The Head of the Metropolitan District Celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Constantine and Helen Cathedral of Astana

December 20, 2025 – the day of commemoration of Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, Venerable Nilus of Stolobny, and Hieromartyr Bishop Ambrose (Polyansky), who suffered for Christ in Southern Kazakhstan.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the oldest church of the city of Astana – the Constantine and Helen Cathedral.

Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: the Dean of the Astana Church District, Archimandrite Sergius (Karamyshev); the spiritual father of the Astana women’s monastery in honor of the icon of the Mother of God «The Recovery of the Lost», Hieromonk Modest (Drozdov); the sacristan of the Assumption Cathedral, Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek); the sacristan of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral, Archpriest Sergius Kaliev; a cleric of the Church of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov in Astana, Hieromonk Silouan (Sinegubov); the head of the Metropolitan’s personal secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); Protodacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Ilya Davydov; Deacon Evgeny Gudz; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko; Deacon Ioann Yanchuk; Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov; and Deacon Daniil Pasyuk.

By the blessing of Metropolitan Alexander, by the beginning of the service, for prayerful veneration and spiritual strengthening of the faithful, a reliquary with a particle of the relics of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was delivered to Taldykorgan from the house Iveron–Seraphim Church of the Metropolitan residence in Almaty.

The hymns were performed by the choir of the Constantine and Helen Cathedral under the direction of N. Mazurina.

Praying at the service were Orthodox residents of the capital of the Republic and believers from nearby localities.

The sermon after the Communion verse was delivered by Hieromonk Silouan (Sinegubov).

After the dismissal of the Liturgy, before the reliquary with the relics of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, a glorification of the Archbishop of Myra in Lycia was performed.

Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the communicants on their reception of the Holy Mysteries of Christ and delivered a homily.

“In the church calendar we are now in a special period – the blessed time of the Nativity Fast. A sense of reverent awe before the mystery of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ urges each of us to prepare carefully for the celebration of the coming of the Son of God into the world. The days of the fast are a time of spiritual struggle, inner discipline, awareness and overcoming of one’s weaknesses and infirmities, liberation from evil inclinations and vices. The Psalmist David thus depicts for us the right path of life: ‘Depart from evil and do good’ (Ps. 33:15).

During the ascetic labor of fasting it is necessary to direct all the powers of the soul toward a worthy preparation for the reception of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. It is important always to remember that around the Holy Eucharist the entire being of the Church is centered, and the spiritual life of each of us must be concentrated. Let us strive to approach the Divine Mysteries not out of habit or tradition, but with a deep awareness that Communion is the source of eternal life and an indispensable pledge of salvation. Let us recall the words of Christ: ‘He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day’ (John 6:54).

Fasting gives us the opportunity to deepen our personal religious experience, to feel closeness to God in prayer and the sacraments, to taste the joy of eternal life, and to touch the mysteries of the age to come, of which the holy Apostle Paul proclaims: ‘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 Cor. 2:9).”

From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.