On the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the church of the Representation of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District in Moscow

28 December 2025 – the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers.

On this day the host of the Holy Forefathers is prayerfully glorified – patriarchs, prophets, kings, and priests who lived in Old Testament times and were saved by faith in the coming Messiah, Christ. The commemoration of the Holy Forefathers precedes the great feast of the Nativity of Christ, when the coming into the world of the Son of God, awaited by Old Testament humanity, was fulfilled.

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

His High Eminence was concelebrated by the vice-rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary, Candidate of Theology, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Hegumen Agafangel (Gagua); the rector of the church of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia, Hieromonk Antony (Drobyazko); and the clergy of the metochion.

The choir of the church and pupils of the parish Sunday school sang under the direction of Anna Rozhnova.

During the service, staff of the Representation and parishioners of the church prayed.

At the memorial litany, the confessor of the faith Metropolitan Joseph of Alma-Ata and Kazakhstan (Chernov, †1975) was commemorated, whose name day is celebrated on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers.

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the clergy and the faithful on the воскресный day and the celebration in honor of the Holy Forefathers.

“Today’s Sunday calls us to imitate the faith and virtues of the Old Testament saints. Each of us, on the pages of Holy Scripture, can find good examples, saving lessons, and correct answers to the most diverse everyday and worldview questions. Therefore, one of the integral aspects of our spiritual life should be regular reading and diligent study of the word of God, based on the works of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church. Let us strive, having reflected on the lives and labors of the Holy Forefathers, to spend the remaining time of the fast fruitfully, so that we may worthily prepare ourselves for the approaching great feast of the Nativity of Christ.” From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.