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Prayers for Deliverance in times of war

   “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today·… The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14: 13-14).      

          
The Virgin of Kyiv

Many years ago, while visiting Mexico, I bought a small tile of The Virgin of Kyiv. Stored away for many years it now sits on my mantle with a candle beside it. My small prayer space for the people of Ukraine.  When we're surrounded with stories of despair from the 24 hour news cycle, Ash Wednesday's theme of facing our own mortality can feel like something we do every day. The COVID-19 pandemic, the escalating climate crisis, the conflict now unfolding in Ukraine; we're constantly confronting the reality of earthly life and death. I pray that we can choose hope over fear, and live in (and out) that hope each day. Hope for peace, hope for unity, hope for equality, hope for each other, hope in the holy promise. 

“The original Virgin of Kyiv was made by a Byzantine artist about 1132. Fate has preserved the icon through centuries of war. This icon displays an animated face, and the great tenderness of the Virgin for her child, which was very unusual for the strict code of icon painting in its day. The Virgin's head, touching the baby, is a gesture of such deep affection. It has a profoundly Slavic spirit and set the standard for Ukrainian icon painters, which has never been surpassed."

The United Church of Canada has shared a prayer for Ukraine from The Church of Scotland. You may read it in its entirety here. Let's join our hearts to pray these words of hope together:

Lord God,
We ask you to hold the people of Ukraine deep in your heart.
Protect them, we pray;
from violence,
from political gamesmanship,
from being used and abused.
Give, we pray,
the nations of the world the courage
and the wisdom
to stand up for justice
and the courage too,
to dare to care―generously.
In your name and for your sake,
Amen

This Friday night, 4 March, 7:00pm we can pray together for Ukraine and her people at St. Mary the Protectress Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Parksville.  This will be an outdoor vigil so please dress warmly. We join together as a Canadian community in unity with love.

We are not alone.  A Message from the World Council of Churches

“The World Council of Churches  denounces any and every use of deadly armed force to resolve disputes that could be resolved by dialogue. We firmly believe that dialogue—based on the principles of international law and respect for established national borders—was and is the proper path for the resolution of tensions surrounding Ukraine. We call for an immediate end to the current armed hostilities, and for the protection of all human lives and communities threatened by this violence. We urge all member churches and all people of good will around the world to join us in prayer for peace for the people of Ukraine and the region.”
—The Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, Acting General Secretary, World Council of Churches