On December 26, 2023, the feast day of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Primate of the autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church led the Divine Liturgy in the cathedral church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine - St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral.
The Primate of the autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church led the Divine Liturgy in the cathedral church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine - St. Michael's Cathedral.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine was served by Metropolitan Yevstratiy of Bila Tserkva, Archbishop Oleksandr of Yagotyn, Archbishop Lavrentiy of Lugansk and Starobelsk, Archbishop Agapit of Vyshgorod, Bishop Ioann of Bilogorod, Bishop Efrem of Vasylkiv, Bishop Arseniy of Bohuslavl, all the monastery brothers and invited clergy.
After the Gospel reading, His Beatitude offered a special prayer to the Lord at a time when the Motherland is in danger.
Also during the sending there were prayer requests for the soldiers who defend Ukraine, for the government and our people and for the peace of souls of all fallen defenders of the Motherland and civilians who died during the war.
At the end of the service Archbishop Agapit greeted the Primate on behalf of the episcopate, clergy and laity:
'Your Beatitude!
Our dear Vladyka and Father!
Christ is born!
'With the treasures of this feast all feasts are adorned and clothed in the beauty of ... this day more than all days, for today the merciful God(God) has come to the sinners" - with these words the teacher of repentance, St. Ephraim the Syrian sings the greatness and significance for the salvation of man of that glorious day when the Son of God became the Son of Man. We are talking about a day that cannot be fit into the ordinary everyday notions of any particular date or historical epoch. The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the Divine Being itself, is above any definitions and categories. And what else but the common Christian prayer can we celebrate this significant day worthily.
Yesterday you, Your Beatitude, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the most important for the history of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine temple - in St. Sophia of Kyiv. And today, together with us, present here directly and in absentia thanks to the broadcasts of divine services, you offer prayers in the walls of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral, which, no doubt, historians will once call the cradle of the modern Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Thus the Christmas prayer visibly and symbolically unites the past and present of our Church. This year we celebrate Christmas according to the new calendar together with nine local Churches, except us. And thank God that practically the entire church community of Ukraine without resistance, and with the with understanding and sincere desire to accept the common decision of the Church. Our common prayer in these days is the best answer to those who still cling stubbornly to dates, historical circumstances, traditions or, better to say, just habits, forgetting behind all this the most important thing: the essence of the feast is the Incarnation of God, which does not depend on human reasoning and aspirations, because Christ was born for us by His own will, not for the sake of our desire.
From the bottom of our hearts we wish you always to have a good inner attitude, which is created in the soul, which sincerely accepts the action of God's grace. How can one describe this state of mind? It would be correct to say: to draw near to God, for in God's presence the perfection of creation is clearly seen, even when, because of the affliction of sin, human nature departs from the Creator. 'This is what we celebrate, this is what we glorify on this day:" says St. Gregory the Theologian, "the coming of God to men in order that we may be moved, or, better said, return to God (for this is more correct!)"
.
During the Christmas season, we wish you, Your Beatitude, to experience this majestic holiday as you did as a child. And not only because childhood memories of the Nativity are perhaps the most pleasant, but also because Christ, in the words of the apostle Matthew teaches to be like children, for this is the only way to enter the kingdom of God. And what does it mean to be like children'? It is the ability to reject all prejudices that stand in the way of a free and sincere acceptance of God. Little children do not deceive until they learn it from adults. Little children are not deterred from showing their vulnerability, seeking protection, safety. Little children genuinely rejoice in simple things that adults may not pay attention to. Christmas teaches us to see ourselves before God in this way: we cannot be deceitful before Him, for He knows all secrets; we cannot boast before God of our strength or power, for not everything in life depends on us; sincere joy eradicates envy and increases love. In all this, it is not the manifestation of a child's weakness in life, but the manifestation of man's strength next to God.
Despite the circumstances of this holiday, we would like to sincerely wish you and all your flock, that is, every Orthodox Ukrainian - all of us together - that the next Christmas will come to us in conditions of just peace on our land. This wish has long been the most important and desirable gift for every conscious person. And although the forces of evil do not cease to do the works of darkness, the light that the incarnate Lord has brought will certainly will overcome the hardships of war and the truth of God will shine forth. The Savior will not ignore the works that you do on behalf of the Church to support our defenders and protectors, volunteers, IDPs and refugees. Sensitivity and indifference to human problems is both an achievement to the spiritual treasury and a gift, because thanks to it a man becomes like his Creator.
Thank you, Your Beatitude, for the prayer we have made together today, for your wise instructions on the occasion of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. May the birth of the God-man, which took place in Bethlehem, always have a place in your heart.
IS gender, these despots!"
