The Academy officed funeral services of the Radonitsa

On May 3, the Moscow Theological Academy held funeral services on Tuesday of St. Thomas' Week, also called the Day of Rejoicing or the Radonitsa, at the Intercession Church.

On May 3, Archimandrite Venedikt (Knyazev) celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Church co-served by the academic clergy.

After the Liturgy, they officed a memorial service with Easter hymns.

Peter Trofimov, a first-year Master’s student, delivered a sermon:

“We, who confess the Resurrection, commemorate our deceased relatives on the Day of Rejoicing. This helps us to think about our own death and answer do we really want to see the Lord? If yes, do we like Job seeking His gaze? If we seek an answer from God with malice and arrogance, then we will hear the prophet’s words: “And you shall not escape from his hand, but shall surely be taken and delivered into his hand; your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, he shall speak with you face to face” (Jer. 34:3); “And the LORD will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the LORD, and He will be entreated by them and heal them” (Isaiah 19:22). But if we desire to see the Lord in the next age, we will see the eyes of God turned towards us, feel His love and hear from the Redeemer: “My eyes are on the faithful of the earth, to be with me; Whoever walks in integrity will serve me” (Ps. 100:6).

Hegumen Gerasim (Dyachkov), Vice-rector for administrative and economic work, officed a memorial service for the deceased professors and mentors at the academic necropolis.

Hieromonk Micah (Kopytov) officed a memorial service at the Blagoveshchensk cemetery in Sergiev Posad at the burial place of teachers and employees of the Academy.

Background information:

Chanting performed by a second male choir under the conduct of V.V. Chuvilov and a mixed choir led by K.A. Alekseeva.

MThA Press Office