“You have saved many lives with your love for God and the Motherland”: Head of the UGCC to the Ukrainian community in Naples
Today, on behalf of your mother Church, thank you for accepting the Word of God! You consistently hear it with your genuine and compassionate hearts. I ask you to hold on to it! Do not let anyone steal it from you. Then, you will be able to bring forth even more good fruit. I am aware of how your parish is helping long-suffering Ukraine today. Your love for God and the Motherland has saved many lives. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the UGCC, said in his sermon to the faithful of the UGCC community in Naples on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the parish on Sunday, October 22.
The Primate congratulated the faithful of the UGCC in Naples on the occasion of the silver anniversary of the parish and assured them of the great love of God, who made it possible to celebrate this feast together during the war in Ukraine, where people look into the eyes of death every day.
“How can we hear with our hearts?” asked the Archbishop, reflecting on the modern era of the information society, in which the flow of information is overwhelming like a river, provoking a particular challenge to the deafness of the people.
However, he believes that the Lord God continues to speak even in such circumstances. Today, he explains four ways to listen to the Word of God addressed to us.
“First, a person hears the Word of God but may not initially notice it. It’s important to be mindful when God speaks. The second type of deafness occurs in a person who lacks deep roots, listens casually, and doesn’t open their mind fully. The third type is when people do not put God’s Word first in their lives. When turmoil strikes, they lose their way. The fourth type of listening involves not just hearing with one’s ears and comprehending with the mind, but also listening with the heart. This is something profound. Listening with the heart is more than just receiving information; it means allowing the power of the Word to enter one’s being,” explains the Patriarch.
If we look closely, His Beatitude Sviatoslav continued, in 25 years of your congregation, we will see the fulfillment of the Word of God, which we heard in today’s Gospel, in this community.
“You did not merely listen, and you did not merely understand; you accepted this Word of God with a genuine open heart. In the south of Italy, in Naples, our congregation held on to that Word of God. If you had not adhered to Christ’s teaching, you would have lost your Church long ago. In 25 years, you would have assimilated, and today you would not remember a word of Ukrainian song, your children would no longer speak Ukrainian and would not know where their mother Church is,” the Primate said.
On behalf of the Church, the Father and Head of the UGCC thanked the Ukrainians in Naples for accepting the Word of God. Moreover, they take it further. Indeed, in the south of Italy, about 40 new parishes were born from this one.
“On this day, I thank you for not only listening and hearing, not only for understanding God’s word of love, which is directed towards us but for accepting it with an open and kind heart. Holding onto it, you will generate even greater fruit in your life,” reassured the Head of the Church.
The UGCC Department for Information
