Services performed on the day of St. Philaret of Moscow
Сегодня Русская Православная Церковь чтит память святителя Филарета, митрополита Московского.
Today the Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow. He held responsible and honorary positions, was a preacher at the Holy Trinity- St. Sergius’s Lavra and a disciple of Metropolitan Platon (Levshin). Later he became a professor and rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. His unique preaching talent made him known all over St. Petersburg and even in a royal court. In the 1812 St. Philaret donated his personal savings to army and three years after the end of the war he composed a thanksgiving prayer for the salvation of a country.
Saint Philaret was one of the main translators of Bible into Russian and wrote "The Christian Catechism of the Orthodox Catholic Eastern Greek-Russian Church", which was in great demand and was translated into foreign languages. In 1821, the saint became the Metropolitan of Moscow. In his new position he always helped the clergy and people, and defended interests of the Russian Church. On November 19, 1867, Metropolitan Phiilaret peacefully departed to the Lord.
The collection of the Moscow Theological Academy Museum contains a collection of portraits and St. Philaret’s personal belongings. Since 1951, thanks to the initiative and the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy I, the Memorial Day of Metropolitan Philaret has been resumed at and the “Philaret Evenings” have been held at the Moscow Theological Academy.
On December 1, the Rector Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite officed an all-night vigil at the Intercession Academic Church.
During the reading of the canon, Vladyka Theodorite ordained, a third-year undergraduate student Mikhail Yakutik into a subdeacon.
On December 2, Bishop Theodorite celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
After the reading of the Holy Gospel, Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite addressed the worshipers with an archpastoral word.
During the reading of the canon, Bishop Theodorite ordained subdeacon Mikhail Yakutik into a deacon.
Before the Communion, Hegumen Dionisy (Shlyonov) delivered a sermon in which he spoke about Saint Philaret’s life and encouraged to imitate lives of great saints:
Отец Дионисий рассказал о жизни святителя Филарета и призвал верующих подражать великим святым:
Saint Philaret realized true love for God in his own life. Let us try, dear brothers and sisters, to imitate great saints with all the strength of our lives. Let us strive for a prayer that is the art of arts. It is not organized by external processes of our life, but becomes more important for us than breathing. Let us follow the words of St. Gregory the Theologian who once said: "You need to pray more than breathe».
At the end of the service, Bishop Theodoret together with the clergy of the academic church, praised Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow.
Background information:
Chanting performed by a male choir under the conduct of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov) and a female choir led by Ksenia Alekseeva.
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