The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on Holy Thursday: “Blessed Is the Priest Who Shares in God’s Work for Humanity”
On Holy Thursday, April 9, at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, presided over Vespers with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. During his homily, the Primate drew special attention to the gift of the priesthood and urged priests not to attempt to “do something for God,” but to allow Christ to act through them, becoming a living part of His ministry to the suffering people of Ukraine.
Concelebrating with the Head of the Church were Bishops Yosyf Milan, Stepan Sus, and Andriy Khimyak, as well as priests of the Kyiv Archeparchy.
At the beginning of the service, the Primate consecrated the antimension required for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, as well as the holy oil to be distributed throughout the Church. At the end of the Liturgy, the rite of the Washing of the Feet took place, during which His Beatitude Sviatoslav washed the feet of priests of the Kyiv Archeparchy, particularly those serving as military and medical chaplains.
In his homily, the Head of the UGCC emphasized that Holy Thursday is a special day for all priests, as it was on this day that Christ instituted the Sacrament of Holy Orders at the Last Supper.
“Today we celebrate the institution of yet another sacrament in Christ’s Church, one that fosters ecclesial communion. This is the Sacrament of the Priesthood of Christ,” he said.
“I invite you, dear fathers, to see yourselves in Jesus, and even more deeply—to see Jesus in yourselves,” the preacher addressed the priests.
Reflecting on the Gospel account of the washing of the feet, His Beatitude Sviatoslav drew attention to Jesus’ words to the Apostle Peter: “Unless I wash your feet, you have no part with me” (John 13:8), explaining that this “share” means participation in the very person, mission, and eternal priesthood of Christ.
The Primate emphasized that Christ’s priesthood is fundamentally different from that of the Old Testament: here it is not man who offers sacrifice to God, but God who offers Himself for mankind.
“I implore you, fathers: do not do anything for God. God does not need this. The sacrament of Christ’s priesthood is entirely different: Christ wants to do something for you. He wants to make you participants in His work and His ministry for humanity,” the Head of the Church emphasized.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav pointed out that a priest finds the fullness of his vocation only when he shares in Christ’s Passion, death, and Resurrection, and that the source of his wisdom is the Cross of the Lord.
“I wish you that the power of Christ’s Cross may be the strength and wisdom of the Ukrainian priest,” he said, addressing the clergy.
“Wise is the priest who gives himself to God, and whose body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. Only then does he minister well at the throne of God,” said the Primate. “And wise is the father who knows how to give life to his children even in death. We see the wisdom of such fathers in our people today.”
The Primate also expressed his gratitude to military and medical chaplains who serve amid the pain and wounds of war: “Today, Christ—crucified, martyred, yet risen—is present where our people suffer the most.”
In conclusion, the Head of the Church recalled the 80th anniversary of the Lviv pseudo-sobor, emphasizing the fidelity of previous generations of clergy and faithful of the UGCC who preserved the Church during persecution.
“Today, here in Kyiv, in the Patriarchal Cathedral, we celebrate the Church’s feast as a communion. And we thank our predecessors in the episcopal ministry and in the priesthood for allowing us to continue their holy work. For the Lord continues to desire to serve His people,” concluded His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The UGCC Department for Information
