LENT FOR THE WHOLE WORLD

 

The world is being carried along on a rushing torrent of events which are beyond human control.  Armageddon seems to be approaching in one form or another. However, there is one power available to change the course of events and to support us in the great crises of life, and that is the power of prayer.  

Due to the crises in the Ukraine, which has the whole world reeling with worry, I would like to focus this Lent on the physical suffering of Jesus  in His last hours. We have in past Blogs seen the  Isenheim Altarpiece by Grünewald, which is a good place to start our meditation for a most difficult Lent for the world.

Bishop Robert Barron  (Los Angeles) said of  this piece , “What is, for me, most disturbing are the shut eyes and the gaping mouth: this Christ is no longer seeing or speaking; He is simply lost in the terror of the moment.”  

This work, is for me  the masterpiece which most  expresses for us the suffering of Jesus.  This haunting work  was never meant to just be looked at  as a piece of art, but rather it  was meant to be a means of worship, speaking to a people  suffering in extreme pain and facing  death. The painting was supposed to prepare people to bear their sufferings, facing death with their faith intact.  

At the Isenheim hospital, the Antonine monks devoted themselves to the care of sick and dying peasants, many of them suffering from the effects of ergotism, a disease caused by consuming rye grain infected with fungus. Ergotism, popularly known as St. Anthony’s fire, caused hallucinations and skin infection, and attacked the central nervous system, eventually leading to death. 

This depiction of the suffering Jesus, shows the violence and ugliness of crucifixion.  The darkness and despair of this painting is prophetic of the brokenness of the Church in its day but also of our world today - a brokenness which seems beyond repair except for the Resurrection.  But when one gazes upon this scene one does not yet know what is ahead.

The black background, vacant of any form, perhaps gives us the impression of Jesus' forsakenness by His Father, yet is the means  of bringing Him into the foreground- closer to us. We have nowhere else to look other than  His  broken body.

WOMEN OF OUTSTANDING COURAGE

 

Kateryna Dmyterko- Ukraine

 As we celebrate International Women's Day this week honoring women around the world, we  are watching women of the Ukraine  struggle in heartbreaking ways, trying to keep their families safe, while showing strength  and courage  as they seek refuge in other countries.

The number of refugees reached 2 million on Tuesday, according to the United Nations, the fastest exodus Europe has seen since World War II. One million were children, UNICEF spokesman James Elder tweeted, calling it “a dark historical first.” Most others were women.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke of International Women's Day, which is normally a day for celebration in Ukraine saying:.

“Ukrainians, we usually celebrate this holiday, the holiday of spring. We congratulate our women, our daughters, wives, mothers. Usually. But not today. Today I cannot say the traditional words. I just can’t congratulate you. I cannot, when there are so many deaths. When there is so much grief, when there is so much suffering. When the war continues."

                                                                Khrystyna Kvyk- Ukraine

Kelley Currie, former Ambassador-At-Large on Global Women’s Issues said: “The strength that you see in them carrying their children across the border, they do everything with such dignity. And I think it’s important for people to see that anybody can become a refugee.

 “We need to stand in solidarity with the women in Ukraine as they show their bravery and stand up for their rights and democracy in this world," said Patricia Preston, executive director of the Vermont Council on World Affairs.

 Ukrainian women are known for their courage,  a strength of spirit and steadfastness.  So far away, we can only pray this spirit continues for the sake of future generations.

BENEDICTINES IN THE UKRAINE FLEE

 

                                                . Benedictines at Zhytomyr - Christmas 2021

News of our Benedictine sisters in the Ukraine  has been spotty at best. At the outbreak of the war they were holding the fort in Zhytomyr, but as of the weekend were fleeing westward.  Then came news they had arrived at the monastery in Lviv.  Benedictines in the USA have scrambled to get funds to them. So far over $100,000 has been raised.

We continue to pray for their courage, perseverance, strength and faith in the uncertainty of what they will one day return to.

