On Great Wednesday, the Head of the Metropolitan District celebrated the last Presanctified Liturgy of the current year

8 April 2026 – Holy and Great Wednesday of Holy Week, the commemoration of the anointing of Christ with myrrh by the sinful woman and the betrayal of the Apostle Judas.

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

The Liturgy of St Gregory the Dialogist celebrated on Great Wednesday is the last one in the current year. Also, for the last time, after the singing of “Blessed be the Name of the Lord”, the great prostrations were performed, made during the prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian: “O Lord and Master of my life”.

At Vespers within the Liturgy, a special sticheron was chanted, narrating the anointing of Christ with myrrh by the repentant sinful woman: “O Lord, the woman who had fallen into many sins, having perceived Thy divinity, took upon herself the rank of a myrrh-bearer…”. This hymn was composed in the 9th century by the only female hymnographer – St Kassiani the Nun; the Gospel pericope about the anointing of the Savior with precious myrrh in the house of Simon the leper and about the betrayal of Judas (Mt. 26:6–16) was also read.

Concelebrating with the Head of the Metropolitan District were: Archimandrite Joseph (Yeremenko); Archpriest Vyacheslav Churbanov; personal secretary of the Head of the Metropolitan District Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek); Hieromonk Onisim (Tulnikov); Archpriest Dimitry Sidorov; Hieromonk Roman (Chistyakov); Head of the Metropolitan’s secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky); Head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Head of the Metropolitan’s protocol service Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Andrey Pleten; Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin; Hierodeacon Sofoniya (Mazurenko); Deacon Alexander Piven; Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov; Deacon Georgy Tkachenko.

Praying at the service were: staff of the Alma-Ata diocesan administration, ktitors of the diocese, Cossacks, pupils of the Sunday school and parishioners of the cathedral.

The hymns were performed by the choir of the Ascension Cathedral under the direction of E. Boguslavets.

The sermon before Communion was delivered by Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek).

At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander addressed those present with a word of instruction.

“From the Gospel teachings spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ on Great Wednesday, the Church has chosen for the instruction of the faithful the account of the selfless love of the sinful woman who poured precious myrrh upon the head of the Savior, thereby preparing His Most Pure Body for burial. On that same night, at the council of the chief priests, scribes and elders of the Jews, it was finally decided to seize Christ by cunning and condemn Him to death. One of His closest disciples – Judas Iscariot – resolved to betray his Teacher. Before us are two images. On the one hand, the sacrificial love of the sinful woman, and on the other – the apostle possessed by the passion of love of money. What a great, yet at the same time instructive contrast for us all. The remembrance of these events gives us a clear understanding that indulgence in passions, rejection of divine ordinances, and disregard for spiritual ideals sooner or later lead to tragic consequences, entail opposition to the Creator and struggle against Him. Whereas the striving for a life in accordance with the commandments, love and self-sacrifice give us the opportunity to enter into the New Covenant with our Creator – into the grace-filled Kingdom of God.” From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.