“Jesus Christ shows the meaning of his message. He says: “As the Father sent me, so I send you.” That is, the Lord makes his disciples envoys and bearers of access to the source of immortality, so that you (believing) have life in His name. This event reveals the deepest meaning of the apostolic ministry, for the apostle is an envoy.
But why are they sent? What is the meaning of the apostolic ministry of the disciples of Christ? But the meaning and purpose of such ministry is not just to convey a certain doctrine or idea, but to be witness to the event that took place, in which they participated. The purpose of the apostles is to preach the Word of the Gospel – Good News, which they saw, heard, touched with their hands,” emphasized the Head and Father of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav in his sermon to the faithful during the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ on Thomas Sunday, May 5, 2019.
“The Word of the Holy Scripture makes us participants of a very interesting event, which is repeated twice in accordance with John’s Gospel. For he notes that on the same Easter day when the disciples knew that Christ had risen from the dead, He Himself came to them. Not the disciples to Jesus, but He (resurrected) came to His frightened, disoriented and disappointed followers who were behind the closed doors and fearful of the Jews. And the Son of God comes to them,” says the Primate.
And later he adds: “The Lord shows them his resurrected and glorified body. He comes through a locked door and shows them that his resurrection is not an idea, a divine thought, or a fantasy of some people, but it is an event that really happened. Perhaps this coming to the disciples is very similar to the time when Christ (having risen from the dead) came to hell – a place of death, where all the dead (beginning with Adam and Eve) sat in the dark behind the closed door of death and hell, waiting for the liberation of light resurrection”.
According to the preacher, people often lack faith. Therefore, the Son of God breaks all obstacles in the way of meeting man with God.
According to the spiritual leader of the Greek Catholics, Christianity is the possibility of living access to the source of immortality (with the help of the Holy Sacraments). Therefore, on this day, we visit our relatives in cemeteries, and we never call the deceased the dead.
During the Liturgy, the ordination of six priests was held. “Man in the modern world is looking for the elixir of immortality. However, while answering this search for immortality, Christ today sends you … The Son of God will now make you the bearers of the source of immortality, and through your ministry, this source will be made available to every person who comes to the world “- appealed to newly-appointed priests the Head of the UGCC.
We would like to remind you that today His Beatitude Sviatoslav celebrates his birthday. He is 49 years old.
Department of Information of the UGCC