Sunday services at the Moscow Theological Academy

On December 4 and 5, Sunday services were held at the Intercession Academic Church. 

The Gospel passage of the day recalled the Savior’s parable of a fool rich man.

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: «The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, «What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops? So he said, «I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, «Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.» But God said to him, «Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? «So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.» (Luke 12: 16-21)».

When a person forgets about his death, indulges in idleness and earthly pleasures, it happens that he is not ready to appear before God. The false feeling of immortality gives a person a wrong impression that he will never die. 

In the parable, the Savior reminds his disciples that pleasures last for a short time and will disappear. The only thing that a person takes with him to the eternity is his soul. That’s why the Lord calls everyone to be rich in God and gives an example of a fool rich man who made wrong investments.

On December 4, Archimandrite Luke (Golovkov) led the All-night vigil at the Intercession Academic Church co-served by teachers and students in the priesthood.

On December 5, Archimandrite Hilarion (Forkavets) celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Academic Church.

On this day in 2008, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II passed away. During the Divine Liturgy they officed a funeral litany for the ever-memorable Primate of the Russian Church. 

After singing the sacrament verse, priest Nikita Zakharov, a 4th-year undergraduate student, delivered a sermon:

The Gospel parable turns the spiritual gaze inwards. The question asked by a rich man is correct, but, unfortunately, his answer and conclusion are totally wrong.

A person who puts idleness as a goal of his life is fool. We often hear that life is for pleasure, but this is a huge mistake. Instead of indulging in honorable deeds like love, joy and peace, people spend their time in selfishness and lust.

What should I do? The rich man asked this question and could not find the right answer. But the one, who believes in God spend his life trying to multiply his virtues».

Background information: 

Chanting performed by a male choir conducted by V.V. Chuvilov and a mixed choir led by K.A. Tarelkina.

MThA Press Office