The Academy officed divine services of the Holy Cross Week of the Great Lent

 On the third Sunday of the Holy Fortecost, the Christians remember the sufferings of Christ the Savior and venerate His Life-Giving Cross, which became the tool for the all mankind salvation.

On March 26, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite officed an All-night vigil at the Intercession Academic Church. 

Before reading the Kathisma, Eldar Kostuev, a 1st year Master's student, delivered a sermon:

“Holy Tradition tells us that when emperor Nero ordered to arrest Apostol Peter, he tried to flee Rome to save his life. While he was leaving the city, he suddenly saw Our Lord Jesus Christ. "Lord, where are you going?" asked His apostle. “I am going to Rome to be crucified again,” the Lord answered him. After those words, Apostle Peter returned to Rome, was imprisoned and crucified a few days later. On the day of his execution, the apostle asked his tormentors to crucify him not in the same way as his Divine Teacher, because he felt unworthy. So, he died on the cross being turned upside down.

The example of Lord’s disciples teaches us how we should follow His. Surely, not every Christian will get an opportunity to become a martyr for his faith. However, everyone is called to follow Christ and carry his own life cross".

On March 27, Bishop Theodorite celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Academic Church.

At the Antiphons, Bishop Theodorite tonsured third-year undergraduate students John Uzkikh, Stefan Sumin, Sergiy Zavadsky and Valery Golod as Readers. Then the Rector elevated Valery Golod, a student of the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s Humanitarian University, into the rank of subdeacon.

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

At the end of the Eucharistic Canon, Bishop Theodorite ordained Subdeacon Valery Golod into a deacon.

After singing the communion verse, Dmitry Sandulyak, a 2nd year Master's student, delivered a sermon:

“According to Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lyon, to heal a person, the Lord repeated his path and restored in Himself the day, when Adam fell. He reproduces the event that led to sin in order to heal and correct everything in Himself by His Divinity. That’s why, Jesus Christ was crucified and died on the same day when Adam had sinned and spiritually died. As it is written in Genesis, «in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die» (Gen. 2:17).

Christ restores this day in Himself, accepted suffering on Friday, the Saturday eve when Adam was created, in order to renew humanity in Himself by His death, so that it would no longer be clothed in death, but in Life. Through the tree of the Cross Christ reunites us with Himself. In the Garden of Eden, Adam, had committed a sin and become mortal. In the Garden of Gethsemane the Lord was taken for the death in order to revive the primordial. In the afternoon, Adam hid in paradise. In the afternoon, Christ brought the thief to paradise. If Adam in Paradise was deprived of his natural glory, the Lord returned it to him through His death on the Cross. For Adam death is the loss of connection with God and His life-giving grace, then for Christ death is the acquisition of glory and healing of the human nature. Jesus answered them, saying, «The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. (John 12:23–24).”

Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin) and the clergy of the academic church co-served Bishop Theodorite at the All-Night Vigil and the Divine Liturgy.

Background information:

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

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