February 16, 2013
Moscow: Address of His Holiness, Patriarch Kirill, on the Day of Orthodox Youth

On Friday, February 15, His Holiness Kyrill, Patriarch of Moscow & All Russia, sent the following address on the occasion of the Day of Orthodox Youth:

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

I express my heartfelt congratulations to you on the feast day of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple and the International Day of Orthodox Youth.

Turning my mind’s eye to the events that led to the establishment of this church holiday, we join the Righteous Simeon in joyfully greeting the Savior, Who was brought to the Temple in Jerusalem. But this event, in addition to its historic significance, has another symbolic meaning: in it we see the mystical meeting of the Creator and His creation, the personal meeting of man and God.

It is no coincidence that the International Day of Orthodox Youth was designed to coincide with the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The heart of a young person is particularly susceptible to all that is happening around him. In his youth, a person is filled with great hopes and expectations, like a sponge that receives new impressions and seeks his place in the world. And the world opens to young people many perspectives for personal growth and opportunities for self-realization. But the world often offers such norms of behavior and values that do not concord, and even contradict, the moral law established by the Lord. How we respond to these challenges – how we train our hearts in our youth, will it be as coarse as a rock, wicked, filled with hatred, arrogant, and conformist, or will it remain devoted to truth, meek, loving, kind, and empathetic? – will determine our happiness and ability to meet God in our lives.

Addressing the young people, I would like to say this: dear young brothers and sisters, I call upon you to hold fast to the spiritual and moral ideals commanded by the Creator, preserving your mind and emotions in chastity and purity, serving as an example of firmness in faith, of mercy and sympathy, to all around you.

I prayerfully wish all of you constant growth in love for the Lord and your neighbors, God’s help in good deeds and works, and constructive labor to the benefit of our Fatherland and our people.

+KYRILL
Patriarch of Moscow & All Russia

Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia