Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Congratulations with the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, as well as with the continuing celebration of the Nativity of Christ!

Tomorrow (January 12) the Holy Church takes leave of the feast of the Nativity. On the next day, on the eighth day after the birth of Christ, we celebrate a minor feast of the Lord – the Circumcision, as well as the memory of a great hierarch – St. Basil. On Wednesday, the 15th of January, we mark the memory of yet another great hierarch – Sylvester, the bishop of Rome, as well as the memory of two wonderful Russian saints – Seraphim of Sarov and Juliana of Lazarevo, as well as the beginning of the forefeast of Theophany. On the following day, the 16th of January, we mark the memory of the Old Testament prophet of God Malachi.

The Holy Prophet Malachi, who probably lived in the 5th century B.C., was the last of the Old Testament prophets and is sometimes called the ‘seal of the prophets’. He left for us a short but very interesting and beneficial book. The Holy Prophet was very much preoccupied with questions of the moral integrity of the priesthood and the exact execution of the ritual regulations of temple worship. He was very displeased that the temple services were not performed accurately, that the animals that were brought as sacrifices were often unsuitable, that the priests preached and taught poorly. He also denounced all the faithful Jewish people for the fact that many entered into marriage with infidels. He preached about the holiness of marriage, about being faithful to one’s first wife, about the great evil of divorce.

The Holy Prophet Malachi very expressively prophesied about the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, about the Second Coming, about the last general Judgement at which the sinners will be punished and the righteous justified. In the book of the prophet we read the following words: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me” (Mal. 3: 1), with which our Lord Jesus Christ Himself referred to St. John the Forerunner. Malachi also expressively foretells that the gentiles (that is, all of us) will serve the true God, with these beautiful words: “From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 1: 11). Of course, his words about the Dread Judgement could lead a person to thoughts of despair; therefore, the holy prophet softens his words and notes that the prophet Elias will first return to earth and that his ministry would return many to a righteous way of life.

Today, Brothers and Sisters, let us hear the voice of the Holy Prophet of God Malachi. Let us love the church services and perform them accurately and magnificently. Let’s love and value our spouses and raise pious children together. Let’s repent of our sins so as to worthily stand before the Lord on the dread day of His Judgement.

priest Alexis