On Monday morning, the St. Vladimir’s Seminary community celebrated the feast of the Seminary’s patron, Holy and Great Prince Vladimir, Equal of the Apostles.
The celebration of Divine Liturgy was especially blessed by the presence of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, archbishop of Washington, metropolitan of All America and Canada of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA), and chairman of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. OCA Chancellor Very Rev. Alexander Rentel, Seminary President Very Rev. Chad Hatfield, and other clergy from among the Seminary’s faculty and student body also participated in the Liturgy.
Very Rev. Sergius Halvorsen, assistant professor of homiletics and rhetoric, delivered a powerful homily during the Divine Liturgy on how to view the incredible ministry of St. Vladimir through the lens of our own calling as individual Christians--and how not to grow despondent by comparing the fruits of our ministries with those of St. Vladimir or anyone else.
"...Christian ministry is ultimately not about being great, or wealthy or powerful, or famous," Fr. Sergius preached. "Christian ministry is about being faithful to Jesus Christ, and serving Christ through serving my neighbor; using whatever God has given me, no matter how great or how small, to serve the flock—to serve the people that have been entrusted to me today."
The full transcript of Fr. Sergius' homily can be read on the Seminary's Synaxis Blog.
Holy Prince Vladimir, you were like a merchant in search of fine pearls. By sending servants to Constantinople for the Orthodox Faith, you found Christ, the priceless pearl. He appointed you to be another Paul, washing away in baptism your physical and spiritual blindness. We celebrate your memory, asking you to pray for all Orthodox Christians and for us, your spiritual children. (Troparion, Tone 4)
