Let Us Live the Time Allotted by God with Dignity as Children of God: His Beatitude Sviatoslav in Kosice
We in Ukraine are accustomed to living in danger of death every day. Therefore, we must behave so that we can stand before our Heavenly Father at any moment. All of our women and men who survived Russian captivity told us: “We did not know how long we would live — maybe one hour, maybe one day, maybe one week. But we knew that we wanted to live that hour, that day with dignity.” This is the way the Ukrainian people live today! His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the UGCC, said this in his homily during the Divine Liturgy in the Ukrainian community in Kosice (Slovakia) on January 28, the Sunday of the Prodigal Son according to the Gregorian calendar.
At the beginning of the homily, His Beatitude Sviatoslav extended greetings from Ukraine and noted that today, we heard a parable about a kind father, God the Father. In the two sons who were lost, found, dead, and resurrected, each of us recognizes ourselves. To be a son or daughter of God is what defines us.
The centerpiece of this parable is an embrace. The son returns home and thinks about how to justify himself; he does not long for his father but for his father’s bread. But the father is the first to embrace his son. Then he tells his servants to bring him clothes and a ring, which means to restore his dignity.
“Interestingly,” remarked the Primate, “one can lose sonship without even moving far from his father. As we hear at the end of the parable, the eldest son does not need his father but his property. He forsakes his fatherhood and sonship for a goat to enjoy with his friends. He traded his father for a feast and a party. However, the father is open to both.”
The Patriarch noted that the Church of Christ bestows the embrace of God the Father and a sense of dignity as sons and daughters of God. It also embraces those thrown far from home by the war. Indeed, the fate of an emigrant, a stranger, is always one of humiliation, sometimes contempt, and ridicule.
“Wherever fate takes you, remember that the arms of the Father and your mother Church are always open,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav addressed the audience. He also thanked Slovakia for its hospitality to Ukrainians.
After the Liturgy, His Beatitude Sviatoslav met with the Ukrainian community living in Kosice, including children, youth of the UYC, and representatives of the public and cultural circles.
The UGCC Department for Information
