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On 9 March 2011, Wednesday of the first week in Lent, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, celebrated Grand Compline with the reading of the Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete in the “Joy to All the Afflicted” Icon of the Mother of God.

After the Canon, Metropolitan Hilarion addressed the worshippers, saying:

“In the beginning of Lent we gather in church every evening to listen to the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete and think about virtues which the Church exerts us to beseech the Lord: chastity, humble mind, patience, and love…

“Holy Scriptures gives us many examples of patience which was rewarded. If people have purpose in life, they will strive for achieving it. However, people should be patient, as it is impossible to go forward without stumbling without patience.

“First of all, we should be patient with ourselves, as we suffer from our imperfection and strive for something we cannot achieve. We realize our lack of power and sometimes grumble, asking: why others can do it, while I cannot?  Still, we should be calm and patient as we, if we wish, can do many good things.

“Also, we should be patient with each other and not to expect more from another person than he can give us.

“Patience is especially important in family life, as the lack of patience can ruin the family. We should endure our imperfection and to understand that it is next to impossible to change another person. If we want, we can change ourselves, but how difficult it is! As to another man, only God can change him and he himself.

“We should be patient with all circumstances of our life and be able to make reasonable plans, using any time that we spend in waiting for something, for instance, a street-car, for prayers and reading of spiritual books.

“We should be patient with our illness and sorrows sent to us by the Lord and never forget that the Lord suffered and was crucified for the sake of or salvation.

“Let us be patient with each other and pray to the Lord to grant us patience without which it is difficult to live on the each and even more difficult to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen”