Metropolitan Alexander performed the first reading of the Penitential Canon of St Andrew of Crete in the present Great Lent

23 February 2026 – Monday of the first week of Great Lent; the commemoration of the Hieromartyr Charalambos, Bishop of Magnesia.

In the morning, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan prayed at the appointed service in the Iveron-Seraphim house church of the metropolitan residence.

In the evening, the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan celebrated Great Compline with the reading of the Penitential Canon of St Andrew of Crete at the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Almaty.

After the ninth ode of the canon, the archpastor imparted his blessing to the faithful and addressed the parishioners with a sermon.

The hymns of Compline were sung by the choir of the Metropolitan District under the direction of Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of E. Boguslavets.

Praying at the service together with the parishioners were heads of departments of the Metropolitan District, clergy of the principal church of the Southern capital and staff of the Almaty diocesan administration.

A live broadcast of the reading of the Canon of St Andrew of Crete was carried on the YouTube channel of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District “Semirechie.”

Metropolitan Alexander will continue the reading of the Great Penitential Canon at the Ascension Cathedral of Almaty on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the first week of Holy Forty Days. The service begins at 6:00 p.m.

“‘O my soul, my soul, arise! Why sleepest thou? The end draweth near…’ — in the first days of the Fast we hear these compunctionate words of the Great Penitential Canon of St Andrew of Crete. The reading of this profound in meaning and spiritually powerful work of prayer begins with a fervent heartfelt sigh: ‘Where shall I begin to lament the wretched deeds of my life? What foundation shall I lay, O Christ, for this present lamentation?’ Throughout the further chanting, the penitential cry of the Psalmist David is repeated as a refrain to each troparion: ‘Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.’ St Andrew sets forth the key moments of the biblical narrative in a spirit of deep contrition of heart, with extraordinary skill applying each of them to the condition of the sinful soul. From the sacred treasury of Scripture he draws forth the most powerful means for awakening repentance and moral correction. In the troparia of the canon we are offered examples of virtuous life for imitation and examples of impious life for warning, the saving lessons of repentance and active ascent toward God are revealed. Here is gathered the priceless spiritual experience of many generations in order to awaken the soul from sinful sleep and incline it to self-examination, self-condemnation and repentance. In addition to examples from sacred history, the author of the canon points to a living example of the most extreme moral fall and spiritual rising in the person of the holy ascetic Mary of Egypt, who attained a high degree of perfection.’ From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.