In the East Slavic lands, the first appearance of the Benedictines dates back to the VII century. These were Irish missionaries who set foot on these lands before the official Baptism of Kiev Rus. Later, around 977, at the request of Prince Yaropolk (nephew of St. Olga), Pope Benedict VII sent ambassadors to organize the first monastery. These were the Benedictines, the first to establish a Christian diocese in Kiev Rus. This mission did not last long, until 979. It is possible that the reasons for the beginning and end of this mission were economic and political - the establishment of relations between Europe and Byzantium.

 In 1616 there was a Benedictine nunnery in Lviv. The school at the monastery was the first educational institution for women in these lands. The nuns were mainly engaged in the education of girls of the nobility. In Soviet times, the monastery premises were used as a warehouse, and educational institutions were located on its territory.

 The beginning of the monastic life of the Benedictine sisters in Zhytomyr dates back to 1988 when two nuns came from the Abbey of St Catherine in Vilnius, Lithuania, a monastery dating from 1620. The foundress of the monastery in the Ukraine was the Abbess of Vilnius, Mother Gabriel OSB, who recognized the will of God in an invitation to make a new foundation in Zhytomyr.

 The sisters' lives were initially marked by great financial hardship, yet despite the difficult circumstances, the community began to develop. The sisters worked as catechists with children and young people. They sewed and embroidered liturgical vestments not only for their own church, but also for the whole diocese. In 1995, construction began on a new monastery with a chapel for parishioners.

 On December 8, 1993, the formal erection of the enclosure in accordance with Benedictine tradition  took place,  one of the most important events in the history of the Benedictines in the Ukraine.

In 2014 the monastery received the status of an Abbey. In 2016, on the initiative of the Archbishop of Lviv, Metropolitan Mechyslav Mokshytsky, the building of a new Benedictine monastery began.. 

As of 2018, the  Abbey is affiliated with the Benedictine Congregation of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, among the founders of which was the Blessed Columbus Marmion.

In 2019, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Lviv, three sisters were sent to set up in a monastery built by a Swiss family which was standing empty. 

On June 4, 2020, the Metropolitan of Lviv consecrated the cross prepared for the church tower. On March 19, 2021, was the consecration of the church of St. Benedict and the monastery of St. Joseph, as well as the bell for the tower. Thus, for the first time in its post-war history, the Lviv Archdiocese once again has a contemplative monastery.This new foundation was supported by the arrival of Polish Benedictines who at present occupy the chaplaincy buildings, before constructing their own monastery.

(below:  Monastery and Church Lviv)

March 10 : A brief update on the Benedictine Sisters in Ukraine: 18 Sisters and 3 Brothers remain in L’viv.  They welcome, give food, basic care and overnight lodging to more than 100 refugees every day

A LETTER FOR PEACE

In October of 2019,  I did a Blog on an amazing Lazarist missionary who has dedicated  nearly 50 years of his life to the poorest people in Madagascar. FATHER PEDRO OPEKA (born in Argentina of Slovenian ancestry) has been nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Dismayed by Putin’s invasion of the Ukraine, he wrote an open letter, imploring for a end to the massacre of innocent life.  The letter is too poignant to just give excerpts.   Icons by Kayeryna Shadrina of Lviv, Ukraine.

To my brother Vladimir Putin!

Brother Vladimir, this Thursday, February 24, we woke up with great astonishment, learning that you declared war and unleashed the attack on the Ukrainian population, a sovereign nation that respects international laws and never had the intention of attacking Russia.

 Brother Vladimir Putin, the citizens of numerous countries feel great bitterness, sadness and shame for your actions, full of madness and megalomania.

You are Vladimir, the president of Russia, which is loved and respected by so many in the world for its history and its deep spiritual roots.

 We wonder how it is possible that you want to impose on another nation the madness of the establishment of an imperialism of another time.

