On the eighth day after the Nativity of Christ, and on the day of the New Year according to the old style, the Church celebrates the event of the Circumcision of the Lord. This Old Testament rite, appointed for all male infants, bore witness that the Son of God truly assumed human flesh, becoming truly Man. On this same day, the Divine Child was also given the name Jesus, which had been announced earlier by the Archangel Gabriel on the day of the Annunciation.

The festal services for the Feast of the Circumcision of the Lord and the commemoration of Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, were celebrated in the Lavra church dedicated to Saint Agapitus of the Caves by the Lavra’s Holy Archimandrite, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, the Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Concelebrating with His Beatitude at the Divine Liturgy were Metropolitan Antony of Boryspil and Brovary, Chancellor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Lavr of Irpin, Archbishop Mark of Borodianka, as well as the brotherhood of the monastery and visiting clergy in the sacred rank.

After the conclusion of the service, a moleben for the New Year was served, during which all the faithful gave thanks to the Lord for the blessings He pours out upon His children, and entreated Him to grant His grace for the coming year.

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