“We are God’s fighters, not with weapons, but with the rosary. Not on the battlefield, but on our knees before the Blessed Sacrament.”
Newsroom (20/02/2024 22:04, Gaudium Press) Two years since the beginning of the conflict, Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki, the Metropolitan of Lviv, shares his feelings in an interview with Vatican Radio – Vatican News, stressing that amid this dark period, the whole of Ukraine is united in prayer. “We are God’s warriors, not with weapons, but with the rosary. Not on the battlefields, but kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament.”
Reflecting on the second anniversary of the large-scale war in Ukraine, the archbishop commented on a passage from the Gospel which, at this time, draws attention: “There is no good tree that bears bad fruit, nor a bad tree that bears good fruit. For every tree is known by its fruit.” “These words are the voice of truth when evaluating the behavior of those who, by following the path of evil, produce bitter fruit for others. Although they declare their intention to defend and liberate, they end up generating war instead of peace, hatred instead of love, and fear instead of tranquillity. This is the bitter and sour harvest that results from their actions.
“It is painful to realize that, a few decades after the end of the Second World War, we are once again defending our freedom and reflecting on the inability of human beings to remember the horrors that the war left behind. However, we remember perfectly well: most only through historical records, but some people remember this period as a personal experience.
Daily life in Ukraine amid war
“Unfortunately, everyday reality in Ukraine is marked by continuing military activities. Missiles and drones continue to hit people and cities, claiming the lives of soldiers and innocent civilians. Large numbers of people are wounded, displaced, deprived of livelihoods, and without work. The fear, anxiety, and uncertainty generated by these events considerably affect many children, adults, and even religious who fall into despair, depression, and other psychological illnesses. In this situation, the Church is committed to helping everyone. We help the soldiers who are fighting through the chaplaincy service, we organize the distribution of food, medicines, equipment, and even the purchase of drones. We continue to receive internally displaced people, organize humanitarian aid, and send them to war zones. We also provide this aid to poor families in our parishes. We organize extensive pastoral activities to strengthen the faith and hope of these people.
Manifestation of faith
However, how do we find hope amid this harsh reality? “What renews my strength and hope and enlivens my faith is to see that Divine Providence never abandons us and to see the manifestation of vigorous faith in the people around us. A soldier shared his experience on the battlefield. Amid the fighting, they ran out of ammunition and the situation seemed hopeless. They had to stay in the trenches, aware that to leave would be to face imminent death. Amid this agony, they were surprised to see Russian soldiers approaching. One of the Ukrainian soldiers, whose uncle had died in the war and whose family was preparing for the funeral, prayed: “O Lord God, please do something, because my family will not survive two funerals”. After a while of anguish, the Russians stopped, turned around, and left. For the soldier and all of us, it was a visible miracle, a sign of God’s intervention.
“Another significant story is that of the brother of a priest, who works as a doctor on the battlefield and, on one occasion, confided to his brother: “You know I’m not religious, but I know that I’m only alive thanks to your prayers and those of your colleagues”.
The power of prayer
[…] In the particularly difficult moment in which Ukraine finds itself, we remain vigilant before the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, as war has become a reality, we have an even greater need to embrace the cross and remain attached to this sign of love and salvation, the sign of the victory of life over death, of love over hatred, of truth over lies, of humility over selfishness. At this difficult time, Ukraine also needs solidarity and good-hearted people to persevere.
“Our prayer must be like incense that always has only one direction, from earth to heaven. It must be the cry of one heart and one spirit.
[…] In the experience of suffering, our weapon in the struggle for peace is prayer. We are God’s fighters, not with a weapon, but with the Rosary. Not on the battlefield, but on our knees before the Blessed Sacrament. In this way, we embrace the whole country with a chain of prayers, especially for those who, on the front line of this insane war, in our name and for our cause, are fighting for the freedom of their homeland. In this way, we bring a sense of security and solidarity into our lives.
Trust in Our Lady
[…] “Immediately after the act of consecration of Russia and Ukraine by Pope Francis in the Vatican, as well as in our parishes and dioceses, we saw that the following Saturday the Russian army withdrew from Kyiv. Our Lady of Fatima encouraged prayer, penance, and conversion. We also see this in many of the faithful of our Church and of other rites and denominations. People realize that the only salvation is in God and that only a miracle can save Ukraine. And these are the fruits of trust in the Mother of God. Despite this difficult situation, people are not losing hope. They still have a lot of strength and optimism. They know how to show great solidarity and support each other. In all of this, they see the need for prayer and the action of God’s grace. The soldiers often speak of the power of prayer they experience and are grateful to everyone who prays for them.”
With information from Vatican News
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
