April 3, 2020 Akathist to the Mother of God for Use at Home; Reflection: The Sign of the Prophet Jonah in Our Days

On the Fifth Saturday of Great Lent, the Saturday of the Akathist, we commemorate the “Laudation of the Virgin” Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.

The Laudation of the Virgin was established to commemorate victories over forces sent to attack the great city of Constantinople in the 7th and 8th centuries, and the Akathist to the Mother of God is believed to originate from this time period, and its use has spread from Constantinople throughout the world.

To assist us in our spiritual preparations as we continue on the path to Pascha, His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon has blessed the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos for use at home.

We also offer here a second reflection by His Grace Bishop Alexis of Bethesda. As so many of us continue in our physical separation from our churches, and from our parish communities, His Grace offers us a word of comfort, and a call to become “men and women of deep prayer who have learned to serve the Divine Liturgy in the altar of their hearts.”

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