The MThA Rector officiated Sunday services

Gathering for a joint prayer at the Divine Liturgy unites members of the Church in the Holy Spirit. Christ told His disciples about this spiritual kinship. He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, «Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother (Mat. 12:49–50). 

Like in a family, people connect by family ties with their relatives, so sometimes their feelings are clear without words.

In the Church, Christ ties us with bonds of spiritual kinship, which help to overcome all sorts of social divisions. They let people be in touch with God and one another through a prayer.

On November 26, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Kirill, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, officiated an All-night vigil at the Intercession Academic Church co-service by the academic clergy.

Before the Kathismas, Ivan Grigorovich, a fourth-year undergraduate student, delivered a sermon:

At the Advent, we can fully focus on purifying ourselves from sins and passions in order to prepare for meeting Christ. The virtue of temperance helps the Christian, as St. Gregory the Theologian said, «moderation is perfection».

On November 27, Bishop Kirill celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Church co-served by teachers and students in the priesthood.

At the antiphons, Bishop Kirill tonsured as a reader and elevated to the rank of subdeacon Dionysius Soldatenkov, a fifth-year student of the Orthodox St. Tikhon’s Theological Institute.

At the litany, Bishop Kirill pronounces special petitions for our country and the Russian army.

At the Great Entrance, Bishop Kirill ordained Deacon Vadim Zhilkov, a fourth-year MThA undergraduate student, into a presbyter. After the Eucharistic Canon, he ordained Subdeacon Dionysius Soldatenkov into a deacon.

After the Sacrament verse, Sergei Deykun, a fourth-year undergraduate student, delivered a sermon:

The Feast before Christmas is not only time for celebrations and gifts. It reminds us that the Lord came to earth to suffer and die for us, so everyone will be able to inherit an eternal life. Therefore, the Advent should turn into an active preparation for meeting with Christ.

After the dismissal, Bishop Kirill addressed an assembly with his archpastoral word.

Background information:

Clergy served at the All-night vigil: Bishop Kirill co-served by Archimandrites Venedikt (Knyazev), Platon (Igumnov), Hilarion (Farkovets), Luka (Golovkov), Hegumen Adrian (Pashin), Hieromonk Barnabas (Losev), Archpriest Sergei Zabelich, Hegumen Meletius (Sokolov ), Hieromonk Theodore (Yulaev), Priest Dimitry Baritsky, Priest Valery Dukhanin, Hieromonk Mikhey (Kopytov), ​​Hieromonk Boris (Zelyuchenko), Hieromonk Georgy (Pimenov), Deacons Dimitry Maslov, Nikolai Goyuk, Vadim Zhilkov, Hierodeacon Job (Urum).

Clergy served at the Divine Liturgy: Bishop Kirill co-served by Archimandrites Venedikt (Knyazev), Platon (Igumnov), Hilarion (Farkovets), Luka (Golovkov), Hegumen Adrian (Pashin), Hieromonk Barnabas (Losev), Archpriest Sergei Zabelich, Hegumen Meletius (Sokolov), Hieromonk Theodore (Yulaev), Priest Dimitry Baritsky, Priest Valery Dukhanin, Hieromonk Mikhey (Kopytov), ​​Hieromonk Boris (Zelyuchenko), Hieromonk Georgy (Pimenov), Priest Vadim Zhilkov, Deacons Dimitry Maslov, Nikolai Goyuk, Dionisy Soldatenkov, Hierodeacon Job (Urum).

Chanting performed by choirs under the conduct of V. V. Chuvilov and K. A. Alekseeva.

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