Metropolitan Alexander celebrated the first Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the present Holy Forty Days

25 February 2026 – Wednesday of the first week of Great Lent.

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the first Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts of St Gregory the Dialogist in the present Holy Forty Days at the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Archimandrite John (Sazonov), confessor of the Almaty diocese; Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko); Archpriest Vyacheslav Churbanov; Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral and head of the Department for Public Relations of the Metropolitan District; Archpriest Alexander Ievlev; Hieromonk Onisim (Tulnikov); Hieromonk Roman (Chistyakov); Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), head of the metropolitan’s secretariat; Priest Georgy Sidorov, head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Protodeacon Roman Golovin, head of the metropolitan’s protocol service; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; and the clergy of the principal church of the Southern capital in the diaconal rank.

The choir of the Ascension Cathedral sang under the direction of E. Boguslavets. The hymn “Let my prayer arise” was performed by Deacon Alexander Piven, D. Kochua and M. Ababakriyev.

The sermon after the Communion verse was delivered by Priest Georgy Sidorov.

At the conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Alexander congratulated the clergy and laity on the first Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the present Holy Forty Days and addressed those gathered with an archpastoral exhortation.

“Lenten services are a special means of spiritual renewal. The texts of the troparia and stichera, the compunctionate melodies, the austerity of the church’s adornment dispose us to concentrated and attentive prayer, to sincere communion with God, to heartfelt contrition for sins. The reading of the Great Penitential Canon of Venerable Andrew of Crete in the first days of Holy Forty Days, the prayer of Venerable Ephraim the Syrian ‘O Lord and Master of my life,’ the hymn sung at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts ‘Let my prayer arise as incense before Thee’—all teach us the spiritual struggle that we are called to undertake during Great Lent. A Christian who neglects attendance at the house of God, who shows indifference toward participation in the services and the saving sacraments of the Church, robs his immortal soul, deprives himself of the consolation of Mother Church and rejects the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit. Yet another danger awaits the person who seeks to observe all the Church’s rules and prescriptions concerning the Fast—vainglory and Phariseeism. ‘The fast of the vainglorious remains without reward, and his prayer is fruitless, for he does both for the praise of men,’ warns Venerable John of the Ladder. In order to avoid self-deception and not succumb to pride while fulfilling the commandments, we must remember the words of the Savior: ‘When you have done all that is commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do’ (Luke 17:10).” From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.