Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross during Great Lent. The Head of the Metropolitan District celebrated the Liturgy in the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata

March 23, 2025 – the 3rd week of Great Lent – the Veneration of the Cross.

The Synaxarion of the Lenten Triodion (a collection of historical information about the holiday) explains the reason for establishing the veneration of the Holy Cross on the 3rd Sunday of Lent: “Since we are crucified in a certain way during the forty-day fast, mortified by passions, have a feeling of bitterness, become despondent and weaken, the Holy and Life-giving Cross is offered, as if cooling and strengthening us, and recalling to us the passions of our Lord Jesus Christ, and comforting us. If our God was crucified for us, then how much more should we labor for His sake... If our Savior, having ascended the cross, was glorified through humiliation and suffering, so it befits us to endure, so that we may be glorified to Him, even if we suffer a little here."

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Ascension Cathedral in the city of Alma-Ata.

The head of the Metropolitan District was assisted by: spiritual father of the Alma-Ata Diocese Archimandrite John (Sazonov), sacristan of the cathedral, head of the public relations department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, member of the Patriarchal Commission for Physical Culture and Sports Hegumen Philip (Moiseyev), acting Rector of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary, Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov, Head of the Metropolitan's Personal Secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich, Head of the Metropolitan's Protocol Service Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin, Deacon Alexander Piven, Deacon John Zhuchkov and Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.

The chants of the Liturgy were performed by the Metropolitan District Choir under the direction of Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov and the Ascension Cathedral Choir under the direction of E. Boguslavets.

In accordance with the liturgical Charter, the following song was performed at the Liturgy instead of the Trisagion: "We worship Thy Cross, O Master, and we glorify Thy holy resurrection."

The apostolic reading at the Liturgy from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews (4:14 – 5:6) reveals the theological idea of the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, who is the great High Priest who passed through Heaven. The Gospel reading for this day included Christ's call: "Whoever wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me" (Mark 8:24).

The sermon on the verse after communion was delivered by Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov.

At the end of the service, the glorification and veneration of the Cross of Christ took place, after which the Head of the Metropolitan District addressed the congregation with a word of instruction.

The video recording of the service was carried out by the television studio of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan "Semirechye" (director - honored cultural worker Victoria Posadneva, cameraman A. Schmidt); photo recording - employee of the information department A. Shcheglov.

"In this special - Cross-Adoration - week, the Church again and again visibly reminds us of the Cross of our Lord and Savior, of the death on the cross that He suffered for us people and for our salvation. Once an instrument of painful and shameful execution, the Tree of the Cross, sprinkled with the blood of our sweetest Lord, has become a saving force to which we resort, an invincible weapon that saves us from troubles and sorrows, help and consolation in trials. The domes of our churches are crowned with images of the Cross, from the moment of the holy sacrament of Baptism we wear the Cross on our chest, often make the sign of the cross, and every sacred action in the Church is marked by the signing of the Cross, because on it the Lord accomplished His redemptive feat. From the height of His Cross the Savior stretches out His hands to us and says: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Today the Church, through the divine service, through the special majestic and touching rite of worship of the life-giving Tree, reminds us of the high price at which the work of our salvation was accomplished. Finding ourselves in the middle of the Lenten field and looking at the Cross of Christ, we pray that the Lord will strengthen us in faith, confirm us in piety, and grant us with a pure heart and enlightened soul to become participants in the services of Holy Week, to worthily worship His Saving feat, to meet Him Risen and to feel the joy of the Bright Feast of the Resurrection of Christ." From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.