PROCLAMATION TO THE FAITHFUL OF UKRAINIAN GREEK-CATHOLIC
CHURCH
2009 – THE YEAR OF CHRISTIAN VOCATION
WITH A PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON THE PRIESTLY VOCATION
UKRAINIAN
GREEK-CATHOLIC CHURCH Major Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych
To the Very Reverend and Reverend Clergy and Religious,
Beloved in Christ Brothers and Sisters:
Blessings and Peace in the Lord!
Dearly Beloved in Christ!
As resolved by the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian
Greek-Catholic Church in 2007, the year 2008 was dedicated
to Christian vocation. We sincerely hope that, as the year
is coming to a close, we all – clergy, lay people, young and
old – have enriched our lives with the awareness that every
human being born into the world, in addition to the gift of
life and the holy faith, receives from the Creator a
particular task – a vocation. We also hope that each and
every faithful sought to discern more attentively his or her
vocation, cultivating it and conscientiously fulfilling it
for the glory of God, for the good of oneÍs neighbors and,
most importantly, with a view towards understanding the
meaning of his or her life. For this we prayed each time we
sang in the fervent supplication of the Divine Liturgy: ñWe
also pray for all people, that they may willingly accept the
vocation given them by God, sincerely thank God for it,
conscientiously and faithfully fulfill it, and in it gladly
serve God and the peopleî.
The Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic
Church held in September of this year, decreed to extend the
theme of Christian vocation into the 2009 year, with a
particular emphasis on priestly vocation, and in place of
cited-above supplication to sing in the litany: ñWe also
pray for our priests, deacons, and seminarians and for their
holy vocationî.
In this message addressed to you, beloved in Christ, I
would like to further explain this main theme for 2009. An
additional and special address will be issued for our clergy
and seminarians.
First of all, I would like to direct your attention to
the need for continued prayer and reflection on the theme of
Christian vocation in general, but even more, for seeking a
fundamental and more profound understanding of it, and, most
importantly, for seeking its fulfillment in our daily life.
Throughout 2008 you certainly heard homilies, read books and
participated in various initiatives on this theme. Such
initiatives were particularly undertaken by eparchial and
inter-eparchial commissions, each one working in its
specialized field (family, youth, laity, etc.) Each one of
us should all continue to ask ourselves whether we are
carrying out our given vocation with dignity and a Godly
spirit, and whether we are helping our children and youth
recognize and fulfill their vocations. Furthermore, in 2009
the Synod of Bishops calls all of us to pay particular
attention to priestly vocation. Why? Because for the
development and growth of our Church good spiritual leaders
are greatly needed, and such leaders are, first and
foremost, properly prepared and duly appointed priestly
ministers. The bishops invite all Church members to meditate
on the sacred nature and importance of the vocation to the
priesthood, as well as reflect on what we as a broader
church community can do to help our priests be exemplary
ministers for the glory of God and the common good of the
entire Church and our people. We would like to propose a few
thoughts on this aspect of next yearÍs spiritual theme.
When we speak of vocations and, especially, when someone
asks us to pray for priestly vocations, we usually think
that our main and only task is to ask the Lord our God to
call a sufficient number of candidates to the priesthood, or
to put it simply, that He fill our seminaries. Entering a
seminary is, without a doubt, a very important element,
since it marks a first step towards fulfilling a priestly
vocation. However, it is a long way from exhausting the full
meaning of a vocation to the priesthood. First and foremost
it must be said that there are other stages which precede
seminary studies. A good priest frequently preaches on
vocations and carefully assesses the members of his
community, seeking to recognize the early signs of a
vocation, and having noticed one, he carefully fosters it. A
good parish is the fertile soil, which gives abundant fruits
of priestly vocations. One of our parishes in Pennsylvania
in the United States can serve as an example: in the last
century in 20-30 years it produced 37 dedicated priestly and
monastic vocations. The priests, monks and nuns who grew up
in that community unanimously give credit to their parish
priest. An even greater factor in awakening and cultivating
priestly vocations is a good Christian family, which acts as
a cradle or greenhouse for new religious vocations. In a
family of believers the priesthood is treated with respect.
Even in the case of an unworthy priest, the matter is
mentioned with pain and not malice. And when there are boys
in the family – this vocation is considered one of the best
possible.
