Solemn Services of the Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ Held at the Academy

Christmas Eve is the last day before the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. On this day, the church was filled with hymns and readings of prophecies about the Infant God, who was to come into this world. The Church glorifies the Creator, who became a creature and saved all humanity from the power of sin and death. And very soon, Christians will rejoice over the newly born Christ.

Today the Virgin inexpressibly gives birth to the Eternal Word in the cave. Rejoice, the universe, having received this news, glorify with Angels and shepherds welcoming the One who wants to appear - the Young Child, the Eternal God».

On January 6, at the morning service, the clergy of the Intercession Academic Church performed the sequence of the Royal Hours. This sequence consists of the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th hours with special psalms, the singing of troparia, Old Testament readings (paroemiae), and readings from the Epistle and Gospel.

At the conclusion of the Royal Hours and the Typica, the Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Bishop Kirill of Sergiyev Posad and Dmitrov, led the Vespers of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ in conjunction with the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.

During the Liturgy, His Eminence ordained fourth-year undergraduate student Alexei Smirnov to the deaconate.

Before Communion, Hieromonk Ioann (Merzlyakov) delivered a sermon dedicated to the approaching Feast of the Nativity of Christ. 

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the clergy performed the hymn of glorification to the Lord.

Then, Bishop Kirill addressed the academic community with an archpastoral word. 

Background information:

The festive hymns during the services were performed by the men's choir under the direction of Deacon Alexander Leventsov.

MThA Press Office