Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk: God has come to human life to show us that good always triumphs over evil
On Christmas night of 6th/7th January, 2011, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations (DECR), celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the ‘Joy to All the Afflicted’ Icon of the Mother of God, Bolshaya Ordynka Street. Many parishioners, donators, guests, and DECR staff members shared the joy of the feasts. The divine service was broadcast on the “TV-Centre” channel for Russian viewers.
The celebration began in the evening of January 6 with the All-Night Vigil led by Metropolitan Hilarion. He venerated the miraculous “Joy to All the Afflicted” Icon of the Mother of God before the Liturgy singing at which was Moscow Synodal Choir conducted by Alexei Puzakov, an honoured artist of Russia.
After the reading from the Gospel, Metropolitan Hilarion delivered a very moving sermon, saying that many people think that God is far away from them, whereas God has come to human life to show us that good always triumphs over evil, that resurrection and life always exult over death.
After communion verse, hegumen Filaret (Tambovsky) read out read out Christmas message of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to the archpastors, pastors, monastics, and all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church.