Many people, when they think today who to elect as President, subconsciously seek for a messiah, look for a person who has some magic wand that solves all problems …
This was stated by the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church His Beatitude Sviatoslav during his sermon to the faithful at the UGCC monastery of St. Anthony Pecherskyj in Obuhiv.
Today, the Church of Christ celebrates one of the largest of 12 holy days in the Liturgical Year – the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
Today’s holy day concludes the gospel story of the birth of Jesus Christ. On this day, the Virgin Mary brought our 40-day-old Savior to the temple of Jerusalem.
Also on this day, the Church of Christ symbolically celebrates the day of consecrated persons. For it is according to divine law, in memory of the salvation of all the first-born when Israel left Egypt, every first-born male was consecrated to the Lord. On this 40th day after the birth of a child parents bring a sacrifice to God in order to consecrate him to the Lord.
According to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, as we celebrate this holy day, we will experience it in a personal way if we stop to think about what our people are waiting for.
“We have a difficult year before us,” said the Head of the UGCC. “How many people are waiting for salvation. Many people ask: will I still live to see a really free, independent Ukraine? Will I live to see happiness, fullness of life, joy in the eyes of my children? Will I see that the war ends and victory comes? Will I see that at last Ukrainians in their native land will no longer be slaves, like once was Israel in Egypt? Will I see salvation? .. “
“Today, the Lord gives a response to this deep fundamental issue,” added the Primate.
“You will keep candles in your hands today. We will sanctify them as a sign that our hope is certain, that today we can receive salvation in your hands as Simeon once received in his hands a little baby – the forty-day-old Christ. The salvation we are waiting for, which we dream about, we will find only in the person of our Savior Jesus Christ. There will be no others,” said the spiritual leader of Ukrainians.
“Today, false messiahs look like they are magic wizards, who can fulfill all our hopes in one day – choose me and you will be saved!” said the Head of the Church.
But, said His Beatitude Sviatoslav, today Christ is saying to us: do not rely on princes, the sons of men, they have no salvation. True salvation can only be obtained in Jesus Christ.
“For the source of power for people does not come from weapons… or other material wealth. The source of power lies in the realm of the spirit. The source of strength and victory comes from the incarnate and present among us, our Savior Jesus Christ, who is the light for enlightenment of the nations and their glory,” underlined the Primate.
Finally, the Hierarch traditionally sanctified the candles people brought with them.
Department of Information of the UGCC