On April 15, 2025 — Holy Tuesday of Passion Week — Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the Cathedral of Saint Sophia of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent in Almaty.
According to ancient tradition, the Presanctified Liturgy was celebrated in the evening.
Concelebrating with the Metropolitan were: Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Bishop Veniamin of Talgar (vicars of the Astana Diocese), Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov), and other monastic clergy of the diocese. The diaconal rank was headed by Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich.
The liturgical chants were performed by the men’s choir of the Almaty Diocese under the direction of Deacon Alexander Piven.
In attendance were: Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina), superior of the Iveron–Seraphim Convent, with the sisters of the community; staff of the Almaty diocesan administration led by the Chancellor of the Metropolitan District, Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov; pilgrims and parishioners.
In accordance with the Typikon, the Gospel reading during the Liturgy was taken from the Gospel of Matthew, containing the words of Christ about the Second Coming and the Last Judgment, as well as the parables of the Ten Virgins and the Talents. These Gospel passages form the theological and moral themes of Holy Tuesday, which are reflected in the liturgical hymns of the day.
The homily after the Communion verse was delivered by Hieromonk Sergius (Vnukovsky).
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the Head of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan expressed gratitude to the hierarchs, clergy, monastics, and laity for the joy of their common Eucharistic prayer and addressed them with words of spiritual exhortation:
“The various monastic labors — struggles, prayers, obediences — find their reflection and confirmation in the wise and profound saying of the great ascetic of our Church, Saint John of the Ladder: ‘The light for monks is the angels; the light for those living in the world is the monks.’ If we turn our gaze to the centuries-old history of the Church, we shall see that the monastic life has produced a countless host of holy men and women, great Fathers and teachers. Their God-inspired words and examples of virtue illuminated the whole universe with the light of the Gospel truth. In the depths of monastic communities and solitary cells, theological writings were composed, the treasures of sacred hymnography created, and the heavenly beauty of iconography manifested. We who have offered special vows to Christ and been clothed in monastic garb are the successors of that noble mission of those who, in former times, embraced an angelic way of life on earth. We must strive ever more zealously to imitate the venerable Fathers of ancient times and the ascetics of piety who have shone forth in more recent days by their self-denying labors and their lives according to the word of the Lord.
The foundation of true monastic life is obedience. Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) has wonderful words on this: ‘Without obedience, monasticism is impossible, as life is impossible without breathing.’ From active obedience is born humility, which, according to Saint John Chrysostom, is ‘the mother of all virtues.’ Renouncing self-love, surrendering oneself to the will of God, and maintaining a peaceful disposition of soul are signs of true meekness and humility. I would like to quote the words of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’: ‘When the ministry of a monastic is carried out in humility and meekness, when the monastic in no way ties his future to career growth, when he gives thanks to God for each day and sees in every day the hand of God — then there occurs an invisible, yet real, spiritual growth.’
Monastics must permeate all their work and labor with fervent prayer to God. Saint Seraphim of Sarov told his disciple Nicholas Motovilov: «Every virtue performed for the sake of Christ brings the grace of the Holy Spirit, but most of all prayer brings it, for prayer is always in our hands, like a weapon for acquiring the grace of the Spirit.»” — From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.
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