Kiev, March 11, 2019
Photo: news.church.ua
His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev and All Ukraine has called upon the Ukrainian faithful and blessed them to undertake a special prayer rule throughout Lent, to call on God for peace in Ukraine.
This is the fifth year in a row that His Beatitude has made the calls for increased prayer for peace during Lent. His blessing to his flock to read one Kathisma from the Psalter every day and to say 12 Jesus Prayers with prostrations is stated in his letter to the Ukrainian flock for the beginning of Lent, published on the site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The letter reads in full:
Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ!
I congratulate you all with the beginning of Great Lent—a very important period in our spiritual life.
With special inspiration, we enter the Holy Forty Days, which should be for us a time of spiritual renewal and affirmation in all Christian virtues, but most importantly—in love for God and man.
During the holy fast we must not only limit ourselves in eating, but also strengthen our prayer, offer sincere repentance for our sins, and resolutely embark upon the path of abstinence in bodily sensibilities. It is important in these blessed days to reconcile with others and to give the necessary attention to works of mercy. Special Lenten services are designed to help us realize our imperfection, to strengthen ourselves in the Sacraments of confession and Holy Communion, and to take a step forwards on the path towards a righteous, God-pleasing life.
I wish everyone to spend these salvific days with spiritual benefit, to prepare for the Bright Resurrection of Christ and to joyfully exclaim together with the Psalmist David: My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise (Ps. 56:8).
Calling the grace and mercy of God upon you, I bless all the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to read daily during the holy Great Lent, for the sake of peace and prosperity in our much-suffering Ukrainian land, one kathisma from the Psalter with twelve prostrations to the ground with the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
+ ONUPHRY
METROPOLITAN OF KIEV AND ALL UKRAINE
PRIMATE OF THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
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