On July 18, 2024, on the feast of the finding of the relics of the Venerable Sergius, Hegumen of Radonezh (1422), His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the Cathedral Square of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra.
The solemn divine service was held before the venerated icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh. For the festive All-Night Vigil and the Divine Liturgy a platform was arranged on the Cathedral Square, and in front of the Assumption Cathedral of the Lavra — a throne under the canopy.
His Holiness was served at the Liturgy by: Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, head of the Mid-Asian Metropolitan District; Metropolitan Varsonofiy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Metropolitan Pavel of Krutitsy and Kolomna, Patriarchal Vicar of the Moscow Metropolis; Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavl, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Metropolitan Grigory of Voskresensk, Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate, First Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia in Moscow; Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Department for External Church Relations; Metropolitan Nikandr of Naro-Fominsk, chairman of the Financial and Economic Administration of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Sergius of Samara and Novokuibyshevsk; Metropolitan Kirill of Kazan and Tatarstan; Metropolitan Joseph of Ivanovo-Voznesensk and Vichuga; Metropolitan Seraphim of Balti and Svetlogorsk; Metropolitan Daniel of Kurgan and Belozersk; Metropolitan Theognost of Kashira; Metropolitan Theodosius of Tambov and Rasskazovsk; Metropolitan Georgy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas; Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky; Metropolitan Panteleimon of Lugansk and Alchevsk; Metropolitan Tikhon of Orel and Bolkhov; Metropolitan Zinovy of Saransk and Mordovia; Metropolitan Zinovy of Saransk and Mordovia; Metropolitan Zinovy of Mordovia href="http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1498657.html">Metropolitan Pavel of Khanty-Mansiysk and Surgut; Metropolitan Vladimir of Vladivostok and Primorsky Krai; Metropolitan Nikon of Astrakhan and Kamyzyak; Metropolitan Isidor of Smolensk and Dorogobuzh; Metropolitan Feodor of Volgograd and Kamyshinsk; Metropolitan Vasily of Ekaterinodar and Kuban; Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov, Vicar of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, Rector of Moscow Theological Academy; Bishop Alexis of Ramensk, personal secretary of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill; the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The bishops and clergy of the Local Orthodox Churches participated in the service: Metropolitan Niphon of Philippopolis, representative of the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Bishop Stefan of Remezia, representative of the Patriarch of Serbia to the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; Archimandrite Seraphim (Shemyatovsky), representative of the Rep. href="http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/134583.html">Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia at the Moscow Patriarchal See; Protopriest Daniel Andreiuk, representative of the Orthodox Church in America.
Holy Vladyka was also served by: Archimandrite Makary (Veretennikov), Doctor of Church History, a resident of the Lavra; Protopresbyter Vladimir Divakov, Secretary of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for the city of Moscow; Archimandrite Ieretinov, Archbishop of Moscow and All Russia. Moscow; Archimandrite Jeremiah (Solovyov), the lavra's superior; Archimandrite Alipiy (Kastalsky-Borozdin), the lavra's superior; Hegumen Dionisiy (Shlenov), the vicar of Andriyevsky Stavropigial Monastery in Moscow; Archimandrite Diodor (Didkovsky), a monastic of the Lavra; Hegumen Hilarion (Goyuk), a monastic of the Lavra; other monks of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and suburbs of the monastery in the priesthood; clergy of Moscow.
The service was attended by: Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Construction and Housing & Utilities S.A. Pakhomov; the head of the Sergiev Posad City District of the Moscow region D.A. Akulov; First Deputy Director General of JSC «Russian Railways» V.V. Mikhailov; Advisor to the Vice-Governor of the Moscow region, head of the jewelry and art workshop «Apostol» I.S. Kharkov; deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Hero of Russia, pilot-cosmonaut E.O. Serova
Also present were Major-General A.A.S.
Major General A.A. Salnikov, Deputy Head of the Main Military and Political Department of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardia), officers of the Rosgvardia were also present.
Rosgvardeys took part in the organization of festive events in Sergiev Posad, dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of St. Sergius of Radonezh. They deployed a tent camp for pilgrims and volunteers, provided folding beds and field bedding, and set up a food station to prepare hot meals in field kitchens. The protection of public order during the cross procession «From the Sovereign to the Venerable» was ensured by the officers of extra-departmental security, OMON «Peresvet» and servicemen of the capital connection of the Central District of the Russian Federal Guard.
The abbesses of the stavropegial monasteries, monastics, participants of the procession «From the Sovereign to the Venerable» and numerous pilgrims prayed at the service.
The Liturgical The hymns were sung by the combined choir of the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra and the Moscow Theological Academy under the direction of Hieromonk Nestor (Volkov).
The patriarchal divine service was broadcast live on TV channels «Soyuz» and «Spas», as well as on the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarchy.ru.
At the Litany of Liturgy, special petitions were offered, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill read a prayer for Holy Russia.
