Day 9 – Saturday

Read: Gospel of John 21:15–25

Prayer. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup over ows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 22(23))

Missionary tasks.

1. Personal/Family. This evening let us especially pray for our pastor or parish administrator and all our clergy, thank God for their ministry.

2. Parish. Let us give special attention to those in our Church who work in missionary territory or are engaged in various chaplaincies. Pastors, try to follow the work of the Pastoral-missionary department of the UGCC and inform our faithful about the life of our Church in those areas where we have no formal ecclesial structure.

3. Beyond the parish. Today-tomorrow let us make a donation to sup- port the missionary activity of our Church and our eparchy.

Day 8 – Friday

Read: Gospel of John 17:18–24

Prayer. For You, Lord, are the help of the helpless, the hope of those without hope, the Savior of the storm-tossed, the haven of those at sea, the physician of the sick. Be all things to all people, O You Who know each one and their request, each household and its needs. Deliver, O Lord, this city (this village, this monastery), and every city, town and village, from famine, plague, earthquake, flood, fire, sword, foreign invasion and civil war. (Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great)

Missionary tasks.

1. Personal/Family. Over the past year how have I done good to a neighbor in need? As a family let us resolve to engage in some form of charitable works once a month for the benefit of someone who lives close and is in need.

2. Parish. Let us frequently inform our parishioners about di erent social ministry initiatives in our parish. Let us keep the community informed about parish members who are in need (especially the elderly who live alone). Let us encourage our parish youth to organize and implement some initiative for the bene t of the needy on the territory of our parish.

3. Beyond the parish. Let us look if among my neighbors there isn’t some individual or family that is in dire need. Let us try to help this person, these persons, with a kind word, with some concrete assistance.

Day 7 – Thursday

Day 6 – Wednesday

Read: Gospel of John 16:15–23

Prayer. In the morning, we were lled with Your mercy, and we rejoiced and were glad in all our days. Let us be glad in return for the days when You humbled us, the years when we saw evils. Look upon Your servants and upon Your work and guide their children. May the radiance of the Lord our God be upon us, and direct the work of our hands for us; direct the work of our hands. (Psalm 90(89):14–17)

Missionary tasks.

1. Personal/Family. Let us ask ourselves as a family, what have we done over the past year to help our parish grow. Let us go to our pastor and tell him what personal responsibility I am ready to take upon myself in the life of the parish.

2. Parish. Let us think about how volunteers are organized in our parish and what we might do better, so that our parishioners recognize their personal responsibility for the life of the parish community.

3. Beyond the parish. I will tell others what my responsibility is in the parish and why I go to my parish (what I like the most about it).

Day 5 – Tuesday

Read: Gospel of John 16:2–13

Prayer. May our mouths be lled with Your praise, O Lord, that we may sing of Your glory. For You made us worthy to partake of Your holy divine, immortal and life-giving Mysteries. Preserve us in Your holiness that we may meditate all the day upon Your justice. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Missionary tasks.

1. Personal/Family. By ourselves or together as a family let us once again read His Beatitude Sviatoslav’s Pastoral Letter, “The Vibrant Parish: a Place to Encounter the Living Christ” (2011) and ask ourselves if anything has changed in our lives from that time.

2. Parish. Let us make an effort to ensure that our parishioners have access to a variety of good reading material. Let us take care that in our parish everyone can and something for his or her growth in understanding the truths of our faith.

3. Beyond the parish. Let us share His Beatitude’s Pastoral Letter on the “Vibrant Parish” with those who have never heard of it. If I have read some good book or seen a film with a positive religious theme, I will share it with others.

Day 4 – Monday

Read: Gospel of John 14:27 – 15:7

Prayer. Remember, O Lord, those who have brought these gifts, and those for whom, through whom, and on behalf of whom they have been brought. Remember, O Lord, those who bear fruit and do good work in Your holy churches, and who remember the poor. Reward them with Your riches and heavenly gifts of grace; for earthly things grant them heavenly ones; for temporal ones, eternal, for corruptible, incorruptible. (Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great)

Missionary tasks.

1. Personal/Family. Let us take interest to learn how my parish lives during the week and whether I might dedicate some of my time or talents. In our families let us take note of our children’s God-given talents and encourage tham to share those talents for the good of others.

2. Parish. Let us express our gratitude to those who over a variety of ministries and services in our parish community. Let us resolve to take an active part in organizational parish meetings, especially for pastoral planning.

3. Beyond the parish. Let us give a good example of [charitable work] volunteerism in the Christian community and invite others to share their gifts, even those who are distant from the Church.

