Ukraine's Catholic Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Asks Everyone "...to wage an inner spiritual struggle with the devil..." in Lent
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UGCC Head Catholic Archbishop Sviatoslav of Ukraine, in his daily message:
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear ones in Christ, brothers and sisters! Today is Friday, April 1, 2022. Ukraine has been standing and waging this patriotic war against the Russian aggressor for 37 days.
During yesterday and this night, the Ukrainian land is again shaken by Russian missiles and bombs, our cities and villages of our Motherland are on fire again. Our special prayers flow to Mariupol, which has been standing heroically for more than a month and amazes the whole world with its power. In fact, it shows a miracle on the shores of the Sea of Azov. Our Kharkiv, our Chernihiv, stands heroically. Our special prayers for the occupied Kherson, for our heroic Nikolaev.
Dear ones in Christ, brothers and sisters! Today is Friday, April 1, 2022. Ukraine has been standing and waging this patriotic war against the Russian aggressor for 37 days.
During yesterday and this night, the Ukrainian land is again shaken by Russian missiles and bombs, our cities and villages of our Motherland are on fire again. Our special prayers flow to Mariupol, which has been standing heroically for more than a month and amazes the whole world with its power. In fact, it shows a miracle on the shores of the Sea of Azov. Our Kharkiv, our Chernihiv, stands heroically. Our special prayers for the occupied Kherson, for our heroic Nikolaev.
Under pressure from the Ukrainian army, the enemy retreated. Our cities and villages are being liberated. However, without success on the ground, the enemy increases attacks from the air. That is why once again the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations is appealing to the world to help protect the Ukrainian sky. Protect the lives of our civilians, cities and villages of Ukraine.
We see that the struggle of Ukraine, the struggle of the Ukrainian people against the Russian aggressor has all the hallmarks of a spiritual struggle. Every great war is accompanied by a great lie. And it is done in the same way to capture, capture, occupy our minds, our hearts and paralyze our will.
Spiritual struggle is characterized by the fact that the devil, first of all, tries to inspire us with his thoughts in various ways, his propaganda, his intimidation. Then the next stage - the person begins to dialogue with that sinful offer, with sinful suggestion. And then begins the struggle inside our minds, our hearts, the street fights in the middle of the human face with the evil that is trying to capture us. And then, if we continue to succumb, comes the consent of our will to evil and thus the internal sinful occupation, enslavement of man, passion, sin.
In order to win this internal struggle, one must first realize that one cannot dialogue with sin, with the devil. It must be rejected and conquered, as Pope Francis once proclaimed in Sunday's catechism. In order to resist the hostile ideology, to expel the devil, first of all from our minds, hearts, and then from our homes, our land, we must first realize the lie. Then we must resist all our strength and will. And then will come eradication, liberation, will come freedom.
Today, especially in those days of Lent, I urge everyone to wage an inner spiritual struggle with the devil and his servants. If you feel that the news you read or see on television is news that is trying to captivate your mind, will, feelings, trying to become the inner occupier of your person, know that this propaganda is a suggestion of evil. We resist then. It is so important to realize that we can overcome, not by our own strength, but by the power and grace of the Holy Ghost.
We pray for the Ukrainian army, for those who are fighting against the occupier! Let us support them with our prayers! We are waging our invisible struggle against untruth and all that is trying to paralyze our will and capture our inner spiritual world! We pray for Ukraine! We resist the occupier and all evil! Let us eradicate evil from our hearts! Let us be Christians and people, even in the circumstances of war! May God's blessing rest on all of us, and may victory over evil be Ukraine's victory in its invisible struggle against the devil!
We see that the struggle of Ukraine, the struggle of the Ukrainian people against the Russian aggressor has all the hallmarks of a spiritual struggle. Every great war is accompanied by a great lie. And it is done in the same way to capture, capture, occupy our minds, our hearts and paralyze our will.
Spiritual struggle is characterized by the fact that the devil, first of all, tries to inspire us with his thoughts in various ways, his propaganda, his intimidation. Then the next stage - the person begins to dialogue with that sinful offer, with sinful suggestion. And then begins the struggle inside our minds, our hearts, the street fights in the middle of the human face with the evil that is trying to capture us. And then, if we continue to succumb, comes the consent of our will to evil and thus the internal sinful occupation, enslavement of man, passion, sin.
In order to win this internal struggle, one must first realize that one cannot dialogue with sin, with the devil. It must be rejected and conquered, as Pope Francis once proclaimed in Sunday's catechism. In order to resist the hostile ideology, to expel the devil, first of all from our minds, hearts, and then from our homes, our land, we must first realize the lie. Then we must resist all our strength and will. And then will come eradication, liberation, will come freedom.
Today, especially in those days of Lent, I urge everyone to wage an inner spiritual struggle with the devil and his servants. If you feel that the news you read or see on television is news that is trying to captivate your mind, will, feelings, trying to become the inner occupier of your person, know that this propaganda is a suggestion of evil. We resist then. It is so important to realize that we can overcome, not by our own strength, but by the power and grace of the Holy Ghost.
We pray for the Ukrainian army, for those who are fighting against the occupier! Let us support them with our prayers! We are waging our invisible struggle against untruth and all that is trying to paralyze our will and capture our inner spiritual world! We pray for Ukraine! We resist the occupier and all evil! Let us eradicate evil from our hearts! Let us be Christians and people, even in the circumstances of war! May God's blessing rest on all of us, and may victory over evil be Ukraine's victory in its invisible struggle against the devil!
Source: UGCC Youtube Channel
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