Bishop Bohdan Danylo to the priests: “I thank you and rejoice with you in the feast of our shared priesthood”
On Holy Thursday, Bishop Bohdan Danylo, chairman of the Patriarchal Commission for Clergy, congratulated the priests of the UGCC on the Day of Priesthood and expressed gratitude to God for this sacred gift.
In a video greeting, Bishop Bohdan Danylo of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma noted that “in the rite of the washing of feet, Christ welcomes His disciples and shows them how to serve by washing their feet. He who sits upon the heavenly clouds humbles Himself and washes the feet of His disciples.”
“We, as priests, are likewise called to serve. Many of us become a wonderful example of service — whether alongside our military personnel on the front lines as chaplains, or in hospitals and other institutions. Yet each of us, serving people in our parishes, strives to heal the wounds — physical and spiritual — of those we accompany,” said the bishop.
He expressed his gratitude to priests around the world who “serve our faithful, especially those who have become refugees and have found in our churches a home of prayer and a place for healing of both body and soul over the past three years.”
“I am grateful to you for your gift of the priesthood. With the words of the sticheron from the Matins of Holy Week, I also invite you to be a lantern that proclaims: ‘I see Your bridal chamber, O Savior, adorned, but I have no garment to enter it. Enlighten the garment of my soul, and save me,’” the bishop said in closing.
Bishop Bohdan added, “We, as priests, must give thanks today for the gift of the priesthood — that God has entrusted us with this sacred mystery. I thank you and rejoice with you in the celebration of our shared priesthood.”
The UGCC Department for Information
