Rila, Bulgaria, August 9, 2021
Participants in the annual Rila Miracle Worker Procession reached the Rila Monastery on August 5, on the eve of the feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ.
The pilgrims, both young and old, prayerfully walked on foot from the capital city of Sofia to the monastery—a distance of about 75 miles that symbolically repeats the transfer of the relics of St. John of Rila. Some pilgrims participated for the first time, while others have walked the route annually since the procession began 12 years ago.
The procession began on August 1 with the Divine Liturgy and blessing of holy water at the Church of Sophia, reports the Bulgarian Patriarchate.
Following the service, Archimandrite Vasily of the Metropolis of Sofia delivered a sermon on the feast of the Holy Maccabees and the Procession of the Life-Giving Tree of the Cross, addressing the participants in the pilgrimage with words of encouragement.
Afterwards, the pilgrims marched in procession to the St. George Rotunda, and from there they set off for Rila Monastery, stopping at churches and chapels along the way.
The initiator and leader of the procession, Dr. Pavel Pavlov from the Faculty of Theology at Sofia University, emphasized that the pilgrimage is a chance to direct our time and efforts towards the spiritual life, more than we usually manage do in our everyday lives, reports dveri.bg.
“The most valuable thing is how we spend our time. Today’s man is in a hurry during prayer and worship. But we stop, and these five or six days a year, in my opinion, are extremely valuable and spiritually healthy for all of us.
He also emphasized the educational role of worship, which is an opportunity for children to be involved in Church life through direct participation in it.
The pilgrimage culminated in the Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Transfiguration at Rila Monastery.
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