Ukraine Archbishop says "...heavy fighting is taking place on the entire eastern front, with many casualties."



 Christ is Risen!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Today, Monday, May 16, 2022, and for the 82nd day in a row, the Ukrainian people are fighting hard against the Russian aggressor, who stepped on our land and killed our people.
But despite the great difficulties, the Ukrainian army, thanks, perhaps, with God's blessing, successfully defends its relatives, its land, the Ukrainian State.
Yesterday we received good news that our soldiers had reached the state border of Ukraine around Kharkiv and liberated another part of Ukrainian land from the Russian invader. However, heavy fighting is taking place on the entire eastern front, with many casualties.
   
 The enemy uses phosphorous and cluster bombs, particularly in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which creates really difficult situations, difficult circumstances. The enemy burns everything his killer hand can reach.
But Ukraine stands. Ukraine is struggling. Ukraine feels that we have not only the right but also the sacred duty to defend our homeland. We especially pray for the Ukrainian army, for our soldiers who give their lives for the Motherland. We thank our military chaplains who courageously serve as priests in the military in such difficult circumstances.
Today we will reflect on another work of charity for the soul of our neighbor - in doubt to advise. We know that it is human nature to doubt. And this is good. Doubt is a person's ability to move forward. Doubt is characteristic of Christ's disciple, who is on the way, moving to the fullness of the knowledge of the Truth, to the maturity of life in Christ. Doubt pushes us to seek help to understand how to do right, how to live right. It is very important that when in doubt, there is someone to give us advice. Sometimes advice is more valuable than any earthly, material goods. Valuable advice can save human life and our soul from eternal destruction, from sin and death.
The only thing we should not doubt is that the Lord God loves us. God's love is as certain as the Christian hope that He is always with us. The psalmist David says, "Trust not in princes, nor in the children of men, for there is no salvation in them."
The Lord God in the Holy Spirit gives people a special gift. It is a gift of counsel that manifests as spiritual fatherhood or motherhood. When we need counsel, we turn to spiritual fathers, to parents, to the Lord God. Because we know that they love us and, as a manifestation of their love for us, can give us good, valuable, holy advice.
We all need spiritual and moral guidelines in earthly life. Therefore, do not be afraid to approach those who doubt. Let us not be afraid to use the counsel of seeking the good that the Lord God reveals in our hearts.
We have no doubt that Ukraine will win and win. Let us have no doubt that the truth has its power and will always defeat lies.
We pray that the Lord God will endow our Church as generously as possible with the gift of the Holy Spirit called "counsel" so that anyone who doubts can receive good counsel and good counselors are always present.
God bless Ukraine! God bless her children! God, grant the power of Your Truth to expel the enemy from the Ukrainian land and defend our home and our land! God bless all those people who today are trying to serve their neighbor with good advice! Give them wisdom, knowledge and all the other graces that the Holy Spirit pours out on God's people!
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

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