Metropolitan Borys Gudziak in Starunia for Blessed Simeon’s Name Day Celebration
On the second day after the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, Metropolitan Borys prayed together with the faithful and pilgrims at the Simeon Lukach Pilgrimage Center in the village of Starunia, Ukraine. He presided over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, concelebrated by the priests of the pilgrimage center.
Reflecting on the Word of God, Bishop Borys first shared his personal joy at being in Starunia, noting: “What a great joy it is to be in the house of Simeon.”
In his homily, the Archbishop drew attention to the deep connection between the mystery of the Nativity of Christ and the feast of the Meeting of the Lord. He noted that in the Nativity God enters human history quietly and often unnoticed: “God comes to the human person, yet people do not always recognize it. The coming of Christ into the world as a defenseless child is a sign of God’s closeness and gentleness — a sign that God does not frighten the human person, but enters into human weakness.”
Bishop Borys described the Meeting of the Lord as a feast of light, noting that the lit candles are a sign of faith that God’s light can illumine any darkness and that God’s truth will ultimately prevail: “God is always seeking an encounter with the human person and desires to share this encounter with everyone.”
Particularly moving were the Archbishop’s words about the human need for closeness and support. He emphasized that isolation and rejection wound the human heart, and that it is therefore so important to have someone nearby who can share both pain and hope. In this context, he expressed gratitude to Ukrainian families who have made the greatest sacrifices, stressing that today Ukraine stands at the epicenter of global change — a place where the world clearly sees the difference between good and evil, truth and falsehood, and where Ukrainians consciously choose the truth.
At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, Bishop Borys thanked the community for their hospitality and the opportunity to pray together, and congratulated all present on the name day of Blessed Hieromartyr Simeon Lukach. The common prayer concluded with the spiritual hymn “O Great and Only God,” offered for peace and victory for Ukraine.
Based on materials from the Simeon Lukach Pilgrimage Center, Starunia