The only solution you found in your selfishness and derailed dominance was to start a war at three in the morning, surprising your once Soviet brothers. A minute after your speech, a cloud of rockets and missiles spread over Ukraine. From what you described, one could imagine that the attack was for a nation that is a threat to the entire world. But the reality is that the Ukrainian people simply want to live in peace, in their free and independent country.

We wonder how it is possible that you want to impose on another nation the madness of the establishment of an imperialism of another time.

 Under threat of being tried for treason, it was easy to force Russian soldiers, who did not want to go to fight, under false pretenses to attack and kill their brothers and sisters from another village.

Free men and women, humanists of our world! Raise your voice and condemn these barbaric, atrocious actions against the Ukrainian people! 

It is time to abandon this logic that divides countries between strong and rich on the one hand, and vulnerable and poor on the other. We are all citizens of our Earth, we all have equal value, we are all brothers and sisters, and we are all responsible for building a better world for all the children of the world, who will come after us and continue with life on Earth. We must stop thinking that some have more dignity than others.

 We live in the 21st century, and the weapons that people invented can destroy our planet Earth. How can you, brother Putin, play with fire and walk on the fuse of the explosive, which at any moment can explode and create total chaos, leading to the destruction of our entire civilization?

“Free men and women, humanists of our world! Raise your voice and condemn these barbaric, heinous actions against the Ukrainian people!”

Where did everything we learned from all past wars go, those wars in which people fought, and did not accept the other as an equal, a being with the same rights? Where was the wisdom of the heroes, of the poets and writers, who defended the ideals of all humanity from barbarism, savagery, tyrannies and dictatorships?

 If only we could, brother Vladimir, be more humane, more respectful, more honest, genuine and sincere. Well, only the truth will set us free and make us more brothers, more fraternal.

How could we today accept the dramatic death, imposed on Ukrainian and Russian soldiers? Each of these soldiers have a family, they have brothers and sisters who will cry for them, if they die.

I stop to think about the Russian soldiers: they will not know why they died, or why they were killed.

It is never too late to return to reason, and join humanity, that humanity that wishes to live in justice, in brotherhood and in peace. The war you have started is an irresponsible act that hurts humanity.

“Where was the wisdom of the heroes, of the poets and writers, who defended the ideals of all humanity from barbarism, savagery, tyrannies and dictatorships?”

With war we will never solve disagreements between humans. The peoples of this world converse and dialogue, with diplomacy. 

The intervention of third countries can always collaborate to solve problems and potential conflicts. It is always possible to find peaceful and just solutions.

That is why it is urgent to respect the idea that we all belong to one single family of humanity.

The whole of humanity unites us, beyond ideologies, creeds or racial concepts. Well, we are part of the same humanity, with differences, but free and equal, to each other. Our differences are a wealth. And if those differences are lived with respect, generosity and brotherhood, they make life more beautiful.

 Brother Vladimir, return to the cradle of the family of humanity, and be a brother who builds the common good and solidarity, so that all people of future generations on Earth can live with dignity, and with the same duties. and rights.

“It is never too late to come to your senses, and join humanity, that humanity that wishes to live in justice, in brotherhood and in peace. The war that you have started is an irresponsible act that hurts humanity “

War destroys, sows hatred and divides peoples for centuries, until they can unite again and live in cooperation.

 Would it not be more beneficial to use the money from sophisticated weapons (today used for death and terror), to cover the needs of the world’s forgotten people, and for the construction of more houses, schools, hospitals, and for the access to drinking water for all?

 I have always believed that every human being is my brother, is my sister. How can I convince you, brother Putin, to stop the war and stop the slaughter of innocent citizens?

I ask you please, dear Vladimir: stop the war, renounce the dictatorship, lies, false appearances and dualities.

Let us all be lovers of the truth, fair and supportive together!

