“Prepare your heart to accept God’s invitation with dignity,” Metropolitan Borys Gudziak on the Sunday of the Forefathers
On December 15, the Sunday of the Forefathers, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak of Philadelphia delivered a sermon at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, reflecting on the preparation for the Nativity of Christ.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the UGCC, presided over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy, concelebrated by Bishops Borys Gudziak and Bryan Bayda.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav remarked, “Today’s Liturgy is an icon of the global Kyivan Church. We are joined by Archbishop Borys Gudziak of Philadelphia, head of our Metropolia in the United States, and Bishop Bryan Bayda of Toronto, who oversees all of eastern Canada under his omophorion.”
The Head of the UGCC added that “America, Canada and Kyiv today pray together, work together, support Ukraine and move together to victory” and invited Bishop Borys to take the floor.
In his sermon, Metropolitan Borys conveyed greetings from the Americans and assured them of daily prayer, stating that “we try to explain what the situation is and try to organize help.”
“Coming to Ukraine, to Kyiv, is an incredibly meaningful experience. What Ukraine’s defenders are doing today—what its people are standing up for—on the fronts where soldiers, chaplains, bishops, priests, doctors, and even electricians serve amid missiles, Shaheds, and shelling, are turning points in human history. The Lord’s resilience in our Church and people has drawn the world’s attention to what is happening here,” said the Metropolitan of Philadelphia.
Explaining the words of the daily Gospel, the archbishop noted that today’s Sunday is the Sunday of the Forefathers, which reminds us of prayers and a vast history before the coming of Christ, a holiday toward which we are preparing in 10 days.
“The final Old Testament trajectory focuses on three Jewish youths exiled in Babylon, who were condemned to be burned in a white-hot furnace. When I think of this furnace and these young men, I think of you—those whom others seek to burn, destroy, and repudiate. Today’s Sunday and this image prove that the Lord is with us. In places where someone wants to incinerate, the Lord will bring fresh dew. This Sunday of the fathers illustrates that the Lord is present in our history, whereas the Gospel demonstrates the significance of our encounter with the God who already exists, because our Sunday is not a mere recollection of the events from the Old Testament; it is already a celebration of the Resurrection, just like every Sunday,” Bishop Borys emphasized.
In the context of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Metropolitan emphasized that “the Lord Himself, the Son of God, is approaching us.”
“Let us set aside worldly sorrows as we sing. Let us embrace Pylypivka fasting—less time on computers and social networks; instead, take up the Holy Scriptures, a prayer book, light a candle before an icon, prepare the nativity scene, speak with a child, be obedient to a wife, learn a carol, and ready your heart to meet God with dignity, for He is already here. The Lord is already present and wants to come to you in a new way this Christmas,” the bishop urged to prepare for the Christmas celebration.
He explained that it all depends on us, “whether we will be hospitable, and respond to this outstretched small palm appropriately, or answer it saying we have our own business to attend to.”
“The Lord visits the poor, the outcast, the persecuted in silence. Let’s benefit from this encounter, because it changes everything and brings us peace and pure joy,” emphasized Archbishop and Metropolitan Borys Gudziak of Philadelphia.
The UGCC Department for Information
