Student Igor Jovanovic, an award-winning innovator, artist and athlete, on the recommendation of religious teacher Milos Jeftic, is ranked among the 50 best students in the world and is fighting to win over 3,500 of the world's best high school students, masters and PhD students from 94 countries.
At a request of Ms. E. Gracheva, presenter of the Church and the World program, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk commented on the discussion held in the Church on the need to provide by law the right of unborn children.This topic was discussed in particular at the plenary session of the Inter-Council Presence of the Russian Orthodox Church held in May 26-28 in Moscow. It adopted a draft document “On the Immunity of the life of a human being since the conception”. A paper on this theme was presented to the plenary session by Metropolitan Hilarion. Later on, the draft will be submitted to the Bishops’ Council.
The feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary comes nine months before Christmas on the twenty-fifth of March. It is the celebration of the announcing of the birth of Christ to the Virgin Mary as recorded in the Gospel of Saint Luke.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her (Lk 1.26–38).
The services of the feast of the Annunciation, the Matins and the Divine Liturgy, stress again and again the joyous news of the salvation of men in the birth of the Saviour.
THE TRIODION
