Message from the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, at the Beginning of Great Lent, 2025

Most Reverend Fathers, dear brothers and sisters!

On March 3, Great Lent begins—a special period in the life of the entire Church and every believer, preparing us for a worthy celebration of the Feast of Feasts and the Triumph of Triumphs—the radiant Resurrection of Christ. The words of the Apostle Paul, proclaimed on the eve of Lent, deeply and precisely characterize the holiness and greatness of this time: “Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:11-12). Dedicating these days to God, we will strive to renew our souls through deep and heartfelt repentance, kindle the flame of faith in our hearts, and turn away from sinful habits so that we may receive God’s merciful and saving grace. “Let us fast with a fast pleasing and acceptable to the Lord. The true fast is the rejection of vices, restraint of the tongue, and renunciation of anger,” we hear in the Lenten hymns, which explain the true meaning of our ascetic labors during Lent.

When Lent is observed properly, harmoniously combining bodily restraint with spiritual endeavors, it inevitably brings benefit both to the body and the soul. “Do you see what fasting accomplishes?” writes Saint Athanasius the Great. “It heals diseases, drives out demons, removes evil thoughts, and purifies the heart.”

Holy Forty Days gives us the opportunity to renew and deepen our personal relationship with God and our neighbors; through private prayer, attending services, and participating in the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, we can draw closer to our Heavenly Father, experience the joy of eternal life, and touch upon the mysteries of the age to come, as proclaimed in Scripture: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

“Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you” (Jeremiah 29:12), the Lord addresses us through the prophet. The best place for prayer is the holy temple—the Heaven on earth, the House of God. Especially powerful means for renewing the mind and heart are the Lenten services. The hymnographic texts filled with the wisdom of the Holy Fathers, the solemn chants, the austere appearance of the church, and the majestic Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts—all this draws us into concentrated, attentive prayer and heartfelt contrition for our sins. The reading of the Great Penitential Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete in the first days of Holy Forty Days, the Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian, “O Lord and Master of my life…,” and the chanting of “Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee”—these create the proper inner disposition for the soul of the believer during the Lenten season.

As we pass through the course of Lent, practicing self-restraint, prayer, and good deeds, it is important to remember the most essential thing—love is the highest virtue of Christian life. Abstinence from food, prayers, and prostrations will have no value before God unless they are joined with love for our neighbors. In the Ancient Paterikon, a collection of edifying stories from the lives of the desert fathers, there is such an account: One day, three monks, lacking sufficient love for their neighbors, came to an experienced elder and began boasting about their deeds. The first said: “I have memorized the entire Old and New Testament; what reward will I receive for this?” The elder replied: “You have filled the air with words, but you have gained no real benefit from your labor.” The second approached and said: “Father, I have copied the entire Holy Scripture for myself!” The elder responded: “You too have gained no benefit. You have merely filled your windows with books.” Then the third exclaimed: “And I, Father, work miracles!” “And you have gained no benefit either,” the elder told him, “for you have driven love away from yourself.” Then, turning to all of them, he said: “If you desire salvation, love everyone and be diligent in showing mercy, and then you will be saved.”

The first step toward acquiring love—the chief Christian virtue—and, at the same time, the necessary condition for entering into Lent is our reconciliation with those around us. This is why the Sunday that marks the beginning of Holy Forty Days is called Forgiveness Sunday. Each of us, following the Gospel command “Forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25), must remember those whom we have wronged, whom we have saddened, to whom we have failed to lend a hand in their time of need, and not merely formally, but sincerely, from the heart, ask for their forgiveness—and likewise, sincerely forgive our neighbor.

I wish the Orthodox faithful of Kazakhstan righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17) in the coming days of Great Lent, so that our prayers and ascetic labors may become a ladder leading us to the great triumph of the Pascha of Christ, our Salvation.

Invoking God’s blessing,