The Academy celebrated the feast of Presentation of Christ in the Temple

On the fortieth day after Christmas, the Mother of God brought the Divine Infant to the Jerusalem Temple fulfilling the Law of Moses. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, the righteous elder Simeon took Him in his arms and prophesied:

«Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel» (Luke 2:29-32). (Лк. 2:29–32).

This meeting became a symbol of meeting the Old Testament presented by St. Simeon the God-bearer with the New Testament.

On February 14, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, officed an All-night vigil at the Intercession Academic Church.

Before the reading of the Kathisma, Deacon Andrey Kravtsov, a first-year Master's student, delivered a sermon.

At the Matins, the Rector read a festive canon together with Deacon Dmitriy Maslov.

On February 15, Bishop Theodorite celebrated the Divine Liturgy co-served by teachers and students in the priesthood.

At the antiphons, Bishop Theodorite tonsured 3rd and 4th-year undergraduate students of the Academy Vasily Bormashev, Nikita Parakhin, Fyodor Zakharov, Seraphim Gladkikh as readers and elevated Vasily Startsev, a fourth-year undergraduate student of the Sretenskaya Theological Academy, who was also elevated into a subdeacon.

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

At the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Theodorite ordained Subdeacon Vasily Startsev into a deacon.

After the sacrament verse, Hieromonk Varnava (Losev) read out the greetings from His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill dedicated to the celebration of Orthodox Youth Day.

After the dismissal, the Rector, teachers and students sang the glorification.

Then, Archimandrite Platon (Igumnov), congratulated the Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy on the tenth anniversary of his priestly ordination on the behalf of teachers, staff and students of the Academy. Bishop Theodorite was given a memorial panhagia depicting the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple.

Then, an academic choir sang many years to Bishop Theodorite.

Background information:

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

MThA Press Office

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