April 22, 2023, on Bright Saturday in the monastery of St. Mary Magdalene the traditional children’s Easter Liturgy was served. The service was officiated by Priest Roman Gultyaev, cleric of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission of ROCOR, on the alter at the excavations of the ancient road along which the Lord rode on a donkey to Jerusalem before His sufferings. 

The unique feature of such services is that children take an active part in them. “We did everything ourselves in the service, we did not need reminding” said the happy young sextons aged 11-13. Girls 10-12 years old seriously prepared the post-communion wine and prosphora for everyone, realizing that the most important thing is to smile and warmly congratulate the communicants on the communion of the Holy Sacraments of Christ. The eldest chorister, 18 years old, lead the choir, and next to her girls aged 10 to 15 sang, giving joy to all those who attended with their pure voices. Of course, adult participants in the Liturgy also took an active part. Men with their basses supported the children’s choir or whatched after the alter-boys. Women helped organize the Liturgy. It is important that during the children’s Liturgy, children and adults comprehend the meaning of the word Liturgy – “common service to God.”

At the end of the Liturgy, the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), addressed the parishioners with a welcoming word, in which He reminded the children and parents of the meaning of the Paschal holiday, of that sacrificial love of God for people, which should be manifested in the relationship between children and parents. After the festive meal and the Easter morning, the children climbed the bell tower and, according to the tradition of Bright Week, rang the bells.

 

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