The Feast of the Annunciation of Theotokos at the Patriarchate

On Wednesday, 25 March/7 April 2021, the Patriarchate celebrated the feast of the Annunciation of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos in the city of Nazareth, at the holy shrine where this event took place.

On this feast, the whole Church and especially the Church of Jerusalem  in joy and gratitude towards God, commemorates according to Saint Luke the Evangelist (Ch. 1:26-36), that Archangel Gabriel was sent by God to the Virgin Mary and announced that She was going to conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear in the flesh His Only Begotten Son. With Mariam’s reply, “behold the maiden of the Lord, let it be done unto me according to Thy word”, the Bodiless was made flesh, He became incarnate, for the sake of the rebirth, renovation and salvation of the humankind from the corruption of death.

This feast was officiated by H.H.B. our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, with co-celebrants their Eminences: Metropolitan Kyriakos of Nazareth, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Metropolitan Joachim of Helenoupolis,Hagiotaphite Hieromonks with first in rank Elder Kamarasis Archimandrite Nectarios, Arab-speaking Priests, Archdeacon Mark and Hierodeacon Simeon. The chanting was delivered by the choirs of Nazareth and Acre and the service was attended by as many faithful as possible within the covid-19 restrictions, and the Consul General of Greece in Jerusalem Mr Evangelos Vlioras.

Before the Holy Communion His Beatitude delivered the following Sermon.

Source: Patriarchate of Jerusalem