Cardinal Mykola Celebrates Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in His Hometown of Ternopil
On Sunday, 9 August, Bishop Mykola Cardinal Bychok, Eparch of Melbourne, celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Archcathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ternopil, Ukraine.
The occasion held particular significance for Cardinal Mykola, as Ternopil is his hometown. It was here that he grew up, took his first steps in Church ministry and discerned his vocation to religious life.
In his homily, the bishop focused on faith and trust in God, reflecting on the Gospel account of the healing of a seriously ill young man. “In today’s Gospel, we see a father bringing his seriously ill son to Jesus. This man had already done everything he could. He had turned to the apostles for help, but they were unable to help him or provide any relief. And so he comes to Jesus, to God Himself, and asks Him for help. As we hear in the Gospel, ‘the boy was healed from that very hour.’ After this healing, when they were alone, the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him, ‘Why could we not cast out this spirit?’ It seems to me that this is a question each of us can relate to. Why are we unable to overcome our own weaknesses? Why can we not free ourselves from fear? Why do we sometimes lose hope? Why does it seem that evil always triumphs over good? Why do we so often become discouraged in our lives?”
Developing this reflection, Cardinal Mykola emphasised that Christ responded to the apostles’ doubts by pointing to their lack of faith. The bishop spoke of faith not simply as acknowledging that God exists, but above all as trusting in Him even when we do not understand His plan. He also drew attention to the importance of prayer and fasting, which help us draw closer to God and find spiritual strength in the face of trials.
Turning to the personal experiences and struggles that each person may face, the bishop concluded his reflection: “Perhaps today each of us is facing a personal struggle. Some are struggling with illness. Some with loneliness. Some with disappointment. Some with anxiety for their loved ones. Some are grieving the loss of someone close to them. And each of us may ask the Lord the same question the apostles asked: ‘Why can I not overcome this?’ Today Christ answers each of us: strengthen your faith. Do not stop praying. Do not lose your trust in God. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! The Lord does not promise us a life without trials. But He does promise to be with us in times of trial and difficulty. He does not say that our path will be easy. But He tells us that nothing is impossible for those who trust in God.”
At the conclusion of his homily, His Eminence called for special prayers for Ukraine — for its defenders, prisoners of war, those who are missing, the wounded, those who have lost family members and loved ones, and all those who have given their lives for the freedom and independence of Ukraine. Cardinal Mykola also called on the faithful to ask the Lord to grant the Ukrainian people the gift of a just peace.
Following the Divine Liturgy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Ternopil-Zboriv Bishop Teodor Martyniuk thanked Cardinal Mykola for his visit to Ternopil and for joining the community in prayer. Cardinal Mykola, in turn, expressed his gratitude to Bishop Teodor, the clergy and the faithful for the invitation and the opportunity to pray together in his hometown.
Addressing those present, Cardinal Mykola also shared a personal memory connected with the Archcathedral: “Thirty-five years ago, on 28 August 1991, it was here in this church that I received my Solemn Holy Communion.”
Following the Divine Liturgy, representatives of the city authorities presented Cardinal Mykola with the distinction of “Honorary Citizen of the City of Ternopil”. The decision to confer the title was adopted on 7 August during a session of the Ternopil City Council. The distinction was an expression of his hometown’s gratitude for his pastoral ministry and for bringing the voice of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Catholic Church to the international community.
On the same day, Cardinal Mykola was presented with the flag of the 105th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — a symbol of the service and resilience of the servicemen and women of the Ternopil region.
At the conclusion of the celebrations, Bishop Mykola blessed three vehicles that will soon be delivered to Ukrainian servicemen and women to support them in carrying out their duties and help protect the lives of Ukraine’s defenders.
catholicukes.au
