UOC believer: We will answer to God for not doing utmost to defend Lavra
According to the participant of the prayer standing at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, believers should do their utmost to defend the shrine.
Anna, a parishioner of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who regularly participates in the prayer standing near the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, called on fellow believers to join in prayer at the monastery's walls. She made this appeal in a video message published by the “KozakTv1” Telegram channel.
"I have been here for a long time, ever since all these events began – since winter," the young woman said. "I came straight here from work every day, even though I was tired. My soul longs for this place; I can no longer live without the Lavra."
According to Anna, Orthodox Christians should do everything in their power to defend the holy site.
"If they insult us, we must endure it, but if they insult and blaspheme our God and our shrines, we cannot remain silent. Of course, we must act peacefully – pray and participate in the prayer standing. The more people pray, the better. So, I invite you, brothers and sisters, to come and support our shrines and our clergy, so that the Lavra is always with us so that at one moment, we do not find ourselves coming here with no access because everything has been taken away," the parishioner emphasized.
She added, "We will answer to the Lord for doing nothing, for not coming to the standing, for staying at home because it's more convenient or out of laziness."
"Of course, we should pray at home as well, but joint common prayer is the grace of God. We must come and defend our shrines, and be on the side of our Lord God Jesus Christ," she stressed.
Anna also called on believers to pray for those who participate in anti-church actions near the Lavra.
"When I see the so-called 'activists' disrupting church services, I feel pain. We should pray for them. As our Lord Jesus Christ said, we must love our enemies [...] sincerely pray for them so that the Lord touches their hearts and guides them onto the righteous path. There is nothing impossible for God; He can change a person in an instant," Anna noted.
As reported, lawyers representing the interests of UOC communities believe that the seizures of churches in Kyiv are being postponed because the raiders are unable to overcome the resistance of the defenders of the main Orthodox shrine, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
