On September 1/14, the Holy Church celebrates the beginning of the Ecclesiastical, or the Church’s new year. On this day, a new annual circle of worship begins.

 The Divine Liturgy was served in the Trinity Cathedral of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery today, preceded by Great Vespers and Matins with Doxology the day before. At the services, we offered prayers asking God to send us mercy in the coming year.

 “It pleases Thee, O Lord, to begin life, grant us the beginning of the year.”

 “Give me a peaceful period of the year, O Christ, O Generous One, and make me full with Thy divine words, which Thou hast revealed to the Jews on the Sabbaths.”

 “As the Merciful One, may those who began the year finish it in Your favor, O Christ.”

 “O eternal Word of the Father, who is in the image of God, and who made creation out of that which is not, and who put times and years in His power, bless the crown of the year of Thy goodness, granting peace to Thy churches and victory to the Orthodox Christians, and the fruitfulness of the earth and great mercy to us.”

 “By ineffable wisdom Thou hast composed all things, O Word, O Christ God, who hast offered us times and years, bless the works of Thy hands, and by Thy power make Thy faithful people joyful, and give strength, for Thou art the only Good and Merciful One.”

 A passage from the Gospel was read at today’s Divine Liturgy telling how the Lord came to the synagogue, opened the Holy Scriptures and read the words of the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; for He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor, and has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering the sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).

 Through these words, the Lord still calls us to renew and live a life without sin, with God, to be citizens of the State of Heaven. He calls us to remember Him every moment and every second of our lives. It is important for us to respond to this call and for our spiritual renewal, above anything else.