The Holy Theotokos is the protector and intercessor for all people. One only needs to sincerely and humbly ask Her for help. His Beatitude Onuphry, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, said this in his sermon during a Divine Liturgy at St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Protection Convent in Kiev on October 14, 2019, reports the Information and Education Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).
One always turns to God and the Holy Theotokos with prayer in times of trouble. “When a person is not tempted and healthy, their prayer is weak and feeble. But as soon as grief, illness, and difficulties strike someone, another prayer appears: the strong and humble one,” the archpastor stressed.
His Beatitude Onuphry noted that there are no hopeless situations in life: we simply do not see a way out because of our sins.
“When we cannot solve our problems ourselves, we must turn to the Mother of God and ask Her for help. There are no hopeless situations in life. Only we don’t see a way out, because we are sinful. We don’t have wisdom, discernment, and humility. But the Mother of God through Her prayers will always help us and show the way out of a situation, in which we found ourselves,” Metropolitan Onuphry mentioned.
The primary thing in earthly life is to fulfill the Gospel commandments which will help us find that right path, the Primate of the UOC pointed out.
“A person finds everything they need for both the life on earth and the life in heaven on the path of fulfilling the commandments. Following this path, a person builds his or her life on God’s Laws, instead of the laws of sin. This person has God’s blessing in both, their life on earth and eternal life,” His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry emphasized.
During the Liturgy, a special prayer was said for peace in Ukraine and the unity of the Orthodox Church.
At the end of the service, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry presided over a cross procession and officiated a Service of Intercession to the Most Holy Theotokos.
