On the feast of the Beheading of the Forerunner of the Lord John, Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Liturgy in the church of the Representative Office of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan in Moscow

September 11, 2024 is the day of the Beheading of the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church of the Holy Martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and Sophia at the Patriarchal Metochion of the city of Moscow - Representative Office of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.

His Eminence was assisted by: a cleric of the Representative Office, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Hegumen Agafangel (Gagua); assistant to the Head of the Metropolitan District Hieromonk Anthony (Drobiazko) and clergy of the Metochion.

The liturgical chants were performed by the church choir under the direction of Anna Rozhnova.

At the end of the Liturgy, the glorification of the Forerunner of the Lord John took place, after which the archpastor congratulated the clergy and parishioners on the day of the martyrdom of the "Greatest of those born of women, the prophet of the Old and New Testaments" and delivered a sermon.

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, chaired by His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', at a meeting on July 25, 2014, restored the annual celebration of Sobriety Day on September 11, the day of remembrance of the Beheading of John the Baptist. Sobriety Day was first established by the Holy Governing Synod in 1913, and in 1914 it was decided to hold it annually. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', special prayers were offered in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church for those suffering from the disease of alcoholism and drug addiction, and a message from His Holiness was read on the occasion of Sobriety Day.

“The Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John, the greatest of the prophets, completes the history of the Old Testament and opens the era of the New Testament. The Holy Prophet John witnessed the coming to earth of the Only Begotten Son of God, who took on human flesh. He baptized Him in the waters of the Jordan and was honored to see the mysterious appearance of the Holy Trinity on the day of the Baptism of the Savior. The Forerunner of the Lord is the son of the priest Zechariah and the righteous Elizabeth. The Archangel Gabriel was the herald of his birth, revealing to his father in the temple that he would have a son. Asked for prayers, foretold from above, the baby was filled with the Holy Spirit. From his youth, righteous John prepared himself for great service in the wild desert by a strict life, fasting and prayer. At the age of about 30, he began preaching repentance, preparing the people to accept the Savior of the world. According to the expression of church hymns, Saint John was the "bright morning star", which surpassed the radiance of all other "stars" - the Old Testament righteous, and announced the appearance of the spiritual Sun - Christ the Life-Giver - into the world. Soon after the baptism of the Savior, Saint John suffered a martyr's death, beheaded with a sword by order of King Herod. Celebrating today the memory of the holy Forerunner of the Lord John, we must once again recall the main words of his sermon and reflect on their importance: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." Repentance is a necessary condition of our spiritual life, preparation for communion with God, the path to unity with God. True repentance begins through the awareness of one’s own untruths and the ineffable mercy of God, through turning away from sin and contrition of the heart for the evil committed. Sincere repentance is a profound change in human existence, a rejection of a willful, sinful and selfish existence, the beginning of a new life accomplished according to the commandments of the Gospel, in the pursuit of the truth of Christ, in love for God and neighbor. Prayerfully remembering the great prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, let us ask him that through his intercession and prayerful intercession he would grant us the gates of deep heartfelt repentance to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, where God abides with those who love Him.” From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.