A Grim Anniversary in Ukraine

 

Loving God,

We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that you will be close to them and protect them.

We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.

We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.

May we walk in your ways
so that peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world.

Amen.   (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) 

The Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was in Ukraine today for the grim anniversary of Russia's unwarranted and unlawful invasion of its neighbour three years ago. He was there to renew support and pledge more pracitcal help for beleaguered Ukraine. Somehow this much smaller country (pop. 38 million) has repelled the forces of Russia (144 million) when many of us figured the conquest would take a matter of days. We got an idea of Ukrainian resolve almost immediately with images of farmers towing Russian tanks that had been abandoned. 

I grieve for the people of Ukraine, for lost lives and disruption of everyday life, for those who are living in exile and wonder if they will ever go home. I pray for the soldiers on both sides who live in a constant state of anxiety and fear. 

While we know that this is a war of aggression by Russia we can mourn the deaths of roughly 100,000 Russian soldiers, many of whom were sent into the fray without adequate training or even knowing what they were fighting for. We've learned over time that daily life in Russia has remained unchanged in large portions of the country and in cities. Recruits have been drawn from rural and impoverished areas. The senselessness of it all, the vanity of the dictator Putin, is staggering. 

Now another dictator-in-waiting is withdrawing support from Ukraine and attempting to orchestrate a cessation in fighting that is not peace in any real way. The Emperor Trump has declared Ukraine's President Zelensky a dictator and insists that Ukraine started the war. I'm glad to see that the United Nations has rejected a US resolution to end the conflict without noting Russian aggression. 

We can pray that there will not be a fourth anniversary of the commencement of the war because honset and lasting peace has finally been achieved.  

We can also pray for faith leaders in Ukraine who are presiding at the funerals of the innocent and warriors and are attempting to be Christ's presence in the midst of hell on Earth.