“Come, believers, let us approach the tomb of the Mother of God”. The Academy had divine services in honour of the Assumption of the Most Holy Theotokos

On the 11th Sunday after Pentecost, the Holy Church commemorates the Assumption of the Mother of God. For Christians, It is a triumph of life over death, a celebration filled with Easter joy. The Assumption became a sacrament of awakening for an everlasting life.

On August 27, the holiday eve, teachers and students gathered at the home church of the Moscow Theological Academy for a joint prayer. Archimandrite Hilarion (Forkavets) led the akathist to the Mother of Gor. The Bishop of Venev Theodorite officed an All-night vigil co-served by the academic clergy.

At the all-night vigil, Bishop Theodorite led the festive Lithia with the blessing of the bread.

At the Matins, the choir sang the Burial troparion and the clergy solemnly brought the shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos from the altar, which was put in the center of the church for general veneration. The priesthood sang special Praises to the Mother of God and performed the rite of the Burial.

At the Canon, a quartet conducted by Ivan Bondaruk, a third-year undergraduate student, sang the exapostilarion.

After the Great Doxology, the academic clergy, students, teachers and parishioners went on a procession with the shroud and singing the hymn to the Mother of God.

On August 28, Bishop Theodorite celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Church of the Moscow Theological Academy co-served by teachers and students in the priesthood.

After reading the Gospel, Bishop Theodorite delivered a sermon.

Hieromonk George (Pimenov) delivered a sermon after the Sacramental verse. He spoke about a life of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is carefully preserved in the Orthodox Tradition:

Everyone is summoned to be close to God and a spiritual relationship with His Son. Although we cannot be in a physical relationship with God, the whole human race in a broad sense is connected by blood with each other and God’s Son. However, the most important thing is to have a spiritual kinship with the Lord.

Why did the Mother of God have such spiritual eagerness? First of all, it was her upbringing. She was brought up at the Temple, She had pious parents, She had wonderful spiritual teachers, although we do not know their names. Thus, we can conclude that education is a very important and decisive factor for a human life. We won’t raise up to the high spiritual standards set by Jesus Christ if we do not do our best.

After the dismissal, the clergy sang the glorification to the Mother of God. After the service, Bishop Theodorite said a farewell speech in front of the entire academic family and the parishioners of the Intercession Academic Church.

Background information:

Clergy served at the akathist: Archimandrite Hilarion (Forkavets), Archimandrite Luka (Golovkov), Hieromonk Varnava (Losev), Hieromonk Dometian (Kurlanov), Hieromonk Boris (Zelyuchenko), Hieromonk John (Merzlyakov), Hieromonk Serapion (Zalesny), Deacon Dimitry Maslov Hierodeacon Theodosius (Makarov).

Clergy served at the All-night vigil and the Divine Liturgy: the Bishop of Venev Theodorite, Archimandrite Venedict (Knyazev), Archimandrite Hilarion (Forkavets), Archimandrite Luke (Golovkov), Archimandrite Simeon (Tomachinsky), Abbot Lazarus (Gnativ), Abbot Meletius (Sokolov), Abbot Adrian ( Pashin), Abbot Cyprian (Yashchenko), Priest Sergiy Zabelich, Priest Dimitry Baritsky, Hieromonk Cassian (Plosky), Hieromonk Vyacheslav (Sorokin), Hieromonk Dometian (Kurlanov), Priest Anatoly Kolot, Priest Andrey Lysevich, Priest Valery Dukhanin, Hieromonk Athanasius ( Italo), Hieromonk Procopius (Rudchenko), Hieromonk Boris (Zelyuchenko), Hieromonk John (Merzlyakov), Hieromonk Serapion (Zalesny), Deacon Dimitry Maslov, Deacon Nikolai Goyuk, Hierodeacon Theodosius (Makarov).

Chanting performed by choirs under the conduct of K.A. Alekseeva and K.A. Tarelkina.

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