“A holiday occurs when the Church of Christ celebrates it” — Head of the UGCC
Calendar renewal is a good opportunity to study it more deeply and to comprehend the church holidays, stated in the Pastoral Epistles of His Beatitude Sviatoslav, to the faithful of the UGCC on the renewal of the church calendar.
“Celebrating Christmas or Epiphany, Easter or the Holy Trinity, we become active participants in them by the power and act of the Holy Spirit. We have the opportunity to experience them and be transformed by them!” the message emphasizes.
In his pastoral message, His Beatitude, Sviatoslav highlighted that the truth of a Christian holiday does not rely on external factors: astronomical phenomena of the Sun or Moon, custom, or someone’s personal decision, but on internal factors: “A feast comes when the Church of Christ celebrates it and when it, as the Lord’s bride, calls out in prayer, together with us, to her heavenly Bridegroom, setting the appropriate day and time by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.” Thus, the renewal of the church calendar will be able to fill the spiritual life of believers with new meaning.
“May the renewed church calendar foster the growth into the life of Christ of every believer of our Church. May this reform help us to be the best Christians of our time, lead us even deeper along the path of holiness, bring abundant fruits to our everyday life, radiating it with the light of eternity, and become a firm and responsible step in the realization of the pastoral mission of our Church,” the Primate wished.
We remind you that in the run-up to the calendar reform in the UGCC in Ukraine, starting September 1, 2023, His Beatitude Sviatoslav addressed the faithful with Pastoral Epistles.
The UGCC Department for Information
