UOC priest at Lavra explains how to bring Church persecutors to God
A priest at a prayer vigil outside the Lavra urged believers to remain steadfast in their faith and overcome persecution through love and generosity of spirit.
During a prayer vigil outside the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church called on believers to remain spiritually steadfast and overcome hostility through love and magnanimity. A video of his sermon was published by the Fortetsia Lavra Telegram channel.
In his sermon, the priest acknowledged how painful it is for believers to hear the Church maligned during court proceedings involving the monastery. However, he emphasized that God allows such trials for the sake of spiritual growth.
“What can we do? We can demonstrate the truth of our faith by refusing to grow accustomed to our sins and passions,” the priest said.
“Our Church possesses the fullness of grace, and there is nothing more precious in life,” he stressed. According to the priest, what matters most for a Christian is preserving the grace received through the Holy Mysteries and allowing it to transform one's life.
“If we strive to preserve that grace and truly change after receiving Communion, we will always be generous in spirit and steadfast, and nothing will shake us. Then, through the power of our love and magnanimity, we may even bring our persecutors to God, just as the Apostle Paul was converted by a voice from heaven. Sometimes people become believers in an instant,” the priest said.
As an example, he recounted the story of a young Christian who patiently endured ridicule at work. His response strengthened his own faith and inspired a Protestant woman to join the Orthodox Church.
The priest urged believers to continually ask themselves how the Lord or the Mother of God would act in any given situation.
“If we act with such care and discernment, we will fulfill our duty to our most beloved Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ,” he said.
Prayer vigils outside the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra are held regularly. Believers gather daily near the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh to pray for the preservation of the holy site, the monastery's brotherhood, and peace in Ukraine.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that believers have been gathering for prayer vigils outside the Lavra for more than 1,000 days.
