The Church of Christ is the unity of the people. For the Son of God gives us hope and inspiration for forgiveness and reconciliation. This was emphasized by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Head and Father of the UGCC, in his sermon to the faithful during the Vespers with the Exposition of Holy Shroud – Plashchanytsia on Good Friday, April 26, 2019
“Today we are experiencing an extremely mournful day in the prayer year. The church brought us to Calvary. By listening to the Word of God, we witnessed the crucifixion and death of our Savior. We saw how he had given his Spirit into the hands of the Father in prayer for those who crucified him – with such words the Primate began his sermon, and then added: “We have just committed the burial of the body of our Savior …”
“Perhaps the entire depth of this moment can be fully understood by the person who has ever lost the life of a dear one,” said the preacher.
According to the spiritual leader of the Greek Catholics, death is a moment of loss for every person. But sometimes, most of us are hurt when we are not reconciled to the person who is dead because it seems that there won’t be a chance to say “I’m sorry” any more. Therefore, it is important to put up with other people and tell them immediately important words.
According to him, it is in Jesus Christ that we have hope. “Forever, one of the important messages of Christianity will come out of the Cross – there exist reconciliation and remission of sins. And the price of this reconciliation and forgiveness is the most expensive one that one can imagine – it’s the suffering, blood, death of the Savior, the Son of God,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
At the end of his sermon, the Head of the Church noticed that when a person unites with the Heavenly Father, then internal harmony is restored. Moreover, now the Ukrainian people lack peace and unity, therefore, it is necessary to ask God for unity.
Department of Information of the UGCC