On the week of St. Mary of Egypt, the Head of the Metropolitan District celebrated the Liturgy at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Ust-Kamenogorsk

April 21, 2024 is the 5th week of Lent, the day of remembrance of the Venerable Mary of Egypt.

The synaxarium (statutory teaching) for this Sunday says: “The memory of this saint is celebrated on April 1, but it is established today, since the end of the Great Pentecost is already approaching, the celebrated saint should become an example, in order to encourage the frivolous and sinners to repentance,.”

The day before, at Matins, after the reading of the Sunday Gospel, according to the liturgical Rules, for the final time in the Holy Pentecost of the current year, Lenten troparia were performed: “Open the doors of repentance, O Giver of Life.”

Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great at St. Andrew's Cathedral in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk.

Concelebrating with the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan were: Archbishop of Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semipalatinsk Amphilochius, vicar of the Astana diocese, Bishop of Taldykorgan Claudian; clergyman of the cathedral, Hieromonk Nikodim (Avdeev), clergy of the main church of the Ust-Kamenogorsk diocese, Hieromonk Siluan (Magilev), rector of the Intercession Church in the village of Samara, Hieromonk Sevastian (Andryushchenko), head of the administrative secretariat of the Head of the Metropolitan District, Priest Georgy Sidorov, Priest Roman Podrezov; Protodeacon Andrey Dudnik, Protodeacon Sergiy Kulikov, Secretary of the Ust-Kamenogorsk Diocese Deacon Ilya Kvan, Deacon Rustik Yakupov.

The chants were performed by the choir of the main church of the diocese under the direction of regent N. Romantsova.

Those who prayed during the service were the inhabitants of the Holy Trinity Monastery, employees of the Ust-Kamenogorsk diocesan administration, parishioners of St. Andrew's Cathedral and city churches.

The sermon after the communion verse was delivered by Priest Georgy Sidorov.

The head of the Metropolitan District congratulated the archpastors, clergy and parishioners of the cathedral on Sunday, marked in memory of the Venerable Mary of Egypt, and addressed those gathered with a sermon.

At the end of the service, Metropolitan Alexander sprinkled the believers with holy water.

“The fifth Sunday of Great Lent is dedicated to the Venerable Mary of Egypt. The life of this saint of the 5th century is well known to all of us from the beautiful detailed description compiled by St. Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem - seventeen years of her life were spent in grave vices and forty-seven years, after her conversion to God, she labored in the Jordanian desert in penitential deeds, unceasing prayer and strict abstinence, enduring terrible heat and bitter cold, hunger and fear of wild animals. The life of the ancient ascetic shows us, living in the 21st century, the power and greatness of God’s love for people, even the most sinful, wholly immersed in the darkness of passions. There is no mistake that God cannot correct, there is no sin that a loving Heavenly Father would not be willing to forgive. The example of the Venerable Mary of Egypt clearly shows us all the necessary conditions for salvation - sincere heartfelt repentance for sinful acts, firm trust in the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in the maternal intercession of the Mother of God and, of course, a firm decision to put an end to a vicious, relaxed life. The image of the Venerable Mary of Egypt, her life, preserved for us by the Venerable Elder Zosima, is an effective help for every believer seeking the salvation of his immortal soul. Looking at the life of this ascetic, we gain a clear understanding that God only hates sin and any person who turns away from evil becomes a beloved child of the Lord, about whom there is “more joy in Heaven” than about someone who has no need for repentance. Having reconciled with God, the soul regains its lost dignity, the image of God, the likeness of the Creator and Creator is returned to man and at the same time strong faith, spiritual strength, peace with conscience and others, consolation and spiritual joy are granted.” From the sermon of Metropolitan Alexander.