The Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross of Great Lent. The Head of the Metropolitan District celebrated the Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata

15 March 2026 – the 3rd Sunday of Great Lent – the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross.

The Synaxarion of the Lenten Triodion (a collection of historical information about the feast) explains the reason for the establishment of the veneration of the Precious Cross on the 3rd Sunday of the Forty Days in the following way: «Since by the forty-day fast we too in a certain manner are crucified, being mortified by the passions, feeling bitterness, becoming despondent and weakened, the Precious and Life-giving Cross is set forth, as if refreshing and strengthening us, reminding us of the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ and bringing us consolation. If our God was crucified for our sake, how much ought we to labor for Him… If our Savior, having ascended the Cross, was glorified through humiliation and suffering, so it befits us also to endure, that we may be glorified with Him, even if we suffer a little here».

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Alma-Ata.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolitan District were: dean of the parishes of Alma-Ata, rector of the St. Nicholas Cathedral, Candidate of Theology Mitred Archpriest Valeriy Zakharov; Archimandrite Iosif (Eremenko), rector of the Alma-Ata Orthodox Theological Seminary; head of the Information Department of the Metropolitan District, Candidate of Theology Archpriest Evgeniy Ivanov; sacristan of the cathedral, head of the Department for Relations with the Public of the Metropolitan District Archpriest Alexander Suvorov; member of the Patriarchal Commission on Physical Culture and Sport Hegumen Filipp (Moiseev), Hegumen Onisim (Tulnikov), Hieromonk Dimitriy (Baydek); head of the personal secretariat of the Metropolitan Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgiy Sidorov; head of the correspondence department of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary Priest Daniil Bobylev; Protodeacon Nikolay Grinkevich; head of the Metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Protodeacon Sergiy Kulikov; Deacon Alexander Piven; Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov; Deacon Georgiy Tkachenko.

The liturgical hymns were performed 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.

In accordance with the liturgical Typikon, at the Liturgy instead of the Trisagion the hymn was sung: «Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify».

The apostolic reading at the Liturgy from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Hebrews (4:14 – 5:6) reveals the theological idea of the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross, Who is the great High Priest who has passed through the heavens. In the Gospel reading of this day the call of Christ was heard: «Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me» (Mk. 8:24).

The sermon at the time of the Communion verse was delivered by Archpriest Evgeniy Ivanov.

At the conclusion of the service the glorification and veneration of the Cross of Christ took place, after which the Head of the Metropolitan District addressed those gathered with a word of instruction.

The video recording of the service was carried out by the television studio of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan «Semirechye» (director – Honored Worker of Culture Viktoriya Posadneva); the photo recording – by employee of the Information Department A. Khalin.

«On this special – Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross – the Church once again visibly reminds us of the Cross of our Lord and Savior, of the crucifixion which He endured for the sake of mankind and for our salvation. Once an instrument of a painful and shameful execution, the Tree of the Cross, sprinkled with the blood of our most sweet Lord, has become the saving power to which we resort, an invincible weapon which preserves us from misfortunes and sorrows, a help and consolation in trials. The domes of our churches are crowned with the image of the Cross; from the moment of the holy sacrament of Baptism we wear the Cross upon our chest, we often sign ourselves with the sign of the Cross, and every sacred act in the Church is marked by the sign of the Cross, because upon it the Lord accomplished His redemptive feat. From the height of His Cross the Savior stretches out His arms to us and says: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. Today the Church through the divine services, through the special majestic and compunctionate rite of veneration of the Life-giving Tree, reminds us at what a great price the work of our salvation has been accomplished. Standing in the middle of the Lenten struggle and looking upon the Cross of Christ, we pray that the Lord may strengthen us in faith, establish us in piety, and grant us with a pure heart and enlightened soul to become participants in the services of Holy Week, worthily to venerate His saving feat, to meet Him Risen and to experience the joy of the radiant feast of the Resurrection of Christ». From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.