The Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple: The Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Main Cathedral of the Southern Capital

December 4, 2024. The great Twelve Great Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary into the Temple was solemnly celebrated.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were the auxiliary bishops of the Astana Diocese, Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan and Bishop Benjamin of Talgar; Protopriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of Almaty Churches and Rector of the Nicholas Cathedral; Protopriest Eugene Vorobyov, Rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in Almaty; Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov), Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese; Protopriest Alexander Suvorov, Dean of the Ascension Cathedral and Head of the Public Relations Department of the Metropolitan District; Protopriest Eugene Ivanov, Acting Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary and Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District; Protopriest Kirill Shklyar, Dean of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat; Priest George Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Metropolitan District; Priest Vladislav Kovalenko, Dean of the Nicholas Church in the village of Malotimofeevka; Priest Daniel Bobylev, Head of the Correspondence Department of the Almaty Theological Seminary; Priest George Rublinsky, Dean of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin; Deacon Alexander Piven; and Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District (conducted by O.N. Ovchinnikov, Honored Artist of Russia, with choirmaster V. Dudareva) and the small choir of the Ascension Cathedral (conducted by O. Kuznetsova).

The sermon following the communion verse was delivered by Protopriest Eugene Ivanov.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, a glorification service for the feast was held before the icon of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple.

Metropolitan Alexander then addressed the hierarchs, clergy, and parishioners with congratulations on the great feast dedicated to the Theotokos and delivered an archpastoral homily.

Today is “the prelude of God’s goodwill and the proclamation of human salvation.” In the temple of the Lord, the Virgin appears in glory, foretelling Christ to all. These words from the troparion of the feast reveal the essence of this sacred event.

This event is not mentioned in the Gospel texts but is known through the oral Tradition of the Church. Prophecies about the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Jerusalem Temple are found in the writings of the Prophet and Psalmist David, who lived over a thousand years before the Nativity of Christ, as we read in Psalm 44. We also recall that Saints Joachim and Anna, the righteous parents of the Ever-Virgin Mary, had vowed to dedicate their daughter to the service of God. When the future Mother of the Savior reached the age of three, they brought Her to the Temple in Jerusalem so that She might be raised in the house of the Lord until Her maturity. There, the Virgin engaged in prayer, study of the Holy Scriptures, and handiwork.

Despite Her tender age, the Most Holy Virgin ascended the steep steps of the Temple with ease and was greeted and blessed by the High Priest Zechariah. By a divine revelation, She was led into the Holy of Holies—a place where, according to the Old Testament Law, only the High Priest could enter, and even then, only once a year. This extraordinary act revealed Her unique role in the salvation of humanity: the Virgin Mary became the living, animated temple in which the Lord would dwell. The Most Holy Theotokos remained in the Temple until the age of twelve. At that time, desiring to preserve Her virginity, She was entrusted to the care of Her righteous kinsman, Joseph, who would later be called Her “Betrothed.”

“Today we celebrate the memory of that which contributed to the Incarnation of God,” writes Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica. “For the Word of God became the Son of Man—the Son of the Ever-Virgin.” This sacred event, which glorifies the Most Holy Theotokos, who played an integral role in the mystery of the Incarnation, prepares us to celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. This is why, during Matins on the eve of the Entry, we hear for the first time the triumphant hymn: “Christ is born; glorify Him! Christ comes from heaven; receive Him!” By honoring and venerating the Mother of God, we spiritually draw closer to Her Son and our Savior.

Another profound lesson of this feast is the importance of the holy temple in the salvation of our souls. If life within the house of the Lord was essential to the upbringing of the All-Pure Virgin Mary, how much greater should the role of the temple be in the lives of us sinners? In the temple of God, our salvation begins, is accomplished, and finds its fulfillment. Here we are cleansed from the stain of sin in the mystery of Baptism and sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the mystery of Chrismation. Here we mystically unite with Christ by partaking of the Holy Gifts in the Eucharist. Here we come to lament our sins and pour out our sorrows before the Lord, leaving comforted, renewed, and reconciled.

Let us, therefore, love the house of God and attend it as often as possible, for it is truly heaven on earth. Let us bring our hearts, purified by repentance and illuminated by the light of faith, before the Lord in His temple. As we sing in the psalm: “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’” (Ps. 122:1).

This sacred day calls us to prepare ourselves for the radiant Feast of the Nativity of Christ by deepening our prayer, strengthening our faith, and growing in love for God and neighbor. May the Most Holy Theotokos, who entered the Temple with such grace and devotion, inspire us to dedicate our lives to the Lord and lead us closer to the eternal joy of communion with Him.