“Only a Few Can Be Heroes, but Everyone Must Be a Saint,” Says His Beatitude Sviatoslav in Ivano-Frankivsk
When we hear about heroism, we often think of human perfection. But a saint represents something deeper and greater. Through their life, and even their Christian heroism, a saint praises and reveals not the greatness of man, but the greatness of God manifested in humanity. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the UGCC, emphasized this in his sermon during the consecration of the new altar at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Ivano-Frankivsk.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav reminded us that on the Sunday of All Saints, we honor all the holy people from the beginning of human history to the present day. What does it mean to be a saint? Today’s Gospel reveals a more captivating aspect of holiness and the vocation to which the Lord calls everyone, not just a select few. Christ speaks of a unique dignity and worthiness. The secret of this dignity lies in the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
“The Lord invites us to draw from that source today, not just to draw, but to grow, to act, to be sanctified,” said the bishop.
He encouraged us to reflect on how often we have repented for squandering God’s gifts. “Sometimes we must repent for wasting opportunities, resources, abilities, talents, divine grace, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we squander what the Lord has given us, we become unworthy of Him,” said the Primate.
He spoke about today’s consecration of the altar in the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Ivano-Frankivsk, where the relics of the holy martyrs of our Church—St. Josaphat, Mykola Charnetsky, Blessed Hryhoriy Khomyshyn, and Simeon Lukach—were placed. “Those saints, whose relics now rest in your holy altar, are your predecessors on the journey to heaven. Follow them. Walk the paths they walked,” the Patriarch urged the gathered faithful.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav also thanked God for the release of Fathers Ivan Levytsky and Bohdan Geleta. “Yesterday, Father Bohdan Geleta told me, ‘In isolation, I deeply felt that my Church was praying for me,’” the Hierarch recalled, adding that the Church cannot be destroyed. When it is persecuted, it grows even stronger.
“When we are persecuted, the source of our resilience becomes more apparent, its meaning is revealed more fully, and its strength becomes more accessible to all who seek it,” concluded His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
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