This Sunday, the Holy Church glorifies the memory of all the saints who pleased God throughout the ages: the patriarchs, the forefathers, the prophets, the apostles, the martyrs, the holy martyrs, the confessors, the hierarchs, the venerable saints, and Fools for Christ – all those who, with their righteous and God-pleasing life, were not only granted peaceful repose in the Heavenly Kingdom by the Lord, but were vouchsafed the special grace to pray before His Throne for the entire Christian race.

The Holy Church presents the Synaxis of the saints as evidence of God’s work through His Church. Owing to that, the fallen nature of man, deformed by sin and disfigured by his passions, as it has lost its original integrity, may be restored and transformed in the Body of Christ – the Church.

The Church celebrates the commemoration of the Synaxis of All Saints on the first week following Pentecost, after the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. The saints shone forth at different times and performed different deeds but they did them with the grace of the one and same Holy Spirit upon its descent on the Church on the day of Pentecost.

Holiness is the norm of life in the Church. Those who have drawn close to Christ and responded to His divine love cannot but strive living as Christ revealed and commanded in His earthly life. The way to holiness is revealed in today’s Gospel passage. The Evangelist Matthew quotes the words of Christ the Savior: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven; But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

The Synaxis of All Saints is the patronal feast day at the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery. The left side chapel of the Transfiguration Cathedral is consecrated in their honor.

To commemorate the feast, the All-night Vigil paraklesis with the water blessing prayer service and the early-morning Divine Liturgy were celebrated at the side chapel.

The Sunday liturgy services were also celebrated in the Trinity Cathedral and the Dormition Church of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery. Following the late-morning Divine Liturgy, there was a procession with the singing of the festive troparion along the Holy Kanavka.