December 22, 2024 – The 26th Sunday after Pentecost; the feast of the Icon of the Mother of God “Unexpected Joy”; the commemoration of the Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos by Righteous Anna.
The Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in Chandrovo was led by a permanent member of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.
Concelebrating with the head of the Kazakhstan Metropolia were: Metropolitan Savvaty of Cheboksary and Chuvashia, Dean of the Second District, Protopriest Nikolay Mazikov; Secretary of the Cheboksary-Chuvash Diocese, Dean of the First District, Hieromonk Job (Markelov); Rector of the Church of the Mother of God “Seeker of the Lost” in Cheboksary, Priest Alexander Spiridonov; and Rector of the Iveron Church, Priest Pavel Alexandrov. The deaconal rank was led by Protodeacon Sergey Kulikov.
Liturgical hymns were sung by the choir under the direction of Elena Emelyanova.
The sermon after the Communion hymn was delivered by Priest Pavel Alexandrov.
At the conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan warmly greeted Metropolitan Savvaty of Cheboksary and Chuvashia, the clergy, and the faithful, and gave a pastoral address. The head of the Chuvash Metropolia expressed gratitude to the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan on behalf of the episcopate, clergy, and laity for the visit and the joy of communal prayer.
Metropolitan Alexander addressed the faithful with a reflection:
“The time of the Nativity Fast is abundantly filled with God’s grace: ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light’ (Romans 13:12). Thus, it should not be wasted. From above, we are given the means and strength to renounce ‘the works of darkness,’ to change our lives for the better, and to transform the world around us. These means are sincere prayer, good deeds for the glory of God, and restraint in feelings and desires. According to the teaching of the holy fathers, ‘the works of darkness’ are an unrepentant life filled with passions. This state is called ‘darkness’ because the person does not see their errors, nor does they recognize the evil they spread around them. As the wise Solomon says, ‘Every way of a man is right in his own eyes’ (Proverbs 21:2); everything such a person does seems to them correct, appropriate, or at least natural. However, true spiritual life is different. ‘Bold is the person who does not see their sins and thinks highly of themselves. All the proud and vain-hearted are abominable in the sight of God,’ warns the newly glorified elder, St. Gabriel of Samtavro. St. Arsenius the Great, who had attained many virtues and righteousness, prayed thus: ‘I have done nothing good before You, Lord, but grant me, by Your grace, to begin anew.’ This same spiritual disposition is taught to us daily by St. John Chrysostom in the evening prayer rule. Through fasting and prayer, diligent attendance at church, participation in the sacraments of Confession and Communion, attentive and kind treatment of others, studying the Holy Scriptures, reading the works of the Holy Fathers, and learning the foundations of our faith, we strive during the Nativity Fast to begin anew and to dispel the sinful darkness enveloping our souls.”
From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.
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