Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Fr. Myroslav Vons on the Fifth Sunday of the Great Lent
March 21, 2026
We often say, “God is love.” And that is true. But do we say it to change our lives and live in truth? Or do we say it to make God fit into our comfort? God’s love is not only acceptance — it is also truth, and a call to conversion. It is a path on which every person must choose: to walk toward eternal life or toward eternal death.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus once again reveals a truth the disciples do not want to accept: He is going to Jerusalem to suffer and to be killed. He goes there out of love for each one of us, choosing to take on death. And after that — He will rise again. This is the kind of love Jesus taught not only with words, but with His whole life: a love that does not stop, even when it demands sacrifice.
The disciples follow Jesus. They listen to Him and believe He is the Messiah. But in their hearts they carry a different idea of who the Messiah should be — a strong king who will free the people from the Romans and take His place on the throne in Jerusalem. They follow Jesus because they think the King is on His way to claim power. That is why James and John ask for places of honour — to sit at His right and left. And the other disciples become upset not because they disagree, but because they want the same thing. They simply didn’t ask first.
We also follow Christ — or at least we think we do. But who are we really following? Who is Christ for us? Do we repeat the same mistake as the apostles? Have we created for ourselves a “comfortable” Saviour — one who demands nothing, only supports us; who never challenges us; who always smiles and never speaks a difficult truth; who forgives even before we decide to change?
We often say, “God is love.” And that is true. But do we say it to change our lives and live in truth? Or do we say it to make God fit into our comfort? God’s love is not only acceptance — it is also truth, and a call to conversion. It is a path on which every person must choose: to walk toward eternal life or toward eternal death.
The apostles also did not understand immediately who Christ truly was. They followed Him, but carried their own expectations. The Cross was, for them, another confusing image Jesus often spoke about. They thought: it will be difficult, but in the end — glory. Yet when Jesus was arrested, they ran away.
And here we recognise ourselves. We too come to God with requests we expect Him to fulfil immediately — and exactly the way we want. Often God becomes for us a kind of “insurance policy” against anything bad. We imagine that God counts our prayers, and we “buy” blessings with them. We trust God only when He is not driving our life, but sitting beside us like a passenger, constantly telling us how much He loves us. And when this image meets the real, living God, we often step away. We step away from the Church, we feel disappointed — just as the apostles did for a moment.
Why? Because God turned out to be “not the one” we imagined. Not as convenient as we wanted Him to be.
And here lies the essential truth: to live in truth. No matter how uncomfortable or painful it may be. To live in truth means to meet the Living God — not the image we have created for ourselves.
But to meet God, we need to seek that meeting: to come to the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and feast days, to receive the Sacraments, to go to Confession regularly, to read the Holy Gospel, to grow in our spiritual life.
Today’s Gospel shows us the living Lord: the One who does not take away the cross, but carries it with us. The One who does not promise an easy life, but gives meaning and strength to walk through it. That is why His words sound again: “Whoever wants to be great must be a servant.” This is not about lowering human dignity — it is the path of real love. Because to serve means to stop placing myself at the centre of the universe, and freely give that place to God and to my neighbour. This is the way of life for a Christian. This is how Christ lived. And He not only taught it — He gave His life.
Lent is a special time. Not a period to “tick off” a few tasks, but a chance to rediscover the Living, True God. The One who loves and leads us to life. To know Him not as we want Him to be, but as He truly is. To let Him speak — even when it is hard to hear the truth about ourselves. To come closer to Christ, because it is difficult to follow Someone we do not know. And to learn to trust Him, to walk with Him toward the Resurrection.
