In the Ascension Cathedral in the southern capital of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander performed Great Vespers with the Rite of Forgiveness (+VIDEO)

On March 17, 2024, on the eve of Great Lent, in the Ascension Cathedral of the city of Almaty, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated Great Vespers with the rite of forgiveness.

The Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan was co-served by: the manager of affairs of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District, Bishop Gennady of Kaskelen, the vicars of the Astana diocese - Bishop Claudian of Taldykorgan and Bishop Benjamin of Talgar; dean of the parishes of the southern capital, rector of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Archpriest Valery Zakharov; confessor of the Alma-Ata diocese, Archimandrite John (Sazonov), cathedral clergy.

The following people prayed during the service: clergy of churches in the city of Alma-Ata and the Alma-Ata region; Abbess Lyubov (Yakushkina) of the Iversko-Seraphim Convent with the sisters of the monastery; employees of the Alma-Ata diocesan administration; leaders, teachers and students of the Alma-Ata Theological Seminary.

According to established tradition, parishioners of churches in the southern capital arrived to receive the archpastoral blessing for the passage of Lent.

After the singing of the great prokemene, “Do not turn Thy face away from Thy child, for I grieve,” and the closing of the Royal Doors, the clergy dressed themselves in Lenten black vestments; The throne and the altar in the holy altar were clothed in dark veils. At the litany of petition, the appeals “Lord, have mercy” and “Give, Lord” were heard for the first time in Lenten chant.

The keymaster of the Ascension Cathedral, head of the Metropolitan District's public relations department, Archpriest Alexander Suvorov, read out an address from the Head of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District before the start of Lent.

At the end of Vespers, Metropolitan Alexander read prayers to those gathered for the beginning of the Holy Pentecost, pronounced words of edification and, bowing to the ground, was the first to ask for forgiveness from the archpastors, clergy and Orthodox flock of the city.

““For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14) - these are the words, beloved in Christ, Eminence Bishops, all-honorable fathers, brothers and sisters, we hear today from the Holy Gospel. With these words our Lord Jesus Christ addresses us as we stand on the threshold of the Holy Pentecost.
The Savior helps a person overcome all obstacles, if only he strives for good. Our Heavenly Father forgives us and wants us to forgive too. Anyone who wants to be worthy of God’s love, let him show his love for people and embody it in deeds.
Let us be imbued with love for our neighbors, remember those who have caused us insults, harm or resentment and whom we have offended and let us be mutually reconciled with God, and through Him with those around us - in the family, at work, in society.
On this sacred evening given to us by God, when we gathered in the temple to ask for His blessing, to forgive each other, at the behest of my conscience, I bow the knees of my heart before you and with all my heart I humbly ask for forgiveness for all my voluntary and involuntary sins, even in deed, even in word and even in thought.
I feel guilty before you because I did not fully fulfill what I should do according to the command of God - I unworthily showed you the image of the archpastor of the Church of Christ, I was lazy, I did not treat those who turned to me with due love, I could not help everyone to the proper extent.
I, by the grace of God, your archpastor and father, who dares to call all of you to peace, love and mutual reconciliation, first need your condescension and forgiveness, your love and prayers.
Entering Great Lent, I ask the Creator and Giver of all blessings for all of you, His mercy, heavenly blessing and forgiveness,” said, in particular, Metropolitan Alexander.

Accompanied by the singing of penitential stichera and troparions, as well as the traditionally performed stichera of Holy Pascha, clergy and laity asked for forgiveness from the Metropolitan, His Grace the bishops and each other.

Great Vespers marked the beginning of a series of Lenten services with the use of dark-colored vestments, bowing to the ground with the reading of the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian and with special touching repentant chants.

At Great Compline on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the first week of Great Lent, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan will read the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete at the Ascension Cathedral in Almaty. Starts at 18:00.

A live broadcast of the reading of the Great Penitential Canon will be broadcast on the official channel of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District on the YouTube video hosting site – Semirechie.

“While going through the field of Great Lent, practicing abstinence, prayer and doing good deeds, it is important to remember the most important thing - love is the highest good of Christian life. In the book of Isaiah the prophet, we hear the voice of those grumbling against God: “Why have we fasted, they say and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?” And the Lord answers this: “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists” (Isa. 58:3,4). Prayers, fasting and asceticism will have no value in the eyes of God if they are not combined with love for one’s neighbor. The first step towards acquiring this main virtue, at the same time, a necessary condition for entering the Lenten season is our reconciliation with the people around us. Therefore, the Sunday that marks the beginning of the Holy Pentecost is called Forgiveness Sunday. Each of us, following the gospel call to “if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25), we are obliged to remember those whom we offended, whom we upset, whom we did not help in difficult times in life, not formally, but from the bottom of my heart, ask for forgiveness and I myself must sincerely forgive my neighbor.” From the teachings of Metropolitan Alexander.