Heads of Ukrainian Churches greet their faithful with Easter

On the eve of the Resurrection of Christ, Primates and bishops of the Ukrainian churches appealed to the faithful and the clergy with messages dedicated to this feast.

“Dear Beloved in Christ! The risen Lord calls us to perfection. However, only He, our Saviour, is the source of all perfection, who turns our efforts into complete and truly valuable and lasting fruit.

When we were still far from perfection, when our country is not the one we dream of, let us not give up our efforts – let us build, live and compete for God and Ukraine, for Christ is our Passover!

I congratulate all of you on this holiday, or better, on the current spiritual victory of Jesus Christ over the hostile power and the kingdom of evil. Once again, I send my heartfelt congratulations to all of you living in Ukraine and in the diaspora. I sincerely wish you the blessings of the Holy Resurrection, tasty meals and holy light of Easter joy!

May the grace of the risen Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!” UGCC Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) has said in his message.

“Dear brothers and sisters! I congratulate you, Venerable archpastors, loving shepherds, honest monks, beloved brothers and sisters on the occasion of the holy bright feast of Christ's Resurrection! My Easter congratulations to President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Ukrainian parliament and Government, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who are giving their lives to protect our freedom, our land, our country in a difficult situation. I greet the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainians of all countries, on all continents on the great Christian holiday.

May the risen Lord protect Ukraine with His grace from external aggression and internal enemies and help us establish order in our Ukrainian house. The light of Resurrection gives us graceful strength to endure and overcome all difficulties that fell to our lot, so that we achieve peace and prosperity in this life and become partakers of eternal life, always rejoicing and praising the Lord our Savior Jesus Christ, who by his crucifixion and resurrection overcame our sin and death,” Primate of the Kyiv Patriarchate Filaret (Denysenko) has said.

“At this deplorable war time of our earthly life, on these Easter days we passionately embrace each other, prayerfully remember our Ukrainian military servicemen who cannot stand beside us in our holy temples, as they stay on the line of demarcation in the ATO zone. We come to the dear graves where lie those who gave away their young lives on Maidan of Dignity, and on the battlefields for their country. We address the words “Christ is Risen” to those who passed away expressing their love and testifying that Christ is truly risen, and therefore has raised all those fallen asleep.

Resurrected after the death of all of us, for the Scriptures teach: "... suddenly twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed Corruptible body belongs put on the imperishable, and the mortal this put on immortality "(1 Cor. 15: 52-54). Risen Christ and eternal life bestowed upon all who believe in Him. No one will remain forever in the tomb, because Christ  is risen - the first-born from the dead,” said the UAOC Primate Makariy (Maletych).

“It is with great joy and gratitude to God that I sincerely greet you and your families on a wonderful holiday of victory of life over death, of light over darkness - on the Day of Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The angel’s message “He is not here – He is risen, as he said” warmed with heavenly warmth not only the worried women but our hearts as well.

The Resurrection of Christ is the celebration of all the children of God, a living hope of all true Christians. We wish you always live by faith in the Son of God, Risen from the dead, with the hope that He will soon come in the glory of the Father for His Church. May God help you to be among those who expect their Savior with love. We wish you joy, peace and harmony, pray for you and bless in the wonderful name of the Risen King!”- Mykhailo Panochko, Senior Bishop of the Pentecostal Church of Ukraine has said.

“The resurrection of Christ was a triumph, completing the salutary feast of the incarnate Son of God. The Resurrection accomplished God’s advent to earth, devastated hell and the deprived the devil of its authority and the death of its power.

The Resurrection opened the door of sweet and beautiful paradise to a man, for which man was created by God, which once belonged to man, but man has lost - through lies that he took in his soul and which distorted his inner world and made him unable to live in Paradise ...Once again I cordially congratulate all of you, dear brothers and sisters, on the bright glorious feast of the Resurrection of Christ, the Great Day of Christ's Passover. In the name of this great victory of life over death, let us embrace one another, forgive each other and all together - in one voice and one heart – let us sing sacred hymns to the triumphant Resurrection of Christ: " Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing life!” – UOC Metropolitan Onufriy (Berezovsky) has congratulated the believers.