May the Creator God enlighten all the leaders of our planet Earth, so that they can live in brotherhood, in equal rights and in freedom, that is, in the ideals of human dignity and human rights.

 

FLIGHT

                                       “Flight into Egypt”    Lyuba Yatskiv- Ukraine 

Pope Francis’ prayer for Ukraine

Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
Open our eyes and our hearts,
and give us the courage to say:
“Never again war!”;
“With war everything is lost.”

Instill in our hearts the courage
to take concrete steps to achieve peace.
Keep alive within us the flame of hope,
so that with patience and perseverance
we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation.
In this way may peace triumph at last.
Amen.

 

The leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, said that Ukraine’s ongoing resistance to a full-scale Russian invasion is a “miracle.”

“Today is March 8, 2022, and Ukraine is experiencing the 13th day of this horrible war. That which is taking place on the territory of our homeland is being called the ‘Miracle on the Dnipro’ by some historians,” he said, referring to the river running through Ukraine, also known as the Dnieper.

Something similar took place almost 100 years ago on the Vistula, when the Polish army stopped the invasion of the Red Horde, and stood up for independence, the right for the existence of the revived Polish state.

Today, that Miracle on the Dnipro is being forged by our Ukrainian army, stopping this latest invasion of our northern neighbor, who set foot onto our land carrying destruction, carrying death, attempting to destroy the freedom-loving Ukrainian people.

But by the power of love, love for the homeland, by the power of the unity of the Ukrainian people -  we amazed the world.

We are creating a miracle of a people who demonstrate their love of freedom to the whole world and amazes the whole world."

MADNESS

Yesterday the Holy Father spoke in the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters,

Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine. It is not merely a military operation, but a war, which sows death, destruction and misery. The number of victims is increasing, as are the people fleeing, especially mothers and children. The need for humanitarian assistance in that troubled country is growing dramatically by the hour.

I make a heartfelt appeal for humanitarian corridors to be genuinely secured, and for aid to be guaranteed and access facilitated to the besieged areas, in order to offer vital relief to our brothers and sisters oppressed by bombs and fear.

I thank all those who are taking in refugees. Above all, I implore that the armed attacks cease and that negotiation – and common sense – prevail. And that international law be respected once again!

And I would also like to thank the journalists who put their lives at risk to provide information. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for this service! A service that allows us to be close to the tragedy of that population and enables us to assess the cruelty of a war. Thank you, brothers and sisters.

Let us pray together for Ukraine: we have its flags in front of us. Let us pray together, as brothers and sisters, to Our Lady, Queen of Ukraine. Hail Mary…

The Holy See is ready to do everything, to put itself at the service of this peace. In these days, two Cardinals went to Ukraine, to serve the people, to help. Cardinal Krajewski, the Almoner, to bring aid to the needy, and Cardinal Czerny, interim Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

The presence of the two Cardinals there is the presence not only of the Pope, but of all the Christian people who want to get closer and say: “War is madness! Stop, please! Look at this cruelty!”

Icon: Yaroslava Tkachuk - Ukraine

 

WHERE IS CHRIST?

 

                                                     Ostap Lozynsky- Ukraine

 A very moving diary by a Catholic Ukrainian journalist is well worth listening to. It makes us see how lucky and grace-filled we are in our own country, watching another country fight for their rights to practice freedom.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250575/dairy-kyiv-podcast-catholic-journalist

The daily videos are 3- to 6-minutes (You Tube)  and feature images or short video clips from Ukraine as the war unfolds. The unidentified journalist’s words give hope to a nation fighting to survive, praying to the Mother of God, to whom they have a great devotion.

“The question arises in my head, where is Christ in this?” He loves us, the Ukrainians, as well as the Russians, the Poles, and the Americans.

We are all his children. However, the devil has taken possession of hearts and blinded them, so there is war, destruction, and death. Today my task is to pray, be converted, do good as far as I can, and go through this Golgotha with trust in the Lord who passed through it first.”