Head of the Catholic Church in Ukraine Tells Story of Little Girl who Stepped on an Explosive and Miraculously Survived
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His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said this in his daily address:
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! Today, Tuesday, April 12, Ukraine is already experiencing the 48th day of nationwide opposition to Russian aggression, the 48th day of death, destruction, grief and tears. During this time, especially during the last days, Ukraine is heroically defending itself, Ukraine is standing, Ukraine is learning to win, Ukraine feels that it is fighting in the name of good with the evil that has come to its land.
These days we have seen the great crimes of the occupier on our land and for the last few hours this evil continues to destroy our land. Heavy fighting is going on around Kharkiv, in the Donbass, in the south of our Motherland. But our biggest pain is the city of Mariupol. The mayor of Mariupol said that according to official figures, about 10,000 civilians were killed. And this is only in one city in the south of Ukraine ... This is a city-hero, a city-martyr defends itself and is a symbol of the inviolability of our Motherland.
In such circumstances, many ask: how do we live? How to find landmarks in the darkness of the night of war? The answer to this cry of the soul for the meaning of life in times of war gives us the word of God. The psalmist David, a successful military leader, tells us, "God, your law, your word is a light in my path." That is why these days we are meditating on the Ten Commandments of God, on the heart of God's law, which is essentially the rules of survival, the way of life in the wilderness of death.
Today I would like to reflect on the core of God's law, the commandment that says, "Thou shalt not kill." We know that today in Russia, if someone stands under a temple with the inscription of this commandment, he can be arrested.
How to keep this commandment in times of war? We know that God's law is eternal, there are no circumstances that can overturn it. And even in the midst of war, God's commandment "Thou shalt not kill!" Is a landmark, a light for our paths. We see that it is during war that we begin to understand the value of human life. After all, we will be able to rebuild, restore and save everything, except the lost human life. Therefore, again and again, all of us together, as a people, must make every effort to save human life, to stop the murderous hand of the attacker and, even in defense, to honor God's commandment "Thou shalt not kill!"
These days we were all shocked by the story of a little four-year-old girl from Mariupol, Kira Chebenko, who escaped with her mother from this place of death on Ukrainian soil. The girl tells how she stepped on the explosive device and that it exploded. The child miraculously survived and describes that there was a lot of blood around her ...
Today we pray to our God, who is the source of life. God, help us in Ukraine to stop the war. Teach us not to kill all people, teach us to understand that your law tells us: "Behold, I lay before you good and evil, life and death - choose good and live."
Let humanity make its choice at this crossroads today. Let everyone who chooses life feel obliged to support Ukraine. God bless our people, our army. Save your children from death. God bless Ukraine.
In such circumstances, many ask: how do we live? How to find landmarks in the darkness of the night of war? The answer to this cry of the soul for the meaning of life in times of war gives us the word of God. The psalmist David, a successful military leader, tells us, "God, your law, your word is a light in my path." That is why these days we are meditating on the Ten Commandments of God, on the heart of God's law, which is essentially the rules of survival, the way of life in the wilderness of death.
Today I would like to reflect on the core of God's law, the commandment that says, "Thou shalt not kill." We know that today in Russia, if someone stands under a temple with the inscription of this commandment, he can be arrested.
How to keep this commandment in times of war? We know that God's law is eternal, there are no circumstances that can overturn it. And even in the midst of war, God's commandment "Thou shalt not kill!" Is a landmark, a light for our paths. We see that it is during war that we begin to understand the value of human life. After all, we will be able to rebuild, restore and save everything, except the lost human life. Therefore, again and again, all of us together, as a people, must make every effort to save human life, to stop the murderous hand of the attacker and, even in defense, to honor God's commandment "Thou shalt not kill!"
These days we were all shocked by the story of a little four-year-old girl from Mariupol, Kira Chebenko, who escaped with her mother from this place of death on Ukrainian soil. The girl tells how she stepped on the explosive device and that it exploded. The child miraculously survived and describes that there was a lot of blood around her ...
Today we pray to our God, who is the source of life. God, help us in Ukraine to stop the war. Teach us not to kill all people, teach us to understand that your law tells us: "Behold, I lay before you good and evil, life and death - choose good and live."
Let humanity make its choice at this crossroads today. Let everyone who chooses life feel obliged to support Ukraine. God bless our people, our army. Save your children from death. God bless Ukraine.
Source: UGCC Youtube Channel
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