December 7, 2024 – Afterfeast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple and the feast day of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria.
Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the oldest church of Astana, the Constantine and Helen Cathedral.
Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan were: Archbishop Amphilochius of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk; Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan; Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev), Dean of Astana Parishes; Hieromonk Modest (Drozdov), spiritual father of the Astana Women’s Monastery in honor of the Icon of the Theotokos “Seeker of the Lost”; Protopriest Sergius Kaliyev, Dean of Constantine and Helen Cathedral; Priest Maxim Madzhitov; Hieromonk Siluan (Sinegubov), cleric of the Church of St. Seraphim of Sarov in Astana; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat; Priest Sergius Lubnevsky; Priest George Rublinsky, Dean of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty; Protodeacon Nicholas Grinkevich; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Elias Kwan, Secretary of the Ust-Kamenogorsk Diocese; Deacon Elias Davydov; Deacon John Churkin; and Deacon John Yanchuk.
The relics of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine of Alexandria were brought to the oldest church of the capital for veneration by the faithful.
Among those praying during the service were: Abbess Sebastiana (Plotnikova), Superior of the Monastery in honor of the Icon of the Theotokos “Seeker of the Lost” in Astana, along with sisters of the monastery; staff of the diocesan administration, pilgrims, and parishioners of the cathedral.
The choir of Constantine and Helen Cathedral sang the responses under the direction of N.V. Mazurina.
After the Communion verse, Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev) delivered a homily.
The Divine Liturgy concluded with the Magnification of the Feast of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple and the Feast of the Great Martyr Catherine.
Metropolitan Alexander addressed those gathered with a sermon on the significance of martyrdom. He then congratulated those named in honor of St. Catherine and imparted his archpastoral blessing to the congregation.
In fulfillment of the blessing of His Holiness, Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’, Metropolitan Alexander presented Patriarchal awards to laypeople serving in the oldest church of the capital. The following individuals were recognized for their labors for the benefit of the Holy Church:
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The choir director of Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Astana was awarded the Order of the Venerable Euphrosyne, Grand Duchess of Moscow, III degree;
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Director of the Sunday School at the oldest church of the capital, E.V. Sakharova, was awarded the Medal of the Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Venerable Euphrosyne, Grand Duchess of Moscow;
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Staff members of Constantine and Helen Cathedral, S.A. Talanova and T.A. Makarova, received Patriarchal Certificates of Appreciation.
Saint Catherine was born in the Egyptian capital of Alexandria in the latter half of the 3rd century. She came from a noble family and was renowned for her intellect, education, and beauty. Many wealthy and noble suitors sought her hand in marriage, and her mother and relatives urged her to accept. However, Catherine hesitated and replied, “If you want me to marry, then find me a young man who matches my beauty and intellect.”
By divine providence, Catherine met an elderly desert ascetic known for his great wisdom and righteous life. In discussing the virtues of her suitors, the elder said, “I know a Bridegroom who surpasses you in every way. There is none like Him.” He then gave her an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and promised that She would help her encounter this extraordinary Bridegroom. That night, Catherine had a vision in which the Heavenly Queen, surrounded by angels, stood before her holding a radiant Child who shone like the sun. However, when Catherine tried to look upon His face, He turned away.
“Do not disdain Your creation,” the Theotokos pleaded with her Son. “Tell her what she must do to behold Your radiant countenance.” The Child replied, “Let her return to the elder and learn from him.” This wondrous dream deeply affected Catherine. At dawn, she hurried to the elder, fell at his feet, and begged for guidance. The elder explained the true faith to her in detail, speaking of the heavenly joy of the righteous and the doom of sinners. Catherine, recognizing the superiority of the Christian faith over paganism, believed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and received Holy Baptism.
After her Baptism, divine light filled her soul with great joy. Returning home with a renewed spirit, Catherine prayed fervently, thanking God for His mercy. During her prayers, she fell asleep and again saw the Theotokos. This time, the Divine Child gazed at her lovingly. The Most Holy Virgin took Catherine’s right hand, and the Child placed a wondrous ring on her finger, saying, “Know no earthly bridegroom.” Catherine awoke with even greater joy, realizing she was now betrothed to Christ. Her life was transformed—she became modest, gentle, and merciful, devoting herself to prayer and seeking to live solely for Christ.
Shortly thereafter, the co-emperor Maximinus arrived in Alexandria. He sent messengers throughout Egypt to summon the people to a festival honoring the pagan gods. Catherine grieved that the emperor, instead of enlightening his subjects, was promoting idolatrous superstitions. During the festival, she boldly entered the temple where the priests, nobility, and people had gathered, and addressed the emperor: “Is it not shameful, O emperor, to pray to vile idols? Come to know the true God, eternal and infinite, by whom kings reign and the world endures. He descended to earth and became man for our salvation.”
Maximinus, enraged by her disrespect toward his imperial authority, ordered her imprisonment. He then summoned scholars to persuade Catherine of the truth of paganism. For days, they presented arguments in favor of the pagan religion, but Catherine’s logic and sound reasoning demolished their positions. She proved that there could only be one wise Creator of all things, infinitely superior to pagan deities. Eventually, the scholars admitted defeat.
Having failed to win the debate, Maximinus sought to seduce Catherine with promises of gifts, honors, and glory. Yet she remained steadfast. While the emperor was temporarily away from the city, his wife, Empress Augusta, who had heard much about Catherine’s wisdom, sought to meet her. Their conversation led Augusta to embrace the Christian faith.
Upon Maximinus’s return, he summoned Catherine once more. This time, he resorted to threats of torture and death. He ordered a device with sharp iron spikes to be brought forth and commanded her to be executed by this cruel method. However, as the torture began, an unseen power destroyed the instrument of death, leaving Catherine unharmed.
Witnessing this, Empress Augusta confronted her husband, rebuking him for defying God. Furious at his wife’s intervention, Maximinus ordered her immediate execution.
The following day, the emperor offered Catherine his hand in marriage, promising her the riches of the world. Unwavering in her devotion, Catherine rejected him outright. Seeing that his efforts were futile, Maximinus condemned her to death by beheading. On this day, in the year 304, Catherine was martyred.
After her death, the holy relics of the Great Martyr Catherine were brought to Mount Sinai, where they have been kept ever since at the monastery that bears her name. Russian Emperor Peter the Great donated a precious reliquary to house her relics.
In 2019, a portion of the relics of the Great Martyr Catherine was gifted to the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In response to a petition from Metropolitan Alexander, and with the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, the holy relics were brought to Kazakhstan by Bishop Viktor of Artsyz, a vicar of the Diocese of Odessa.
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