On the feast of the Protection of the Mother of God, Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. John the Theologian in the city of Rudny

October 14, 2024 is the feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of Our Lord and the Virgin Mary.

The Feast of the Protection of the Mother of God was established in Rus' during the reign of the faithful Prince Andrei Yuryevich Bogolyubsky. The basis was a miracle in 910, a description of which was preserved in the life of St. Andrew of Constantinople, the Fool for Christ's Sake. When the barbarian pagans besieged Constantinople, the city's inhabitants gathered in the Blachernae Church to pray to God for protection from their enemies. During the service in the church, the Mother of God miraculously appeared, as a sign that she was giving Constantinople her protection, covered the worshipers with her robe - spreading her head covering over the believers. The city was saved by the intercession of the Queen of Heaven and the enemy fled in fear from the walls of Constantinople.

In the second main church of the Kostanay diocese - the Cathedral of St. John the Theologian of Rudny, a festive Divine Liturgy was held on the occasion of the bringing of the ark with the relics of the blessed nun Matrona of Moscow.

The service was led by Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

His Eminence was assisted by: Archpriest Yevgeny Vorobyov, rector of the Almaty Church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow", Secretary of the Kostanay Diocese Hieromonk Gennady (Burduzha), cleric of the Epiphany Church in the city of Rudny, Archpriest Mikhail Pinayev, cleric of the Church of the Epiphany in the city of Arkalyk, Hegumen Sevastian (Ovsienko), rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity in the city of Arkalyk, Hegumen Maxim (Boykov), head of the missionary department of the Kostanay Diocese, rector of the Church of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt in the city of Lisakovsk, Archpriest Oleg Kalmykov, cleric of the Church of the Epiphany in the city of Rudny, Archpriest Ioann Trymbach, rector of the Church of the Archangel Michael in the city of Kostanay, Archpriest Vitaly Kleba, rector of the St. Nicholas Church in the city of Kostanay Archpriest Vitaly Gutsan, head of the Metropolitan's secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; rector of the Church of Our Lady of Kazan in the village of Zatobolsk Priest Andrei Krutin, clergy of the Kostanay diocese; head of the Metropolitan's protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Eliazar Aitbakin, Deacon John Churkin.

The choir of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral of the city of Kostanay sang under the direction of T. Zhebrak.

According to the communion verse, Priest Georgy Sidorov read out the address of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan on the occasion of the bringing of the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow to Kazakhstan.

At the end of the Liturgy, the glorification of the Most Holy Theotokos and Blessed Matrona of Moscow took place before the ark with her relics.

The head of the Metropolitan District congratulated the clergy and laity on the great feast of the Mother of God, the Protection of the Queen of Heaven, and the opportunity given by God to pray before the revered shrine – the relics of Blessed Matrona of Moscow.

The Metropolitan sprinkled the numerous believers with holy water and addressed the congregation with a word of edification.

After the end of the service, the veneration of the relics of the blessed nun Matrona began. Residents and guests of the city of Rudny, a large number of pilgrims from nearby towns and villages gathered to offer prayers to the great saint.

“In the existence of the Church of Christ, in the historical destinies of countries and people, in the lives of the holy saints of God, in the life of every believer, one can see the saving power of the Most Holy Theotokos. Chosen from among all people, She became the Mother of the Savior and forever became the source of divine gifts for the entire universe. Saint Gregory the Theologian says: “Each of the chosen ones is given grace in part, but to the Virgin – the fullness of grace.” Celebrating and glorifying the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, singing prayers and lighting candles, we must remember that our best praise of the Mother of God is living according to the Gospel commandments. “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5), said the Mother of the Savior at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, addressing the participants of the wedding celebration. She addresses these words to each of us, calling on us to listen to the Lord Jesus Christ and fulfill His commands. Saint John Damascene reminds us that the Mother of God “is saddened and grieved by every evil, and rejoices in every virtue as her gift.” Being not only the Mother of Christ, but also His faithful disciple, She also expects us to hear the word of God and keep it (see Luke 11:28)." From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.