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| CANONIZATION |
This historic, long awaited church event took place at Utesiteljevo, where the canonization of the Royal Martyrs Alexander and Draga was solemnly performed. With this prayerful act, a centuries-old historical injustice was corrected, and the curse of regicide, which brought tragic consequences to the Serbian people to this very day, was lifted. In these difficult times of great apostasy, the suffering Church has gained new protectors and intercessors before the Throne of God.
The spiritual celebration began on
Saturday evening with a festive Vigil led by the bishops of the Serbian True
Orthodox Church, His Grace Bishop Akakije of Utesiteljevo and His Grace
Nektarije, Bishop of Shumadia. The central rite of canonization took place
during the Vigil.
It was into Utesiteljevo’s packed
church that the first officially painted icon of the Obrenovic martyrs was
brought out of the altar to the center of the church for the canonization.
There the faithful in prayerful excitement were able to venerate the images of
the newly-glorified Serbian saints, shown on the icon holding the cross of
martyrs.
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The Icon of the Holy Royal Martyrs, by
the hand of Bishop Akakije |
On Sunday morning, the festive
celebration reached its peak with the serving of the Holy Hierarchical Liturgy
led by Bishop Akakije. Clergy from various STOC parishes and monasteries
concelebrated, while the choir echoed the festive troparia and kontakia
dedicated to the royal couple.
In his inspired archpastoral sermon,
Bishop Akakije reflected on the importance of preserving the Nemanjic-Byzantine
tradition of Christian anointed rulers that the Obrenovic family upheld. Their
resistance to the spirit of godless revolution and their terrible martyrdom in
the May Revolution of 1903, the Bishop emphasized, were a confession of the
faith.
After the Holy Liturgy, there was a festive procession around the monastery church, led by the icon of the newly-canonized Royal martyrs. There was also a blessing of the ceremonial bread (kolach) and koliva prepared in their honor.
After the service, the faithful
received copies of the book The Holy Pious Serbian Royal Martyrs Alexander
and Draga: Life, Canonization, and Service, which contains a detailed
historical study, documents showing their deep piety, their terrible martyrdom,
and an official church service which will be celebrated from now for their
feast day. Small printed icons were also
distributed along with the books.
“The analogy
between Russian and Serbian history suggests that the sin of murdering the
Obrenovic royal couple in 1903 was a similar sin to the killing of the Romanov imperial family; these
both represented a deep spiritual fall and acceptance of revolutionary
movements. The canonization of the
Romanov family was considered an imperative of national repentance and a means
to lift the curse that brought tragic consequences to the Russian people. So too was the canonization of the last
Obrenovici an act of nationwide repentance for the Serbian people which would
enable the lifting of the curse and the stopping of national ruin brought on by
the May regicide.”
- The Holy Royal Martyrs, Bishop Akakije
After
the completion of the liturgical portion of the holy day's
events, an agape meal was held in the green monastery grounds for all of the
guests present, who had come from all over Serbia to take part in this historic
day.
This celebration at Utesiteljevo will be remembered as a golden moment in the history of our Local Church when, in God’s justice, our royal righteous martyrs finally took their rightful place among the holy Christian rulers in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Holy Royal Martyrs Alexander and Draga
pray to God for us!
THE LIFE OF THE H0LY ROYAL MARTYRS
THE ALL-NIGHT VIGIL
THE HOLY LITURGY
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