On St. Volodymyr’s Day, Baptismal Promises Renewed at the Patriarchal Cathedral
On July 15, the feast of St. Volodymyr, Auxiliary Bishop Yosyf Milian of the Archeparchy of Kyiv celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.
The Liturgy began with the placement of the icon and relics of St. Volodymyr, Equal to the Apostles.
In his sermon, the bishop emphasized that “today’s Liturgy and commemoration of St. Volodymyr are meant to immerse us in historical truth and prevent our Equal-to-the-Apostles prince from being exploited in the imperial narratives of our bloodthirsty neighbor.”
“The purity of our true Ukrainian history,” he continued, “depends on our veneration of his name and his humble sacrifice. Paul, without consulting anyone, set out for Damascus to preach. In the same way, Prince Volodymyr, Equal to the Apostles, opened wide the doors of salvation for us—the doors of Christ’s Church—and showed us the great love and mercy of our God. He introduced us to European civilization and revealed the dignity of his people, which endures to this day.”
Bishop Yosyf called on the faithful to follow the example of the holy prince, stressing that “a great deal depends on each of us.”
“When we truly emanate the teachings of God from our hearts, we become apostles—or equal-to-apostles. Our lives proclaim God’s mercy and love to the world. Let us, like the Apostle Paul and Prince Volodymyr, open the gates of the Kingdom of God with our lives. Let us strive for the purity of our own temple, and in doing so, bring that purity to those around us,” he said.
He encouraged everyone to seek “the true gate that has been opened to us by God’s mercy and love—He who leads us sinners to a life of joy and to a joyful eternity.”
After the sermon, Bishop Yosyf led the Rite of Renewal of Baptismal Promises, which was followed by the blessing of water and a festive sprinkling of the faithful.
The service concluded with the communal singing of Ukraine’s spiritual anthem, “God, Great and One.”
