The abbot of Darvari Monastery, Protosyncellus Arsenie Irimiea, is calling on Bucharest residents to attend, on the evening of August 14, an all-night vigil followed by the Sacrament of Holy Unction, on the occasion of the Dormition of the Mother of God — a spiritual remedy for wasted sleepless nights.
Father Arsenie of Darvari Skete urged the faithful to join a seven-hour vigil, according to the Athonite tradition, in honour of the Mother of God and the wonderworking Prodromitissa Icon, which has been at the Skete for 102 years.
“We invite all believers to join our brotherhood for a beautiful seven-hour vigil, according to the order of Mount Athos, as it is celebrated there on the great feasts of the Mother of God and in honour of her wonderworking holy icons,” Abbot Arsenie Irimiea told Basilica.ro.
“The wonderworking Prodromitissa Icon of the Mother of God from Darvari Skete has watched over our brotherhood and over Bucharest for 102 years, bringing comfort, help, and hope to all who come to it in faith.”
An offering to the Mother of God
Father Arsenie stressed that the Mother of God constantly watches over the brotherhood and the city of Bucharest, bringing relief to those who pray with deep faith. Most often, the vigil is seen as a spiritual offering meant to heal nights without prayer.
“We constantly feel the help of the Most Holy Theotokos, and we acknowledge that we do not have enough words to thank her for all the blessings and miracles she works in our lives. That is why we consider that a night of vigil spent before her holy image is the most precious treasure and the most acceptable offering we can bring to the Mother of God.”
“It will be an evening and a night of prayer to cleanse and heal all nights spent without prayer and perhaps in disorder. We invite you to come with your prayer rope, to say together the prayer of the heart, to listen to the service, to partake in God’s blessing through the Sacrament of Holy Unction, and to return home with the living awareness that in heaven we have a mother’s heart that prays for us and protects us at every step and every moment,” Father Arsenie concluded.
Photo: Darvari Skete
