The Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross of Great Lent. The Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrates the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty

March 23, 2025 – Third Sunday of Great Lent – the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross.

The Synaxarion of the Lenten Triodion (a compilation of historical explanations of the feast) explains the reason for the establishment of the veneration of the Precious Cross on the Third Sunday of the Forty Days as follows:

“Because through the forty-day Fast we also in a sense are crucified and mortified to the passions, feeling bitterness, becoming despondent and weakened, the Precious and Life-Giving Cross is set forth before us, as if to refresh and strengthen us, reminding us of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ and offering us comfort. If our God was crucified for our sake, how fitting it is that we should labor for Him… If our Savior, ascending the Cross, was glorified through humiliation and suffering, then we too must endure, that we may also be glorified with Him, if only we suffer a little here.”

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in the city of Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolitan District were: Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov); Sacristan of the Cathedral and Head of the Department for Public Relations of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Alexander Suvorov; member of the Patriarchal Commission on Physical Culture and Sports Hegumen Philip (Moiseev); Acting Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary and Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov; Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat Hieromonk Prochor (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 Office Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin; Deacon Alexander Piven; Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.

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

In accordance with the Typikon, at the Divine Liturgy on this day, the hymn “Before Thy Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify” was sung in place of the Trisagion.

The Apostolic reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews (4:14–5:6) reveals the theological idea of the Cross as Christ’s sacrifice, presenting Him as the great High Priest who has passed through the heavens. In the Gospel reading of the day, the Lord proclaims: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark 8:24).

The homily following the Communion verse was delivered by Archpriest Evgeny Ivanov.

At the conclusion of the service, the rite of glorification and veneration of the Cross of Christ was performed, after which the Head of the Metropolitan District addressed the faithful with words of spiritual instruction.

The service was filmed by the Semirechye television studio of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan (Director – Honored Cultural Worker Viktoria Posadneva; Cameraman – A. Schmidt), and photographed by Information Department staff member A. Shcheglov.

“During this special — Cross-Veneration — week, the Church once again vividly reminds us of the Cross of our Lord and Savior, of the death upon the Cross which He endured for the sake of mankind and for our salvation. Once an instrument of painful and shameful execution, the Wood of the Cross, sanctified by the blood of our most sweet Lord, has become a saving power to which we flee, an invincible weapon that protects us from misfortunes and sorrows, a help and consolation in trials. The domes of our churches are crowned with the image of the Cross; from the moment of the holy Sacrament of Baptism we wear the Cross upon our chest; we frequently sign ourselves with the sign of the Cross, and every sacred action in the Church is marked by the making of the Cross — because upon it the Lord accomplished His redeeming feat. From the height of His Cross, the Savior stretches out His arms to us and says: ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ Today, through its divine services and the special majestic and touching rite of the veneration of the Life-Giving Wood, the Church reminds us of the immeasurable price paid for our salvation. Standing at the midpoint of the Lenten journey and gazing upon the Cross of Christ, we pray that the Lord may strengthen us in faith, establish us in piety, and make us worthy, with pure hearts and enlightened souls, to partake in the services of Holy Week, to worthily venerate His saving Passion, to greet Him Risen, and to experience the joy of the Bright Feast of the Resurrection of Christ.” From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.