Video-message of His Beatitude Sviatoslav. July 17. 144 th day of the war

Today is Sunday 17 July 2022 and Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, have been standing for 144 days and holding back a full-scale Russian invasion of our lands with their chests. She shields Europe with her own body from this merciless, bloodthirsty, deadly enemy who is waging a scorched earth policy and war. In fact, it is difficult to call it a war.

We see that the war in Ukraine today is characterized by continuous war crimes that do not stop either by day or by night. Some say that there is a conflict in Ukraine. There is no conflict in Ukraine. A crime against humanity is being committed in Ukraine. There is a criminal and there is a victim.

Again this night, in particular, the Ukrainian land shuddered from Russian missiles and bombs. Over the course of yesterday, the enemy shelled our Cherkasy region with rockets. It is interesting that today the first targets are agricultural lands and centres for the processing of agricultural products.
This morning, our wounded Mykolayiv shuddered again. More than ten explosions rang out in this war-torn, devastated southern city. The north of Ukraine, Kharkiv Oblast, and Sumy Oblast were shelled. About 40 border territories of Ukraine were shelled in just 1 day. But the most heated battles are taking place in the Luhansk region and the Donetsk region. The enemy increases its attacks, it wants to intimidate the civilian population, it wants Ukrainians to leave their homeland en masse. But he will not succeed!

Ukraine is standing. Ukraine is fighting. Ukraine is praying.

Today, the hearts, thoughts, and prayers of all Ukrainians pour out to Zarvanytsia, to this national Marian sanctuary, which is among the largest Marian spiritual centers in Europe. And usually, on this Sunday, there is always a national pilgrimage to the miraculous icon of the Virgin of Zarvanytsia. Unfortunately, due to the conditions of martial law, this pilgrimage will not be able to take place this year. Many people will not be able to come to this place because of the dangers that lurk today in Ukraine for any gathering of people, for any purpose, in any corner of Ukraine.

But we are here, today, in Zarvanytsia, and we will pray. First of all, we pray for the victory of Ukraine. For our Ukrainian army. For our Ukrainian government. Especially, we want to ask the Mother of God for the gift of peace—a just and true peace for the Ukrainian land. To get the thief out of our house. To stop the killings. So that blood no longer sprinkles the black soil of the Ukrainian land, our homeland.

Today, here, we want to bring before the merciful motherly eyes of the Mother of God the crying, the groaning, and the pains of the Ukrainian people. Those millions of refugees who were forced to leave their homes; millions of mothers and children who today do not fully know how to build their future. Today, here, before the eyes of our Heavenly Mother, we want to bring the pain and suffering of all those who became victims of this war—the wounded and those missing. We especially want to pray for the Ukrainian army today, for the sons and daughters of Ukraine, who stood as one to defend their homeland, for those who are on the front lines today, for the wounded, prisoners, for their families. And we believe that, like every year, there was not a single prayer uttered in Zarvanytsia that the Lord God did not listen to, through the intercession of the Most Pure Virgin Mary. Even today, the Lord God will listen to us, through the intercession of His heavenly Mother, manifested in the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Zarvanytsia. And here, today, we truly feel ourselves to be in the house of our Mother. And we hear that the heavens are open above Zarvanytsia and the Lord God is with us.

O God, bless Ukraine. O God, bless her crying children. O God, wipe the tears from the faces and eyes of the sons and daughters of Ukraine. O God, accept our prayers and grant Ukraine the long-awaited and just peace that comes only from You, the true peace, which You left to Your disciples. The peace that we, as disciples of Christ, convey with Your blessing to the suffering people of God.

May the blessing of the Lord be upon you through His grace and love of humankind, always, now and ever, and for ages of ages. Amen. 

Glory to Jesus Christ!