On the Thirty-First Sunday after Pentecost, following the Feast of Theophany, on 11 January 2026, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine presided over the Divine Liturgy at the St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Cathedral in Kyiv.
Concelebrating with the Primate of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine were Archbishop Agapit of Vyshhorod, abbot of the Golden-Domed Monastery, Bishop Ephrem of Vasylkiv, the brotherhood of the monastery, and visiting clergy.
After the reading of the Holy Gospel, His Beatitude delivered a primatial homily and offered a special prayer to the Lord for Ukraine, which is experiencing a time of severe trials and danger.
In his homily, Metropolitan Epifaniy emphasized that God “keeps the doors of the Church open for all, so that everyone who desires salvation may enter, regardless of their previous state.”
Referring to the mission of the Church, Metropolitan Epifaniy underlined that it is called to proclaim God’s truth, call people to repentance, and show the path to salvation. Those who heed this call, he said, “enter the way of salvation,” while those who reject it “leave themselves in darkness by rejecting the true Light.”
Metropolitan Epifaniy pointed out that Christ’s call to repentance includes both a revelation of human sinfulness and the gift of hope. While exposing sin, Christ simultaneously offers the grace and strength needed for renewal and change.
Turning to contemporary realities, the Metropolitan warned against modern forms of idolatry, including moral relativism disguised as “freedom” and ideologies that distort Christian teaching. In particular, he condemned the ideology of the so-called “Russian world,” which, as he stated, “glorifies bloodshed instead of peace, pride instead of humility, hatred instead of love,” and replaces the Kingdom of God with “the tyranny of the Kremlin.”
Concluding his homily, the Metropolitan urged the faithful to remain vigilant so that spiritual darkness does not overtake them. He stressed the need for constant repentance, sincere prayer, and participation in the sacramental life of the Church, so that “the light of Christ’s truth and the Holy Gospel may guide us on our life’s path and keep us from losing our way.”
“God grants us a light that no one can take away,” he concluded, “unless we ourselves turn away from it.”
During the Divine Liturgy, fervent prayers were also offered for the soldiers defending the country, for the civil authorities and the people, as well as for the repose of the souls of all fallen defenders of the Homeland and civilians who lost their lives during the war.
Source: pomisna
