Metropolitan Volodymyr Gives Blessing to Everyone For Lent

Last Saturday, the Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Volodymyr celebrated a liturgy in the hospital, where he undergoes rehabilitation, reported the web site of UOC-MP.

The liturgy was served in concelebration with his Secretary, Archbishop Oleksandr (Drabynko) of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi and Vyshneve.

After the service, the metropolitan addressed those present with a word of exhortation and gave them his blessing for the Lent.

“The   coming Sunday is called Forgiven one according to the Church statutes. This means that the believers ask for the blessing of God for the coming Lent on that day. There is no repentance in Church without forgiveness and there is no forgiveness without repentance. On Every holiday, on every Sunday, the Lord summons those who seek purification and renewal. Each of us knows how difficult it is to repent of doing something wrong and it may be difficult to reach understanding with our enemies, with those who offended us. I wish that the Lord should renew our strength and strengthen us in our feat of a Christian, in faith, hope and love. Let us be grateful to God for receiving from Him everything necessary for our salvation, for the fact that in our love for God we try to love each other. We trust that the Lord will help us to be more pure, strong and perfect and will help us to fulfill this commandment of God for the glorification of the Name of the Lord and salvation of our souls,” said Metropolitan Volodymyr.