Metr. Onuphry Blesses Lenten Prayer Rule for Peace
Metr. Onuphry has called the faithful to daily prayer and prostrations for peace in Ukraine during Great Lent.
KYIV — The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has blessed the faithful to undertake a special Lenten prayer rule for spiritual growth and for peace in Ukraine.
In his Lenten message, Metr. Onuphry called on believers “to read Psalm 90 and make seven prostrations with the Lord’s Prayer for peace in Ukraine” each day throughout Great Lent. He urged clergy and laity alike to embrace repentance not merely as bodily abstinence, but as a renewal of the heart through prayer, reconciliation, and mercy.
“Fasting isn’t reduced to mere bodily abstinence,” he wrote, citing St. John Chrysostom, and emphasized that amid the severe trials facing the Ukrainian people, Lenten struggle must be joined to compassion. He encouraged prayers for soldiers, the wounded, prisoners, and those who have lost homes or loved ones, asking the faithful not to let sorrow harden their hearts but to overcome darkness through love.
Previously, the UOJ reported that Metr. Onuphry called for aid after Russian strike damaged Odessa Monastery.
