Memorial Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the Liturgy in the church of the Representative Office of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District

December 19, 2023 is the day of remembrance of the saint and wonderworker Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the church in the name of the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and Sophia at the Patriarchal Metochion of the city of Moscow - the Representative Office of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District.

His Eminence was served by: assistant to the Head of the Metropolitan District, Hieromonk Anthony (Drobyazko) and clergy of the metochion.

The church choir sang under the direction of Anna Rozhnova.

Employees of the Representation and parishioners of the temple prayed during the service.

At the end of the Liturgy, glorification took place before the image of St. Nicholas, after which many years were proclaimed to the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill; To the Head, Most Reverend Archpastors, clergy and flock of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District; to the authorities, the military and the people of Kazakhstan and Russia, the birthday people of the day.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the clergy and parishioners on the holiday and delivered a sermon.

“Today in the church calendar is a holiday especially beloved by all of us - we prayerfully and reverently commemorate St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, wonderworker. “let glorify you in miracles, the Lord, both alive and after your repose, Hierarch Nicholas,” the Church sings the praises of this great saint of God. Saint Nicholas is loved not only by the Orthodox world. His name is known among many peoples in different countries. He is especially revered by sailors, travelers - all those who are associated with the danger movement. Because he was given a special grace to quickly bring the prayers of those in need to the throne of God. And, probably, there is not a single person here who in his life has not invoked the name of St. Nicholas. We often turn to him in sorrows, in illnesses, in various difficulties and disorders. We appeal because we know how powerful his holy prayer is before the throne of God’s grace.

While living on earth, the saint gave all of himself to people, to the Church of Christ, he faithfully performed his service - deaconal, priestly, episcopal - invariably showing a good example of true Orthodox shepherding. He gave everything he had - his human abilities, his talents, strength and time, his life - to Christ, whom he loved with all his heart. Love for God became for him a source of enormous love for his neighbor. We know about many miracles that his life tells about. The saint extended a helping hand to all those in sorrow and adversity, fervently prayed for those overwhelmed by adversity, saved the innocent from unjust trial and execution, performed many other deeds for the benefit of his neighbor and for the glorification of the name of Christ. We call Saint Nicholas in the troparion, in the short hymn dedicated to him, “the rule of faith and the image of meekness.” The faith of St. Nicholas is called the “rule”, it is faithful and perfect both in dogmatic terms and living, sincere and real - in its manifestation through concrete deeds and actions. His life, his faith, meekness and piety, should become for us not only a subject of admiration and surprise, but the most direct guidance in everyday life.

He was a good evangelical shepherd, simple and accessible. Anyone could come to him and be comforted, and pray with them. At the same time, Saint Nicholas was zealous and strict in everything that related to the Orthodox confession of faith, but, nevertheless, he put mercy at the head of his ministry. He was such that for centuries he remained in the hearts of people as a benevolent hierarch, doing good, calling on the mercy of God on everyone who asked him for help. Now in Heaven, he prays to God for all of us, so that we may have unshakable faith in our hearts, so that we rightly follow Christ’s teaching, and be sons and daughters of the Holy Orthodox Church. Let the doors of God’s mercy open to everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, who sincerely believes in Christ, to those who strive for the Savior, but have not yet found Him, to those who are still taking timid steps towards the knowledge of the true faith.” From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.