The terror of Holodomor is so awful that it brings to our mind apocalyptic Biblical associations: “And Cain said to Abel, his brother: “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?” (Gen. 4:8-9)

Today, the whole Ukraine asks the Communist Cain: “Where is Abel, the innocently killed Ukrainian peasantry? Where is one fifth of your brother, the Ukrainian nation, friendship with whom you swore? “

There are more biblical associations. And forgive me repeating the same thought nearly each year:

“Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?” “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.” He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. ³⁷ They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ³⁸ The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.” (Mat. 15:32-38).

There is also another Gospel story about the multiplication of bread which differs from the quoted one only with the number of loafs. But the main conclusion is that Jesus performed a miracle by feeding thousands of people only by several loafs.

My comparison is that in 1933 the Communist Devil performed the opposite miracle: he covered the land which could feed millions with squirmed bodies of those who died of the dreadful famine. It was made with the hands of those who then occupied the offices of the authorities and who today undoubtedly occupy the hell-fire. Why do we remember Holodomor? Maybe, we should not bring back the old wounds to the nation’s conscience? Maybe, our ancestors who kept the dreadful silence were right?

First of all, the knowledge of Holodomor is important for us because we can finally openly pray for all the victims. The time when people had to whisper to pass the memory of the tragedy to each other has passed. We can now publicly and boldly do it, and we will always be grateful to President Yushchenko for that.

The time has shown that we also must know who really is to blame. If we do not do that, the communist will continue to wear the rope of innocence deceiving people with their seeming philanthropy. The Communist Cain must be publicly condemned for the crime of Holodomor.

However, by saying that I am not calling you to hatred and revenge. We must be terrified not by the boundlessness of the human crime but by the depth of the darkening of the human spirit. A solar eclipse means that a planetary body gets in between the Sun and Earth and screens the light. In the same way, in the “times of trouble” of human history, an obstacle, such as the class, national, religious or any other ideological hatred, gets in between the man and God. It blocks God’s grace and transforms man into beast.

Therefore, the refrain of our honouring the victims of Holodomor should contain one and the same thought: let us pray that we should never place between God and ourselves the Satan, whose whisper for some reason always seem so sober and realistic unlike the seemingly “unreachable” God’s commandments. 

If we want that dreadful sacrifice of Ukraine not to be vain and to have at least some sense, let us remember about the danger of eclipse of the spirit and let us not screen God in our soul!