The Academy celebrated the Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple

The Feast of the Entrance the mother of God into the Temple is filled with deep meanings that can be revealed through worship and prayer. It reminds the Christians how long-awaited event overturned the history of a mankind and relationships between God and a man were rethought. 

The festive chants tell about the extraordinary mystery revealed to the world. The holiest place on earth, the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem Temple, was opened before three-year old Mary. Following the Jewish custom, nobody could have entered the Holy of Holies, and the high priest entered it only once a year. 

According to the biblical text, the temple in Jerusalem was the only and unique place of the presence of God. But then the Lord deigned to enter our world and dwell among people as a Man. From the beginning of time, He has chosen the Virgin, who would be able in the future to meekly answer the angel who announced to Her. And She became that heavenly ladder, by which the Savior came and the gate that the Lord entered.

Therefore, on the day of the Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple, the Christian heart is filled with joy, because every step of little Mary brings the Lord’s coming into our lives closer. Chants filled with Christmas joy give rise to bright and warm spirit and we come to church to honor the Mother of God in our prayers.

On December 3, Archimandrite Venedikt (Knyazev) officiated an All-night Vigil at the Intercession Academic Church co-served by the academic clergy. At the Great Vespers he performed a festive litany and offered a prayer to the Lord for the consecration of bread. 

Before the Kathisma, Rostislav Zemlyanukhin, a fourth-year undergraduate student, delivered a sermon.

On December 4, Bishop of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Academic Church co-served by teachers and students in the priesthood. 

At the antiphons, Bishop Kirill tonsured third-year undergraduate students Sergey Lavrentyuk and Stepan Puchkanev as Readers.

After the Eucharistic Canon, the Rector ordained Mikhail Zhylyak, a second-year student of the Moscow Theological Academy, into a deacon.

Before the Communion, Georgy Son, a first-year Master's student, delivered a sermon, in which he correlated some details from the history of the feast with some stages of the spiritual life of Christians. 

After the prayer behind the ambo, the academic clergy, headed by the Rector, sang the glorification to the Mother of God in front of the icon. Then, Bishop Kirill greeted an assembly and addressed it with his archpastoral word. 

Background information:

Clergy served at the All-night Vigil: Archimandrite Venedict served by Archimandrites Platon (Igumnov), Hilarion (Farkovets), Luka (Golovkov), Simeon (Tomachinsky), Abbots Adrian (Pashin), Gerasim (Dyachkov), Hieromonk Varnava (Losev), Archpriest Sergius Zabelich, Abbot Meletius (Sokolov), Hieromonk Theodore (Yulaev), Priest Valery Dukhanin, Hieromonks Cassian (Plosky), Damian (Voronov), Job (Urum), Innocent (Melikhov), Deacon Dimitry Maslov, Hierodeacon Pimen (Shein), Deacon Dionysius Makarov. 

Clergy served at the Divine Liturgy: Bishop Kirill co-served by Archimandrites Venedikt (Knyazev), Platon (Igumnov), Hilarion (Farkovets), Luka (Golovkov), Simeon (Tomachinsky), Abbots Adrian (Pashin), Gerasim (Dyachkov), Hieromonk Varnava (Losev), Archpriest Sergius Zabelich, Abbot Meletiy (Sokolov), Priests Stefan Domuschi, Dimitry Baritsky, Hieromonk Theodore (Yulaev), Priest Valery Dukhanin, Hieromonks Cassian (Plosky), Damian (Voronov), Mikhey (Kopytov), ​​Boris (Zelyuchenko), Job ( Urum), Innokenty (Melikhov), Deacon Dimitry Maslov, Hierodeacon Pimen (Shein), Deacon Dionysius Makarov.

Chanting performed by the second academic choir under the conduct of A.O. Leventsova and the second mixed choir led by K.A. Alekseeva. 

MThA Press Office