On the first Sunday of Lent, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy.

Today’s divine service has a distinctive feature – at the end of the Divine Liturgy, we celebrate the Triumph of Orthodoxy. In the middle of the church, in front of the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God, the clergy solemnly recite the Creed and “Eternal Memory!” is proclaimed to all defenders of the Orthodox faith. The Church also prays for the lost ones who fell away from the Church, so that the Lord enlightens them with the light of His truth and guides them towards the right path.

The Rite of Triumph of Orthodoxy has a prayer to the Lord where we ask, “Be merciful to us, strengthen us in the Orthodox Faith by Thy power, and enlighten the eyes of those who have gone astray with Thy divine light, that they may understand Thy truth.”

The Triumph of Orthodoxy in the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery was celebrated after the late-morning liturgy in the Trinity Cathedral.