The Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrated the Sunday Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty

August 24, 2025 – the 11th Sunday after Pentecost, the Afterfeast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

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

Concelebrating with His Eminence were: Protopriest Valery Zakharov, Dean of the Almaty parishes and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral; Protopriest Evgeny Vorobyov, Rector of the Church of the Joy of All Who Sorrow Icon of the Mother of God; Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov), Spiritual Father of the Almaty Diocese; Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov, Rector of the Almaty Theological Seminary and Head of the Information and Publishing Department of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan; Hegumen Philip (Moiseev), Member of the Patriarchal Commission on Physical Culture and Sports; Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Head of the Metropolitan’s Secretariat; Priest Georgy Sidorov, Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Metropolitan District; Priest Georgy Rublinsky, Sacristan of the Kazan Cathedral; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin; Deacon Alexander Piven; Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov; and Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.

Praying at the service were staff of the Almaty Diocesan Administration, benefactors of the diocese, and numerous parishioners.

The hymns were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District (conductor – Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov, choirmaster – V. Dudareva) and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral (conductor – E. Boguslavets).

The sermon after the Communion verse was delivered by Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov.

The Liturgy concluded with the glorification of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

The Head of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan congratulated the clergy, monastics, and laity on the Sunday and the Afterfeast of the Transfiguration, and then delivered his archpastoral homily.

The archpastor also congratulated Protodeacon Roman Golovin on the anniversary of his diaconal ordination, wishing him the Lord’s help in his service to the Holy Church, strength of soul and body, and many years of life. Metropolitan Alexander presented Father Roman with a prosphora and a commemorative gift.

“Today, in the Sunday Gospel reading, we heard the parable of the two debtors, in which Christ teaches us to forgive our neighbors from the heart – that is, to forgive offenses, grievances, and annoyances. Whatever we do, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, it is always important to remember the most essential truth – love constitutes the supreme good and the essence of the Christian life. The feats of abstinence, the labor of prayer, the reading of Holy Scripture, and other righteous deeds and actions are of no value before the eyes of God if they are not united with love for one’s neighbor. The first step toward acquiring this chief virtue is reconciliation with the people around us. Each of us, following the Gospel call, ‘forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your trespasses’ (Mk. 11:25), is obliged to remember those we have offended, saddened, or failed to help in a difficult moment, and to sincerely, not formally, ask forgiveness, while also forgiving others from the heart. And not only in the days of fasting should we fulfill this commandment of the Lord, not only when approaching the sacraments of Confession and Communion, but constantly, and sometimes even daily. Acting thus, we bring into life the apostolic instruction: ‘forgive one another, just as God in Christ forgave you’ (Eph. 4:32). St. Ephraim the Syrian warns: ‘If you, man, do not forgive everyone who has sinned against you, then do not burden yourself with fasting and prayer: God will not accept you.’ I wish all of us, in the concluding days of the Dormition Fast and throughout all our lives, ‘righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit’ (Rom. 14:17). May our prayers and labors, permeated with all-forgiving love for our neighbor, be a ladder leading us from earth to our Heavenly Homeland.”

From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.