On August 29, 2021, in the 10th week after Pentecost, the feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, Metropolitan Pavel of Khanty-Mansi and Surgut celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Resurrection Cathedral of Khanty-Mansiysk.
His Eminence was co-served by the clergy of the cathedral.
At a special litany, prayer petitions were offered for deliverance from the coronavirus infection, as well as for strengthening the doctors: “Look, O Master Who loves Mankind, at the sacrificial feat of our doctors, send them unshakable health and strength of spirit, wisdom to perform works for the benefit of our people and create through them healing for Your suffering servant, we diligently pray to You, soon hear and have mercy.”
During the divine service, Metropolitan Pavel ordained Monk John (Gondayao) to the rank of hierodeacon.
At the end of the service, Metropolitan Pavel addressed the audience:
“Dear fathers, brothers and sisters! Let me sincerely congratulate everyone on the feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! These days we celebrate the Dormition of the Mother of God. It is a holiday in which each of us hopes and believes that the Mother of God will stay with us. “In Your Nativity, You have kept Your virginity, in Your Dormition You have not left the world”! Praising the Queen of Heaven, Her Holy Dormition, I would like to remind each of us how important it is to be a child of the Mother of God. And in order to be the one, you need to pray to Her. The Most Holy Theotokos promised not to leave this world, first of all those who rely on Her intercession. Every day we pray that She will deliver us from enemies visible and invisible, from a deadly wound and illness, so that She will stay with us in this difficult time.
We should pray to the Mother of God that She will be with us relentlessly and we are not afraid of any deadly disease or other adversities. Holy Mother of God, save us and do not leave us!
I would especially like to ask all of you, my dear ones, for prayers that the Lord will strengthen our student from the Philippines. Today you witnessed his diaconal ordination, on August 27 he took monastic vows with the name John in honor of St. John of Shanghai. This saint, after leaving China, found refuge in the Philippines and lived on the island of Tububao for almost 4 years. St. John is greatly revered in the Philippine islands, his memory is alive, and the witnesses of his and our compatriots ‘ stay in the Philippines, where he left a good spiritual trace, are still alive.
I ask for prayers that the Lord will strengthen father John, give him spiritual strength, so that he will be imbued here with spirituality, ecclesiasticism, dogmatic knowledge about our faith, and carry all this to his land for enlightenment.
I thank everyone for the common prayers, I congratulate you and may the Queen of Heaven be constantly with each of you.
