His Beatitude: Man should use wealth, rather than be used by wealth

His Beatitude Onuphry. Photo: UOC

On June 21, 2026, the Third Sunday after Pentecost, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Dormition Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The festive service took place in the church in honor of Venerable Agapitus of the Caves, the UOC Information and Education Department reports.

During the Liturgy, the clergy offered prayers for peace on the Ukrainian land, for deliverance from the enemy, and for soldiers, prisoners and those who have lost their homes. During the service, the Primate of the UOC also ordained Kyrylo Tkachuk, a student of the Kyiv Theological Academy, to the diaconate.

After the Gospel reading, the archpastor addressed the faithful with a sermon in which he explained the spiritual meaning of one’s attitude toward material goods. “God must come first for a person, above all else; then comes man, and only after that – wealth,” His Beatitude said.

He explained that the Lord placed man as king over all creation, which means that a believer must not become a slave to things. “Man should use wealth, not be its slave,” Metropolitan Onuphry emphasized.

The Primate warned the faithful that earthly treasures do not in themselves bring peace. “There is no happiness in wealth... The person who has wealth without God is poor, the most miserable person in the world,” the archpastor noted. According to him, large savings often give rise only to sorrow and constant fear that one’s property may be stolen or damaged.

The hierarch also explained the Savior’s words about the “clear eye,” which for a Christian is the mind. “If a person’s mind is pure, then his body is pure as well, that is, everything is in order – all the powers of body and soul work in harmony,” the Primate explained. He called on believers to preserve purity of mind, turn away from evil and not allow bad thoughts that “pollute” the soul.

In conclusion, His Beatitude Onuphry urged the faithful to begin every day and every undertaking with prayer, so as always to seek first the Kingdom of God.

As the UOJ reported, His Beatitude called on believers to help the Kherson Eparchy.

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