On the Holy Fathers’ Week, Bishop Theodorite performed the presbyter's and deacon's ordinations
On last Sunday before Christmas, the Holy Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Fathers. It remembers Christ's relatives and recalls His genealogy, which shows the mystery of our salvation and the special love of God for all humankind.
Неделя святых отец — последний воскресный день перед праздником Рождества Христова. В этот день Церковь вспоминает родственников Христа по плоти. Святая Церковь особо чтит их память, ведь родословие Христа говорит о тайне нашего спасения и об особой любви Божией ко всему человечеству: Сам Создатель всего сущего стал Человеком, принял на Себя плоть и родство со Своим творением.
St. Peter the Miracleworker, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, is one more saint ot be honored this day. His was born in a religious family and was brought up us a pious and devout man. At the age of twelve, he entered a monastery, where he studied the Holy Scripture and mastered icon painting. After a while, he left the monastery and retired on the river Rata, where he lived in complete recluse. Later, on that place St. Peter founded the Novodvorsk Monastery and became its abbot. At the end of the 13th century, the Patriarch of Constantinople Athanasius appointed St. Peter as a Russian Metropolitan. The saint took care of his flock and did a lot for the Russian land, which was suffering at that time from the Tatar-Mongol yoke. On December 21, 1326, St. Peter passed away and was buried in the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow Kremlin.
On January 2, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, officed an all-night vigil at the Intercession Academic Church co-served by teachers and students in the priesthood.
During the reading of the canon, Bishop Theodorite appointed Alexander Trebitshu, a second-year Master student of the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s Humanitarian University as a subdeacon.
On January 3, Bishop Theodorite celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
After reading the Holy Gospel, the Rector addressed an assembly with his archpastoral word:
Now in the Gospel reading we have heard a long list of Christ ancestors’ names. Most of them are barely pronounced and are out of use nowadays. Many people find this reading boring and lacking any moral message. But in the Gospel there are no “empty” places or moral gaps. Everything has its meaning. Even if it is not clearly seen.
So, here there is a whole history of human life behind the list of names. For example, the words “Abraham begat Isaac”. There are only three words, but there are several chapters of the Genesis behind them, which tell the aged Abraham and his long-awaited son Isaac. God rewarded the faith of the righteous. And Abraham not only had a son-heir, but he also received God’s promise that all humankind would be blessed thank to his seed and his Descendant, Christ.
However, there are not only righteous people mentioned in this genealogy.
We hear that King David begat Solomon from Uriah’s wife. And again, these few words contain a story of King David's sinful love.
So, a completely human genealogy consists of great righteous people and big sinners. It is enough to remember wicked kings Ahaz and Manasseh. It was under the reign of Manasseh that the veneration of the true God had been forgotten for almost 55 years.
Of course, one can say that St. Matthew’s main aim was to convince his fellow Jews that Jesus was truly from the royal line of David, so He was the Messiah. But for us, who no longer doubt that Christ is the Messiah, this genealogy has important moral and doctrinal terms.
Christ does not disdain his sinful human ancestors as He came into this world to solve the sinners.
Moreover, the Savior’s coming into the world had its impact on the past, present and future. The Apostle Peter writes in his Epistle that after His death Christ went to hell and there preached to the spirits. We believe that Christ’s sinful ancestors also heard the preaching, responded to it and were led out of the dark dungeon. But what does all this have to do with us? The Christians are also relatives of Christ the Savior. Not by blood as the Lord had repeatedly put blood relationship to nothing. The Jews boasted many times that they were Abraham descendants. However, the Lord stopped them and taught: “Everyone who does My Heavenly Father’s will is my brother, and sister, and mother”.
Remember what the Blessed Virgin told St. Seraphim of Sarov: THIS IS FROM OUR KIND. So, all the Christians are relatives to Christ the Savior, but not all are equally holy. As it was among Christ’s ancestors.
A sinning Christian remains a relative of Christ the Savior only when he sincerely repents his sins. Therefore, if we sin but repent, dare to have a firm hope that at His second coming Christ will recognize us as His brothers and sisters and will lead into His ancestral home. Amen".
After the Cherubic song, Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite ordained Deacon Zakhary Savelyev, a four-year student of the Moscow Theological Academy, into a presbyter.
At the end of the Eucharistic Canon, Bishop Theodorite ordained Subdeacon Alexander Trebitsha into a deacon.
Before the Communion, Hieromonk Tavrion (Smykov) delivered a sermon, in which he explained the meaning of venerating the Holy Fathers and an hagiography of St. Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow.
Background information:
Chanting performed by a male choir under the conduct of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov).
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