On the Feast of the Beheading of the Forerunner of the Lord John, Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Representation Church of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan in Moscow.

On September 11, 2024, the Feast of the Beheading of the Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist of the Lord John, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Charity, and Sophia, located at the Patriarchal Metochion in Moscow, which serves as the Representation of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District. 

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: the cleric of the Representation, Doctor of Medical Sciences and Professor, Hegumen Agafangel (Gagua); and the assistant to the Head of the Metropolitan District, Hieromonk Anthony (Drobiazko), along with other clergy of the metochion.

The liturgical hymns were performed by the church choir under the direction of Anna Rozhnova. At the conclusion of the Liturgy, a glorification service was held in honor of the Forerunner of the Lord, John, after which the archpastor congratulated the clergy and parishioners on the day of the martyrdom of "the Greatest among those born of women, the prophet of the Old and New Testaments," and delivered a sermon.

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, restored the annual celebration of the Day of Sobriety on September 11, the day of the Beheading of John the Forerunner, during its meeting on July 25, 2014. The Day of Sobriety was first established by the Holy Governing Synod in 1913, and in 1914, it was decreed to be observed annually. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, special prayers were offered in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church for those suffering from the afflictions of alcoholism and drug addiction, and His Holiness' message on the occasion of the Day of Sobriety was read.

"The Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord, John, the greatest of the prophets, concludes the history of the Old Testament and ushers in the era of the New Testament. The Holy Prophet John bore witness to the coming of the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. He baptized Him in the waters of the Jordan and was deemed worthy to behold the mysterious revelation of the Most Holy Trinity on the day of the Savior’s Baptism. The Forerunner of the Lord is the son of the priest Zechariah and the righteous Elizabeth. The Archangel Gabriel announced his birth, revealing to his father in the temple that a son would be born to him. The child, granted through prayers and foretold from above, was filled with the Holy Spirit. From a young age, the righteous John prepared himself for his great ministry in the wilderness through a strict life, fasting, and prayer. At around the age of 30, he began preaching repentance, preparing the people to receive the Savior of the world. As expressed in the church hymns, Saint John was the ‘bright morning star,’ whose brilliance surpassed that of all other ‘stars’—the righteous ones of the Old Testament—and heralded the coming of the spiritual Sun—Christ, the Giver of Life. Soon after baptizing the Savior, Saint John met a martyr’s death, beheaded by the sword on the orders of King Herod.

As we celebrate the memory of the holy Forerunner of the Lord John today, we must once again remember the main message of his preaching and reflect on its importance: ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ Repentance is the essential condition of our spiritual life, a preparation for communion with God, a path to union with God. True repentance begins with the recognition of one’s own wrongdoings and the ineffable mercy of God, by turning away from sin and having a contrite heart over the evil done. Genuine repentance is a profound transformation of one’s existence, a rejection of a sinful and self-centered life, and the beginning of a new life lived according to the commandments of the Gospel, in pursuit of the truth of Christ, in love for God and one’s neighbor. As we prayerfully remember the great prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist, let us ask him, through his intercession and prayerful advocacy, to grant us the gates of deep heartfelt repentance, so that we may enter the Kingdom of Heaven, where God dwells with those who love Him."

From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.