Ukraine Archbishop says "But, even on this Holy, Resurrected Day, our enemy does not give up his attempts to kill Ukrainians on our land."

  Daily Message of His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, on their Easter Sunday, April 24, 2022, according to the Julian calendar:

Christ is Risen!

Today, the whole world greets its sons and daughters with this joyful greeting.

Today in Ukraine we celebrate the greatest Christian holiday - the Resurrection of Christ, Easter. We celebrate it on the 60th day of the war that Russia brought to Ukrainian soil.

We celebrate Easter during the war. But this heavenly, divine joy today descends from heaven to us, to the mutilated Ukrainian homes, to the 10 million refugees who have left their native homes. Comes to those who defend their homeland with their breasts. But the Ukrainian people celebrate Easter.

The Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord is a Feast of great joy and great hope. We have hope as a people, as a state, as a church… Because Christ has risen in us and with us.

Today is the Easter holiday that is especially experienced by the children of Ukraine. we feel that with heavenly joy we can overcome. To overcome our sorrow, our pain, our weeping… And the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ is the Feast of the Great Transfiguration. For just as at the empty tomb of the Lord, then on this Easter morning in Jerusalem, the Angel of the Lord changed the cry of joy for the myrrh-bearing women - so today, by singing "Christ is risen!" our Savior, Who emerges victorious from the grave, transforms the sorrow of Ukraine into a song of hope, turns tears of despair and grief into tears of joy, because Christ is Risen!

But, even on this Holy, Resurrected Day, our enemy does not give up his attempts to kill Ukrainians on our land. Even on Russian missiles, bombs and shells, which are carrying death on our land today, the enemy cynically writes "Christ is Risen!"

But the Resurrection of Christ today is becoming the power of victory of Ukraine. Because just as Christ rose from the grave on the third day, so he raises Ukraine on the third day from the grave, destroying the enemy's plans.

Today Ukraine is happy and the enemy is crying. Just as hell is upset, "upset because it has been overthrown," says the apostle; "He was upset because the end had come for him," says Ivan Zolotousty. "He seized a man and came across God. He grabbed what he saw and fell because of what he did not see… »In the same way, our enemy falls in Ukraine because of what he did not see. I did not see this faith and hope in the power of God, which today manifests itself in all its fullness and in the power of the Ukrainian people.

I congratulate everyone on this great holiday. Today Ukrainians have a spontaneous cry for victory. When Ukrainians congratulate on the victory over the enemy, with another defeat of the enemy on the battlefield - "Good afternoon, we are from Ukraine!" And today we say to the whole world: “Christ is Risen! Because we are from Ukraine! ” And we say: "Truly He is risen, because we are from Ukraine!" Together with her we announce to the whole world the Light Joy of Easter.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

The Lord's blessing on you with His grace and Lover of Man is always now and always and forever. Amen