Metropolitan Alexander Celebrates the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the Cathedral of Saint John the Theologian in Rudny

April 4, 2025 – Friday of the 5th Week of Great Lent; Commemoration of Saint Isaac the Dalmatian.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of Saint Gregory the Dialogist at the Cathedral of Saint John the Theologian in the city of Rudny, the second cathedral city of the Kostanay Diocese.

Before the beginning of the service, the Sacrament of Confession was offered in the church for the clergy of the Kostanay Diocese.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolitan District were: Hieromonk Gennady (Burdyuzha), Secretary of the Kostanay Diocese; Hieromonk Dimitry (Baydek), Sacristan of the Dormition Cathedral in Astana; Hieromonk Silouan (Sinegubov), cleric of the Church of Saint Seraphim of Sarov in the capital of Kazakhstan; Igumen Innokenty (Pomogalov), cleric of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Kostanay; Priest Andrey Krutin, Dean of the Kostanay Church District and Rector of the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the city of Tobyl; Protopriest Oleg Kalmykov, Dean of the Lisakovsk Church District and Rector of the Church of Saint Righteous John of Kronstadt in Lisakovsk; Protopriest Andrey Korchazhnikov, cleric of the main church of the diocese; Protopriest Vitaly Kleba, Dean of the Sarykol Church District and cleric of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral; Protopriest Vitaly Gutsan, Rector of Saint Nicholas Church in Kostanay; Protopriest Alexey Mostovshchikov, Rector of the parish of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Fyodorovka, Kostanay Region; clergy of other churches of the Kostanay Diocese; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky, Deacon Eleazar Aitbakin, Deacon Alexander Piven, and Deacon George Tkachenko.

The choir of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral in Kostanay, under the direction of T. Zhebrak, sang during the Liturgy.

The homily after the Communion hymn was delivered by Hieromonk Silouan (Sinegubov).

At the conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the clergy and faithful on the feast of Saint Isaac the Dalmatian and addressed the congregation with words of spiritual guidance.

The faithful were sprinkled with holy water by the Metropolitan.

“We know that eternal life is attained through love for God and love for one’s neighbor. Yet the Lord Himself revealed to us another great truth: it is divine food that leads a person into the Kingdom of Heaven – the holy, life-giving Mysteries of Christ – the Most Pure Body and Blood of our Savior. Participation in the Mystery of Communion is the source of virtue and an effective means of deliverance from sin. The Lord Jesus Christ warns us: ‘Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you’ (John 6:53). It is impossible to feel, from the outside, those gracious gifts, that comfort and help from the Lord which are granted to a faithful person through the proper observance of the fast, frequent attendance at the church of God, and participation in the sacraments. Personal spiritual experience cannot be replaced by any intellectual effort, force of will, or heightened emotion, for ‘eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9). ‘O taste and see that the Lord is good!’ (Psalm 33:9) – the Church of Christ calls us with the words of David the Psalmist to partake in true and authentic spiritual life.” From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.