Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Fr. Yuriy Tychenok on the Feast of Pentecost
May 18, 2024
In the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation we received 7 priceless gifts: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of God. Therefore, we must measure our every deed and word by these standards, established by the Holy Spirit, and ask ourselves, what good have we brought into this world?
On May 20th, 1875, in Paris, 17 countries of the world signed an international agreement on the establishment and maintenance of the international system of units, and on January 1st, 1888, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures was established in the suburbs of Paris. In this bureau, all standards and measurement principles, such as the kilogram, meter, thermometer, clock, are stored. When we need to measure something, weigh it, or calculate the frequency, we equate it to the established standard.
Today’s feast of Pentecost is considered the official day of the foundation of the Church of Christ, the only “Bureau” on Earth, where all standards and principles of the measuring of human life, established by the Lord God Himself, are kept, such as: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Only living according to these principles, is an assurance of true happiness here on earth and a guarantee of eternal life with God in heaven.
The world in which we live pushes completely different units of measurement to us through the evil spirit: faith exclusively in one’s own strength, maximum enjoyment of life, the power of authority and money, love without obligations… People often hesitate according to which principle they should live.
That is why, 50 days after his Resurrection and 10 days after his Ascension to Heaven, Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit to the Apostles to strengthen each of them in faith, and through their mouths to convert people to God and make this world a better place. Already after their first speech, 3,000 people converted to God, understood, and accepted God’s principles of life.
Each of us received these same gifts in the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation, when the priest marked our forehead, eyes, nose, lips, ears, chest, hands, and feet with Holy Oil, saying the words: “The Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” At this moment, we received 7 priceless gifts: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of God. Therefore, we must measure our every deed and word by these standards, established by the Holy Spirit, and ask ourselves, what good have we brought into this world? Did we set a good example and convert someone to God, or did we do the opposite?
Today, various delegates of our Ukrainian Сhurch, communities, and organisations honours all the fallen heroes of our nation. People who by their actions have demonstrated their love for their neighbours, and thereby love for God, who resides in the heart of each of us. We ask that the Holy Spirit embraces all of them with the same love that they showed to their neighbour’s, and helps us all to meet the standards of righteousness throughout our lives and become real heroes in the eyes of God! Amen.
