Your Graces,
Very Reverend Father Rector,
Reverend Fathers, dear brothers and sisters,
I extend my congratulations to the rector, administration, faculty, and students of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary on the completion of the academic year, and to the graduates of the higher theological school of the Kazakhstan Metropolis on the successful defense of their qualification papers and the awarding of diplomas.
Our seminary holds the commencement ceremony on a special feast of the Orthodox Church – the Sunday dedicated to All Saints of the Russian Land. Among this countless host of God’s saints are people of all ranks and estates, of different ages and nationalities – monks and rulers, scholars and commoners. From the multitude of saints who shone forth in Rus’, each of us may choose worthy examples to follow.
This year, the Almaty Seminary marks a special milestone – the 15th anniversary of its founding. In historical terms, this is a brief period, but it is highly significant in view of the work done in preparing pastoral personnel for the entire Kazakhstan Metropolis. As the only institution of higher theological education of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan to date, the Almaty Seminary must actively shape its educational and formative traditions, preparing diligent laborers in the Lord’s vineyard – those who can respond to the challenges of the times, engage in enlightenment, and find common ground with people of all generations, beliefs, and nationalities.
Today, the academic and ecclesiastical community faces new large-scale tasks: the activation of scholarly work and the development of theological thought – including with respect to pressing issues of bioethics, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence.
True theological education is unthinkable without a solid spiritual foundation, without a life rooted in the Gospel commandments. Therefore, both students and teachers must constantly cultivate the soil of their souls, be filled with the fruits of righteousness, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:11), and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Our theological school offers favorable conditions for students to participate in worship and the Sacraments of the Church, as well as for concentrated and systematic study of a wide range of academic disciplines – both theological and general-humanitarian.
“Education,” says His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, “is the ability of a person to keep learning and growing continuously.” We would all do well to remember more often the Gospel parable of the talents. Each of us has been endowed by the Creator with reason and various abilities. Having received these gifts from the Lord, we must dedicate our lives to understanding, carefully preserving, and – most importantly – creatively multiplying them. The brief parable of the Savior concludes with a warning: “To everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance. But from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29). The essence of these stern words is that one who refuses to labor and to multiply the talents entrusted to him will ultimately be deprived of divine gifts and left with nothing. Without diligence, perseverance, and hard work, nothing good or useful can be achieved – neither in material, intellectual, nor spiritual life.
Every ecclesiastical endeavor – especially the ministry to God and people in the sacred priesthood – is a heavy cross. Yet the multitude of saints bears witness to the abundance of grace which the Lord has poured out and continues to pour out upon His Church. “Having become man, He bestows upon humanity all the divine powers necessary for a holy and godly life in this world,” says Saint Cosmas of Aetolia. Let us recall how divine grace – “always healing the infirm and supplying what is lacking” – was manifested here, on Kazakh soil, in the life and labors of the ever-memorable Archbishop of Turkestan, Sophonius (Sokolsky). This year marks the 225th anniversary of his birth. He is rightly called the “Apostle of Central Asia.” This great laborer in Christ’s vineyard arrived here at the age of seventy. One eyewitness wrote: “Like a young man, he traveled the vast expanses of the Great Steppe, founding churches and establishing parishes, calling the people of God to the saving faith in Christ.” Disregarding his physical frailty, braving long distances, unafraid of exhausting heat or bitter cold, the elderly archbishop visited the cities and villages of his immense diocese. Through both deed and word, he strove to kindle the life-giving flame of faith in the hearts of the faithful. He built churches, frequently celebrated divine services, and tirelessly preached the Word of God.
What gave strength to this elderly hierarch, whose entire life was spent in unceasing labor and travel? There is only one answer – true Christian love. When Saint Nicholas of Serbia (Velimirovich) was once asked: “Master, what is love, in simple words?” he replied: “A synonym for love is self-sacrifice.”
There is a story in an ancient paterikon. Once, an elder asked his disciple, “How many wings does an angel have?”
“Two,” the disciple replied.
“And a seraph?”
“I remember that the Prophet Isaiah wrote that they have six,” said the disciple.
“And how many wings does a man have?” The young man thought hard but found no answer.
“A man,” the elder said, “can have as many as he wants! As much love as he has – that many wings he has.”
This feeling must burn especially brightly in the heart of every clergyman and church worker. Without active, sacrificial love, it is impossible to fully fulfill one’s calling in Christ’s vineyard – whether that be pastoral service, theological scholarship, or spiritual education.
I wholeheartedly thank all those who devote their strength to organizing the academic and administrative life of the seminary, often combining these labors with other obediences at parishes and in diocesan departments. I hope that you will continue to diligently contribute to the development of our theological school. I extend special gratitude to our benefactors who sincerely care about strengthening theological education in Kazakhstan.
To the teachers and mentors, I wish zeal for the Lord, wisdom, and patience. Your ministry is both important and demanding – you not only convey a body of knowledge about this or that subject to students, but also help them develop their personal character, and strive to set a good example.
Dear graduates! Always live up to the height of your vocation. The future of Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan will largely depend on how fruitful your service proves to be.
I wish each of you – the administration, faculty, staff, graduates, and students – strength of soul and body, and God’s help in all your good endeavors.
I would like to conclude my address with the words of Archbishop Sophonius (Sokolsky):
“When our life shines with truth and purity, with honesty and sobriety, with diligence and mutual love, then it will draw people both to us and to our faith.”
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