Dear brothers and sisters!
Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos — the greatest of all humans who ever lived on earth, ‘more honourable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim’, as our Holy Mother Church praises Her in hymns.
The Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos is the Pascha of the Theotokos, which is fervently revered by the Ukrainian people. It is a feast of the meeting of the Mother of God with Her beloved Son, with Our Saviour, the Maker of the Universe.
The Most Pure Virgin Mary prepared for Her great mission from Her very birth. She understood that all Her life is self-sacrificing ministry and a way of the cross. And she walked it humbly and obediently, serving God’s plan of the salvation of men prepared by Her Son, Christ.
According to Her own words, She did not forsake us in Her falling asleep. The Church sings about it in the main hymn of this feast. The Most Holy Theotokos is the main and ready Intercessor of the entire Christian race. She is always ready to hear us and is always ready to help.
And today, when we are surrounded by so many adversities, so much pain and suffering, when monks and pilgrims are driven out of an abode of the Most Holy Theotokos — our Holy Dormition Kyiv Caves Lavra, when young men who have chosen the path of serving God and their neighbours are prevented from studying at their alma mater — the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary, when the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church is persecuted and oppressed for being faithful to Christ instead of pleasing politicians; when they try to intimidate us and entangle us in a web of lies, when our shrines are taken away from us, when we are deprived of freedom and the right to personal opinion … — we turn with faith and hope to Her, to the One Who can implore Her Son to have mercy on and protect us, our land, and our churches from all visible and invisible enemies and to give us peaceful and blessed life again.
All the present temptations are allowed for us by God for our salvation, and they will vanish away like smoke if we are united according to Christ’s commandment, if we firmly and courageously hold on to Him alone and do not seek illusory temptations of this world.
The Most Holy Theotokos is with us. All our Holy Fathers of the Kyiv Caves Monastery are with us. God is with us!
We will get through all of it if our hierarchs, priests, and we all are able to unite around our Primate — His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy.
No matter how much the enemies destabilise our Church, no matter how much they hinder us from living, praying, and working, all of it does not have the expected effect. That is borne out by the recent Cross Procession of many thousands of believers to the Holy Dormition Pochaiv Lavra, which successfully arrived at the main monastic abode of Western Ukraine in spite of all the devil’s impediments. It is borne out by our churches full of believing people, our charitable activities, and our mutual love in Christ and forgiveness.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us not lose heart and not be afraid!
Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos will surely pray to Her Son for the salvation of His Church and our God-loving people. And we ought to be united and not give in to the viruses of hatred and lies, nor to other temptations.
United by common faith and prayer, let us help one another to get through this time of temptations worthily and righteously.
Peace and love to us all!
Happy feast!