June 7, Orthodox believers celebrate Holy Trinity Day (Pentecost) — one of the 12 major feasts, symbolizing the unity of God in three persons — the Father, Son, and Holy spirit. The occasion is the birthday of our Holy Mother the Church.
the feast of the Holy Trinity, his Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill celebrated the divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky in the same skete near Peredelkino. Upon completion of the Liturgy the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon
“Today, the birthday of the Holy Church, is a special day when we look to the Lord, please, we, the unworthy, do not cease to pour out through the sacraments the power of divine grace to the afflicted human could be replenished infinitely powerful divine grace,” — said the Patriarch.
Under the high dome of the sky, in dazzling robes – the color of celebration malachite on the foundations of ancient churches celebrated divine Liturgy.
“COVID, in the churches we are afraid to serve, so I decided to serve on the street. And especially in Pskov, where the temples of the XI century. Today we are as if transported in time. It is a tradition that gather around the altar of the Christians is the tradition of the ancient Apostolic Church,” — said Tikhon, Metropolitan of Pskov and Porkhov.
the portable altar at which Metropolitan Tikhon prayed with the clergy, set exactly on the site of the temple, where centuries ago Alexander Nevsky was a thanksgiving service after the victory over the invaders of lake Peipus.
Dovmontov city, where he served the divine Liturgy, called by Pompeii, which, though colorful metaphor, but not quite right. After all, these 10 foundations that are already open by archaeologists, and those that still remain under the ground — a huge reservoir that is Christian culture.
the Feast of the Holy Trinity — the birthday of the Church. And for the Pskov land he is also the patronal feast. No hot faith a Millennium ago realized Pskov — Russian this milestone would not hold under the relentless blows of the Catholic West.
“It was the desire of the people of Pskov to find protection, and such protection became Orthodoxy. Pskov called the city of the Holy Trinity. But more often the house of the Holy Trinity,” — said Alexander Golyshev, the acting Director of the Pskov-Izborsk Museum reserve.
Trinity Cathedral. The first temple here was erected here long before the Baptism of Rus. The careful student will see the iron brackets, firmly imbedded in the dark walls. This is the first in Russia Church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Basing it told Princess Olga, the grandmother of the Baptizer of Rus. Here before the battle on the Ice was praying Prince Alexander Nevsky. So these ancient stones really seen a lot.
the Monk Antony shows us a sacred space for top-tier carved iconostasis. “Nobody gets in here ever. This authentic masonry. Original. It is not restored, it was left as is. Limestone was built by the whole Trinity Cathedral”, — said the monk Antony.
the feast of the Cathedral was decorated properly, young birches. “The people of the city grow from nature, from the beauty of God’s world, and it reminds us that we are here, as in the garden of Eden,” said the monk Antony.
a harsh Eden, the land of Pskov, of course, was not. About the historical trials reminiscent of the 600-year-old Chirskaya icon. The miraculous image, which is carried around the city during all the epidemics, including the current one. One such fatal epidemic took the lives of Izborsk Prince Eustace. His sarcophagus is in the burial place of Pskov princes and metropolitans, in the most inaccessible and the most revered — taltarni — part of the Cathedral.
the walls of the Cathedral and walled graves. "within these walls has a secret room, in which, presumably, lies a lot of the burials of the Pskov princes,” — said the monk Antony.
Warrior and monk are two of the primary archetype of the Pskov land. Historical Pskov is not only a stronghold of power, one of the centers of culture and civilizational border, it is an important point of faith. It is from here that the Russian Church carried out missionary activities against neighboring tribes and peoples. But unlike the neighbors this sermon was not violent, but peaceful. And she Pskov land has given the Christian Church of many illustrious men of prayer, ascetics and desert-dwellers and first hierarchs. And, of course, more temples and monasteries. They’re everywhere.
the Tireless efforts of an active Metropolitan Tikhon churches in the Pskov region is not only restored, but multiplied. In these days the Liturgy in them, at the command of the Lord to serve and in honor of the Trinity, and in honor of the heroes-doctors, who are fighting for the lives of people during a pandemic.
“We have asked, could something to help, maybe financial products. They said, “Pray.” So it is hard for them. And now all the temples of the Pskov region will pray for these great people. Low bow to them”, — said Metropolitan Tikhon.
Text: “News of the week”
