Video-message of His Beatitude Sviatoslav. June 12. 109 th day of the war

Today is Sunday 12 June 2022, and Ukraine and the Ukrainian people have been resisting the full-scale Russian invasion for 109 days, the war of the grief and disaster that the Russian aggressor brought to our lands. Again, we thank the Lord God, we thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for being able to see this morning, that we can rejoice on this new day. The most intense fighting continues in Luhansk region. Ukrainian Sievierodonetsk has been heroically defending itself for days. The enemy is relentlessly attacking these parts of the Luhansk region, which are now defended by the Ukrainian army, and can do nothing with large forces. This beast is breaking its teeth on the Ukrainian courage of the sons and daughters of Ukraine who are defending their homeland.

What is particular for us today is the pain of the local population. In Sievierodonetsk, Russians are destroying entire streets to move forward in order to move forward. Neighbouring towns, seeing these atrocities, are truly frightened and many people even at the last minute decide to leave their homes. This evacuation is so important and necessary to save the local population, but it is very difficult and difficult in these circumstances.

In the south of our homeland, in the Kherson region, our Armed Forces are liberating the occupied towns and villages, moving forward to free our brothers and sisters from the yoke of Russia. Our people meet their liberators with tears in their eyes.

The so-called missile terrorism continues. Yesterday a rocket attack was carried out on Western Ukraine, on the city of Chortkiv, which is the seat of the bishop of our Buchach Eparchy, was damaged. That is why today our prayers are heard for Bishop Dimitry Hryhorak and our entire community of the Buchach Eparchy.

But Ukraine is standing. Ukraine is fighting. And today Ukraine is feasting and celebrating the Feast of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. This is a celebration of the presence among us of the Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth. And today we end the Decade of Mission, these ten days of listening to God's Word, praying for the spread of the Kingdom of God on earth. We pray for the mission of our Church, because we know that the mission is constant Pentecost. And today, on this feast day, when we listen to God's Word about the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, Christ Himself says that to be a Christian means to be a bearer of the Holy Spirit. That mission, which the Apostles began on the day of Pentecost among all the nations of the world, having received the gift of speaking in tongues, having the inner strength and courage to proclaim the wonderful works of God, and the mission itself continues to this day in the Greek Catholic Church, the same apostolic sermon is heard. Our Church, full of the grace of the Holy Spirit, carries that spirit within it and generously distributes it to all those to whom the Lord sends us today.

We pray that on this day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit will renew us by the grace of the Holy Spirit. For today we who have been baptized and chrismated, feel in ourselves the renewal of that gift of baptism, which, according to John the Forerunner, is the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire. The fire that rested on the apostles today burns in our hearts and calls us to overcome evil by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit.
On this day of Pentecost, when the earthly ruler, when the mad ruler of this world brings sorrow to Ukraine and steals our lives, we say in prayer, "Heavenly King, Advocate, Spirit of Truth, come and dwell within us, and cleanse us of all that defiles us, and, O Good One, save our souls.”

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!