On the 27th Sunday after Pentecost, December 14, 2025, Metropolitan Epiphaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine presided at the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of St. Michael the Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv.
Concelebrating with the Primate of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine were Bishop Ephrem of Vasylkiv, the brotherhood of the monastery, and visiting clergy.
Following the Gospel reading, Metropolitan Epiphaniy delivered his primatial homily and offered a special prayer to the Lord for Ukraine, which continues to endure a time of severe trials, danger, and suffering.
In his sermon, the Metropolitan reflected on the approaching feast of the Nativity of Christ, interpreting the Gospel parable of the banquet as a symbolic reminder of humanity’s long preparation for the coming of the Messiah. He noted that Christ’s coming into the world was not sudden, but foretold through generations, beginning with Adam and Eve, through prophets and righteous figures who announced the birth of the Savior.
Metropolitan Epiphaniy emphasized that although the Messiah was long awaited, many among those first called failed to recognize and accept Him when He came. Quoting the Gospel of John, he recalled that Christ “came to His own, and His own did not receive Him,” while those who did receive Him were granted the grace to become children of God.
He explained that the parable also serves as a prophecy, revealing that when those originally invited rejected God’s call due to their own prejudices, the Lord extended salvation to others. Thus, when Christ was rejected by many among His own people, God called the nations, and countless Gentiles responded to the apostolic preaching and embraced the Gospel.
The Metropolitan reminded the faithful that the Ukrainian people themselves belong to those once-pagan nations who were called to salvation. He recalled that through the preaching of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called and subsequent missionaries, Ukraine’s ancestors gradually came to know the truth, culminating in the baptism of the people during the reign of Saint Prince Volodymyr, when the nation as a whole embraced Christianity.
At the same time, Metropolitan Epiphaniy stressed that the parable of the banquet is not only a testimony to God’s mercy but also a reminder of human responsibility. He noted that because Ukraine is historically and spiritually a Christian nation, its people bear a greater responsibility before God. Those who have access to the Church and the Gospel but reject them, he warned, resemble the invited guests in the parable who placed temporary worldly concerns above God’s call.
Quoting Christ’s words that “to whom much is given, much will be required,” the Metropolitan emphasized that Christians are entrusted with great spiritual gifts and will therefore be held to higher accountability.
Concluding his homily, Metropolitan Epiphaniy urged the faithful, as they prepare for Christmas, not to limit their preparations to external traditions alone, but to respond spiritually to God’s invitation. He reminded them that through the Nativity, the Kingdom of God has drawn near, and that the Church continually calls believers to the divine banquet of the Holy Eucharist. Whether one responds to this call through a life of faith and commitment, he said, remains a personal choice for each individual.
During the Divine Liturgy, special prayers were also offered for Ukrainian soldiers defending the country, for the authorities and the people, and for the repose of the souls of all fallen defenders of the homeland and civilians who have lost their lives during the war.
