «Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found». These final words are the answer to an elder son, who reproached his father for celebrating the return of his younger brother with a big feast. However, in this extract we see God's attitude to people and understand how He loves everyone despite our merits or failures.
Before the reading of Kathisma, a 3rd year undergraduate student Serafim Kosenko delivered a sermon, in which he talked about seeking the Lord in everyday life:
Перед чтением кафизм проповедь произнес студент 3 курса бакалавриата Серафим Косенко. Он рассказал о поисках Господа в повседневной жизни:
The presence of the Lord is real. Perhaps, the Jews found themselves crying on the rivers of Babylon because they saw the Lord but did not recognize Him? If we get used to the idea that God is just somewhere in a temple, on an icon or in Bible, will we look for Him in our everyday life? It is quite simple to allocate a separate place for Christ and live a life without Him. Fortunately, we have already known that He resurrected and with us to the end of the times. Now, if we call ourselves Christians, then we are summoned to seek Him, try to see Him and recognize His presence in everything that surrounds us, for example, our families, friends, classrooms or offices. If we learn to see the Lord in our everyday life, we will avoid the fate that befell the Jews who wept on the rivers of Babylon».
During the all-night vigil, a male choir of the Moscow Theological Academy performed the 136th psalm "On the rivers of Babylon".
During the reading of the Canon, Bishop Theodorite elevated Reader Alexander Rakitin, a four-year student of the Sretenskaya Theological Seminary, to the rank of subdeacon.
On February 28, Bishop Theodorite celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Church.
After reading the Gospel, Bishop Theodorite addressed an assembly with his archpastoral word.
During the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Theodorite ordained a second-year graduate student of the Sretenskaya Theological Seminary, Deacon Iakov Bely-Kruglyakov into a presbyter and Subdeacon Alexander Rakitin into a deacon.
After singing the sacrament verse, Pyotr Trofimov, a four-year undergraduate student of the Moscow Theological Academy, delivered a sermon. Its main topic was the true man’s dignity:
The base of man’s dignity lies in the image of God, but not in power over the nature. The image of God is a source of this power and its cause. The image of God is such a great asset that next to it all the rights and privileges that human society can give to a person are flawed and incomplete. This true dignity cannot be destroyed or taken away by force. The only thing that darkens the God's gift is our sin».
Background information:
Chanting performed by a male choir under the conduct of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov) and a female choir led by Ksenia Tarelkina.
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