Do you want to be a saint? Sermon: Bishop Venedikt Aleksiychuk in Starun
Joint prayers of thousands of pilgrims led by Bishop Venedikt Aleksiychuk, reflections on the Stations of the Cross of our Savior and the granting of plenary indulgences - this is how the July night vigils at the Simeon Lukach Indulgence Center in Starun were held.
As every month, from the 29th to the 30th, pilgrims gather at the indulgence place to jointly offer their prayers to the Lord for peace in Ukraine and in their own intentions.
This time, on July 29, the prayer was led by Bishop Venedikt Aleksiychuk, Bishop of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas of the UGCC with a seat in Chicago (USA). Believers always eagerly listen to the Bishop's sermons, which are touching in depth and simplicity, as they reveal important topics close to people, in particular, the bishop often speaks about the calling of each person in the fulfillment of God's plan.
The prayer program ended with the Bishop's Divine Liturgy, which was led by Bishop Venedikt Aleksiychuk, with the co-celebration of the priests of the Ivano-Frankivsk Archdiocese.
During the sermon, the bishop addressed all those present, reflecting on the value of the vocation of each person, which God entrusts to them.
“The Lord says about the harvest something that is beyond the human mind. This is the essence of Christianity. There are no impossible things for God, it is we who have limitations in our heads. When we have some trouble, we turn to God and often a miracle happens. Humanly, we want to do everything possible, but we leave hope in God for the last. In this passage, God reveals that not only grain, but every person is called to do something great and fulfill some mission. Simeon Lukach probably never thought that he would become a saint, that there would be large pilgrimages in Starun. He simply lived a holy life. Look at the unique stained glass iconostasis in this Annunciation Church. The icons are transparent, and when it is dark, they are not visible, but if you let in a little light, the icons will appear. We are weak, sinful, and helpless, but holiness is not achieved through our efforts and endeavors. Holiness is allowing God to act through us. God does not want a limited circle of saints, but wants to act through each of us. Do you believe this? Every morning, let us ask ourselves what good we can do with God. We can do everything in Christ. Not a little, but everything. We do not believe that we can bear fruit, because we have a limiter in our heads. It is important to remember our experience of something impossible, which we entrusted to God, and everything worked out. God entrusted us with our lives and choices - good or not so good. He wants us to be better, but we must become transparent to God, like these images on the iconostasis. Concluding his sermon, the Bishop said:
“In Starun, we honor Simeon Lukacs, who fulfilled his mission, not in ideal circumstances, but he fulfilled it. Why do we honor him? To take an example. He succeeded in everything with the Lord. Couldn’t I? Let us often ask ourselves what fruits we bear in life. Courage and trust in the Lord can create great things – God wants to manifest himself through us, and we are always waiting for something special. Ask yourself if you really want to live holy and if you really have certain missions in your life. It is worth knowing your current and wanting to follow God in imitating holiness,” the bishop urged the faithful.
More information about the event - https://svmlukach.org.ua/na-khresti-b...
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