“The variety of youngster victims of this struggle is growing. Official statistics yesterday reported that 459 children had been killed and 917 children had been injured. Thus, now we have a complete of 1,376 children registered as victims of this struggle. But we have no idea the precise numbers. When we visited the Bambino Gesu Vatican Hospital in Rome, we discovered solely these we discovered that just about 2,000 Ukrainian children had been handled in the hospital itself. The children are nonetheless struggling.”
Christ is born!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in the present day is Sunday, January 29, 2023, and the 340th day of the large struggle that the Russian invader has delivered to our peaceable land, Ukraine.
Also, yesterday and final evening, the land of Ukraine was shaken beneath Russian assaults, missiles and bombs. Heavy preventing is happening in Donetsk area and Luhansk area. The enemy is repeatedly bombarding our cities close to Vuhledar, Avdiivka and Bakhmut. Our little children bravely defend their motherland, and the enemy seeks to destroy the land where his lethal weapons attain.
Our border cities and villages in Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernigov areas had been bombed once more. In the south, our devastated Kherson area, Dnepropetrovsk area and Zaporozhye area once more obtained artillery hearth. Yesterday, the enemy attacked the residential areas of town of Kostyantynovka, Donetsk area, where we all know that at the least three civilians had been killed and 14 harmless civilians had been injured.
The variety of children killed in this struggle is growing. Official statistics reported yesterday that 459 children had been killed and 917 children had been injured. So, now we have a complete of 1376 children registered as victims of this struggle. But we all know the actual quantity is a lot increased. When we visited the Bambino Gesu Vatican Hospital in Rome, we discovered that about 2,000 Ukrainian children had been handled in that hospital alone. Children proceed to suffer. And a world where children suffer has no future.
Terror continues in the occupied territories and we now know that greater than 20,000 Ukrainian residents are in Russian focus camps. Let us pray for them, allow us to ask the Lord for his or her launch. Our clergymen Father Ivan and Father Bogdan are nonetheless being tortured and are in jail in Berdyansk. We beseech the Lord and all those that may also help us to free these courageous clergymen of Christ for the sake of the prisoners and the struggling.
But in the present day we wish Ukraine to be heard by the entire world, as a result of Ukraine is resisting. Ukraine is at struggle. Ukraine prays.
Today is Sunday, the Lord’s day, and we go away all our earthly affairs, cares, and work, and go to our church buildings in a hurry to face earlier than God, to partake of His physique and blood, and dwell the Eucharist.
Today we additionally need to pray for Christian unity. Because maybe in the present day, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, we really feel greater than ever that the aim of the motion of Christians in the direction of unity is the thriller of the Eucharist. The purpose of the Eucharistic motion is the chance for all Christians to be partakers of the identical cup of Christ’s blood, to be partakers of his one and solely physique.
We see that the purpose of the ecumenical motion is the entire and visual unity of Christians. We should not be glad with mutual respect amongst Christians, however attempt to stroll collectively in the identical course, in the direction of Eucharistic unity. Today, Christians of assorted denominations should notice that we’re all completely different, however we should additionally search unity in range. Unity in range is the best way to the entire and visual unity of Christ’s disciples, to which the Lord God calls us in the present day.
Unity doesn’t imply the absorption of 1 church into one other, or the expansion of some Christian congregations by way of proselytism, that is, the acceptance or annexation of others. Do not. It is not solely in the unity of constructions, however in the inside mystical unity. The supreme signal of the unity of Christ’s Church is His Body and Blood: the thriller of the Holy Eucharist. Therefore, as we obtain Communion in the present day, allow us to pray for the entire and visual unity desired by Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist amongst Ukrainian Christians.
Today, Ukraine commemorates the heroes of Krut. Today, January 29, we bear in mind the bravery of Kiev college students in 1918. These younger folks, college students, cadets, a little greater than 400 folks, went to guard the capital of Ukraine from the military with their our bodies. from the murderous normal Muraviev, the aggressor of Moscow, who has greater than 4,000 troops beneath his command. These guys died in an unequal battle close to the city of Kruty, Chernihiv area. They sacrificed their younger lives for the liberty of their nation. Today we bear in mind their great reminiscence, as a result of their stays lie in the cemetery of Askold in Kiev, and in the present day close to our parish we solemnly bow to them.
Since 1918, this heroic instance of scholars conjures up ladies and boys, in the present day’s youth, to guard Ukraine from the brand new “ants” who’ve come to kill, destroy, rob and destroy Ukraine. Let’s have a look at the heroic instance of the Ukrainian youth in 1918 and pray for the Ukrainian youth in the present scenario, for our ladies and boys who’ve turn out to be the heroes of Ukraine in the third millennium.
God bless our Ukrainian youth. God bless our girls and boys on the entrance. God, your love for man, and man’s love for You, creates heroes. Lord, assist us in the present day to defend our homeland in opposition to the unequal invader, the unjust invader. May God bless Ukraine and the children of Ukraine together with your heavenly peace.
May the Lord’s blessing be upon him by way of his grace and love for mankind, now and endlessly and ever, amen!
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ!
Svyatoslav+
Father and Primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
29.01.2023
.