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Divine liturgy in the Church of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearerstranslated

September 6, 2026 · 1 min read

On September 6, the 14th Sunday after Pentecost, Metropolitan Theodosius of Samara and Novokuybyshevsk celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church in honor of the holy Royal Passion-Bearers of the city of Samara. His Eminence was served by the clergy of the Samara Metropolis. During the service, the Gospel concept of the wedding feast was read (Matthew 22:1-14). In the parable, the Lord Jesus Christ talks about a king who arranged a wedding feast for his son. Those invited refused to come, preferring everyday worries and affairs, and then the invitation was addressed to others. However, among those who entered the feast there was a man who did not have wedding clothes. Saint Theophan the Recluse, reflecting on this Gospel passage, explains that the wedding feast is an image of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the invitation to it is the Gospel sermon. At the same time, just externally belonging to the number of believers is not enough: a person is called not only to profess faith in words, but also to confirm it with his life.

The saint connects the image of wedding clothing with the internal state of a person, his deeds and virtues. Therefore, the Gospel parable draws every Christian to examine his own conscience: does life correspond to the professed faith...

Source: Site: Самарская епархия · Read the full story →

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Константин Козлов

It’s good that they gave the interpretation of St. Theophan. In Tula last year, in the same parable, the priest asked: what are you wearing today, in the garden or on the bench at the entrance? So you wonder how many times you yourself have refused an invitation because of “business.” Thanks for the reminder.

Marek Šimko

This parable always touches me too. Especially when Saint Theophan says that “accessories” alone are not enough, you also need to have clothes. Yesterday, just after my shift, I was sitting on a bench near the house and thinking: what did I come to this feast in today, tired or with some kind of good deed? Thanks for reminding me. God bless you.

Ольга Мельник

And what struck me the most was how Feofan Zatvornyk said that wedding clothes are exactly our affairs, and not just "I'm a Christian". I sat yesterday after the liturgy and thought: what did I do today so that I would not be ashamed to go to the feast in these clothes? Thank you for reminding me.