Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Bishop Maksym Ryabukha on the second day of the Eparchial pilgrimage in Canberra
June 11, 2025
“God came to the apostles, but through them he went further. None of us has the right to keep this divine grace only for ourselves. But each of us today must be a zealous witness—one who shares with others,” said Bishop Maksym Ryabukha during the second day of the Eparchial Pilgrimage in Canberra.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Today we truly rejoice and thank God for the gift of our great community. Today we all once again witness the event of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, which united and gave birth to the entire Church. The days leading up to the Descent of the Holy Spirit were filled with great fear. The disciples, who walked with Christ for three years, contemplated his teaching, and saw numerous healings, were also witnesses of his passion and death. They saw his resurrection and heard the words of the Risen Saviour, but their hearts continued to be filled with fear.
Today’s feast is truly the fulfilment of God’s entire plan. God creates man with great love. He is born to be with man. He experiences passion, death, and resurrection for the salvation of man. And finally, He sends the Holy Spirit to dwell in man. Christ says today, “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” That is, they will not fear the darkness, which is evil.
Today we witness the descent of the Holy Spirit, who transforms human life. The disciples, gathered in prayer, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, find the courage and wisdom to speak to people. Yesterday they were still immersed in their thoughts, filled with fear. But from today onwards, the Holy Spirit, who dwells in them, will continue to speak through their whole lives.
The feast of Pentecost in the Old Testament was precisely that memory of the unity that God created with man. God wanted to give man a guide for life by giving him God’s commandments. And this experience of Pentecost by the apostles became the moment when God began to lead man. From that time on, the apostles spread throughout the world, proclaiming the good news to man. In fact, this is the mission of a person who lives with God—to share the God whom he has encountered.
This time and these days were special for each of us. Our hearts were moved by the encounters and numerous prayers, by that unity with God and with our neighbours. Each of us felt God’s presence close to us. Today, the Lord calls and encourages each of us to be witnesses of His love and His presence in this world.
The world today is searching. It is trying to understand the meaning of human existence. But only God has the answer. And no matter how much a person searches for it, they will never find it outside of God.
Today, each of us is called, as we leave this jubilee church, to become witnesses of God’s love and the meaning of human life. Today, the wounded human heart finds relief. Today, those pains and sufferings find their meaning, because God, who is present in our lives, suffers and suffers with us. But every Christian knows that God has already conquered death. Today, looking at the history of human existence, we already know the answer. Today we know that God heals human life. And He, who ascended into heaven a few days ago, shows us the way of our life.
The Holy Spirit is the comforter of the human heart. Comfort brings joy. And, in fact, one of the many saints of the Catholic Church said, “The devil is afraid of joyful people.” To find comfort means to see the invisible. Today we are witnesses to what the world may not yet see. Let us ask God for the strength to be his witnesses. Let us ask God for the strength to be instruments in his hands.
These days have been a great celebration and a great joy for me personally. I have met many people who have been able to find their strength, joy, and strength in God during this time. And they did not do this because it just happened, but because they met specific people. In fact, the community—the Church of Christ, which is present in various parishes here in Australia—has become a place where people encounter God.
Each of us has come to know God here, in God’s temple, through prayer. Today, as we ask ourselves what to do next, we realise that the Lord is calling each of us to follow in the footsteps of the apostles. The Holy Spirit, who descends upon Christ’s Church today, becomes our strength and our light—to be witnesses of what we have experienced. The peculiarity of the Descent of the Holy Spirit is that God has no time. And this abiding in God fills everything, even beyond time. We must realise that the joy of these days of our great pilgrimage here in Australia is not the joy that began on Saturday and ended on Sunday. But it is a joy that will last every day. For God, our whole existence is infinite today. This presence of God in my life should fill every moment of my existence. And this is an expression of God’s great love. Let us feel loved by God. And let us share that love with everyone we meet. And even when it seems that we have no strength left, God gives us that strength. Thank you for this testimony of the light in which you live and which you bring to others.
Yesterday I told you that every time we come to God’s church and stand here before God’s altar, before the tabernacle in which God dwells, we are always together. Every time I travel to the parishes of our suffering Ukraine, I will say to everyone, “Look, all the communities of Australia are with us.” I truly believe that I will never be alone, like many other Ukrainians, when we are in God’s church, because you will also be here.
Today, each of us must take away an important thought from this house of God: God came to the apostles, but through them He went further. None of us has the right to keep this divine grace only for ourselves. But each of us today must be a zealous witness—one who shares with others. This feast sets an important task before us, but God also gives us strength. Therefore, let us all move forward boldly and confidently.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
