“Come, let us ascend to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of our God and see the glory of His transfiguration”. The Academy celebrated the Transfiguration of the Lord

The Transfiguration of the Lord described in the Gospel encourages Christians to respond to the Lord’s call and ascend the mountain of Communion. This celebration is about the divine light that enlightens our daily lives.

In the church the light shines in saints, in liturgical rites, in the candle flame. It illuminates faces of our relatives, friends and acquaintances. Turning his mind's eye to this light, a person ascends above daily routines. The Lord wants the unfading light to be reflected inside our hearts.

God comes to us in the Sacrament of the Divine Liturgy and lifts us to the Mount of Transfiguration. By making us partakers of the Divine light, the Lord opens the gates to His Kingdom. Let us joyfully exclaim together with Apostle Peter, “Lord, it is good for us to be here!”

On August 18, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, officiated a festive All-night Vigil on the Transfiguration of the Lord.

During the service, Bishop Kirill officiated a festive lithia co-served by the academic clergy and offered up a prayer to the Lord for the consecration of bread. 

On August 19, Bishop Kirill celebrated the Divine Liturgy co-served by the academic clergy at the Intercession Academic Church.

At the antiphons, Bishop Kirill elevated Reader Georgy Derbush, a second year postgraduate student, and Reader Pavel Kazakov, a fourth year undergraduate student, into a rank of subdeacon.

And after the Eucharistic Canon, he ordained Reader Dmitry Shchurov, an employee of the Sretensky Theological Academy, into a deacon.

After the prayer behind the ambo, the academic clergy sang the glorification to the Lord in front of the icon of the Transfiguration. Then, according to tradition, Bishop Kirill consecrated fruit of a new harvest brought by the parishioners.

At the end of the Liturgy, the Rector addressed an assembly with his archpastoral word. 

Background information:

Clergy served at the All-night Vigil: Bishop Kirill co-served by Archimandrites Venedikt (Knyazev), Hilarion (Forkavets), Hegumen Lazar (Gnativ), Hieromonk Barnabas (Losev), Hegumen Adrian (Pashin), Hieromonks Kirill (Sorokin), Kassian (Plosky), Mikhei (Kopytov) ), Athanasius (Italo), deacons Dimitry Maslov, Nikolai Goyuk, Sergiy Tsyba, hierodeacons Ioanniky (Padzhan), Innokenty (Melikhov), Anthony (Streblyachenko).

Clergy served at the Divine Liturgy: Bishop Kirill co-served by Archimandrites Venedikt (Knyazev), Hilarion (Forkavets), Hieromonks Varnava (Losev), Kirill (Sorokin), Kassian (Plosky), Micah (Kopytov), ​​Athanasius (Italo), Deacon Dimitry Maslov, Hierodeacons Ioanniky (Padzhan), Innokenty (Melikhov), Anthony (Streblyachenko). 

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