Metropolitan Epiphanius thanked for the warm words of congratulations and addressed to the audience with the High Priestly word.
The Primate of the autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church led the Divine Liturgy in the cathedral church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine - St. Michael's Cathedral.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine was served by Metropolitan Yevstratiy of Bila Tserkva, Archbishop Oleksandr of Yagotyn, Archbishop Lavrentiy of Lugansk and Starobelsk, Archbishop Agapit of Vyshgorod, Bishop Ioann of Bilogorod, Bishop Efrem of Vasylkiv, Bishop Arseniy of Bohuslavl, all the monastery brothers and invited clergy.
After the Gospel reading, His Beatitude offered a special prayer to the Lord at a time when the Motherland is in danger.
Also during the sending there were prayer requests for the soldiers who defend Ukraine, for the government and our people and for the peace of souls of all fallen defenders of the Motherland and civilians who died during the war.
At the end of the service Archbishop Agapit greeted the Primate on behalf of the episcopate, clergy and laity:
'Your Beatitude!
Our dear Vladyka and Father!
Christ is born!
'With the treasures of this feast all feasts are adorned and clothed in the beauty of ... this day more than all days, for today the merciful God(God) has come to the sinners" - with these words the teacher of repentance, St. Ephraim the Syrian sings the greatness and significance for the salvation of man of that glorious day when the Son of God became the Son of Man. We are talking about a day that cannot be fit into the ordinary everyday notions of any particular date or historical epoch. The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, as well as the Divine Being itself, is above any definitions and categories. And what else but the common Christian prayer can we celebrate this significant day worthily.
Yesterday you, Your Beatitude, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the most important for the history of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine temple - in St. Sophia of Kyiv. And today, together with us, present here directly and in absentia thanks to the broadcasts of divine services, you offer prayers in the walls of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral, which, no doubt, historians will once call the cradle of the modern Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Thus the Christmas prayer visibly and symbolically unites the past and present of our Church. This year we celebrate Christmas according to the new calendar together with nine local Churches, except us. And thank God that practically the entire church community of Ukraine without resistance, and with the with understanding and sincere desire to accept the common decision of the Church. Our common prayer in these days is the best answer to those who still cling stubbornly to dates, historical circumstances, traditions or, better to say, just habits, forgetting behind all this the most important thing: the essence of the feast is the Incarnation of God, which does not depend on human reasoning and aspirations, because Christ was born for us by His own will, not for the sake of our desire.
From the bottom of our hearts we wish you always to have a good inner attitude, which is created in the soul, which sincerely accepts the action of God's grace. How can one describe this state of mind? It would be correct to say: to draw near to God, for in God's presence the perfection of creation is clearly seen, even when, because of the affliction of sin, human nature departs from the Creator. 'This is what we celebrate, this is what we glorify on this day:" says St. Gregory the Theologian, "the coming of God to men in order that we may be moved, or, better said, return to God (for this is more correct!)"
.
During the Christmas season, we wish you, Your Beatitude, to experience this majestic holiday as you did as a child. And not only because childhood memories of the Nativity are perhaps the most pleasant, but also because Christ, in the words of the apostle Matthew teaches to be like children, for this is the only way to enter the kingdom of God. And what does it mean to be like children'? It is the ability to reject all prejudices that stand in the way of a free and sincere acceptance of God. Little children do not deceive until they learn it from adults. Little children are not deterred from showing their vulnerability, seeking protection, safety. Little children genuinely rejoice in simple things that adults may not pay attention to. Christmas teaches us to see ourselves before God in this way: we cannot be deceitful before Him, for He knows all secrets; we cannot boast before God of our strength or power, for not everything in life depends on us; sincere joy eradicates envy and increases love. In all this, it is not the manifestation of a child's weakness in life, but the manifestation of man's strength next to God.
Despite the circumstances of this holiday, we would like to sincerely wish you and all your flock, that is, every Orthodox Ukrainian - all of us together - that the next Christmas will come to us in conditions of just peace on our land. This wish has long been the most important and desirable gift for every conscious person. And although the forces of evil do not cease to do the works of darkness, the light that the incarnate Lord has brought will certainly will overcome the hardships of war and the truth of God will shine forth. The Savior will not ignore the works that you do on behalf of the Church to support our defenders and protectors, volunteers, IDPs and refugees. Sensitivity and indifference to human problems is both an achievement to the spiritual treasury and a gift, because thanks to it a man becomes like his Creator.
Thank you, Your Beatitude, for the prayer we have made together today, for your wise instructions on the occasion of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. May the birth of the God-man, which took place in Bethlehem, always have a place in your heart.
IS gender, these despots!"
Metropolitan Epiphanius thanked for the warm words of congratulations and addressed to the audience with the High Priestly word.
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