Easter message of the Head of the Orthodox Church of Kazakhstan, Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan

Most Reverend Archpastors! All-honorable fathers!

Dear brothers and sisters, residents of the land of Kazakhstan!

On this day of God's saving Passover, which the Lord has made (Psalm 117:24), filled with spiritual joy, let us proclaim with one mouth and one heart the apostolic hymn of life:

CHRIST IS RISEN!

From the Gospel era to the present day, these words have solemnly proclaimed among countries and peoples the good news that the Savior has truly risen, breaking the bonds of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him (Acts 2:24) and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. (John 11:26). By exclaiming this short greeting, we testify to those near and far about the truth and strength of our faith. In them is the essence of the New Testament gospel, the manifestation of the unfading heavenly light and the source of our hope.

Now, as the Easter canon sings, everything is filled with light: heaven, earth, and the underworld; all creation celebrates the resurrection of Christ, in Whom it is established. By the Cross and Resurrection, the Lord united heaven and earth, the Eternal and the temporal, the Creator and the creation, God and man. Christ, as a lamb without blemish or defect (1 Pet. 1:19), who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29) and reconciled humanity with the Heavenly Father.

The Resurrection of Christ reveals and reveals the mystery of the general resurrection, for the Lord is the founder of humanity renewed by Him: “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). In the difficulties and trials that befall us, we are strengthened by the Easter joy of the Risen Savior. The outstanding Byzantine preacher Joseph Bryennios exclaims: “Easter is the transition from darkness to light; Easter is the ascent from earth to heaven; Easter is the transition from death to life; Easter is the true life of the faithful; Easter is the delight of the whole world; Easter is the veneration of the Divine Trinity.” For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Cor. 5:7), revives those who believe in Him with His love, delivers from fear and despondency, heals spiritual and physical infirmities, supports in difficulties and trials, consoles in sorrows and griefs, helps to follow the saving path that leads to eternal life. According to the words of St. John Chrysostom, the Paschal celebration "is celebrated with us not only by angels and the hosts of all heavenly powers, but also by the Lord of angels Himself." The joy of the Resurrection of Christ is like the inexhaustible radiance of the sun, which revives everything around, equally "rising on the evil and the good" (Matt. 5:45), shedding its light on the righteous and the unrighteous, on the zealous and the negligent, on the faithful and those who are still only seeking their path to God. Like the myrrh-bearing women in the Gospel, who became the first witnesses of the Resurrection, we are called to proclaim this great joy to those who are near and dear to us and to those who surround us in everyday life or at work. In response to the love of the Savior, we are called to show “love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Tim. 1:5), in response to His mercy – to do good to our neighbors, in response to His forgiveness of our sins – to forgive the mistakes of those around us and show indulgence to their shortcomings, in response to His fatherly providence – to care for the arrangement of the surrounding reality according to the Gospel ideals.

Celebrating God's saving Passover, we become invited guests of the feast of faith, we partake of the fruits of Christ's redemptive Sacrifice, we drink the water flowing into eternal life (John 4:14). Let us remember that our unity with the Lord cannot be limited to participation in worship or the performance of the prayer rule at home. Faith in the Risen Savior, living communication with Him, must be fully reflected in all aspects of our activities. Let us look around – there are many people around us who have not found the meaning of life, who suffer, grieve, are lonely, disadvantaged, and sick. Our sacred duty is to ensure that the name of the Risen Savior is praised everywhere, so that people, seeing good deeds performed for the glory of the Creator, become partakers of Orthodoxy, turning their hearts to the Father, Who is in heaven (Matt. 6:9). Let us draw strength for this from the gracious liturgical life of the Church, regularly participating in the sacraments of Confession and Communion. The Lord Himself calls us to the immortal meal of the most holy Eucharist, testifying about Himself: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world (John 6:51).

I congratulate you all on the greatest celebration - the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord "Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5). May the grateful Easter joy touch the hearts of all Kazakhstanis today. May a firm and living faith in the now Risen Christ the Life-Giver help each of us to rise in spirit, to be established in the truth, to be strengthened in goodness, so that nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:39). Glory, O Lord, to Thy Holy Resurrection!

Again and again I greet the God-loving Kazakh flock with the sacred and ever-living words of the Gospel hymn:

CHRIST IS RISEN!
TRULY HE IS RISEN!

Invoking the blessing of the risen Savior,

HEAD OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF KAZAKHSTAN

METROPOLITAN OF ASTANAI AND KAZAKHSTAN

Alma-Ata, April 20, 2025