Archbishop of Ukraine says "Fighting intensified. The number of weapons used these days is unmatched in the decades since World War II."
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His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said this in his daily address on the 55th day of the war.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! Today, Tuesday, April 19, 2022, the Ukrainian people are already experiencing the 55th day of nationwide resistance, deadly Russian aggression against the Ukrainian state.
Over the last 24 hours, we have seen a sharp increase in the aggressive actions of the occupiers. The President of Ukraine and the military leadership speak of the beginning of a new offensive by Russian troops, particularly in eastern Ukraine. Fighting intensified. The number of weapons used these days is unmatched in the decades since World War II. Missile attacks continue on our cities and villages, which the world has already called "missile terrorism." Russian missiles fell on Mykolayiv, Kharkiv and other settlements of Ukraine. Lviv was also hit by a rocket yesterday, killing at least seven people and injuring many, including a small child, a refugee boy from Kharkiv…
But Ukraine is struggling. Ukraine stands. We can talk to you today thanks to the heroic efforts of the Ukrainian army. It is to our Armed Forces that we are grateful to see this morning of God and to be able to send our morning prayers to our Lord and Savior.
Ukraine has entered Holy Week. Today we have Holy Tuesday. The liturgy of the Church, according to the Byzantine rite, draws our attention to the theme of vigil. These days we sing an ancient hymn that says, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh at midnight, and blessed is that servant, whom he shall find restless." This means that the Church calls us to be vigilant.
What does it mean to hear? To watch means to be like a watchman, or a military guard standing guard watches so that the enemy will not suddenly catch us while we sleep. In the spiritual sense, to hear means to look forward to meeting, to be ready to meet, in particular, our Savior, who is going to suffer voluntarily. These days we need to test how ready we are for the feast of Easter, how much our attention, our mind, our heart, our will, and even our soul and our body are ready to meet the risen Christ.
To watch these days means to be vigilant in prayer, in our relationship with the Lord God, and in our relationships with our neighbors, in whose person the Lord and Savior himself comes to us today.
These days of vigils, prayers, and anticipation reflect the early Christian understanding of Easter as a time when early Christians awaited the second and glorious coming of Jesus Christ and the end of world history. Who knows, maybe this Easter you and I will sing "Christ is risen!" For the last time ... And as if preparing for the Easter holidays for the last time, let's be vigilant, let's be careful. After all, to hear means to be vigilant to the purity of your heart. Those who have not yet begun Confession or Communion, hurry to the Sacraments of God. For blessed is he whom the Lord findeth not to sleep, and blessed is he whom he findth to sleep.
So, in this tragic and heroic moment of Ukraine - let's not sleep, let's not give up, let's watch! These days, as the war escalates, as the enemy intensifies its offensive against Ukraine, I call on everyone to pray vigorously and tirelessly for the Ukrainian army. Because today the future, the fate of Ukraine and the world is being decided.
I call on this nationwide vigil of all those who hear me today in Ukraine and abroad. Thank you to all those who will hear together with Ukraine today in different parts of the world, from different Churches and peoples.
God, save our Ukrainian people! God, come and save us yourself! Support those who suffer for Your truth and believe in Your glorious on the third day of the Resurrection!
Over the last 24 hours, we have seen a sharp increase in the aggressive actions of the occupiers. The President of Ukraine and the military leadership speak of the beginning of a new offensive by Russian troops, particularly in eastern Ukraine. Fighting intensified. The number of weapons used these days is unmatched in the decades since World War II. Missile attacks continue on our cities and villages, which the world has already called "missile terrorism." Russian missiles fell on Mykolayiv, Kharkiv and other settlements of Ukraine. Lviv was also hit by a rocket yesterday, killing at least seven people and injuring many, including a small child, a refugee boy from Kharkiv…
But Ukraine is struggling. Ukraine stands. We can talk to you today thanks to the heroic efforts of the Ukrainian army. It is to our Armed Forces that we are grateful to see this morning of God and to be able to send our morning prayers to our Lord and Savior.
Ukraine has entered Holy Week. Today we have Holy Tuesday. The liturgy of the Church, according to the Byzantine rite, draws our attention to the theme of vigil. These days we sing an ancient hymn that says, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh at midnight, and blessed is that servant, whom he shall find restless." This means that the Church calls us to be vigilant.
What does it mean to hear? To watch means to be like a watchman, or a military guard standing guard watches so that the enemy will not suddenly catch us while we sleep. In the spiritual sense, to hear means to look forward to meeting, to be ready to meet, in particular, our Savior, who is going to suffer voluntarily. These days we need to test how ready we are for the feast of Easter, how much our attention, our mind, our heart, our will, and even our soul and our body are ready to meet the risen Christ.
To watch these days means to be vigilant in prayer, in our relationship with the Lord God, and in our relationships with our neighbors, in whose person the Lord and Savior himself comes to us today.
These days of vigils, prayers, and anticipation reflect the early Christian understanding of Easter as a time when early Christians awaited the second and glorious coming of Jesus Christ and the end of world history. Who knows, maybe this Easter you and I will sing "Christ is risen!" For the last time ... And as if preparing for the Easter holidays for the last time, let's be vigilant, let's be careful. After all, to hear means to be vigilant to the purity of your heart. Those who have not yet begun Confession or Communion, hurry to the Sacraments of God. For blessed is he whom the Lord findeth not to sleep, and blessed is he whom he findth to sleep.
So, in this tragic and heroic moment of Ukraine - let's not sleep, let's not give up, let's watch! These days, as the war escalates, as the enemy intensifies its offensive against Ukraine, I call on everyone to pray vigorously and tirelessly for the Ukrainian army. Because today the future, the fate of Ukraine and the world is being decided.
I call on this nationwide vigil of all those who hear me today in Ukraine and abroad. Thank you to all those who will hear together with Ukraine today in different parts of the world, from different Churches and peoples.
God, save our Ukrainian people! God, come and save us yourself! Support those who suffer for Your truth and believe in Your glorious on the third day of the Resurrection!
Source: UGCC Channel
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