Moscow: St. Sava celebrated in the church of Holy Apostles

In the church of Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Moscow, the Representation of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the great feast-day of St. Sava, the first Archbishop of the Serbian Church, was officially marked.

His Grace Bishop Antonije of Moravica, Vicar Bishop of Patriarch Irinej, served a vigil on the evening of the feast-day, along with the priests attached to that church. On the very feast-day  the Divine Lituregy was headed by His Grace Paisius of Shchygro and Mantura . with concelebration  of Antony and a number of priests and hieromonks.

Saint Sava celebrated in Novi Sad

Faithful people of Novi Sad headed by their  diocesan Bishop prayerfully celebrated the feast-day of the first Serbian Archbishop Saint Sava.

His Grace Bishop Irinej of Novi Sad and Backa officiated the Holy Liturgy with the concelebration of the clergy of the Cathedral church of Novi Sad. His Grace the Bishop delivered a sermon, whereafter the school-children presented a spitual academy. After the pre-ambon prayer, the Bishop blessed the slava cake.

Why we don’t fast during the week of the Publican and Pharisee, and other questions

Question: Hello Father! Why don’t we observe the Wednesday and Friday fast during the week of the Publican and the Pharisee? Thank you! Respectfully, Olga.

Answer by Hieromonk Job (Gumerov):

The parable of the publican and the Pharisee gives an image of the spiritual truth that God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble (Js. 4:6). The Pharisees were representatives of the social-religious trend in Judea during the second century B.C. Their distinguishing characteristic was an intense zeal for observing the Law of Moses. Religious life requires that a person be attentive to himself, that he have moral sensitivity, humility, and pure intentions. If he doesn’t have these, a hardness of heart gradually creeps in on him. Then a pseudo-spirituality inevitably comes. The result is spiritual death. If instead of humility there is self-opinion and pride, instead of sacrificial love there is spiritual egoism, then it is not hard for the devil to take over such a person and make him an accomplice in his evil deeds. People who are unbelieving or spiritually inattentive do not even know or guess how often they do just what the enemy of our salvation wants them to do.

Parish Slava and St. Sava Celebration in Lackawanna

As has been the custom for many years at the parish of St. Stephen the Archdeacon and First Martyr in Lackawanna, New York, on January 13 and 14, 2018, the faithful celebrated, with their Hierarch and Father, Bishop Irinej, the commemoration of two heavenly protectors: St. Stephen, the patron saint of the parish, and St. Sava, the patron saint of all Serbian schools and children. Sladjan and Ruza Petrovic and family were the kumovi for the parish slava.

The festal services began with vespers on Saturday evening at which the parish priest, Economos Vladislav Golic, served with Protodeacon Milos Zdralic under the omophorion of Bishop Irinej, who officiated from the Episcopal Throne. The devoted faithful were in attendance, singing the responses together with guest reader and chanter Nemanja Jovanovic, student of Theology from the University of Belgrade.

Audience at the Serbian Patriarchate - 24 January 2018

His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch received Mr. Mladen Grujicic, president of the Municipality of Srebrenica, accompanied by abbot of the Karno monastery Archimandrite Luka (Babic) at the Serbian Patriarchate on 24 January 2018.

St. Martyrs Ermil (Ermilus) and Stratonicus

The Martyr Saints Ermil and Stratonicus, in Greek ῞Ερμυλος and Στρατόνικος, or in Serbian Свети мученици, Eрмил и Cтратонjк бэлгрaдски (Sts. Martyrs Ermil and Stratonic of Belgrade) lived in 3rd – 4th centuries in the Roman province Illyricum, located on the middle course of the Danube, and received their martyrdom at Singidunum (the today Belgrade), being celebrated on January 13, their day of passage to the Lord.