Ukraine Archbishop says "...the enemy is constantly bombing, shelling every town and village, which it can reach with his deadly hand."
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Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Today is Friday, June 10, 2022, and Ukraine is experiencing the 107th day of this brutal, full-scale war that Russia is waging against the Ukrainian people, against the Ukrainian State.
The core of hostilities in recent days has been our Luhansk region, Lysychansk and Severodonetsk. It seems that the enemy has thrown all hellish force on those unfortunate towns and villages, where there are still many civilians. Those who are defending Ukraine in this area today, our servicemen, sons and daughters of Ukraine, as well as the local civilian population, need our special prayers.
Moreover, the enemy is constantly bombing, shelling every town and village, which it can reach with his deadly hand. Border villages in Chernihiv and Sumy regions are under fire. Kharkiv was shelled again that night. Fierce battles are being fought in the south of our Motherland, in Mykolayiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions.
But Ukraine stands. Ukraine is fighting because all the people of Ukraine, regardless of what Church they belong to, what nationality they belong to, what language they speak, understand that this is about their lives or their deaths. Ukrainian statehood is life and all, as one, today stood up for the Motherland.
Today we are experiencing the eighth day of the Decade of Mission. Step by step, day by day, we are approaching this mystical encounter with the third person of the Holy Trinity - the Holy Spirit.
Each day of the Decade of Mission has its own theme, its own Gospel, the word of God, and therefore a special call to work and prayer. Today we draw our spiritual attention to the part of the Hierarch's Prayer of Jesus Christ in which He prays to the Father for the unity of his disciples, as well as for those who believe through the preaching of the apostles, through the preaching of the Church. Christ says, "Father, keep them that they may be one, even as we are one: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
So, on the one hand, we see that in order for the preaching of the Church today to be fruitful and credible, we need to pray and work for the unity of Christians, for the unity of the Church of Christ. For this unity makes the missionary work of the Church in our time credible and fruitful. On the other hand, Jesus Christ himself sees with his Divine gaze all those in whom the Holy Spirit arouses the gift of faith, to whom he gives this gift to receive the word of God through the mission of the Church. And then there is such a mystical moment of meeting the one who is waiting in faith for the proclamation of God's word, and the one who carries this word of God. The meeting of the preacher and the one who awaits the sermon is a special gift, a moment of grace of the Holy Spirit.
Today, as Ukraine experiences war, all Churches and religious organizations in Ukraine are more united than ever. Because we all subordinate any internal differences to a common cause, task, good to defend our land, to support our suffering people. All who today consider themselves Christians, regardless of their denomination, feel the call of conscience that inspires the grace of the Holy Spirit to love their land, their people and to do good.
On this day, we want to pray especially for those who do acts of charity and preach the word of God through their actions. Thank you to all our volunteers for their testimony of faith. Because a volunteer is a person who is not paid for his ministry, does not expect a command from his boss to work and act, but responds to the call of his own ministry. A true volunteer is always honest and fair, because he does not work for his own benefit, but serves those who are most in need.
Today we also want to pray for our medical workers, doctors, in particular those who save the lives of our soldiers, our defenders. We want to pray for our military chaplains, who are next to our army on the front line and testify to God's presence exactly where the sons and daughters of Ukraine need God's power the most.
Holy Spirit, come, unite us all, heal the wounds of our church divisions and divisions! You are the Spirit of the unity of the Church - give us that unity! You are the Spirit of the unity of the people, and in unity the strength of the people - give us that unity and blessings of those who preach the word of God, the Gospel of Christ, do the missionary work of the Church and give birth to new Christians by example of your dedicated Christian ministry! God bless Ukraine with peace and give it victory!
The blessing of the Lord be upon you, with His grace and love for mankind, always, now, and forever and ever. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Today is Friday, June 10, 2022, and Ukraine is experiencing the 107th day of this brutal, full-scale war that Russia is waging against the Ukrainian people, against the Ukrainian State.
The core of hostilities in recent days has been our Luhansk region, Lysychansk and Severodonetsk. It seems that the enemy has thrown all hellish force on those unfortunate towns and villages, where there are still many civilians. Those who are defending Ukraine in this area today, our servicemen, sons and daughters of Ukraine, as well as the local civilian population, need our special prayers.
Moreover, the enemy is constantly bombing, shelling every town and village, which it can reach with his deadly hand. Border villages in Chernihiv and Sumy regions are under fire. Kharkiv was shelled again that night. Fierce battles are being fought in the south of our Motherland, in Mykolayiv, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions.
But Ukraine stands. Ukraine is fighting because all the people of Ukraine, regardless of what Church they belong to, what nationality they belong to, what language they speak, understand that this is about their lives or their deaths. Ukrainian statehood is life and all, as one, today stood up for the Motherland.
Today we are experiencing the eighth day of the Decade of Mission. Step by step, day by day, we are approaching this mystical encounter with the third person of the Holy Trinity - the Holy Spirit.
Each day of the Decade of Mission has its own theme, its own Gospel, the word of God, and therefore a special call to work and prayer. Today we draw our spiritual attention to the part of the Hierarch's Prayer of Jesus Christ in which He prays to the Father for the unity of his disciples, as well as for those who believe through the preaching of the apostles, through the preaching of the Church. Christ says, "Father, keep them that they may be one, even as we are one: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
So, on the one hand, we see that in order for the preaching of the Church today to be fruitful and credible, we need to pray and work for the unity of Christians, for the unity of the Church of Christ. For this unity makes the missionary work of the Church in our time credible and fruitful. On the other hand, Jesus Christ himself sees with his Divine gaze all those in whom the Holy Spirit arouses the gift of faith, to whom he gives this gift to receive the word of God through the mission of the Church. And then there is such a mystical moment of meeting the one who is waiting in faith for the proclamation of God's word, and the one who carries this word of God. The meeting of the preacher and the one who awaits the sermon is a special gift, a moment of grace of the Holy Spirit.
Today, as Ukraine experiences war, all Churches and religious organizations in Ukraine are more united than ever. Because we all subordinate any internal differences to a common cause, task, good to defend our land, to support our suffering people. All who today consider themselves Christians, regardless of their denomination, feel the call of conscience that inspires the grace of the Holy Spirit to love their land, their people and to do good.
On this day, we want to pray especially for those who do acts of charity and preach the word of God through their actions. Thank you to all our volunteers for their testimony of faith. Because a volunteer is a person who is not paid for his ministry, does not expect a command from his boss to work and act, but responds to the call of his own ministry. A true volunteer is always honest and fair, because he does not work for his own benefit, but serves those who are most in need.
Today we also want to pray for our medical workers, doctors, in particular those who save the lives of our soldiers, our defenders. We want to pray for our military chaplains, who are next to our army on the front line and testify to God's presence exactly where the sons and daughters of Ukraine need God's power the most.
Holy Spirit, come, unite us all, heal the wounds of our church divisions and divisions! You are the Spirit of the unity of the Church - give us that unity! You are the Spirit of the unity of the people, and in unity the strength of the people - give us that unity and blessings of those who preach the word of God, the Gospel of Christ, do the missionary work of the Church and give birth to new Christians by example of your dedicated Christian ministry! God bless Ukraine with peace and give it victory!
The blessing of the Lord be upon you, with His grace and love for mankind, always, now, and forever and ever. Amen.
Source: Official Youtube Channel of the UGCC Linked Above
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