“Let Us Welcome the Incarnate Love of God in Our Hearts!” — UGCC Head’s Christmas Greeting to Ukrainians
The Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, extended his Nativity greetings to the faithful in Ukraine and the diaspora.
“The Nativity of Christ is the moment when the unfathomable, eternal, invisible God the Father becomes known and visible through the epitome of His love for humanity—His Son, who is born among us,” said His Beatitude. He underscored the profound meaning of the holiday, which reveals God’s love and light that dispel the darkness and coldness of this world.
“Let us welcome and embrace this incarnate love of God in our hearts! Let us be warmed by its glow and filled with its light!” continued His Beatitude Sviatoslav, urging all to receive Christmas as a sacred gift of God’s blessing.
He also addressed Ukrainian soldiers celebrating Christmas far from home, enduring the harsh realities of war: “Today, I want to extend a heartfelt embrace to all our wounded defenders, to all those who bear the wounds of war on their bodies. Our Savior is born in you today, bringing healing, strength, and resilience to you and all of Ukraine.”
The Primate offered words of comfort to those enduring painful losses due to the war: “Today, the Lord Himself comes to you to become your family, the one who wraps you in the warmth of heavenly love.”
He also spoke to Ukrainian children displaced by the war: “Know that Ukraine celebrates Christmas just as it did during the Second World War—in exile, in hiding, with Ukrainian carols, and in Siberia, triumphing over modern Herods and their malice.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav wished the faithful worldwide “happy holidays, delicious kutia, joyful carols, and the great love and fraternity of the global, ecumenical, Christian Ukrainian family.”
“May God’s blessing, peace, joy, and light reach every family and every home, and may His peace abide in our homeland,” he concluded.
The UGCC Department for Information
