“Archangel Michael, fight for the army of sons and daughters of Ukraine” — His Beatitude Sviatoslav in Ghent
Archangel Michael and all the heavenly hosts! Help us to free the prisoners, heal the wounded, find the missing, and liberate our brothers and sisters in the occupied territories. Heavenly powers! Please help us bring home those scattered around the world, restore all that has been destroyed, and heal the wounds of the Ukrainian people.
The Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, stated during a sermon to the faithful of the Ukrainian community in Ghent (Belgium) at the parish of the Nativity of John the Baptist on the feast of the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael and other incorporeal powers and the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the parish’s foundation, on Wednesday, November 8.
In his sermon, the Father and Head of the UGCC turned the attention of the faithful to the understanding of the word “miracle.”
“We, as people, understand that there are ethereal, invisible, incorporeal powers that are actively present in our earthly life; help Ukraine fight evil and stand by every person who has the courage to say no to sin, evil, violence, murder — these are the powers that work miracles in our lives,” he said.
He believes that an essential mission, the meaning of the existence of the heavenly forces, is the ability to be guided entirely by the mind, will, and the whole being to move only toward God. Moreover, these heavenly forces strive to help us channel our entire being to the Lord God.
The Primate also noted that the feast of St. Michael the Archangel marks certain stages in Ukraine’s recent struggle for freedom and independence. Namely, the Orange Revolution and the Dignity Revolution began today. “Today, in Brussels, on the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, Ukraine has been signaled that we will join, or rather return to, the family of European nations with dignity and victory,” he said.
The Head of the Church recalled how ten years ago, during the Revolution of Dignity, he traveled to Brussels to witness the voice of the Ukrainian people in favor of the European choice.
“Ten years later… I brought the same document, but now it is signed not only by the heads of the Churches but also by the blood of the sons and daughters of Ukraine. What is impossible with humans has become possible due to God’s divine power, which on the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, even according to the Gregorian calendar, begins to guide our nation’s history,” he said.
“Today we especially pray for the Ukrainian army, for our angels and soldiers of light who are on the front line defending our freedom and independence, our future at the cost of their lives,” the Patriarch emphasized.
“We pray today: Heavenly powers, deliver us from all evil, for you are the rulers of the heavenly realms. Archangel Michael, along with the entire heavenly host, we beseech you to fight for the sons and daughters of Ukraine. Grant us a just peace in the victory of Ukraine, just as you once cast down the serpent of centuries past and triumphed over those who opposed righteousness, God’s peace, and His truth, proclaiming, ‘Who is like God?’” His Beatitude Sviatoslav added.
The UGCC Department for Information
