The Head of the UGCC on the 351 st day of war: “Our soldiers near Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Kreminna ask for prayer”
I ask each of you to pray at least once during this day, “Our Father” and “Hail Mary,” for those who sacrifice their lives and health to seize the enemy who wants to strike the body of Ukraine with renewed force.
With this call, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, appealed to all the faithful in his daily address on the 351 st day of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
The Primate noted that there were heavy battles yesterday, particularly in Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Our soldiers bravely repulsed attacks near 19 settlements. Over the past day, many people were killed and wounded in different parts of Ukraine. It seems that the situation has escalated.
“But despite all these ordeals and pains,” says the spiritual leader, “we thank the Lord for being alive. We feel that the resilience of the Ukrainian people is not dwindling. On the contrary, we are capable of self-organization because our conscience calls us to defend our homeland. And once again, we say to the whole world: Ukraine stands! Ukraine is fighting! Ukraine is praying!”
The Head of the Church continued to reflect on what vocation is. How do we discover the mystery of our own selves?“We usually receive a calling from God indirectly. The Lord comes to us through individual circumstances. The Lord speaks to us, but we do not notice or hear Him because He calls, not screams; invites, not imposes His will. He never ceases to address us, inviting us to go in a particular direction and giving us the grace and strength we need. Thus, the Lord wants to lead us where He calls us personally,” the Head of the Church asks to reflect.
“Sometimes the Lord calls us to serve a person we have met on our way and who needs help. Perhaps this person is the call of God in which we can discover the meaning of our own life and ministry. Then, the Lord calls us to prayer, to communion with Him. It is a special grace when we have a spiritual counselor, a confessor, who helps us to discern different invitations and find our domain. The one who truly respects and loves us is best able to help us understand our vocation,” assures His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
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