I am Fr. Roman Kavchak, a Ukrainian Orthodox priest and I live with my family in Korea for the last ten years.
Ukraine is a beautiful and prosperous land located in the heart of Europe.
Since time immemorial, this land has been inhabited by people who are hardworking, kind, and have deep faith in God.
Our country has lived by placing importance on trade. So for thousands of years, people of different nationalities and religions have lived in peace in Ukraine, and everyone has understood and respected each other’s views.
The hardworking and talented people living in this beautiful and prosperous land have been repeatedly targeted by invaders. These invaders seek to take away not only material resources, but also cultural resources, religion and history.
Ukrainians have always stood up for their country and gave it their last drop of blood to protect it.
We Ukrainians are going through a very difficult time in our history. Because our land has been at war for three weeks now.
Our country is under bombardment on land, sea and sky. Homes, kindergartens, schools, maternity hospitals, hospitals and churches are being bombarded and destroyed.
Currently, Ukrainian women are forced to give birth to children in shelters from bombs. They can’t even take the dead to the cemetery. People who used to live in peace are victims of these hostilities, they die and are left next to their homes. The continuing bombardment prevented the victims from being buried in the cemeteries.
We have no other choice but the merciful God. And the Lord hears our prayers and gives us the strength to endure this trial.
The whole world is praying for us now, and we are grateful for their prayers. Among those there are the prayers of many Koreans. Koreans are the ones who still hold in their memories all the horrors of war. So they are the ones who understand us best.
We Christians believe that Armageddon will come upon the world with wars and plagues. And we are probably witnessing this now.
The Lord said that the time of the end would come, but He did not say when. However, it is very beneficial to us that the Lord did not disclose this time and kept it a secret. Because the time of the end of the world will depend on how people behave.
The events of the Apocalypse are like a comet coming close to hit Earth. However, the speed and direction of this comet will depend on the behavior of people.
If people live according to God’s commandments, and if people love the Lord and help their neighbors, then the comet’s speed will decrease. Therefore, I urge everyone to let us all keep God’s commandments.
Please allow me to ask you to help us restore peace to the land of Ukraine so that we may prevent other disasters in the world. Thus we will become children of the Lord and will receive the blessings promised in the Gospel.
Let us remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “Blessed are those who work for peace, for they will become sons of God.” (Mt. 5:9) Thank you.