Archpriest Vitalian (Drobotun)

Glory to Jesus Christ, dear brothers and sisters!

I congratulate you with the Holy Communion and with the consecration of your souls and bodies.

Today we have heard the Gospel (Mark I:1-8) where the Lord told us about John the Baptist and called him an angel, whom He was sent before His Son. The Lord would come later and would baptize with the Holy Spirit, He would teach people how to live with God and be saved.

Dear brothers and sisters, we have to think and understand what was John’s Baptist call about. Do you remember when people came to him and asked: “What should we do? How can we stop making sins?” And Roman soldiers and other people came to him. And he answered them: “Do what you have to do, but do not repeat your sins. Become clean, become pure physically and the Lord will clean you spiritually.”

That is why we come to the Holy Temple and pray and ask. The confession happens in our souls. The confession had a very important role – it helps us to become clean from all bad things and unite our soul in the prayer with God.

So, first we confess after that we pray and ask the Lord to clean us with His Holy Spirit. We can’t see His presence, but there are some people who can. Later we are consecrated with the Holy Communion, because that is the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the way we physically accept the Holy Spirit in our body.

In depends on us how long the presence of God will be with us. Whether we will go out of the Temple and will start doing some wrong things, or we will go out and will think about some positive things – how can we help and pray that God’s Kingdom happen in Ukraine, in our family, in every heart? Would we try to fill ourselves with God’s Love? Because God is Love and without this Love we will not be saved.

A lot of people are looking for happiness. They look for it and think that it is in money, comfort, family life, work or somewhere else. But happiness is to reach God’s Love. Happiness is to be with God. This is happiness and “all other things will be added”, as the Lord said. Some help at work, in family or with other things will be added if we take care that our life, our way will be prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ.

And He comes to us every day, every hour, when we pray. He comes to us, to our soul, touches us with His hand and says: “My child, I love you, be with Me, follow Me, try to accept that Love, which I give you.”

But a man can’t reach Love to God, if he does not ask for it. He/she can’t accept that Love, if he does not try to live religious life. Jesus Christ said: “That one who loves Me execute all My Commandments.” It is very difficult to execute these Commandments now, but everything is possible with God.

We can ask Him: “Oh Lord, give me strength to execute You Commandments, to have such faith in You, which You want me to have, that my soul could comprehend and take it. Give me strength to be filled with this Love to You.” Then our life becomes straight, dear brothers and sisters. As John the Baptist said: “our roads become straight”. We accept this God’s Love and blessings; we feel very happy. And at this exact moment we do not need millions, apartments. We need nothing. We only need this blessedness, that it could happen eternally. But it can be eternally only in the God’s Kingdom.

It is a pity, but God’s Kingdom is not yet in Ukraine. And it is not on the Earth. But we know where it is. And we want to have it. Jesus Christ told us: “The Kingdom of God is inside you.”

That is why I call you all and all clergy to look after the Kingdom of God; that our road will lead straight to God, that we reach God’s Love and be with God.

Christ is born! Let’s glorify Him!