Hegumen Philip (Elshin), a resident of the Lavra, delivered a sermon before Communion.
After the Liturgy, His Holiness, members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church and hierarchs who had arrived at the Lavra for the feast celebrated a prayer service to the Hegumen of the Russian Land.
After the prayer service, the vicar of the Lavra, Bishop Kirill of Sergiev Posad and Dmitrov, addressed a welcoming speech to His Holiness the Patriarch.
From the platform on the Cathedral Square, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the flock with the Most High Patriarch's speech:
«Dear lords, fathers, brothers and sisters!"
On this special day for our Church and, I am not afraid to say, for our Fatherland, I would like to cordially greet all of you at the
The example of St. Sergius testifies to the power of God.
The example of St. Sergius testifies to the power of God, for it is said that God by His power can make children of Abraham out of stones (see Matthew 3:9). He can make a humble monk into the leader of a great nation — a man who can inspire a people to fight in the most difficult moment of their history. And not just to inspire, but to convince that the victory will certainly be for our Fatherland. After all, everyone understood: if the Reverend calls to go to war, it is not for the sake of perdition, but only for salvation. And this faith in the providential power of the Monk, in his piety, in his life's exploits became the signal that really inspired and directed our soldiers to the Kulikovo Field, where victory was won. Through the prayers of St. Sergius our army was able to defend our country, and then expel the enemy.
Sometimes for the analysis of these or those historical events secular scientists use, that from their point of view is absolutely fair, an estimation of possibilities. So, at that time our army had no opportunity to defeat the enemy. And that is why even the most critical historians have — the deepest respect for St. Sergius and, of course, for the courage and heroism of our soldiers, who won a real victory. victory over the enemy. This story demonstrates that the power of God is made perfect in weakness (see 2 Cor. 12:9). But in what weakness? If the weakness is from our laziness, from our weakness, from our unwillingness to learn, from our unwillingness to carry out a feat, then there is no benefit from such weakness, but only harm to the one who is filled with laziness, and to those around him.
But the Lord always favors those who go their part of the way towards the result that is demanded. This is what we should all realize: the grace of God does not automatically make us children of Abraham, does not automatically give us victory, and therefore we must remember the part of responsibility for the results that lies with us. And this does not only apply to momentous battles or historical moments; it applies to many moments of our personal and official activity, our service to the Lord and the Church.
So, let us trust in God's will, attract His grace through prayer, and work in the sweat of our brow. Especially now I consider this call to work very relevant. What is happening in the world is frightening. There is a real apostasy — rejection of God, of the Divine commandments. Not just a rejection, because in the past they also rejected, — there is a desire to build a powerful universal civilization without God and without We know from the Old Testament that all such attempts, up to the building of the Tower of Babel, failed. We know from the Old Testament that all such attempts, up to the building of the Tower of Babel, failed. So this attempt to create a prosperous world by driving God out of it is meaningless. And I am glad that more and more of our people realize this. Through their personal experience people are becoming stronger in their faith, because many realize that indeed, as the Russian proverb says, without God — without God, nothing can really be done.
God grant, I want to say once again, by His grace to preserve the true sovereignty of the country, its freedom, its independence, and thus to ensure both spiritual and material prosperity. This is what our prayers should be about today. At a momentous time, dear lords, the Lord has destined you and me to carry out archpastoral service. Dear Fathers, I also remind you of this, so that everyone should carry out his pastoral ministry with boldness, without sparing his strength. And, addressing the faithful, our people, I urge them to keep the Orthodox faith, to strive to organize their lives in accordance with God's law, in order to have Divine assistance in everything we do.
With the prayers of St. Rev. &mdash. Our God-bearing father Sergius, hegumen of Radonezh, wonderworker, may the Lord protect our land, our Church, our rulers, and our people from all evil. Amen». Holy Patriarch Kirill then proceeded to the Trinity Cathedral of the monastery, where he laid his hands on the relics of St. Sergius and worshipped the icon of the Holy Trinity painted by St. Andrew Rublev. His Holiness also worshiped the shrines of the Serapion Chamber.
The Primate of the Russian Church spoke briefly with the participants of the international congress «Commonwealth of Orthodox Youth», which is taking place in Sergiev Posad these days. Orthodox youth presented His Holiness with a wood-carved Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God.
In the Throne Room of the Lavra's Patriarchal Chambers, His Holiness granted church awards to the bishops and clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church who are celebrating memorable dates this year. Traditionally, festive bishops' services on the day of the memory of St. Sergius of Radonezh were also held in the churches of the Moscow Theological Schools and the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra.
In the Church of the Intercession of the Holy Protection, the Divine Liturgy was presided over by Metropolitan of Tobolsk and Tyumen Demetrius, in the Church of St. John the Ladder-bearer — Metropolitan Rostislav of Tomsk and Asinovo. Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia
