We worship Thy Cross

The Lord wants real repentance and sincere prayer from us. “My soul! The end is coming”, sung in the Canon of St Andrew of Crete. Unfortunately, we only wake up in times of great danger. That’s why sorrows are allowed. They are not always a punishment for sins, because the righteous also suffer. But suffering makes us spiritually stronger, higher. “Whoever wants to follow Me, take your Cross” – says the Lord in today’s gospel reading. This means: if you want to go to heaven, accept your fate and forget about yourself. For eternity is for the meek. The proud won’t get along with it.
In the parishes of the diocese, on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross, prayers were served for deliverance from the epidemic. Services at this particular time are performed with all relevant precautions

Second week of Lent

During the second week of Lent, Saturday and Sunday services were held in parishes in Ho Chi Minh city (Vietnam), Manila, Tagaytay, and Mindanao in General Santos, Kyamba and Cayupo. The parishes of GenSan and Tagaytay also held Lenten services with the Liturgy of the Presanctified gifts.
General Santos hosted a meeting of the Sisterhood and distribution of humanitarian aid. Daily feeding programs for children from poor families are held at the parish in Tagaytay.
Two icons of the most Holy Theotokos, written on the donations of the Orthodox people of Ho Chi Minh arrived to the city from Russia. In turn, each family will take the icons to their homes until the next Liturgy, and at home they will pray reading the Akathist of the Intercession of the most Holy Theotokos.
Due to coronavirus pandemic, appropriate precautions are being taken in parishes; a “prayer Service during a pestilence” has been served.
Internal travel is restricted in the Philippines, so many parishioners were unable to attend services in Manila, and the monthly Liturgy in Cebu was canceled.

Triumph of Orthodoxy

God is with us! The first Sunday of Lent is a celebration of the Triumph of Orthodoxy as the true faith and the only Church founded by God, Whose Image, as He revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, we honor today and forever. Festive services were held in the parishes of the diocese

The first week of Lent in the parishes of the diocese

The first week of Lent is the strictest. In parishes in Manila, Tagaytay, Davao, and Vietnam, Lenten services were held daily in the morning and evening. From Monday to Thursday, the Great Canon of Andrew of Crete was read at the great Compline. On Wednesday, The Liturgy of the Pre-consecrated Gifts was celebrated. At the parish in Ha Noi city, parishioners read the services themselves.

Forgiveness Sunday. Vung Tau

On March 1, Cheesefare Sunday, a Liturgy was served at the parish of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God in Vung Tau. Most worshippers have received the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
On this day, the warden of our parish has a personal holiday – his birthday. After the Liturgy priest Eugene congratulated Igor Bulkin and presented him an award from his Holiness Patriarch Kirill – the Jubilee medal “in memory of the 100th anniversary of the restoration of the Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church”.
In the evening, Vespers was served with the ceremony of forgiveness. After the service, during agape meal, fr Eugene told about the Lent, its significance, features and opportunities.