The congregation of the Church on earth solemnly sings praises today to the Heavenly Host.

On the feast of the Holy Archangel of God Michael and other Heavenly Hosts, we commemorate those who reside in the spiritual realm, who guard, help, and accompany us during our life and participate in the divine services.

As the Lord became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Most Pure Virgin “for our sake and for our salvation,” He chose not the form of an angel, but took on human flesh. He made the holy angels, His ministering spirits, serve and help us on our way to salvation.

We know that the Lord does exist, together with the angelic, as well as the demonic world and, in our struggle against demonic temptations, we have the angelic world on our side. Therefore, in our prayer to the Archangel of God Michael and to all the Heavenly bodiless powers, we cry that they help us in our grave battle against dark forces: “guard us in the shelter of the wings of your ethereal glory, even as we fervently bow before you crying: “Deliver us from all danger, as Commanders of the Powers on high!”

The patronal feasts were celebrated in two churches in Diveyevo, the Transfiguration Cathedral and the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, as well as in the Znamensky skete.

The day prior to that, Lesser Vespers with akathist and Vigil were served at the left side chapel of the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, dedicated to the Archangel Michael, followed on the feast day itself by the water blessing prayer with paraklesis and the early morning Divine Liturgy. Festive services were also held in the Trinity and Annunciation Cathedrals.