Spiritual growth is a lifelong process – His Beatitude Onuphry

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. Photo: UOC

On the feast day of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Princess Olga, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine delivered a sermon about her life and the lessons modern Christians can learn from St. Olga, according to the UOC Information and Education Department.

Speaking about Princess Olga’s life before her conversion to Christ, His Beatitude emphasized that “Princess Olga was a pagan, but naturally chaste.”

After ascending the throne, she showed wisdom and love for her people. “Her reign was marked by prudent decisions and wise decrees. She cared for the people, helped them, and strove to establish justice in the state.”

Her path to Christ began with an inner spiritual search. Having come to recognize the truth of the Orthodox faith, she received Baptism in Constantinople and then returned to Kyiv to begin enlightening her people. With her came clergy, church books, and a desire to build churches.

“Saint Olga lived another twenty years after her baptism, and throughout this period she brought people to Christ and revealed to them the mystery of the faith,” His Beatitude reminded.

The Metropolitan also stressed that Olga is an example of how a sincere and pure-hearted person can come to know God even without lengthy preaching: “God is inscribed in every human soul. One only needs to look carefully within and learn to read the words of Divine Revelation.”

At the same time, the Primate warned against spiritual stagnation: “This process of spiritual growth is constant and unceasing. Even after passing into eternity, a person continues to grow spiritually,” he emphasized.

In conclusion, the Archpastor pointed to the close connection between purity of faith, love for God and neighbor, the ability to forgive – and the future of the entire world.

“As long as these virtues live in people, there will be life on earth. But if we become cruel, hateful, and vengeful – we will destroy ourselves,” he said.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry wished all the faithful that, through the prayers of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, the Lord would strengthen them on the path of salvation and help preserve the virtues by which the saint was glorified.

As previously reported by the UOJ, Metropolitan Onuphry presided over the Divine Liturgy on the feast day of Saint Olga.

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