EASTER MESSAGE Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan 2024

Your Eminence Archpastors! All-honorable fathers!
Dear brothers and sisters, inhabitants of the land of Kazakhstan!

Now the visible and invisible world rejoices, the Holy Church triumphs, the universe is illuminated with the light of grace, angels and people unanimously exclaim in joy the words of the victorious hymn:

CHRIST IS RISEN!

Once again, the merciful Lord has vouchsafed us to hear and utter this sacred exclamation and celebrate the feast of the holidays and the triumph of celebrations - God's Saving Easter. There is no other time in our lives when spiritual joy would take possession of our hearts in such completeness as on the radiant night of the Resurrection of Christ and the Easter days that follow it. This sublime, incomparable feeling is born in the soul from a meeting with an indescribable Divine miracle and from mysterious communication with the risen Savior, whom we contemplate with the eyes of faith. Century after century, from apostolic times to the present day, the Holy Church preaches about the Resurrection of Christ as a fateful, key event in the history of the human race and in the life of every person. “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), the Lord said about Himself and showed people His omnipotence and love that surpasses knowledge (Eph. 3:19). For the sake of our salvation, Christ descended not only to earth, but he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth (Eph. 4:9). On the eve of Easter, we hear the words of liturgical texts telling about this good deed of the Savior: “You descended to earth to save Adam, and not finding him on earth, Master, you went down to hell, looking for him.” By the Cross and Resurrection, the Lord overcame the sting of death and opened the Kingdom of Heaven to us, and now whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

A believing soul, having heard the words of the Gospel: “The Lord is truly risen” (Luke 24:34), eagerly responds to the apostolic gospel and hastens to share it with those near and far. With the Easter celebration, we testify to the whole world that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised again on the third day” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).

The psalmist David, who lived ten centuries before New Testament times, announced the Resurrection of Christ: “This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us be glad and rejoice therein!” (Ps. 117:24). Saint Gregory of Nyssa (IV century) explains this ancient prophecy this way: “On this day the Lord creates a new heaven and a new earth. What sky? - The firmament of faith in Christ. What land? “Good heart.” With the Resurrection of the Savior the universe is renewed and the beginning of the transformation and deification of humanity is laid. The victory of Christ is the guarantee of the future general resurrection, the beginning of a new, holy, eternal and blessed existence, about which the Apostle Paul says: “what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived, the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).

In the Gospel about the appearance of the risen Savior, we read that when people saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted (Matthew 28:17). Reflecting on these lines, one may wonder how one can be blind to a miracle, how one can not notice the obvious. The Lord Himself gives us the answer, saying: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Only a soul cleansed from sinful darkness can clearly sense the Divine presence, see the actions of the Creator in the surrounding reality, and comprehend His wise and good Providence in one’s life. The Apostle Paul instructs us: “make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy, without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). That is why the Holy Church addresses us today with the heartfelt words of the Easter hymns: “Let us purify our senses and see Christ, shining with the unapproachable light of the Resurrection.” In order to feel and perceive the grace of the world-saving Easter as strongly as possible, let us try to avoid all evil, and, on the contrary, let us be enlightened by good deeds. Christ died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again (2 Cor. 5:15), the word of God teaches us.

Every time the Easter celebration opens a new period in our lives - the Creator and Savior Himself gives us new strength and opens up new opportunities for us. The Lord has given us everything so that we may become heirs of His victory. “Take courage: I have overcome the world” (John 16:33), He says to you and me. We often complain about the imperfection of the reality around us. But changing this world for the better cannot happen on its own. Much depends on you and me – the children of God (1 John 3:1,2). “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed... nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20), we hear the encouraging voice of the Lord. In unity with Him, we have a real opportunity to transform ourselves, to fill our lives and the lives of those around us with grace-filled light. We have been given the holy sacraments of Confession and Communion, by resorting to which we are able to overcome sin, establish ourselves in love and renew our connection with the Lord of the universe.

On the bright days of Easter, a significant spiritual event awaits you and me - with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', the miraculous icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Healer” will be brought to Kazakhstan. Through prayers before this shrine, deeply revered by the Orthodox people, a huge number of people were granted relief from physical and mental illnesses, received help and consolation. The presence of the miraculous image of the Queen of Heaven will become a spiritual gift to Kazakhstan in the year of celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Astana and Alma-Ata diocese. The face of the Most Blessed Lady will sanctify our country with heavenly grace and bless the lives and works of those who live on this ancient land.

“Oh, Easter - deliverance from sorrow!” - exclaims St. John of Damascus (8th century). Let us also increase the joy of the holiday with deeds of love and mercy. How many people these days are waiting for a person who, in the name of the Risen Savior, would make their lives more joyful. With Easter greetings, let us bring consolation to the suffering, peace to those at war, help to the needy, joy to the despondent, truth to the lost, and an enlightened soul to Christ.

On these sacred days, let us intensify our prayers for the land of Kazakhstan, for the preservation of peace and harmony, for the increase of love, “so that we may live peaceful and quite life in all godliness and holiness” (1 Tim. 2:2).

I cordially congratulate you all on the triumph of the Resurrection of Christ from the dead, on the saving Easter of God, and again greet you with the words of the all-joyful hymn of the victory of life over death:

CHRIST IS RISEN! – TRULY IS RISEN!