His Holiness Patriarch Alexis lets out birds on the Annunciation Day

His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, assisted by Bishops Alexander of Dmitrov and Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin. After the service, a thanksgiving was held before the church icon.

Having brought seasonal greetings to the concelebrants and the congregation, His Holiness the Patriarch noted, “In the Lenten days, this feast is a joyful and bright ray that reminds us that we are not orphans on this earth and the Heavenly Queen is with us, always answering to our prayers and giving her beneficial help to those who come to her with faith and trust. During Lent when, looking back on the days past, we repent and pray, the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin gives us strength to fulfill the task of spiritual purification. We can feel that the Mother of God keeps warming us with her maternal love”.

The Most Holy Mother of God devoted her life to obedience to the Lord, His Holiness said. By standing at the Cross, she as if repeated the words she said to the Archangel before: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Lk. 1:38). “And we, too, should rely in everything on the will of the Lord, accepting both sorrows and joys, with which He visits us on our way of life-time service, with patience and commitment to God”, the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said.

According to the old tradition restored some 10 years ago, His Holiness, standing together with Orthodox school children on the porch of the Cathedral of the Annunciation, let out doves into the sky.

On the same day, the anniversary of the demise of St. Tikhon the Patriarch of All Russia, Patriarch Alexy, assisted by Archbishop Arseny of Istra and Bishops Justinian of Tiraspol and Dubossary and Alexander of Dmitrov, conducted a prayer service at the relics of the saint in the Grand Cathedral of the Donskoy monastery. His Holiness also visited the monastery’s new church dedicated to the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky.