The head of the Metropolitan District performed a New Year's prayer service in the main church of the southern capital

December 31, 2023. Alma-Ata. At the end of the Divine Liturgy in the main church of the southern capital, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan led a prayer service before the start of the New Year.

The head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was concelebrated by: vicar of the Astana diocese, Bishop of Talgar Veniamin, Bishop of the Ural and Atyrau Vianor; rector of the church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” in the city of Alma-Ata, Archpriest Evgeny Vorobyov, confessor of the Alma-Ata diocese, Archimandrite John (Sazonov); heads of departments of the District and diocesan commissions; rectors and clergy of Alma-Ata churches, cathedral clergy.

According to established tradition, in the Ascension Cathedral, parishioners of the churches of the southern capital gathered to give thanks to God for the passing year and ask for gracious help from the Lord for the coming year.

Before the start of the prayer service, Metropolitan Alexander addressed the believers with words of congratulations on the New Year and a sermon.

At the initial cry, the parishioners, together with the clergy, sang a prayer to the Holy Spirit, “Heavenly King.”

The chants were performed by: the choir of the Metropolitan District under the direction of the Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of N. Zubrevich.

At the end of the prayer singing, the metropolitan choir sang the ancient majestic hymn “We Praise Thee God,” authored by St. Ambrose of Milan.

The video recording of the service was carried out by the television studio of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan “Semirechye” (director - Honored Cultural Worker Victoria Posadneva, cameraman A. Schmidt; photographic recording - employees of the information department I. Burenin.)

Metropolitan Alexander blessed the clergy and parishioners with the altar cross and sprinkled the worshipers with holy water.

“The divine gift is the time of our life. This gift was the passing year, this great and mysterious gift is the coming year. We must use this gift and having multiplied it, return it to God full of good deeds. New Year - a new book, with blank sheets. We will fill all three hundred and sixty-five pages of this book with actions, thoughts and words. It is important to remember that time is given by God for spiritual growth and formation. Earthly life is the beginning of eternity. Therefore, we must cherish every hour of it. Once the Rev. Sebastian of Karaganda asked his spiritual children: “What is more valuable than anything in the world?” And he himself answered this question: “Time is most valuable! And what do we lose without regret and uselessly? Time! What do we not value and neglect the most? Time! If we lose time, we will lose ourselves! We'll lose everything!" Let us remember, brothers and sisters, that all the possibilities of a holy, pious life, labors for salvation here on earth will bear abundant fruit in eternal life.
Peace, health and happiness to you in the New Year! May the blessing of the Lord, the mercy of the Most Pure Lady Theotokos and the intercession of the new martyrs and confessors be with us all!” From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.