Priest at prayer vigil near Kyiv Lavra: We must give God the best we have

UOC priest Father Heorhiy at a prayer vigil near the Lavra. Photo: screenshot t.me/save_Lavra

On 6 February 2026, during a prayer vigil at the walls of the Kyiv–Pechersk Lavra, a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Fr. Heorhiy, addressed the faithful with a homily in which he urged them to reflect on each Christian’s personal responsibility before God. A video of the sermon was published by the Telegram channel “Fortetsia Lavra.”

The priest recalled the Gospel episode of the woman who anointed Christ with precious myrrh and was condemned by those around her. “The Lord said: you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me. By this He showed that it is important for a person to know how to bring God his gift,” he noted.

According to Fr. Heorhiy, the most valuable offering to God is not an outward donation, but the person’s life itself. “The very best and richest thing we can bring to God is our life and our service,” he emphasized.

As examples, the pastor recalled Hieromartyr Volodymyr, who “gave everything he could along his pastoral and episcopal path,” and Blessed Xenia of St Petersburg, who, though not a nun, “did so much good” and now helps the faithful through her prayers.

In closing, the priest called on every Christian to be attentive to his or her calling. “The Lord gives each person his own ministry. In prayer we need to commend ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God,” he said.

As the UOJ reported, prayer vigils near the Kyiv–Pechersk Lavra are held continually. Prayer at the church in honor of St Sergius of Radonezh near the monastery can be heard almost every evening. The faithful are invited to join in common prayer for the preservation of the holy shrines, for the monastery brotherhood, and for peace in Ukraine.

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