Letters from Br. Błażej: Night 320

January 10, 2023

Thank God it’s peaceful in our area. Fierce fighting continues in eastern Ukraine. Bahmut, Solidar—these are places where people from both sides are being killed.
We are looking closely at the border with Belarus. Kherson was shelled. There are casualties among the civilian population. Let’s pray for peace.

The Word… “Take the Word of God not as a human word, but as it really is, as the Word of God.”
Yes, yes—this Word can exorcise my spirit, which does not have to be the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Any spirit that is not the Spirit of Jesus, but is in me and in you must be exorcised by the Word, hence once again, “Accept the word of God not as the word of man, but as it really is, as the word of God.”
God loves you. God is love.
It is the Word from the Holy Spirit that exorcises you.

We live in war, we do not live by war.

Uzhgorod:
Children’s Christmas scene, joint carol singing, attended by Br. Sergey Kippa, custos. (photo)

Vinnytsia:
Children’s choir singing carols. (photo)
A Christmas nativity scene building contest was held. (photo)
Christmas market. Income donated to ZSU. (ЗСУ)
Heroes are among us. (photo)

News from the brothers:

Uzhgorod (Br. Roman Pop):
Ukraine carols.

https://youtu.be/IjJmBhzZmcg

Uzhgorod 9Br. Marek Lisowski):
Nativity play, caroling, celebration. Today in Uzhgorod. (photo)

Kyiv (Br. Adam Wróbel):
Today we experienced the sharing of the Christmas wafer (oplatek) in the Franciscan communities in Kyiv. (photo)

Krasyliv (Br. Leonid Kushniruk):
One of the Ukrainian soldiers released from Russian captivity is the native brother of Mykola M. from Chepelivka (Krasyliv parish). He was working abroad when the war broke out in February, he specially returned to go to the army. He was taken into Russian captivity back in June.
We prayed for his release for a long time. (photo)