Your Graces, beloved archpastors in the Lord!
Venerable fathers, dear brothers and sisters!
Today the Holy Church commemorates the Beheading of the Forerunner of the Lord, John the Baptist. For his faithfulness to the truth of God, the great prophet suffered a martyr’s death at the hands of a hard-hearted king. Under the influence of wine, Herod, who did not lead a pious life even without it, being past feeling, gave himself over unto lasciviousness (Eph. 4:19) and compounded the sin of adultery with the murder of a righteous man.
As a reminder of the need to watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation (Matt. 26:41), the Church established the Day of Sobriety on this feast, so that, heeding the Gospel reading heard today, each person may set out on the path of struggle against his weaknesses and vices. And for those who treat the sin of drunkenness lightly and indulgently, let the words of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk serve as a warning; he cautioned that the devil loves nothing so much as luxury and drunkenness, for no one fulfills his evil will as readily as a drunkard (On True Christianity).
Sobriety concerns not only the use of intoxicating drinks but any addiction: a person unable to tear himself away from a smartphone or a computer game is also captive to harmful attachments and habits and needs to strengthen his will. It is important to realize how grave the consequences of intemperance are, making a person a slave to sin and deadening the soul; therefore the Church invites us to partake of the rich ascetic experience of the holy fathers, accumulated over many centuries.
Through the prayers of the great prophet John the Forerunner, may the Merciful Lord help us all to lead a pious life, preserving spiritual vigilance and purity of heart.
+KIRILL, PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
September 11, 2026