On January 8, in celebration of the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos, the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Vasian (Zmeyev), joined His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem in prayer during the Divine Liturgy at the Monastic Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. The event was reported by the website of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission.
The church was filled with archbishops, clergy of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, members of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher, pilgrims, and believers from various regions. The Brotherhood’s choir sang hymns for Matins and the Liturgy. After the service, Archimandrite Vasian participated in a procession to the Grand Throne Hall of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, where a festive reception took place.
The Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos is one of the most ancient feasts of the Christian Church, dedicated to glorifying the Mother of God. Its establishment is attributed to the Sixth Ecumenical Council (681 AD), though its observance began much earlier, as early as the 4th century. On the second day after Christmas, the Church honors not only the Virgin Mary but also other saints connected to the Nativity, including Saint Joseph the Betrothed, Saint James, the Brother of the Lord, and King David, Christ's ancestor in the flesh.
This day also commemorates the events following Jesus's birth in Bethlehem, including the Holy Family's flight into Egypt and their subsequent stay there. An angel warned Mary and Joseph of the danger posed by King Herod, who sought to kill the Christ Child. Mary and Joseph fled Judea to Egypt, supported by Saint James, Joseph’s adult son.
The feast recalls the challenges faced by the Holy Family, celebrating the steadfastness, faith, and selflessness of the saints who protected the infant Christ.