His Holiness Patriarch Kirill Celebrated Divine Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts at Kyiv Caves Monastery
26-02-2010
Patriarch’s Visit to Ukraine
On February 25, the commemoration of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God and of the Holy Hierarch Alexius, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Russia, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in concelebration of His Beatitude Metropolitan Volodymyr and the members of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrated the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts at the Refectory Church of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
At the end of the divine office Metropolitan Volodymyr thanked His Holiness the Patriarch for his visit to Ukraine and asked his prayers for the Ukrainian Church, the state and the God-loving flock. He also commented on the special joy of the clergy and faithful on the occasion of this visit: «Your Holiness, we thank You for giving us the paschal joy before the Easter”, he said.
In his turn Patriarch Kirill addressed everyone with a word of response: “It is a great joy for me to celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts in the very heart of the Orthodoxy, where the Russian Church comes from, together with the deeply respected Metropolitan Volodymyr and the synaxis of hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and to pray for the Ukrainian land, for the President so that God held up his arms as once Aaron held up the arms of Moses. If the President’s hands will be held up by the divine power, much will improve in the lives of people. So may the joy given to us by Christ the Savior, His Divine Grace, rest in our hearts and help us overcome all the obstacles and the devil’s temptations, building up our lives in compliance with the God’s Law”, said the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church
As a keepsake of his stay at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, His Holiness donated to the abode the altar cross, which, as he said, will remind of this historical day – the day of our spiritual communion at the Holy Cup and the day of our joint prayer for Ukraine”.
In conclusion, Patriarch Kirill asked for the prayers of his God-loving flock:
“I’m asking for your holy prayers, because I believe that through your prayers and the prayers of the Church the Lord helps me to bear the cross of my patriarchal ministry”, noted His Holiness the Patriarch.
