Feast of the discovery of the venerable head of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John

March 8, 2024 – remembrance of the first and second finding of the venerable head of the Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John.

In the church in the name of the holy martyrs Faith, Nadezhda, Lyubov and Sophia at the Patriarchal Metochion of the city of Moscow - the Representation of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, a festive Divine Liturgy was celebrated, at the end of which a prayer service to the Forerunner of the Lord was held.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan offered special prayers for the archpastors, pastors, monastics and laity of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, for the peace and prosperity of the Kazakhstan land, the President, the authorities, the military and the people of the Republic.

The archpastor addressed a prayer petition to the Lord, the Mother of God, the Forerunner and saints of Christ “to deliver the city of Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan and all Christian cities and countries from the land of earthquakes and fiery blazes, to protect all people from troubles and misfortunes.”

“The personality of Saint John the Baptist has always attracted the attention of ascetics, especially monastics. The inhabitants of harsh monasteries and monasteries sought reinforcements from him. It is no coincidence that the Divine Teacher Himself called John the Baptist “the greatest of all those born of women.” John received this praise for his deserted ascetic life, for his feat, which, as it seems to us today, exceeds the limits of human capabilities. The lifestyle of John the Baptist is admirable. Especially if we remember that his life took place in the Old Testament world, not yet redeemed, not yet measured against God by the sacrificial Blood of the Divine Lamb. Many people ask the question: what do the words of the Savior mean, spoken in continuation of those already mentioned: “the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he”? One might think that the Lord, who had just glorified John as the greatest of all those born of women, immediately humiliated him, comparing him to “the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.” But that's not true. The Lord compared two worlds: the Old Testament and the New Testament world. And he emphasized the colossal difference between these worlds. John had the privilege of living and preaching in the Old Testament world, when the grace of God was outside the human heart. In this Old Testament world, God, as a rule, trained people through severe punishments and fearful signs. But after the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit in the form of fiery tongues entered the hearts of each of the apostles of Christ, another era began - God became close to people. God entered people's hearts. And it turns out that for each of us, unworthy Christians, weak, sinful, infirm, “lesser”, those greatest gifts of the Holy Spirit, which the Old Testament righteous remained deprived of, became available and open to us. You just need to work hard to acquire these gifts.” From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.