The Ascension of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ

29 May 2025 - the Great Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Metochion - in the church dedicated to the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia on Miusy Square - at the Moscow Representation of the Orthodox Church in Kazakhstan.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolis of Kazakhstan were: the Vice-Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary, Candidate of Theology, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Igumen Agafangel (Gagua); the sacristan of the church of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, Hieromonk Antony (Drobyazko); and the clergy of the metochion.

The choir of the church sang under the direction of Anna Rozhnova.

The service concluded with the singing of praises in honor of the Lord’s Ascension.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the clergy, staff of the Representation, and the faithful on the Great Feast and delivered a homily:

“Today we heard the wondrous promise of the Lord - a promise that comforts us, gives courage, and strengthens the human spirit. These words of the Savior are preserved for all generations of believers in the Holy Gospel: ‘Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ What could be more joyful than this great truth?

The Lord lives eternally with us; He is ever present in His Church, which He Himself founded. He gives Himself to Orthodox Christians in the Holy Mysteries, through which we partake in a real and active way of Divine grace.

This is especially felt when, after sincere repentance, we draw near to the Cup of Life with humility and contrition of heart and commune of the Body and Blood of the Lord.

It is in these moments that we deeply experience God’s nearness in our lives, gain personal spiritual experience, are strengthened in faith, and receive an abundance of joy from knowing that the Lord is with us.

Indeed, Christ is in His Church - the Church which He founded, which He purchased with His own Blood, and which ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against.’

The Lord assures us that, even after His Ascension into Heaven, He is always with those who believe in Him, delivering us from every evil and raising us from earth to Heaven.”— From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.

ORTHODOX CHURСH OF KAZAKHSTAN

The Ascension of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ

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