Feast of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple. Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church of the Representation of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan in Moscow

On 4 December 2025 – the great Twelve-feast of the Entry of our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary into the Temple.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church dedicated to the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia at the Patriarchal Metochion in Moscow – the Representation of the Metropolitan District of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: the Vice-Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary, Candidate of Theology, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Hegumen Agafangel (Gagua); the Sacristan of the church of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia Hieromonk Anthony (Drobyazko), and the clergy of the metochion.

Praying at the service were: the Secretary of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Choir Director of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, member of the Patriarchal Council for the development of Russian church singing O.N. Ovchinnikov; the staff of the Representation and parishioners of the church.

The choir of the church sang under the direction of Anna Rozhnova.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, before the icon of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple, a festive glorification of the feast was performed. Afterwards, His Eminence congratulated the clergy and the faithful on the Theotokos Twelve-feast and addressed those gathered with an archpastoral homily.

Upon completion of the service, His Eminence presented the Order of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia to one of the oldest parishioners of the church, V.K. Prontseva.

“Today is the herald of God’s goodwill and the proclamation of the salvation of mankind. The Temple of God solemnly receives the Virgin and proclaims Christ to all,” as is sung in the troparion of the feast. This event is not mentioned in the Gospel texts, but is known from the oral tradition of the Church, and prophecies of the Entry of the Child Theotokos Mary into the Jerusalem Temple are found in the 44th Psalm of the Prophet and Psalmist David, written more than a thousand years before the Nativity of Christ.

We remember that the righteous Joachim and Anna – the parents of the Ever-Virgin Mary – vowed to dedicate their daughter to the service of God. And when the future Mother of the Saviour reached the age of three, she was brought to the Jerusalem Temple, that until her maturity she might be raised in the House of God, engaged in prayer, listening to the Holy Scripture and in handiwork. Despite her tender age, the Most Holy Virgin easily ascended the steep steps of the Temple and was met and blessed by the High Priest Zacharias. By special revelation from above, she was led into the Holy of Holies, where according to the Old Testament law only the High Priest could enter, and only once a year. Thus was revealed her special place in the destiny of mankind: the Virgin Mary became a living, animate Temple in whom the Lord would dwell.

The Child Theotokos lived at the Jerusalem Temple until the age of twelve. When that time had passed, she who had resolved to preserve her virginity was entrusted to the care of her righteous kinsman Joseph, later called “the Betrothed”.

“Today we celebrate the remembrance of what once cooperated in the Incarnation of God. For God the Word becomes the Son of Man – the Son of the Ever-Virgin,” says Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, concerning the meaning of this feast. This event, in which the Most Holy Theotokos is glorified as she who served the mystery of the Incarnation, prepares us for the coming feast of the Nativity of Christ. Therefore, at Matins on the eve of the Entry, the joyful hymn resounds for the first time: “Christ is born – glorify Him! Christ is from heaven – meet Him!” By honouring and glorifying the Mother of God, we are spiritually drawn closer to her Son and our Saviour.

Another important lesson of this day is the significance of the Temple in the salvation of the soul. If being raised in the House of God was an essential part of the life of the Most Pure Virgin Mary, what place then must the church have in the lives of us sinners? In the Temple of God our salvation begins, unfolds and is brought to completion. Here we were washed from spiritual defilement in the sacrament of Baptism, sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Chrismation. Here we unite with Christ in the mystery of Holy Communion. Here we come to weep for our sins and to pour out before the Lord our sorrows – and we depart reconciled, strengthened and comforted. Therefore let us love the church and visit this Heaven on earth as often as possible.” From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.