In Belgrade, on the eve of this year’s Ascension Day, on May 20 at 5 p.m. in front of the Ascension Church, the bringing of the holy relic—the belt of the Most Holy Mother of God, along with parts of the True Cross—will be organized, and His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije will serve the festive vespers, it was announced by the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC).
The following day, on Ascension Day, which is the slava of Belgrade, in the courtyard of the Ascension Temple, His Holiness will lead the service, with the concelebration of the fatherland’s hierarchs, Mount Athos monks, and our clergy, at the festive holy Liturgy.
As stated, in this way, this year’s observance of Ascension Day will remain recorded as one of the most significant dates and events in the history of the capital city.
The Holy Belt will be brought to Belgrade on a special flight by the abbot of the Mount Athos monastery of Vatopedi, Efrem, with the brotherhood.
“This holy relic brings to the faithful people a grace such as our capital Belgrade and our Fatherland have not seen or experienced for centuries,” the statement adds.
It is noted that the miraculous belt of the Mother of God will be available to the faithful for veneration both on the previous evening and during the Divine Service on the feast of the Ascension of the Lord.
The traditional slava procession from the Ascension Temple to the Saint Sava Temple, which will be led by the Mother of God through her Miraculous Belt, the only personal item that remained after Her Dormition into heaven, will start at 7 p.m. and bless and sanctify the gathered faithful people and the capital’s streets and squares.
Upon arrival at the Cathedral of the Orthodox Serbian people in Vračar, an akathist to the Most Holy Mother of God and Her Miraculous Belt will be served, and His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch Porfirije will deliver a sermon on the occasion of this historic event.
“Holy tradition teaches us that the Miraculous Belt of camel hair was woven by the Mother of God herself and that she covered herself with it while the unborn Lord Christ still resided within Her,” the SOC statement said.
In this way, the grace of healing was transferred to the belt.
There are hundreds of testimonies of healings or receiving offspring by those who approached the Miraculous Belt of the Most Holy Mother of God with faith and prayer.
In 1371, the Holy Great Martyr Prince Lazar of Kosovo gifted this True Belt to the Vatopedi monastery on Mount Athos, where this great holy relic has been kept from then until today.
Out of the extraordinary respect and love of the Mount Athos monks for the Most Holy Mother of God, a tradition has been nurtured since ancient times where, at their request, pilgrims are given pieces of ribbon that are sanctified on the belt of the Most Holy Mother of God itself for blessing and spiritual strengthening—the strengthening of the soul and faith.
This custom will not be interrupted even in the Memorial Temple of Saint Sava in Vračar, where a part of the cloth ribbon sanctified on the True Belt of the Mother of God itself will be given to the faithful who request it.
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Source: Telegraf; Photo: SPC