The Church Is Like the New Cana of Galilee: Ukrainian Greek Catholic Bishops Hold Day of Spiritual Renewal at the Synod
On July 3, during the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church currently taking place in Rome, the bishops participated in a day of spiritual renewal. The retreat was led by Fr. Taras Babiy, rector of the Eparchial Institute for Pastoral Care of Marriage and Family of Sts. Joachim and Anne in Stryi. In addition to guiding the reflections, Fr. Taras also preaches daily during the Divine Liturgy.
This year’s main theme of the Synod—”Pastoral Care of the Family in Times of War”—also served as the guiding motif of the day of spiritual renewal.
Fr. Taras centered his reflections on the Gospel account of the wedding at Cana in Galilee. He drew a symbolic parallel between the crisis faced by the couple in Cana and the current situation of many Ukrainian families. “In the language of Scripture, we can say that our Ukrainian families today are ‘short of wine,’” he said.
In biblical tradition, wine symbolizes joy, the fullness of life, and the richness of human relationships. In Cana, the issue wasn’t simply a lack of drink—the couple was facing spiritual and emotional exhaustion. “Their relationship had waned; it had run dry. No human solution—neither relatives, nor friends, nor music, nor celebration—could remedy it. Only God’s intervention could heal the inner emptiness that had arisen,” the priest explained.
Fr. Taras pointed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, “who is the first to recognize the need and turns to Jesus with trust.” He emphasized that Christ does not act alone: He involves others in the miracle. “Jesus asks the servants to fill the stone jars with water to the brim, and then take it to the master of the feast.” In this gesture, Fr. Taras invited the bishops to see a profound image of their own mission.
“As servants of Christ, bishops are called to faithfully fulfill their part of the ministry within their eparchies,” he said, “so that the Lord may accomplish His miracle—the transformation of wounded, exhausted relationships into renewed and life-giving families.”
He stressed that this ministry especially involves providing quality premarital preparation and ongoing accompaniment for married couples. Though such efforts may seem small in the face of great challenges, “God has the power to transform even human limitations into abundant grace and healing.”
In conclusion, Fr. Taras reminded the bishops that the miracle at Cana did more than help the newlyweds—it “revealed the glory of God, and the disciples believed in Jesus.” The same holds true today: “The Church’s commitment to marriage and family is the path through which God’s presence is revealed and the Church itself experiences spiritual renewal.”
Summing up his message, Fr. Taras declared: “If we want to heal the Ukrainian family in this time of crisis, our parishes and eparchies must become new Canas of Galilee—places where God’s servants minister to families with fervor, and where the Lord, by His grace, transforms this labor into the salvation of our families.”
The UGCC Department for Information
