A particularly joyful feast awaited the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery today: we honored the Synaxis of the Saints of Diveyevo.

“Like the stars in heaven and the sand in the sea, I will multiply those who serve the Lord God and Me, the Ever-Virgin Mother of Light, and those who exalt My Son Jesus Christ.” We believe that the promise of the Most Holy Mother of God about Her fourth earthly lot is immutable and a host of the saints of Diveyevo will have new God-pleasing saints.

We pray today that the Lord helps us to be worthy of the promises and mercy bestowed to the holy land of Diveyevo by the Queen of Heaven that Venerable Seraphim has sought from Her for all those who come to be saved here: “Oh, our holy kin! Do not forsake your spiritual children, that in the age to come we could hear from you a blessed exaltation to the Lord: behold, we are the children you gave us, O Lord! As we rejoice, let us join you to glorify God in the Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.”

The participation of the ruling archpastor and his vicar bishop in the services made it a particularly solemn celebration. Metropolitan Georgiy of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas presided at the akathist to Venerable Seraphim of Sarov and the late-morning Divine Liturgy in the Trinity Cathedral of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery. Concelebrating his Eminence was Bishop Innocent of Sormovo, Vicar of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese.

During liturgy, the ruling hierarch ordained John Runov to the diaconate, made Georgy Kozlov a subdeacon and Dimitry Lantsov a reader.

Following the liturgy, Rev. Fr. Anthony Balabanov, the rector of Trinity church in Kirillovka of Arzamas district, congratulated the worshippers with the commemoration day of the Synaxis of Diveyevo saints. The preacher recalled the deeds by the monastery’s founder and Venerable Seraphim who both greatly pleased God and laid the foundation for the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery. The Father noted that the lives of the saints who shone forth in the lands of Diveyevo are a good example for all of us how to do God’s will and offer a lesson how to pray and perform good deeds.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Georgiy, Hegumenia Sergia, the sisters of the monastery and the pilgrims, singing the troparion to all the saints of Diveyevo, walked in a solemn procession along the Holy Kanavka.

Hegumenia Sergia, the abbess of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery, on behalf of the entire monastic family thanked Metropolitan Georgiy and Bishop Innocent for the hierarchical service that adorned the monastery’s feast day. “Once, the Most Holy Mother of God appeared to matushka Alexandra and told her that on this very spot a monastery would be founded, unequal of any other monastery in the entire universe, and, as many as the stars in heaven, there will be those who will serve the Lord God and glorify Her, His Most Holy Mother. We are witnesses to this promise. A host of God-pleasing saints – venerable saints, blessed women, hieromartyrs and new martyrs – made up the Synaxis of Diveyevo saints. And we pray that the Lord, through their holy prayers, administers us in our lives to find salvation,” said matushka hegumenia.

Hegumenia Sergia presented the hierarchs with the icons of Venerable Alexandra, the monastery’s founder, as a prayerful memento and the prosphoras wishing that the Lord, through the prayers of the Most Holy Mother of God and the host of Diveyevo saints, strengthened them in their archpastoral labors.

The head of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese congratulated everyone with the commemoration day of the Synaxis of Saints of Diveyevo and remarked about God’s great mercy of God for us since, throughout the centuries, the Russian land never grew scarce of the ascetics of piety. It is through them that we are vigilant in conscience and prayerfully appeal to them asking to have zeal towards the God-pleasing deeds and their intercession before the Lord, so that He heals all weaknesses and replenishes anything we lacked.

“It often happens that, as we go through life,” noted Metropolitan Georgiy, “we encounter difficulties and begin to grumble. But the example of the saints teaches us a lesson: never complain, but thank God for everything and sing glory to Him.”

At the end of his hierarchical address, the ruling hierarch wished all worshippers God’s help and spiritual joy.