Cross Procession to unite Ukraine
His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kiev and All Ukraine blessed the All-Ukrainian religious procession – the procession of peace, love and prayer for Ukraine.
The Procession starts from two points – from the east (the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra) and the west (the Holy Dormition Pochaev Lavra). The Church will once again prove that only She can join what has been disconnected by satanic malice, envy and pride. Two streams of our faithful, in the prior shrines, will move towards each other to meet in the heart of "the mother of Russian cities" – the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. It is noteworthy that this will happen with the help of God, on the feast day of St. Prince Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles. And as one thousand years ago, the great prince united the warring Slavic tribes in the baptismal font, so he can do it now – unite the warring parties in the font of repentance. The Holy Fathers called repentance second baptism. Perhaps, it is time for our people to go through it! The Cross procession will therefore also become a great penitential event in which we will ask God and each other for forgiveness, and through this we hope to beg peace in our land!
However, it should clearly reveal to all the enemies of the Church that the people of Ukraine are with Her, with their Mother-Church! They will never abandon Her and always protect. However, it should be emphasized that defense weapons for us, Orthodox Christians, have always been and will be fasting and prayer. We know it is fasting and prayer the devil fears more than bombs and shots. Therefore, many will try to stop this religious procession, many will discourage you from participating in it – do not listen to them! Today we need the Procession more than ever! After all, with the help of processions, our ancestors, at their time, stopped war and pestilence, strife and terrible diseases. So, with the help of God, it can stop the war today!
Of course, not everyone will be able to physically participate in this event. But spiritual, prayer support will be crucial. So everyone can make a contribution to this very important event for our country.
Unfortunately, today we can hear various provocative statements of enemies of the Church, whose aim is, as usual, to discredit any good undertaking. We can assume that such a position is nothing but the position of war, not peace. We, as the people of the Church and the world, should do our part – by prayer and fasting cast out the devil from our hearts. I am confident that the Cross procession, which each of us will take part in one way or another, will help us in this difficult battle against the enemy of the human race!
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