January 6, 2025 – Christmas Eve.
On this day, the themes of repentance and the call to worthily receive the newborn Savior gradually give way to joy and exultation at the appearance of the incarnate Lord to humankind. Special attention is paid to the earthly circumstances of this Gospel event: the time and place of Christ’s Nativity are mentioned, as well as all its participants—the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Righteous Joseph the Betrothed, the angels, the Magi, and the shepherds.
Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan led the festive service—the Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom and the Great Vespers—at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty.
The Metropolitan was joined in service by: the Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese, Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov); Protopriest Alexander Suvorov, Head of the Department for Public Relations of the Metropolitan District and Sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral; Protopriest Evgeniy Ivanov, Acting Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary and Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District; Protopriest Alexander Ievlev; Priest Andrey Shklyar, Assistant Sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral; Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat; Hieromonk Kheruvim (Levin); Priest Georgiy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Metropolitan District; Protodeacon Nikolay Grinkevich; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Vitaliy Bystrushkin; Hierodeacon Sofoniya (Mazurenko); Deacon Alexander Piven; and Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov.
The liturgical hymns were performed by the Ascension Cathedral Choir under the direction of Igumen Filipp (Moiseev).
Protopriest Evgeniy Ivanov delivered the homily following the Communion hymn.
After the dismissal of the Liturgy, the Great Vespers were celebrated in accordance with the liturgical order.
During the Vespers, Old Testament readings (paremias) containing prophecies about the coming of Christ to earth and the future Kingdom of God were chanted. The paremias alternated with troparia and refrains, “Have mercy on us, O Lord,” and “Glory to You, O Life-Giver,” performed alternately by the clergy in the altar and the choir.
In accordance with the liturgical order of the day, the Great Prokeimenon was proclaimed before the reading of the paremias: “Who is so great a God as our God?”
During the service, the Epistle reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, which speaks of the eternal begetting of the Son of God by the Father (Hebrews 1:1-12), was read, as well as the Gospel reading from Luke, which recounts the Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Bethlehem cave and the shepherds’ adoration of the Infant, as announced to them by the angelic hosts (Luke 2:1-20).
At the conclusion of the Great Vespers, a decorated candle symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem was brought out from the altar to the center of the church. Before the icon of the feast and the lit candle, the clergy and choir chanted the troparion and kontakion of the Nativity of Christ.
After the service, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan congratulated the clergy and faithful on Christmas Eve—the prelude to the feast of peace and divine love—and delivered a homily.
The Ascension Cathedral was adorned with live pine trees for the Nativity of Christ through the efforts of the church staff, led by the Sacristan of the cathedral, Protopriest Alexander Suvorov. Following the holy days, these trees will be planted in the parks of the Southern Capital, continuing a tradition established several years ago. Some of the trees remain growing in the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen.
“Today’s special services—the Divine Liturgy and the Great Vespers—mark the beginning of our celebration of the Nativity of Christ. The Good News of the Creator and Lord’s arrival in the world once again fills the earth. As the Church’s hymns proclaim, ‘The heavenly hosts rejoice, and the earth exults with humanity.’ This Gospel message instills hope in Christian hearts, awakens creativity, and inspires us to serve God and people. God’s love could not accept humanity remaining captive to sin and death but appeared on earth to deliver us from evil, granting us the possibility of spiritual rebirth and renewal. In these holy days, we profess that it is not a new prophet, teacher, wise ruler, or mighty hero who was born on earth, but the Creator Himself became incarnate. As the Church proclaims, ‘You came from the Virgin, neither an intermediary nor an angel, but You Yourself, O Lord, incarnate, saved me entirely, O man.’ ‘And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14), declares the contemplator of heavenly revelations, the Apostle John the Theologian. The Nativity of Christ, the Life-Giver, brought great and priceless gifts to humanity: true knowledge of God, the discovery of the meaning of life, the path to deliverance from sin, victory over death, the deification of humanity through grace, the Kingdom of Heaven, and eternal blessedness. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Most Blessed Virgin, and a virtuous life according to the Gospel commandments are not only means of communion with God but also become our worthy gifts to the newborn Savior, replacing the gold, frankincense, and myrrh brought to Him by the Magi. During the Nativity celebrations, let us offer special prayers for peace in the whole world and for our native Kazakhstan, so that the Lord, in His grace and mercy, may always visit this ancient land. May God bless the lives and labors of everyone who calls this country home. May harmony and brotherly love always dwell on the vast expanses of the Great Steppe.” — From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.
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