Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Deacon Vitalii Leheta on All Saints’ Sunday
June 14, 2025
Every day we have a choice: to acknowledge Christ before others or to hide Him within ourselves. And this is primarily through our actions, our decisions, how we treat others, how we speak, how we forgive, and how we stand up for the truth. To acknowledge Him even when others are ashamed or embarrassed, when sometimes it is not fashionable or relevant.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters!
Today’s Gospel, which we have just heard, is eloquent and at the same time difficult. In it, the Lord says these words: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will also disown before my Father in heaven” (Mt. 10:32–33).
These words are not about distant people. They are not about someone else. They are about each of us. Because every day we have a choice: to acknowledge Christ before others or to hide him within ourselves. And this is first and foremost through our actions, our decisions, how we treat others, how we speak, how we forgive, and how we stand up for the truth. An unconditional expression of our faith is the sign of the holy cross, which we place with great reverence on our foreheads. And this sign of the cross belongs to the external manifestation of worship. Every time we mark ourselves with this Christian sign, we manifest our faith in Christ. To acknowledge even when others are ashamed or embarrassed, when sometimes it is not fashionable or relevant. This means being faithful to Him even when it is inconvenient, difficult, or when the whole world ridicules Christ and Christians.
Jesus continues: “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mt. 10:37–38). This statement may seem harsh. Shouldn’t we love our family? Of course we should. But Christ is talking about the primacy of God’s love. Because only when God is in first place does everything else fall into place. When a person builds their life solely around loved ones, money, and comfort, sooner or later something falls apart. But when the Lord is at the centre of the heart, then the family is strengthened, then love is purified, then even difficulties have meaning.
And then there are even deeper words. About the cross. And everyone here in the church knows what that is. Because each of us has our own cross. For some, it is illness; for others, family problems. For some, it is loneliness; for others, debt. Some suffer injustice; others struggle with their sins. Jesus does not promise that life will be easy. But he says, “Take up your cross and follow me” (cf. Mt. 10:38)—because only then will you not be alone. Because only then can even the heaviest cross become the way to resurrection.
At the end of the Gospel, we hear Peter addressing Jesus: “We have left everything and followed you—what will we have?” (Mt.19:27). And aren’t we asking the same question today? We try to live according to God’s will, we pray, we go to church, we stick to the truth… And in fact, God already blesses us on earth and, with our cooperation, gives us everything we need for life. After all, we know about the righteous people of the Old Testament whom the Lord gave everything they needed. However, only in heaven will we receive our full reward. But often we see a different picture: someone who lives dishonestly has a better life. Someone has more money, success, and influence. And we ask, what is all this for? Does God see this? And here we must be careful not to fall into sin, which devours us from within like a worm eats an apple, and this sin is called envy. It is one of the worst sins, which causes a lack of love and trust in God, because “love does not envy” (1 Cor. 13:4). And here Jesus answers that everyone who leaves something for his sake will receive a hundredfold and inherit eternal life. And many who are first will be last, and the last will be first (cf. Mt. 19:29–30). That is, the Lord does not forget a single deed, a single sacrifice, a single good thought, or even a silent prayer. What seems insignificant to people is of great importance to God. He sees everything. And His reward is eternal. And we can see this with the eyes of our faith.
Dear ones in Christ!
Today, the Lord is not just speaking words. He is looking into your eyes and mine and asking:
— Do you acknowledge me before others?
— Do you carry your cross?
— Am I first in your life?
And it is up to you to answer him.
Do not be ashamed of him. Do not hide from him. Do not put off meeting him. Follow him. For in Jesus there is life. And only with him is our victory.
Today, during the Russian war in Ukraine, let us pray that the Lord will bless our Ukrainian people with peace based on truth and justice. May our homeland, Ukraine, be healed from the wounds of war and restore unity and territorial integrity within the borders in which it emerged as an independent state in 1991.
Amen!
