On January 1, on the Sunday before the Nativity of the Lord and the feast of St. Martyr Boniface, the Divine Liturgy at the Nativity of the Lord Cathedral was celebrated in very solemn atmosphere by His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, assisted by the Cathedral clergy.
Concelebrating to the Hierarch was Archpriest Vadim Cheibas, the Metropolitan Secretary and Dean of the Cathedral. The first day of the civil year gathered in the Cathedral numerous church-goers, who shared their prayers and thanks-giving to the Lord with the Metropolitan and the praying clergy.
In these last several days before the Nativity of the Lord, the prayers combine spiritual joy with the solemnity of the fast. Thus, the believers listened to an inspiring sermon, calling all church-goers to piety and reasonable attitude to civil celebrations, in the light of Christian teaching.
This Sunday, the last before the Feast of the Theophany, or, embodiment of our Lord Jesus Christ, is called the Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the Lord, and the Gospel Reading indicated for this day talked about the earthly genealogy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Mathew says that there are 14 generations from Abraham to David, and 14 generations from David to the Babylon captivity, and 14 generations to Jesus Christ, underlining thus the bodily origin from the lineage of kings. The Gospel also shows that Jesus Christ fulfills the prophecies that speak about 42 generations before the coming of the Messiah.
The Service ended with a Thanks-Giving prayer.
Synodal Sector of Institutional Communication and Relations with the Mass-Media