On May 19, the Sunday of the Paralytic, Metropolitan Luke of Zaporozhye and Melitopol presided over the Vigil service and the Divine Liturgy at the monastery.

At the end of the Liturgy, His Grace Luke addressed the faithful with the sermon: “In today’s Scripture reading, we learned from the Evangelist John about the story of the paralytic. The Gospel’s paralytic serves as an example to all of us for everyone who gathered here is weakened by some kind of sin. Each of us suffers spiritually, in one way or another. It is that only through our repentance that we are gifted the chance to heal. Once the Lord sees the compunction in our soul as we awaken to our spiritual poverty and sinfulness ready to overcome it, He gladly restores us in our spiritual health if only we commit to live without sin.

Therefore, we must neither be despondent nor discouraged because of our sins. At the same time, there is to be no carelessness and slothfulness about our weaknesses for the disease would not let us be unless we step up towards God. Repentance is granted as an opportunity for us to correct, be ready and willing to leave the sinful life behind and start it all anew. The Lord awaits all sinners to repent and accepts each and everyone one of us.”

Following the late-morning Divine Liturgy, a procession with the cross, customary for Sundays before the Leavetaking of Pascha at the monastery, went along the Holy Kanavka accompanied by the singing of the Paschal Troparion. Metropolitan Luke headed the procession.