9 April 2026 – Great Thursday of Holy Week. On this day, four most important events from the life of Christ the Savior are commemorated in the liturgical order: the Mystical Supper, at which the Lord instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist; the washing of the feet of the disciples as a sign of profound humility and love for them; the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane; and the betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas unto suffering and death.
A distinctive feature of the Liturgy of Great Thursday is the threefold singing, instead of the Cherubic Hymn, of the prayer: “Of Thy Mystical Supper today, O Son of God, accept me as a communicant: for I will not speak of Thy mystery to Thine enemies, neither will I give Thee a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief will I confess Thee: Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom.” This hymn is also sung repeatedly during Communion and instead of the prayer “Let our mouths be filled…”. The Gospel reading of Great Thursday, recounting the events of the Mystical Supper, the prayer of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, His arrest and the trial before the high priests Annas and Caiaphas, consists of several pericopes (Mt. 26:1–20; Jn. 13:3–17; Mt. 26:21–39; Lk. 22:43–45; Mt. 26:40–75; Mt. 27:1–2).
Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St Basil the Great at the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Alma-Ata.
Concelebrating with the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Archimandrite Joseph (Yeremenko); key-keeper of the Ascension Cathedral and head of the Metropolitan District’s public relations department Archpriest Alexander Suvorov; Hegumen Onisim (Tulnikov); personal secretary of the Head of the Metropolitan District Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek); head of the Metropolitan’s secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Yendovitsky); Archpriest Alexy Fedorenko; 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; Deacon Daniil Pasyuk.
The hymns were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District (regent – Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov, choirmaster – V. Dudareva) and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral (regent – E. Boguslavets).
The sermon before Communion was delivered by Archimandrite Joseph (Yeremenko).
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander addressed those gathered with an archpastoral homily and congratulated the communicants on receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
“Among the days of Holy Week, Great Thursday occupies a special place. On this day we especially commemorate the Mystical Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ and the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Without Communion, the Holy Church teaches, there is no true Christian life, for in this Sacrament the most complete, the utmost possible on earth, grace-filled union of man with God takes place. The Lord gives Himself to us in the Sacrament of the Eucharist so that every believer in Him may attain the main and only goal of his life – to partake of Divine love, to partake of the Divinity itself. The teacher of the Church, St Cyprian of Carthage, calls the faithful with these words: ‘Do not be negligent in approaching the Cup of life, immortality, love and holiness, but approach with the fear of God and faith. And he who does not wish and does not care for this does not love Jesus Christ, will not receive the Holy Spirit, and consequently will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.’ Let us ask the Savior that, by His mercy and love, He may grant us all to be participants and communicants of His Divine Supper.” From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.
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