September 27, 2011
Washington, DC:
Archbishop Justinian celebrated the Divine Liturgy in St. John the
Baptist Cathedral and blessed the work of the Russian-American
Women’s Association
As
reported on the
official
website of the Patriarchal Parishes in the USA, on Saturday the
24th and Sunday the 25th of September, His Eminence Justinian,
Archbishop of Naro-Fominsk, Administrator of the Patriarchal
Parishes in the USA, led the divine services in St. John the Baptist
Cathedral in Washington, DC, co-served by parish rector Archpriest
Victor Potapov and clerics of the Church Abroad and the Patriarchal
parishes.
Upon completion of the Liturgy, His Eminence addressed the gathered
faithful with a sermon in which he called to mind the Gospel and
Epistle readings for the Sunday before the Exaltation (Gal. 6:11-18
and John 3:13-17), read during the Liturgy. "On the Sunday before
the great feast of the Universe Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord,
the Church reminds us how Christ indicated to His disciples that He
must be lifted up on the tree just as Moses at God’s command lifted
up the brass serpent in the wilderness, that if a serpent had bitten
any man – a terrible plague that had befallen the Israelites ‒ when
he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. God’s love for mankind,
who had been poisoned with sin and death, lifts His Only-Begotten
Son on the Cross, "that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life." The Apostle Paul explains to us
the most important aspect, for himself and for every one of the
faithful, of the voluntary sufferings of Christ for our sake: that
the emulation of Him in suffering sorrows and temptations must form
the cornerstone of the foundation of our lives: "I bear in my body
the marks of the Lord Jesus," he says of himself. Our prayer, our
kneeling before Our Savior’s Crucifixion, embodies the vertical
aspect of our love for God, which is the first and primary
commandment. The second, like unto it, our love for our neighbor as
for ourselves, is the horizontal aspect of our life, and together
they form that cross, which Christ the Savior calls upon us to carry
after Him."
His Eminence warmly greeted the cathedral rector, Fr. Victor,
thanking him for his constant welcome, and asked that he relay his
gratitude to the First Hierarch of the Church Abroad, His Eminence,
Metropolitan Hilarion, for his brotherly blessing to perform the
divine services in the parishes of ROCOR.
Archbishop Justinian also greeted members of the Russian-American
Women’s Association attending the service, who on September 24-25
had led a roundtable discussion on the topic of "Women in the 21st
Century," and he blessed them in their further endeavors. At the
invitation of the Association’s leadership, Fr. Victor Potapov’s
Matushka Maria and Priest Alexei Bocharnikov’s (cleric of the
Patriarchal parishes) Matushka Elena were invited to take part in
the discussion.
"The commitments you have made to help your compatriots are
high-minded and noble. It is especially appreciated that you have
chosen to tie the work of your new organization to the Russian
Orthodox Church, and that you wish to work alongside Her. I
prayerfully wish you God’s aid and the blessing of the Most Pure
Mother of God in the tasks that lie before you," His Eminence said.
Discussions between the parishioners and members of the Association
continued during the luncheon, which had been lovingly prepared by
Matushka Maria Potapova and her helpers.
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