9 April 2026, in the evening on the eve of Great Friday of Holy Week, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, at the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata, celebrated the Rite of the Holy Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ – Matins with the reading of the 12 Gospels recounting the sufferings, crucifixion, death and burial of the Savior.
Concelebrating with the Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District were: Archimandrite Joseph (Yeremenko), sacristan of the Ascension Cathedral of Alma-Ata, Head of the Metropolitan District Department for Public Relations Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, and the cathedral clergy.
At the beginning of Matins, during the singing of the troparion “When the glorious disciples…”, the clergy brought out the Holy Gospel from the altar and placed it on a lectern before the image of the Crucifixion of the Savior with the Most Holy Theotokos and the Apostle John the Theologian standing by, set in the middle of the church.
Matins with the reading of the 12 Gospels is celebrated before the Cross and includes Gospel narratives and hymns dedicated to the remembrance of the sufferings and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The hymns of the Rite of the Passion were performed by: the choir of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District (regent – Honored Artist of Russia O.N. Ovchinnikov) and the choir of the Ascension Cathedral (regent – E. Boguslavets).
After the reading of the fifth Gospel, during the singing of the antiphon “Today He is hung upon the Tree…”, Metropolitan Alexander and the priests brought out from the altar reliquaries containing a particle of the Life-giving Cross of Christ, a portion of the Crown of Thorns of our Lord Jesus Christ, a part of the Lord’s Robe, particles of stones from the Holy Sepulchre and Golgotha, a particle of the cross of the Good Thief, a particle of the pillar of scourging, a particle of the stone of anointing, and an exact copy of the nail with which Christ was nailed to the Cross. In Rome, 100 copies of the Golgotha nail were made, each containing a particle of this great holy relic. One of these nails was presented to Metropolitan Alexander. The great Gospel relics were placed for prayerful veneration next to the Cross.
After the reading of the tenth Gospel, recounting the taking down of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ from the Cross and the burial of the Savior by the righteous Joseph of Arimathea, the archpastor and the clergy brought out from the altar a part of the life-bearing Holy Sepulchre. At the request of Metropolitan Alexander, this holy relic was given as a gift for Orthodox believers of Kazakhstan by the keeper of the keys of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Sheikh Wajih Nusseibeh, with the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem.
At the conclusion of the service, Metropolitan Alexander addressed those present with an archpastoral homily.
“Today, as we celebrate the Rite of the Holy Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ – Matins with the reading of the 12 Gospels recounting the sufferings, crucifixion, death and burial of the Savior – standing in spirit before the Cross of Christ, we recall at what a dear price our salvation was obtained, by what sacrifice the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven were opened to each of us. For us, for all our sins and errors, for the crimes and transgressions of mankind throughout all human history, the sinless Lord was nailed to the Cross. Listening to the Gospel readings, heeding the texts of the troparia and stichera, we recall both the betrayal of Judas and the threefold denial of the Apostle Peter, and his sincere, tearful repentance; we suffer with our Lord Jesus Christ, we behold the standing at the Cross of the Most Pure Virgin Mary, we see the bold deed of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, we are struck with horror at the malice of the scribes and Pharisees. We become witnesses to how from His Cross the Savior, addressing His beloved disciple John the Theologian, said: ‘Behold thy Mother,’ and to the Most Pure Virgin, indicating the beloved apostle, said: ‘Behold thy son.’ Thus, at the Cross of the Lord, at the altar of Divine love, the Mother of Christ became the Mother of all who believe in Her Son. With what thoughts, with what inner disposition should we approach the Cross, perform veneration of the Life-giving Tree and the Gospel relics? One cannot venerate the Cross with malice; it is impossible to have compassion for Christ while harboring evil thoughts toward one’s neighbors, resentment, irritation and anger. Venerating the Cross of the Lord, singing of the sufferings of the Savior, it is necessary to ask oneself: ‘At whom am I angry? With whom have I not yet been reconciled? To whom do I wish harm?’ And if answers to these questions are found, then here, before the Crucifixion, one must ask the Lord for patience and strength not to do evil and to erase offenses from the heart. It is important that each of us, offering prayer before the Cross of Christ, should follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ in long-suffering and all-forgiveness, in love and mercy. It is necessary that, imitating the Lord, Who uttered a prayer for those who crucified Him: ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do’ (Lk. 23:34), we sincerely forgive all our offenders and enemies.” From the homily of Metropolitan Alexander.
Main
Login or register, to write a comment!
Your comment has been successfully added and is currently being reviewed by the site administration