Video-message of His Beatitude Sviatoslav. July 10. 136 th day of the war

Today is Sunday 10 July 2022 and our homeland, our people have been resisting a full-scale Russian invasion for 137 days by this huge army, which is destroying everything in our native homeland with its deadly march.

Last night was again a night of blood and tears in our homeland. From what we hear, the enemy launched rocket attacks at night on the residential areas of the big cities, precisely in order to catch in the arms of death the people who were peacefully sleeping in their homes. Kharkiv, Mykolayiv, and Kryvyi Rih were hit by rockets, but a special tragedy is currently unfolding in the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, where a multi-story building was destroyed by Russian missiles and dozens of people are now under the rubble. And in this moment, when you and I are praying and talking, the fight for their lives is going on. Some of them are still calling from under the ruins of this multi-story building.

There is a fight for life. But Ukraine is standing. Ukraine is fighting. Even when the enemy tries to steal everything he can. These days, we see how the Ukrainian meadows, sown with wheat, which the enemy deliberately set on fire, are burning. A Ukrainian proverb, a proverb of the bread-making people, says: "He who burns bread will not escape God's punishment."

Today, I want to walk with you further along these paths of the Church's spiritual wisdom, the wisdom to overcome, to overcome evil, to overcome the enemy of the human race. And today I want to think with you about one more of the main sins and the virtue that cures it. This sin is the love of money, and it is overcome and one is freed from it by sacrifice.

Lust for money is passion for material goods, passion for money. The holy fathers taught that the love of wealth is not inherent in man by nature. This passion arises because of the distortion of man's desire, man's natural desire for eternal life and eternal happiness. And when passion and sin disorient this natural desire to live forever and happily, then it leads a person to this idolatry of earthly goods. Then enrichment becomes an end in itself, as if it compensates for a person's fear that tomorrow he may not have the means of subsistence.

It is not material goods themselves that are evil, but the disordered desire for them and their improper use. The words of Saint John Chrysostom are very eloquent here, who says: "It is not wealth that is evil, but the love of hoarding and money. A money lover is one thing, and a wealthy person is another. A money lover is not wealthy, he is in need of everything, and therefore cannot be wealthy. A moneylender is a keeper of his property, not its owner, a slave, not a master." And the Venerable John Climacus believes that love of money is greed and idolatry, because it gives a person false hope that those riches can provide him, at least on earth, with the fragment of happiness that he is so looking for.

It is through sacrifice that a person becomes able to properly manage his good. It is through sacrifice that one who has money can become rich. It is an amazing act of mercy and respect for the dignity of a person in need that really makes us truly rich. Saint John Chrysostom says: "Let not gold be stored in your house, but rather what is more precious than all riches—mercy and love for humankind." This gives us courage before God, and His right hand against it. May our earthly wealth and abundance be turned into weapons that can be used to defeat the devil. And this happens when we do acts of mercy.

Today, on this occasion, I want to thank all the donors who support the Ukrainian people at this difficult moment for them, all those who know how to be rich and show their true ability to wisely manage earthly goods, when they reach out to the needy and those who suffer from the war in Ukraine.

O God, increase our true wealth, which is charity and charity. O God, may the hand of someone who does good never be lacking, because the Lord fills the hand that gives. O God, with your mercy, save Ukraine in the time of the calamity of war. O God, bless the children of Ukraine.

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!