On Tuesday of the Bright Week, the Church celebrates the feast of the appearance of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God.

We venerate the Honorable “Portaitissa” (or the “Gatekeeper”) today, the most ancient icon of the Mother of God, with its foretype located at the Iveron monastery on Mount Athos. It is exactly on Tuesday of the Bright Week, as we know from the church tradition that this icon appeared floating on top of the waves before the monks of the Iveron monastery.

As She cradles our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, in Her hands, the Mother of God points that it is in Him that we find our salvation. Keeping faith in Him as God Incarnate, the human soul finds new life receiving the grace-filled help from the Lord, as well as strength and deliverance from the slavery of passions.

The Most Holy Mother of God the Gatekeeper reminds us that the only path to God is through the unceasing prayer. According to God’s commandment, we must seek the mercy of God in prayer and beseech Him to open before us the gates of His Kingdom.

The Trinity skete of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery celebrates the patronal feast today: the right-hand side altar of the Trinity Church was consecrated to the Iveron Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos. Hegumenia Sergiya came to the skete to share with the sisters the joy of the Bright Resurrection of Christ and their patronal feast.

After the service, the procession with the cross walked around the church.