n this Easter time, Christ comes again to each of you, so that you feel that you are not forgotten by God. This was said on April 14 on the fifth Sunday of the Great Lent, by the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church His Beatitude Sviatoslav, at the Kyiv Boarding House of Veterans of Labor. The service took place in the chapel of St. Sophia – the Wisdom of God, which is taken care by fr. Yaroslav Lukavenko.
Reflecting on the content of the Gospel reading, in particular, about the request of the sons of Zebedee – James and John – about the opportunity to sit on the right and left with Jesus in His Kingdom, the Head of the UGCC held a parallel to the present of the Ukrainian state. The Head of the Church noted that we see that there are already many different people who are already seeking seats in the new government. “The eyes of our society are tied to those who want to get to the top of Ukrainian society … But Christ goes today to us, to our Kyiv, to bring Himself into a sacrifice of the Cross and give His life as a ransom. Not that He should be served, but to serve others,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The spiritual leader suggested that if Christ came to Kyiv this Sunday, then first of all He would visit this boarding house, the house of the elders.
“You very often feel abandoned and forgotten by all the society. This is the home of elderly, infirm, sick, orphans … Those to whom nobody has anything to do in this world. There are no rich or powerful among you. Perhaps there are the weakest ones here. I think today, Christ would have wanted to come to you,” said the Head of the Church to the residents of the boarding house.
According to His Beatitude Svyatoslav, he came here to show the true mission and essence of Christ the Savior – the mission of His Church. “For we have no other power as a power to serve. There is no other mission for the priest, a bishop as a mission to be like his teacher, to go as far as today, to the person who is forgotten and sometimes feels abandoned. In this Easter, Christ once again wants to come to us. Today, He comes to each of you, so that you feel that you are not forgotten by God,” said the spiritual leader.
“The true place of a Christian today – beside that man who needs, suffers and is infirm. For you are the greatest value in God’s eyes,” said the preacher.
The Head of the UGCC wished everyone to feel that God is close. “Each of your prayers, which you bring to Him, is heard. When everyone has forgotten about you, be sure, He will not forget,” said the Head of the UGCC.
Department of Information of the UGCC