The Feast of the Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord. The 35th Anniversary of the Archpastoral Ministry of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan.

On September 27, 2024, the Great Feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord was celebrated.

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross is a special day in the life of Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, as 35 years ago, in the Epiphany Cathedral of Yelokhovo in Moscow, the episcopal consecration of Metropolitan Alexander took place. By the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Pimen, it was led by the ever-memorable Metropolitan Vladimir of Rostov and Novocherkassk (later the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church).

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty.

Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, Administrator of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan; Bishop Klavdian of Taldykorgan, Vicar of the Astana Diocese; the Dean of the parishes of Almaty and Rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Mitred Protopriest Valery Zakharov; Rector of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God "Joy of All Who Sorrow" in Almaty, Mitred Protopriest Evgeny Vorobyev; the spiritual father of the Almaty Diocese, Archimandrite Ioann (Sazonov); Keyholder of the Ascension Cathedral and Head of the Metropolitan District’s Department for Public Relations, Protopriest Alexander Suvorov; member of the Patriarchal Commission on Physical Culture and Sports, Hegumen Philip (Moiseev); Acting Rector of the Almaty Orthodox Theological Seminary and Head of the Metropolitan District’s Information Department, Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov; Head of the Metropolitan’s Personal Secretariat, Hieromonk Prokhor (Endovitsky); Head of the Administrative Secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov; Keyholder of the Kazan Cathedral in Almaty, Priest Georgy Rublinsky; Protodeacon Nikolai Grinkevich; Head of the Metropolitan’s Protocol Service, Protodeacon Roman Golovin; Protodeacon Vladimir Syrovatsky; Deacon Vitaly Bystrushkin; Deacon Ioann Churkin; Deacon Alexander Piven; Deacon Andrey Ivashinin; Deacon Ioann Zhuchkov; and Deacon Ilya Vorobyev.

On the analogion in the center of the church lay the Cross, which had been brought out the day before—a gift from the ever-memorable Blessed Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem, containing particles of the Life-Giving Wood of the Cross of the Lord.

The hymns were performed by the choir of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, under the direction of the Honored Artist of Russia, O.N. Ovchinnikov, and the cathedral choir, conducted by N. Zubrevich.

In accordance with the liturgical Typikon, instead of the Trisagion Hymn at the Liturgy, the sticheron "We bow before Thy Cross, O Master, and we glorify Thy holy Resurrection" was sung.

During the service, special prayers were offered for: His Holiness Patriarch Pimen and the departed participants of the episcopal consecration of Metropolitan Alexander—Blessed Metropolitan Vladimir (Sabodan), Metropolitan Chrysanthos (Chepil), and Metropolitan Isidore (Kirichenko); the spiritual mentor, Archbishop Meliton (Soloviev); the ever-memorable hierarchs of Kazakhstan—Metropolitan Joseph (Chernov) and Archbishop Sophonius (Sokolsky); and all those who labored for the establishment of Orthodoxy in Kazakhstan.

After the Cherubic Hymn, Metropolitan Alexander performed the priestly ordination of Deacon Andrey Ivashinin, a cleric of the house church at the Metropolitan’s residence.

The sermon after the Communion hymn was delivered by Protopriest Evgeny Ivanov.

The Liturgy concluded with the glorification before the Cross of the Lord—clergy, choir, and people sang the troparion, kontakion, and magnification of the feast, as well as the sticheron "We bow before Thy Cross, O Master..."

A Many Years was proclaimed for His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the Head and the Right Reverend Archpastors of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the authorities, the military, and all the people of Kazakhstan.

Bishop Gennady read out the Patriarchal congratulations to Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan on the 35th anniversary of his episcopal consecration.

On behalf of the clergy and the flock of the Almaty Diocese, Protopriest Valery Zakharov addressed the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan with words of well-wishing. The Dean presented the Metropolitan with an episcopal staff as a prayerful memento.

Metropolitan Alexander expressed his gratitude for the well-wishes and asked those present in the church for fervent prayers for the bestowal of God's grace and help in his service to the Church of Christ. He then congratulated the clergy and faithful on the Feast of the Exaltation and delivered a sermon.

The video recording of the metropolitan service was carried out by the "Semirechye" television studio of the Metropolitan District of Kazakhstan (Director – Honored Cultural Worker V.L. Posadneva, Cameraman – A. Schmidt); the photography was done by A. Shcheglov, an employee of the Information Department.

"Two thousand years ago, on the Cross, our Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily endured cruel and shameful suffering for our salvation and 'by His death He trampled down death.' Stained with the blood of the Savior and sanctified by His sufferings, the Cross became the altar of God's love for mankind and the sign of eternal victory over sin, curse, and death. The great teacher of the Church, St. John Chrysostom, speaks of the Cross in this way: 'The Cross is a feast and a spiritual triumph. It has become for us the source of countless blessings: it freed us from delusion, enlightened those sitting in darkness, and reconciled us with God.' Through the Cross, the All-Merciful Lord grants people healing from many diseases, both physical and spiritual, and delivers us from passions, sinful inclinations, and vices. The grace that flows from the Holy Cross is so great that it not only heals ailments, but, as church history attests, it even raises the dead. What thoughts and inner disposition should we have when approaching the Cross, when venerating the Life-Giving Wood? One must not approach the Cross with malice or evil thoughts toward others. When we approach this greatest Holy Relic of the universe, it is essential to ask the Lord for the strength to do no harm and to erase resentment and enmity from our hearts. Then the Divine grace and the love of Christ will enter our hearts. It is important that each of us, in praying before the Cross of Christ, inherit the example of our Lord Jesus Christ in patience and forgiveness, in love and mercy. We must, following the example of the Lord, who prayed for those who crucified Him, saying, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do' (Luke 23:34), sincerely forgive all those who have wronged us and our enemies. Kissing the Life-Giving Wood, let us pray to the Lord to protect us with the power of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross, to strengthen our weak forces, and to sanctify our mind and feelings, so that we may worthily and justly carry our own life’s cross." From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.