On February 5th, on Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee, the Church celebrated Synaxis of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. Priest Igor Tarasov served the Divine Liturgy at St. George’s Church followed by a memorial service (litia) for the deceased who fell asleep during the time of godless persecutions of Christian faith in Russia.
After the reading of the Gospel Fr. Igor continued his lectures on Divine Liturgy. He spoke about the ceremony of the Little Entrance, about the singing of the Troparia, Trisagion hymn, as well as Epistle reading. After serving the litia Fr. Igor had a short sermon about the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. He stressed that we should watch out to avoid being deceived by the evil forces as many of our ancestors became deluded by the false ideals of building a paradise on earth without God. They lived in a state called prelest by the holy Fathers, a spiritual delusion to which the people of Russia were drawn by the deceptive promises of the Communists.
Parishioners enjoyed some fellowship at the trapeza following the services.