On 6 February the rector of Saint Alexius Cathedral, Priest Igor Babakov, celebrated the Liturgy for the feast of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg.
"Today is a bright and very frosty day," Fr. Igor said in his sermon. "How did Matushka Xenia walk the streets of St. Petersburg, enduring frost and hunger? How did this holy woman live? Before, she had everything: a husband, a good house, the means to live. Her husband died when she was 26. But she wanted to be with him in the Kingdom of Heaven, and she took upon herself a podvig higher than monasticism: foolishness for Christ. This hard path was taken up by a frail woman. She walked about in her husband's clothes and behaved strangely. But the people understood that she was not foolish; she was holy. In the winter of 1761 she told people: 'Bake blini; tomorrow all Russia will be baking blini,' and the next day Empress Elizabeth Petrovna died. There were many other podvigs and many other miracles. People tried to invite Matushka Xenia in, because grace came with her. Traders gave her a bit of bread, knowing that afterwards there would be no end of customers all day. Coachmen called her into their carriages in order to receive grace. She was venerated in her lifetime and after her death. To this day Matushka Xenia instructs us by her life. We have gathered in this church to pray to her. Water does not flow under a lying stone, and no one goes to an empty well for water. I urge everyone not only to pray to her as often as possible, but also to look at her life. Often we want this and that, but we should ask ourselves: is it for our salvation? The main thing is that we have fervent faith and the prayers of this saint."
On this day the parishioners of the cathedral were able to venerate great holy objects.
On the eve, a reliquary with a particle of the relics of St. Theophan the Recluse of Vysha was brought to the cathedral, together with the icon of the Mother of God known as "Kazan-Vysha".
The holy objects were brought to Uzbekistan from the Holy Dormition Vysha Convent by the abbess of the convent, Hegumenia Vera (Rovchan), and sisters of the holy community.
After the service the Akathist to Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg was read.
