“To Give Oneself So as Not to Surrender Ukraine” — Head of the UGCC on the Feast of Theophany
May the power of God’s love, which envelops us today in the Jordanian baptismal font, teach us to love God sincerely, one another, and our homeland: to give ourselves so as not to surrender Ukraine. Let this be the code of honor for every Ukrainian—the essence of civic and Christian responsibility for our people, land, children, and future. Anyone capable of such love becomes a bearer of God’s Theophany. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the UGCC, emphasized this today, January 6, on the Feast of the Theophany.
Bishop Stepan Sus, Bishop of the Curia of the Supreme Archbishop, and Bishop Andriy Khimyak, Auxiliary Bishop of the Kyiv Archeparchy, concelebrated with the Head of the Church at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.
Reflecting on the meaning of today’s Gospel of Matthew 3:13–17, His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted, “We witness God revealing Himself in His humility before humanity. The Son of God, having no sin, comes to stand beside sinners. The One who does not need baptism asks for it.”
He continued, “To grasp the amazing gesture of God that we witness today on the waters of the Jordan, let us listen to the word the Lord uttered when He came in the form of a servant to save mankind. It is a word denoting the justification of the sinner, accomplished by God in His love. The Lord God comes not to condemn or punish the sinner but to save him. Through His movement toward man, God reveals His holiness.”
The Patriarch explained, “The Feast of the Theophany is a celebration of the discovery of the gift of baptism for every person, for we are baptized by the power of God’s love, immersed in it by the work of the Holy Spirit.”
“When you feel the water sprinkled on your face, know that it is God’s love that touches you. When a priest visits your homes with a pastoral blessing and sprinkles your homes, it is God’s love that seeks to envelop you and your family, bringing the power of love. It enables people to love one another as the Heavenly Father loves us in His Son through the power and action of the Holy Spirit,” the Primate emphasized.
In the context of the Feast of the Theophany, His Beatitude Sviatoslav shared words he had heard from a soldier who brought the body of a deceased son to his grieving mother—words about the meaning of true love, which revitalizes, saves, and is eternal.
According to the Head of the UGCC, when the mother asked how this had happened to her son, the soldier replied, “He gave himself up so as not to give up Ukraine.”
“We pray today: Jesus, come to us. Take on all our pains, weaknesses, sufferings, frustrations, and even our sinfulness and disbelief. Lead us out of the Jordanian font renewed, full of strength and optimism, able to live, fight, and overcome evil. Grant us this victory, for which we pray, as You destroyed Pharaoh’s army in the waters of the Red Sea. In the same way, destroy the devil in the waters of the Jordan,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav prayed.
The Liturgy was followed by the Great Jordanian blessing of the water on the Dnipro River and the sprinkling of the faithful.
