The Divine Liturgy to celebrate the feast of the Laudation of the Most Holy Mother of God was held in the Trinity Cathedral of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery on the fifth Saturday of Holy Forty Days. This day is also called the Saturday of the Akathist. Metropolitan Georgiy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas presided at the festive service.

The Laudation of the Most Holy Mother of God is a solemn feast. It was established in the 7th-9th century because the Most Holy Mother of God has repeatedly protected the city of Constantinople from the attacks of invaders.

The Church praises and glorifies the Most Holy Mother of God with spiritual hymns and praises composed in Her honor knowing that we have no other helper, so speedy and trustful, but Her. As the Mother of God, She is bolder before Her Son and God than all the saints or the angels. As the Mother for all Christians, She does more favors to us, as Her children, than the saints or angels. Therefore, the Holy Church, when it calls the Mother of God as the Intercessor and Advocate before Her Son and our God Jesus Christ, it commands us to lift our prayers to the All-Holy Virgin.

After the liturgy, Hegumenia Sergia, the abbess of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery thanked Vladyka Georgiy for praying at the monastery and reminded that the feast of the Laudation of the Mother of God is associated with a memorable date for Diveyevo. In 1990, on this feast, Archbishop Nicholas of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas consecrated the restored Trinity Cathedral and presided at the first liturgy at the newly consecrated altar. Since then, the ruling bishop has always come to serve at the Diveyevo monastery on the feast of the Laudation of the Most Holy Mother of God.

Metropolitan of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas congratulated everyone who prayed at church with the completion of the fifth week of Lent. Vladyka dedicated his archpastoral address to the Lenten prayer of Venerable Ephraim the Syrian. It speaks of virtues and if we succeed in them, we can achieve spiritual perfection. At the conclusion of his sermon, His Eminence urged the gathering: “Let us warm our hearts with the prayer of Venerable Ephraim the Syrian!”