The Academy celebrated Lazarus Saturday
On April 23 and 24, the Orthodox Church honors Saturday of the sixth week of the Great Lent, with festive services in order to remember were the miraculous resurrection of the four-day Lazarus.
So, when Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Relatives were in despair and wept bitterly for the deceased. Seeing this, the Savior shed tears Himself and asked to take Him to the burial cave. After praying to the Father, He loudly called out: «Lazarus, come forth!» What happened next amazed everyone, because
Когда Господь прибыл в Вифанию, Лазарь находился во гробе уже четыре дня. Родные пребывали в отчаянии и горько плакали об умершем. Видя это, Спаситель прослезился и попросил отвести Его к погребальной пещере. После молитвы Отцу Христос громко воззвал: «Лазарь, выйди вон!». И случилось великое чудо, которое изумило всех:
the dead man came out, wrapped hand and foot in burial shroud, and his face was tied with a kerchief. Jesus says to them: Untie him, let him go».
The news that Jesus had raised a four-day deceased man quickly spread throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. Many people greeted Him as King and met Him as the Savior with palm branches. Seeing that, high priests made the final decision to kill Christ, however, the resurrection of Lazarus clearly showed that Jesus of Nazareth was the true God, Who had power even over the death.
On April 23, Priest Vasily Ravlik officed an evening service at the Intercession Academic Church.
On April 24, the Rector Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Academic Church co-served by teachers and students in the priesthood.
While singing antiphons, Bishop Theodorite elevated Yevgeny Sibilev, a fourth-year undergraduate student of the Nikolo-Ugresh Seminary, to the rank of a subdeacon.
During the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Theodorite ordained Deacon Vladimir Aleshkov, Secretary of the Nikolo-Ugresh Seminary Academic Council, into a presbyter and Subdeacon Eugene into a deacon.
After singing the Sacrament verse, Ivan Valov, a 3rd year undergraduate student, delivered a sermon.
The resurrection of four-day Lazarus became an incomparable example of the Lord’s love and revealed the power stronger then the death that was Christ».
Background information:
Chanting performed by male choirs under the conduct of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov) and V.V. Chuvilov.
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