October 26, 2024 – The feast of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God. Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia at the Patriarchal Metochion in Moscow, which serves as the Representation of the Metropolia of Kazakhstan.
Assisting His Eminence were Hieromonk Anthony (Drobyazko), assistant to the Head of the Metropolia, and clerics of the Representation. The staff of the Representation and parishioners of the church participated in the service.
The liturgical hymns were performed by the church choir under the direction of Anna Rozhnova.
The service concluded with glorification before the Iveron Icon of the Holy Theotokos, after which Metropolitan Alexander addressed the faithful with a homily.
“For every Orthodox Christian, the name of the Most Holy Theotokos is cherished and beloved, as it was through her that Christ the Savior came into the world. We honor her as ‘more honorable than the Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim,’ higher than all angelic beings. The Mother of our Lord is also the mother of every Christian, as during His suffering on Golgotha, Christ, through the Apostle John the Theologian, adopted the human race to her. Thus, everything connected with the name of the Mother of God is especially revered by the Orthodox faithful—holy places, churches, monasteries, and, of course, her miraculous icons. The fulfillment of our requests, the achievement of our desires, and the realization of our hopes are possible only if we have sincere faith in God and trust in His mercy. The Holy Apostle Paul teaches us: ‘Without faith, it is impossible to please God; for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him’ (Hebrews 11:6). Prayerful labor cannot be fruitful without the purification of one’s soul, without repentance and amending one’s life. As the great teacher of the Church, Saint Gregory the Theologian, says, ‘As a cloud conceals the brightness of the sun’s rays, so does a sinner who refuses to acknowledge his sins and renounce them conceal from himself the rays of God’s love and the mercy of the Mother of God.’ Therefore, as we venerate the icon of the Queen of Heaven, let us ask the Lord for forgiveness of our sins, overcoming our weaknesses, and victory over our passions. May the main theme of our prayers and requests be the pursuit of a virtuous Christian life, of which the Mother of God herself is a shining example for us.” — From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander
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