The Academy held festive services On Palm Sunday

On April 17, Palm Sunday, the Holy Church celebrates the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.

The believers bring willows with them, which symbolize palm branches thrown at the feet of Christ the Savior on His way to Jerusalem. 

The Lord entered the city before the celebration of the Passover, when the Jews remembered their miraculous escape from Egypt and were preparing a lamb for sacrifice. The Savior like that sacrificial lamb came to Jerusalem to be sacrificed for men’s sins.

Today, Christians joyfully greet the Savior and prepare for the coming Holy Week.

On April 16, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, officed an all-night vigil at the Intercession Academic Church co-served by the academic clergy.

At the evening service, Priest Nikita Zakharov, a fourth-year undergraduate student, delivered a sermon:

A Christian is the one who lives with Christ, follows Him, and zealously serves God and his neighbours. The whole life of the Christian is concentrated on the Personality of the God-Man. This faith makes us as the Most Pure Mother of God, the myrrh-bearing women and the beloved Christ’s disciple of John, who was with His until the very end. Their whole lives were examples of love, faith and devotion to their Teacher. So let us imitate those great saints, glorify the Creator and ask to be with Him in the Heavenly world.

At the Canon, Bishop Theodorite elevated reader John Gechev, a 3rd year undergraduate student, into a rank of subdeacon.

On April 17, the Rector celebrated the Divine Liturgy co-served by teachers and students in the priesthood.

At the antiphons, Bishop Theodorite tonsured 3rd year undergraduate students Pyotr Kodintsev, Artyom Smirnov, Nikolai Shvidky, and Igor Yakushev as readers.

After reading the Gospel, Bishop Theodorite addressed an assembly with his archpastoral word.

During the service, the Rector ordained Deacon John Penkov, a fourth-year undergraduate student, into a presbyter and subdeacon John Gechev into a deacon.

After the sacramental verse, Vasily Veretennikov, a fourth-year undergraduate student, delivered a sermon:

"Today is a great day in human history. The Saviour humbly entered Jerusalem, where he would defeated the devil on the Cross and triumphs in the glory of His Father. We believe that through the glory of Christ we can change our lives and the world around us."

At the end of the service, the Rector and the academic clergy sang the glorification of the holiday.

Background information:

Chanting performed by a male choir under the conduct of E.V. Borovinsky and a mixed choir led by S.P. Borovinskaya.

MThA Press Office