11 April 2026 – Great and Blessed Saturday of Holy Week. On this day the Orthodox Church commemorates the burial of the Lord Jesus Christ, the repose of His most pure body in the tomb, His descent in soul into Hades, the Savior’s victory over death, and the deliverance of the souls of the righteous who awaited His coming in faith.
Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated Great Vespers combined with the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great at the Ascension Cathedral in Alma-Ata.
Concelebrating with the Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District were: Archimandrite Joseph (Eremenko), member of the Patriarchal Commission on Physical Culture and Sports Hegumen Philip (Moiseyev), personal secretary to the Head of the Metropolitan District Hieromonk Dimitry (Baidek), Hieromonk Roman (Chistyakov), head of the Metropolitan’s secretariat Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky), Archpriest Alexiy Fedorenko, head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District Priest Georgy Sidorov, and the cathedral clergy. The deacons were headed by Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich.
The service of Blessed Saturday is unique both in its theological depth and in its structure. It begins with Great Vespers, which flows into the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great. Old Testament prophecies concerning the Resurrection of Christ are read.
Instead of the Trisagion hymn, the verse from the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians is sung: “As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27), because in the ancient Church it was on this day that the sacrament of Baptism was administered to catechumens.
The Epistle is read, revealing the meaning and mystical power of Baptism (Rom. 6:3–11). With the reading of the Epistle, the Sabbath day dedicated to the burial of the Savior is, as it were, brought to completion.
Before the Gospel reading, the hymn “Arise, O God, judge the earth” is solemnly sung. During this chant, the clergy change their dark Lenten vestments into white festal vestments. The adornment of the church also becomes Paschal.
The change of vestments recalls how in ancient times, after the readings of Great Saturday, the newly baptized entered the church clothed in white garments; it also symbolically points to the angels who proclaimed Christ’s Resurrection.
The Gospel is then read (Matt. 28:1–20), recounting the events of the Savior’s Resurrection.
The Cherubic Hymn is replaced by a text heard only once a year:
“Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and stand with fear and trembling, and let it take no thought for any earthly thing; for the King of kings and Lord of lords comes forth to be sacrificed and given as food to the faithful. Before Him go the angelic hosts, with every Principality and Power, the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim, covering their faces and crying aloud the hymn: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.”
On Great Saturday, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus’, in all churches of the Russian Orthodox Church a prayer is offered for peace in the Holy City of Jerusalem and throughout the whole world.
After the augmented litany, in the center of the church before the Holy Shroud, Metropolitan Alexander and the clergy prayed for the deliverance of Jerusalem – dear to every believing heart as the place where the great events of our salvation took place – from wars, conflicts, and strife, and also for the cessation of all hatred and enmity throughout the world and for the increase of love in human hearts.
After the dismissal of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Alexander performed the blessing of bread and wine prescribed by the Typikon. This blessing is celebrated annually in remembrance of how ancient Christians, remaining in church after the Liturgy until Paschal Matins, strengthened themselves for the vigil of that holy and saving night by partaking of blessed bread and wine.
On Blessed Saturday, after the conclusion of the service, Orthodox Christians bring Easter breads, paskha cakes, and dyed eggs to church for blessing. The rite of blessing the Paschal foods at the Ascension Cathedral was performed by the Metropolitan.
The last Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great for this year concluded with an archpastoral sermon.
The Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan congratulated Hegumen Philip (Moiseyev) on the anniversary of his ordination to the diaconate, presented him with a holy prosphora, and wished him spiritual and bodily strength and God’s mercy in his further service to the Holy Church.
Throughout Great Saturday, the Metropolitan visited several parishes of the Southern capital. The Head of the Metropolitan District inspected the preparation of churches and surrounding grounds for the feast and spoke with clergy.
Metropolitan Alexander will celebrate the Paschal services (Midnight Office, procession, Matins, and Divine Liturgy) in the main church of Alma-Ata – the Ascension Cathedral. The service begins at 11:30 p.m.
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