“At that time Jesus went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden (of Gethsemene), into which He entered, and His disciples.” (John 18: 1)
In the evening on Great Thursday, in the church of St. Mary Magdalene, located in the Garden of Gethsemane, where our Lord Jesus Christ prayed and was betrayed by his wicked disciple, was served Matins “Of the Holy Passion” with the reading of 12 Gospels.
The service was led by the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), with the participation of the mission clergy: Archimandrite Innokenty (Sereda), Hieromonk Misail (Minin), Hieromonk Theodore (Kirike), Priest Roman Gultiaev and Hierodeacon Gerasim (Kotovsky). Abbess Elisabeth (Smelic) and her sisters prayed at the service. The monastery choir sang under the direction of the nun Theophania (Spirina).
After the service in the monastery, there is a tradition to walk in procession along the Way of the Cross to the Judgment Gate in the Alexandrovsky Compound. Unfortunately, this year, due to the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, there was no opportunity to go through the Lion’s Gate to the old city. So, this year the sisters from the worshipers went with the singing of the troparion of the day “When the glorious disciples” to the cave church in the lower part of the monastery territory where Fr. Roman read the Gospel account of St. Mark about the coming of the Savior to Gethsemane (Mark 14: 32-42) and spoke an instructive word. Then, singing, all returned back to the main church giving thanks to God.
