BEGGING FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE
Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki, the metropolitan of Lvov, was praying for peace in Ukraine at Jasna Góra. On 13 April at 3.30 p.m. he presided over the Holy Mass in front of the Miraculous Image of Our Lady. This is a special hour, when supplications ‘Holy God, Holy and Almighty….’ are sung in the intention of peace in Ukraine and also peace in the world and persecuted Christians. Some words in the beginning of the Eucharist were said by the prior of Jasna Góra – Father Marian Waligóra. In the homily archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki emphasized: - I have arrived here with a concern in my heart because I know that in the east of Ukraine there is still war, marking the image of the country with wounds in the form of thousands of graves of victims of these incomprehensible actions. I am arriving here as a pilgrim of peace, bringing in a prayer thousands of young people hurt by the war. Their lameness is the contemporary burden which they are going to carry till the end of their life, as well as their families. I am arriving to this holy place, in which there is everyday prayer for peace in Ukraine, as the voice of conscience calling for rebirth.
In the end archbishop Mokrzycki thanked the whole Church in Poland for solidarity with Ukraine, the Ukrainian nation, with the Roman-Catholic Church there.
– One can say that across whole Ukraine there is a frontier line, not only in the east, but also in western Ukraine. We have a lot of refugees, many people who have been hurt spiritually, physically, and many people who died (…). We try to be close with families, show them friendliness, good heart and help – said archbishop Mokrzycki.
– Also in western Ukraine there is distress, uncertainty about tomorrow, sadness and fear. Through a prayer we try to put hope into people’s hearts for victory of the good, for peace which Risen Christ brings to us – he noted. – Prayer at Jasna Góra was a deep experience for me, strengthening and assuring me that we are not alone in it, that there are people of good will with us, who support us with their prayer, care, good words and also good gestures – said archbishop Mokrzycki.
AA
„Niedziela” 17/2015