On the feast of Prophet Elijah, Metropolitan Georgiy presided at the Sunday’s Divine Liturgy at Trinity Cathedral of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery. Bishop Elijah of Balakhna and Bishop Konstantin of Dalnekonstantinov, the Vicars of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese, and Bishop Vasily of Kotlass and Velsk concelebrated His Eminence.

The hymns of the Divine Liturgy were sung by two choirs, the monastery choir headed by nun Elena (Tsarakhova) and the choir of the Nizhny Novgorod’s women’s theological college headed by Tatiana Y. Kostrova.

At the Small Entrance in recognition of work to the benefit of the Holy Church, Metropolitan Georgiy awarded Prot. Igor Borisov with the decorated pectoral cross.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Eminence dedicated his homily to the life of Prophet of God Elijah whose example inspires us to courageously exercise our faith in true God. His Eminence Georgiy reminded about events of 1664 when there was no rain in the whole of Rus for two and a half months and how the prayers to Prophet Elijah brought rain. “Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, … and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit” (Jacob 5: 17-18). The day it rained has since been remembered in Rus as a feast of Prophet of God Elijah.