Epiphany 2014: A call for repentance

                                                                               (Pastoral letter)

The Gospel testifies: “When Jesus had been baptized in the Jordan, behold, the heavens were opened and a voice from heaven said: ‘This is My beloved Son.’” The essence of the Epiphany is the manifestation of Jesus as true God and the promised Saviour. The condition for us to welcome this revelation in faith is sincere repentance. Today it means dissociation from heresies which destroy the Church and from the EuroMaidan which paves the way for homosexuality and hence suicide of the Church and nation.

The Pharisees rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism and repentance. Unfortunately, many modern Pharisees likewise refuse true repentance, they reject Christ and His Gospel and approve of homosexuality.

The Apostle Peter called out on the Day of Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2) When we repent, the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us and opens the eyes of our mind so that we may receive Him.

The jubilee year of the Baptism of Kievan Rus has ended. Through Baptism, the nation of Ukraine accepted Christ and divine law. The tragedy is that in the jubilee year Church representatives led the Christians to fall away from the law of God and to accept EuroSodom which is connected with the EuroMaidan. The Church hierarchy must repent of this because they lifted themselves up against God and the Church, and became misleaders of the nation.

On the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Paul who persecuted true Christians. He saw Christ in a great light and heard His voice saying to him: “Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”He fell from his horse and got blind. When he was baptized in Damascus, he received the Holy Spirit and got his sight back. The Jews in Ethiopia had a similar experience.

In the sixth century in the land of Homer (Omirits) in Ethiopia, there was severe persecution of Christians under King Dunaan, who was a Jew. Dunaan was conquered by Emperor Elesbaan and put to death. The Patriarch of Alexandria sent Archbishop Gregory and some priests to proclaim the Gospel in this land. The Jews living in this territory, under the leadership of Ervan, a man learned in religious law, refused to adopt Christianity. So a religious debate was held between Ervan and Archbishop Gregory, which lasted for several days. The Jews refused to hear the truth and to accept Christ. Finally, Ervan said to the Archbishop that both he and the Jewish people would adopt Christianity on condition that he would show them the living Christ. After a short prayer, seeking God’s will, Archbishop Gregory did accept the condition. He prayed aloud to God, trusting with all confidence that He would show His glory in that situation. When he finished, the eyes of all were fixed on him. Suddenly there was a terrible crash of thunder in the east and the earth shook, and all fell to the ground for fear. Rising to their feet after a while and lifting up their eyes to the east, they could see heavens opened and a bright cloud aflame with rays descending upon the earth. And in the cloud they saw a man more handsome than the sons of men – our Lord Jesus Christ. The light of His countenance shone like the sun and His garments were dazzling white. He moved smoothly towards the ground, attracting all eyes and drawing all hearts to Himself by His unspeakable beauty. In awe of His glory, which no man can see, all fell on their faces like the Apostles on Mount Tabor. The emperor and the noblemen and all the people, from the least to the greatest. The Jews, trembling with fear, moved here and there and tried to escape. But they could not because an invisible power held them back. The Archbishop, strengthened in faith, said to Ervan in a loud voice: “Ervan, this is He of whom you have heard many a word. Look at Him and see that One is holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.” Ervan became like a dead man and could not utter a word. And a voice came from the excellent glory, saying: “Through the prayers of Bishop Gregory, He whom your fathers put to death will heal you.” Hearing the voice, many shook for fear and fell to the ground. They became blind, and though their eyes were open, they saw no one. They grieved and wept bitterly. When this happened to them, there came a sound from heaven as of a mighty rushing wind and a bright cloud that was beneath the Lord’s feet hid Him from their sight as He ascended to heaven. The emperor and the whole Christian community, enheartened, cried out to the Lord for a long time with full voice: “Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!” The venerable Archbishop was lying prostrate, offering up prayers to God with tears for the people. The Jews asked one another: “Can you see anything, brother?” And every one of them replied that they could see nothing. And they cried out to Ervan: “Woe to us, Rabbi, what shall you do?” Ervan said: “Are we alone struck with blindness? Are the Christians not blind also?” And Christians, hearing his words, said: “By the grace of our Lord, we can see well. You alone are blind because of your unbelief.” Then Ervan and all the Jewish community beseeched the Archbishop with tears to open their blind eyes and to baptize them. The Archbishop asked them if they believed truly in our Lord Jesus Christ. And all of them confessed that they believed and did not doubt. And together with bishops and presbyters he administered the sacrament of baptism to them. And it happened that when the Jews went down into the water, immediately there fell from their eyes something like scales and they received their sight at once, both physical and spiritual, believing in their hearts and confessing with their mouth our Lord Jesus Christ unto salvation.

In the 6th century, Ethiopia experienced the Epiphany. Saint Gregory prayed and Christ appeared in His glory to both the Jews and Christians. Some became blind and some were able to see. Through repentance and faith, the blind began to see both physically and spiritually.

Today Ukraine needs to repent in earnest so as to be able to see spiritually. It means that Ukraine needs to receive the living Christ as well as the truth about present reality. Church hierarchy under Husar brings down a curse on Galicia because of heresies. That is why Catholic believers are no longer able to recognize the essential truths of Christianity. In addition, they are unable to accept reality – the fact that the priority of the EU policy is legalization of homosexuality! Homosexuality destroys all moral, spiritual and Christian values. The crime of Husar’s traitorous hierarchy is that they consciously conceal this reality. This is a sign of the curse, which results in the loss of conscience and reason. Galicians are digging a grave both for themselves and for Ukraine if they financially support the EuroMaidan. This suicide is presented by the clergy as patriotism and a Christian duty.

In contrast to them, the orthodox Catholic believers (UO GCC) are the voice of one crying in the wilderness. In the present situation, Husar’s believers should organize a different Maidan, one that would demand resignation of Shevchuk and people associated with him. Card. L. Husar and Head of the UGCC S. Shevchuk along with the bishops and priests who are in unity with them are under God’s curse acc. Gal 1:8-9 because of heresies. The current Government protects Ukraine against EuroSodom. The Church hierarchy, on the other hand, promotes EuroSodom, and hence autogenocide of the nation, even at the price of a fratricidal war! Such hierarchy must be removed.

By receiving the Baptism, Jesus, although He was without sin, showed us the need of true repentance. The core of repentance now is to admit before yourselves and before God that you were deceived by the Church leaders and by the mass media. Both of them are an instrument of EuroSodom and U.S. globalists. Repentance means to start to call the truth the truth and a sin a sin. It means to call Husar’s heresies heresies and to dissociate yourselves from them as well as from him and from all who promote his heresies. Repentance means to accept the truth that EuroMaidan promotes the system of homosexuality. Every Catholic believer and every Christian has to admit and condemn it.

On the feast of the Epiphany, on behalf of the Bishops’ Synod of the UO GCC, we appeal to the deceived Galicians:

1) to dissociate themselves from Husar, Shevchuk and Gudzyak who lead the people to a hell on earth and hell after death;

2) to dissociate themselves from the pro-homosexual EuroMaidan.

God wills to reveal Himself to the Ukrainian people if they repent, and to save them from EuroSodom and autogenocide!

Bestowing a blessing on all sincere Greek Catholic believers,

                                                                                            + Marcian OSBMr

                                                                                          Head of the UO GCC

                                                                                          + Demetrius OSBMr

                                                                               Secretary Bishop of the UO GCC

                                                                                                                                                                         Lvov (Ukraine), 19 January 2014