The solemn divine services in the Lavra in honor of the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers, who rest in the Kyiv Caves of St. Anthony, were led by the Head of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

During the Divine Liturgy, the Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was joined by metropolitan Anthony of Boryspil and Brovary; archbishop Sylvester of Bilogorodka, archbishop Sergius of Ladyzhyn, archbishop Andrew of Petropavlivka, archbishop Ambrosius of Zhurivka, archbishop Spyridon of Vyshneve, bishop Laurus of Irpin, bishop Mark of Borodianka, bishop Cyril of Byshiv, bishop Arkady of Gostomel as well as the brethren and guests of the monastery in holy orders.

After reading the Gospel, the Head of the UOC addressed the parish with a sermon, speaking about the exploits of the reverend monks and the importance of monasticism.

“When we look at the monastic life, we do not see the inner exploit, we see only the external behavior of a person, which we cannot always interpret correctly,” — continued His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphrius. — “We think that one or another person does not behave right. To realize whether it is right or not, you have to come to a monastery and live according to the monastic statute. There are different levels of zeal for God, but everyone does as much as the Lord has given strength and ability to fulfill his feat. If someone seems not to ascend in a monastery, such a person would simply be unable to live there.

A monastery is the body keeping only those who ascend to a certain degree. If a man does not struggle with himself, he cannot live in a monastery, and the devil will surely expel him.

May the Lord help us, dear brothers and sisters, to work on ourselves to constantly improve spiritually. By the prayers of the venerable fathers of the Caves, may God bless us with peace, protect us from those weapons which strike our land and our people. May the Lord help us to live so that we may also deserve the eternal salvation in Heaven in our Lord Jesus Christ!”

During the divine service, the special prayers were offered for granting peace and silence on our land of Ukraine and ridding ourselves of every enemy and adversary, as well as for God’s blessing for those hosting the ones who were forced to leave their homes.

After the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Beatitude Onuphrius congratulated the co-serving hierarchs, the brethren and all the faithful on the feast, and the communicants on accepting the Body and the Blood of Christ, and invoked God’s blessing upon the parish.

The early Liturgy was celebrated in the Near Caves. The service was led by archimandrite Theophilus, the Head of the Monastery Archive.

The evening before, the all-night vigil was held with a festive lithia led by vladyka Andrew.

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