On 15 September 2016 the head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District, Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, made an archpastoral visit to Samarkand. The visit began early in the morning with the laying of flowers at the grave of the First President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islam Abduganievich Karimov.
The archpastor then celebrated the Divine Liturgy at Saint Alexius Cathedral in Samarkand.
On this day the holy Russian Orthodox Church commemorated the Venerable Fathers Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves.
Concelebrating with His Eminence were Archpriest Roman Zagrebelny, the rector of the cathedral, Priest Igor Babakov, Priest Vladimir Skornyakov, Priest Oleg Dushenko, Hierodeacon Mikhail (Stolyarov) and Deacon Oleg Lin.
After the Liturgy the magnification to the Venerable Fathers was sung, and then Metropolitan Vikenty addressed the parishioners with his archpastoral word, recalling the labours and ascetic feats of Venerable Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. In his sermon His Eminence spoke of the privations they endured and how they voluntarily renounced the comforts of this world for the sake of attaining the Kingdom of Heaven. In particular, His Eminence said:
“At the heart of their feat was faith — faith in God, faith in the Kingdom of God — and, of course, obedience to the will of God. This is what moved and inspired them to bear patiently the hardships of this life. And for them it was not a burden but a joy, because they took this feat upon themselves voluntarily and set an example for many people, and many came to them in order to live and struggle as they did.
Venerable Anthony and Theodosius were pleasing to God and to the Mother of God, and They showed them special favour and special love.
For you and me these saints are an example of strong faith and of obedience to the will of God. Whoever does not obey the will of God shows pride, while those who obey show humility. Where there is humility, there is grace, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. We need to understand this: to receive grace one must have humility, and humility in turn is given through obedience. Obedience is the renunciation of one’s own will and one’s own desires; it is the fulfilment of God’s will rather than one’s own. And when we do this, we of course receive grace from God.”
In the evening of the same day Metropolitan Vikenty prayed at the prescribed service at the Samarkand Church of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, after which he returned to Tashkent.
