The priest told about the main elements of the divine service on the Honeymoon

Divine services on the day of the Honey Savior are a spiritual preparation for one of the key events of the August church calendar — the celebration of the Ascension of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, which is celebrated on August 14, as well as for the beginning of the Dormition Fast. This was announced by the dean of the Baltai district of the Saratov Diocese, Priest Oleg Zhilyakov, in an interview with Izvestia.

The priest said that the liturgical cycle begins on the evening of August 13 and gradually brings the faithful to the main event of the holiday — the Divine Liturgy. According to him, on the eve of the holiday, believers are already attuned to prayer and participation in church life, which allows them to better understand the meaning of the celebration. The main events take place on the morning of August 14 during the main service.

"At matins, the central moment of the service takes place — the solemn taking out of the Cross for worship. After that, a small consecration of water and honey of the new harvest is performed," he said.

The priest noted that the tradition of worshipping the Holy Cross is connected with customs that were formed back in Byzantium. At the same time, he stressed that the consecration of honey is of secondary importance and should not replace prayerful participation in the holiday.

"On the same day, believers bring honey from the new harvest to the temples for blessing. However, first of all, it is important to come to church, pray and receive communion, since a holiday is primarily a meeting with God," the priest emphasized.

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