Besides the work of parish priests and the diligent
prayer of the church community, heroic examples of faith can
equally awaken priestly vocations. In this regard we recall
the words of Pope John Paul II of blessed memory during the
Pontifical Divine Liturgy in Lviv on June 27, 2001. During
the beatification of twenty-seven blessed martyrs of our
Church, the Holy Father addressed the priests in attendance:
ñIf the Lord blesses your land with numerous vocations, and
if your seminaries are filled ‑ and in this there is the
source of hope for your Church ‑ then all this, without a
doubt, is one of the fruits of their sacrifice. But this
places on you a great responsibilityî.
We should have no doubts that the Lord our God, as a good
Father and Master, is calling a sufficient number of workers
to his harvest (cf. Lk 10:2). If there are still not enough
worthy candidates, then quite often it is our fault,
particularly due to the decline of spiritual life in our
families, to the lack of adequate preaching and
encouragement, and also because of a lack of respect for the
priesthood. It is unrealistic to expect a high regard for
the priesthood in families where the chief value is money or
where the greatest concern is enhancing family ties. We
should also mention here the negative influence of mass
media, which today frequently promotes antichristian ideas
and points of views. And the poor living example of a
priest, especially the local pastor, is especially damaging.
These obstacles are great, but they are not
insurmountable. Recently we have more than once heard
criticism of the clergyÍs unworthy behavior or its
superficial fulfillment of priestly duties. Let us ask
ourselves: have we prayed for the restoration of such
priests – individuals, who have fallen into a great
spiritual crisis? To what extent did we help them overcome
such a tragic situation? For the priest is not a lonely
island in a middle of a broad sea of humanity. He especially
needs support from the people around him, since he is always
in the limelight and his every step is public knowledge. Nor
should we underestimate the assaults of the enemy of the
Church, who operates according to the well-known principle:
ñI will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will
be scatteredî (cf. Zech 13:7; Mt 26:31)
Among the means of support, which the entire church
community provides for its priest, of primary importance is
prayer. A priestÍs being and action depends on the power of
prayer, not only his own, but also of the community he
serves. This is why the Synod of Bishops calls all members
of the Church to pray for priests and deacons ‑ not only
that there be a sufficient number, but above all, that those
who have undertaken this holy office may find in it their
life vocation and piously fulfill it according to GodÍs
will.
The faithful people support their priest. Indeed, immense
demands are placed before him: as a person, as a priestly
minister, as an administrator, as a teacher, as a citizen,
and if he is married – as a husband and father. The priestly
life is not a road covered with roses, except in cases where
he wants to be a false prophet and appease the whims of the
people instead of leading them to the Kingdom of Heaven. If,
however, he truly seeks to please God, then his life is a
thorny path. If we bear this in mind, we better understand
whom it is we want to imitate in our treatment of priests:
the Pharisees who mocked Jesus Christ, or the man of Cyrene
who helped Him bear the cross.
Dearly Beloved in Christ! We begin 2009 – the Year of
Christian vocation with a special emphasis on priestly
vocation. Let us examine ourselves and think of our
vocations. Let us also reflect on the vocation to priestly
ministry, since we all desire to see our priests as
exemplary servants of God, servants whose meaning of life is
to lead the souls placed in their trust to the Heavenly
Father. Let us together with Jesus Christ the High Priest
pray and support our priests and deacons.
The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
+Lubomyr
We recommend to all the faithful of our Church the prayer
of the Servant of God Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky for a
good Ukrainian clergy:
Lord, O Lord, look down from Heaven, behold and visit
Your vineyard, which Your right hand has planted.
May Your mighty hand be always upon this people, whom You
have beloved.
O Eternal God, grant Your people in every generation to the
end of the world holy bishops and priests filled with Your
Spirit – pastors and teachers of Your Law, capable of
preserving unaltered the truth of Your holy Revelation and
lovingly teaching and leading this great people.
Grant to the Ukrainian clergy the grace to never fear any
sacrifice, whenever it concerns Your glory and the good of
this people.
Ignite the hearts of Ukrainian priests with a spirit of zeal
for the salvation of souls. Open before their eyes the
wisdom of Your Revelation and grant them a deep sense of the
holiness of the task to which You have called them. Bless
their work and their intentions. Protect them from every
evil. And unite them by Your grace so that in love they may
be one – as You, Father, are with the Son, and the Son with
You. Amen.
Given in Kyiv, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the
Resurrection of Christ December 31, 2008