Day 3 – Sunday

Read: Gospel of John 17:1–11

Prayer. Lord, I am here. Lord, I am Yours! (Let us repeat this prayer throughout the day.)

Missionary tasks.

1. Personal/Family. Let us speak to Jesus after Holy Communion using our own words and thank Him for His presence in our life. At home, after Divine Liturgy, let us recite together one of the Prayers of Thanksgiving printed in our prayerbook. Let us make this a family practice.

2. Parish. Upon receiving the Holy Eucharist, let us think about our parish community and remind ourselves that at that very moment we are bound together with one another in the deepest spiritual unity.

3. Beyond the parish. When we exit the church, especially on Sunday, the Day of our Lord, let us make every e ort so that before unbelievers our Christian demeanor be our sermon about a God, who wishes to embrace all humanity unto Himself.

Day 2 – Saturday

Read: Gospel of John 14:10–21

Prayer. Come, O faithful, let us climb the Mount of Olives with the apostles, let us lift our minds and hearts on high. Let us behold the Lord as He is taken up. Let us cry out with joy and thanksgiving. Glory to Your ascension, O most merciful One. (Aposticha, Ascension Thursday)

Missionary tasks.

1. Personal/Family. Let us make an examination of conscience using the catechetical part of our prayer book, and thank God for the gift of liberation from sins, granted especially through Confession. In our family let us establish the practice of a daily forgiveness of offenses, so that we might not go to sleep in anger against one another.

2. Parish. Before celebrating Pentecost, if we have wronged anyone by word or deed, let us resolve to seek their forgiveness and to forgive anyone who may have wronged me.

3. Beyond the parish. There is no one without sin. Today-tomorrow, whomever we meet in person, whoever catches our attention in social media, let us seek to look at each person through the eyes of God, as someone whom the Lord wishes to save.

By “invitation of His Beatitude Sviatoslav and embark together on a pilgrimage towards Pentecost… to proclaim the Good News of Christ’s Gospel to all who seek to hear the Word of God.” The Ukrainian Byzantine Church, indeed, all churches ought to be prayerfully engaged during these days with intense personal prayer and mission (action) for the sake of building up the Body of Christ –the Church on various levels. Personal conversion to Christ is paramount.

The Ukrainian Synod of Bishops proposes to us: “Through our active participation in the spiritual efforts of these ten Mission Days, once again we are called upon to discover and understand anew that our parish communities and families (domestic churches) are missionary in nature. Such understanding flows from the gift of our Baptism, by virtue of which, and through the power of its mystery, we have committed ourselves to believe, live, serve, and share the experience of our faith in Christ; and not simply with our family members, but with everyone we meet in life. Thus, the mission of our parish community is to allow Christ to enter deeper into our lives, to carry the Good News beyond our own community and to support those who expand the boundaries of the Kingdom of God with their missionary activity and chaplaincy ministry.

“From the feast of the Ascension to Pentecost, together with our entire parish community, let us pray that the Lord might renew our life in God by the grace and intercession of the Holy Spirit.

“If circumstances do not allow your parish to conduct Mission Days during the week or if you personally cannot participate in them, you are invited to observe Mission Days in your own home, setting aside at least five minutes of family time in order to read … [what follows] (Word of God, Meditation, Quotation-witness, Prayer), and then to discuss among yourselves the Missionary Tasks provided for each day. Another possibility is to observe Mission Days in a prayerful gathering together with other families, with your neighbors, for example.

Thanks to Bishop Josaphat (Moshchych), Rev. Dr. Oleg Kindiy, V. Rev. Andrew T. Onuferko, S.Th.D. and the UGCC Council for Evangelization

Day 1 – Friday

Read: Gospel of John 14:1–11

Prayer. When You had ful lled Your plan for us and united things on earth with those in heaven, You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, in no way distant, but remaining inseparable, You cried to those who love You: I am with You and there is none against you. (Kontakion, Ascension Thursday)

Missionary tasks.

1. Personal/Family. Let us ask ourselves: do I believe that God loves me personally. Let us pray for those who love us and those who hate us. Today-tomorrow let us show our love to our family members through some unexpected gesture or good deed.

2. Parish. Let us ask ourselves: how do I let my fellow parishioners know that they are my brothers and sisters? Let us go to church always greeting one another. In particular, let those who live alone experience our brotherly or sisterly love.

3. Beyond the parish. Today-tomorrow let us discretely give a compliment to three strangers: at work, while shopping, while taking a train or bus, or just in our neighborhood.