Ukraine Archbishop says "...Russian sources announced that Russia had expelled and deported more than a million Ukrainian citizens, of whom almost two hundred thousand were children."
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Christ is Risen!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Today is April 28, 2022, and for the 64th day the Ukrainian people have been fighting, standing, defending their Motherland in this nationwide struggle against the Russian aggressor.
The last day was very difficult for Ukraine. Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions suffer from Russian occupation. The enemy constantly shells Nikolaev and Kharkiv. Heavy fighting is going on in Donetsk, Luhansk, Mykolayiv and Zaporizhia.
Despite the growing attacks of the enemy, Ukraine is standing, Ukraine is fighting. Our Ukrainian army is heroically defending its land, and the whole nation supports our defenders, our government, all those who are ready today on different fronts, in different activities to defend the Motherland.
In such a difficult, difficult time of great struggle, of great intensity, we continue to reflect on the Beatitudes that our Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed in his Sermon on the Mount. During this Easter period, we feel that Christ's resurrection affects each of us, that the germ of the Kingdom of Heaven, the resurrection, and eternal life we carry within us as the grace of Baptism.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Today is April 28, 2022, and for the 64th day the Ukrainian people have been fighting, standing, defending their Motherland in this nationwide struggle against the Russian aggressor.
The last day was very difficult for Ukraine. Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions suffer from Russian occupation. The enemy constantly shells Nikolaev and Kharkiv. Heavy fighting is going on in Donetsk, Luhansk, Mykolayiv and Zaporizhia.
Despite the growing attacks of the enemy, Ukraine is standing, Ukraine is fighting. Our Ukrainian army is heroically defending its land, and the whole nation supports our defenders, our government, all those who are ready today on different fronts, in different activities to defend the Motherland.
In such a difficult, difficult time of great struggle, of great intensity, we continue to reflect on the Beatitudes that our Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed in his Sermon on the Mount. During this Easter period, we feel that Christ's resurrection affects each of us, that the germ of the Kingdom of Heaven, the resurrection, and eternal life we carry within us as the grace of Baptism.
It is in this context that the Beatitudes and the deep meaning of our Christian life, which Christ reveals through these commandments, become especially close and clear to us.
Christ says to his disciples, "Blessed are the silent, for they shall inherit the earth." What is it about? What stillness, or meekness, does Christ proclaim as bliss for man? Obviously, this is not just human sentiment or feelings or simple shyness ... It is the fruit of the virtue of humility. To be quiet, as one of the kinds of bliss, means to be in something very similar to our gentle and quiet Savior. The Apostle Paul writes of him: “He, being in the nature of God, did not consider his equality with God to be an inviolable privilege; then the death of the cross. Therefore God exalted him, gave him a name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee may bow in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue may confess that Jesus Christ is Lord for the glory of God. Father.
So, this silence, the gentleness of our Savior is manifested in His service to man, in His position as a servant who came from heaven to serve us. Such a path of humility and humiliation creates an inner space for man, makes him able to accept God's gifts, in particular the gift of resurrection and eternal life, and even more, makes him able to know the truth about himself.
Pride is a certain illusion about oneself, about one's abilities, origin. Instead, silence, gentleness as bliss reveals to us the truth about ourselves, about our origin. He says that we, having received the Sacrament of Baptism, are God's daughters and sons who inherit. That is why Christ says, "Blessed are the silent, for they shall inherit and inherit the earth." This land is given to us by our Lord, Creator and Savior, as an inheritance from the Father for sons and daughters.
Today we see the enemy expelling sons and daughters of Ukraine en masse. Just yesterday, official Russian sources announced that Russia had expelled and deported more than a million Ukrainian citizens, of whom almost two hundred thousand were children.
People expelled from their land, children who are deprived of their land inheritance, become strangers, exiles on that land. But the Lord God says, "Blessed are the silent, for they shall inherit the earth."
Today we ask: “Lord, let us open in our hearts Your power, grace, Your heritage. Give us humility to know the truth about yourself and then be able to accept what You give us. Because we know that You gave us our land, our Motherland, our state as our heritage. Therefore, we want to be like You - quiet, gentle, to justly, by God's right, inherit the land that You, Heavenly Father, want to give us.
God bless Ukraine! God, save her children, for they are your daughters and sons! God, strengthen our army, which protects us from death, which our enemy brings! God bless Ukraine!
The blessing of the Lord be upon you, with His grace and love of man, always, now, and forever and ever. Amen.
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Christ says to his disciples, "Blessed are the silent, for they shall inherit the earth." What is it about? What stillness, or meekness, does Christ proclaim as bliss for man? Obviously, this is not just human sentiment or feelings or simple shyness ... It is the fruit of the virtue of humility. To be quiet, as one of the kinds of bliss, means to be in something very similar to our gentle and quiet Savior. The Apostle Paul writes of him: “He, being in the nature of God, did not consider his equality with God to be an inviolable privilege; then the death of the cross. Therefore God exalted him, gave him a name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee may bow in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue may confess that Jesus Christ is Lord for the glory of God. Father.
So, this silence, the gentleness of our Savior is manifested in His service to man, in His position as a servant who came from heaven to serve us. Such a path of humility and humiliation creates an inner space for man, makes him able to accept God's gifts, in particular the gift of resurrection and eternal life, and even more, makes him able to know the truth about himself.
Pride is a certain illusion about oneself, about one's abilities, origin. Instead, silence, gentleness as bliss reveals to us the truth about ourselves, about our origin. He says that we, having received the Sacrament of Baptism, are God's daughters and sons who inherit. That is why Christ says, "Blessed are the silent, for they shall inherit and inherit the earth." This land is given to us by our Lord, Creator and Savior, as an inheritance from the Father for sons and daughters.
Today we see the enemy expelling sons and daughters of Ukraine en masse. Just yesterday, official Russian sources announced that Russia had expelled and deported more than a million Ukrainian citizens, of whom almost two hundred thousand were children.
People expelled from their land, children who are deprived of their land inheritance, become strangers, exiles on that land. But the Lord God says, "Blessed are the silent, for they shall inherit the earth."
Today we ask: “Lord, let us open in our hearts Your power, grace, Your heritage. Give us humility to know the truth about yourself and then be able to accept what You give us. Because we know that You gave us our land, our Motherland, our state as our heritage. Therefore, we want to be like You - quiet, gentle, to justly, by God's right, inherit the land that You, Heavenly Father, want to give us.
God bless Ukraine! God, save her children, for they are your daughters and sons! God, strengthen our army, which protects us from death, which our enemy brings! God bless Ukraine!
The blessing of the Lord be upon you, with His grace and love of man, always, now, and forever and ever. Amen.
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
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