Metropolitan Onuphry calls for prayers to Mother of God for peace in Ukraine
On the feast day of the “She Who Is Quick to Hear” icon, the UOC Primate spoke of the Mother of God’s maternal care and urged the faithful to live by the laws of holiness and love.
His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry addressed the faithful with an archpastoral message on the feast day of the wonderworking “She Who Is Quick to Hear” icon of the Mother of God, the UOC Information and Education Department reported. The Primate spoke about the special intercession of the Mother of God for humankind and called on the faithful to pray for peace and salvation.
Metropolitan Onuphry recalled that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world for the salvation of mankind, assumed human nature, and sanctified it through His saving work. He referred to the Savior’s words from the Cross to the Mother of God and the Apostle John the Theologian: “Woman, behold thy son” and “Behold thy mother.” According to Metropolitan Onuphry, through these words the Lord entrusted the human race to the maternal care of the Mother of God.
“The Mother of God became the Mother not only of God incarnate, but of all people for whose sake God came to earth,” His Beatitude said. He described the holy wonderworking icons as one of the manifestations of the Mother of God’s love for humankind, through which she grants believers her grace-filled help. “In sorrows, illnesses, troubles, and the difficulties of earthly life, people turn to the Queen of heaven and earth, and she helps them,” the hierarch emphasized.
Metropolitan Onuphry also spoke about the “She Who Is Quick to Hear” icon, which is kept at a Bulgarian monastery on Mount Athos. Monks and pilgrims come to the shrine seeking help in their spiritual lives and earthly difficulties. “And today we pray to the Mother of God that she may bless our land with peace,” he added.
The Primate called on the faithful to build their lives according to the laws of Holy Scripture and Divine Revelation, which he described as “the laws of holiness and love.” He noted that even when people fall short, they should make every effort to love God and their fellow human beings, to forgive, and to do good works.
In conclusion, Metropolitan Onuphry expressed the hope that through her grace-filled protection, the Mother of God would help Christians live according to God’s commandments.
As the UOJ reported, Serbian Patriarch Porfirije said that the Mother of God teaches people to trust in the will of God.
