From Mukachevo, Sister Ligy Payyappilly writes: in Ukraine, there are “many mothers who mourn their children just as Mary suffered before the Cross for her beloved Son.” For her, “the more this war goes on, the more innocent people will die”. Yet, “We believe and know that God is with us. Easter will come for us too.” So, “please continue to pray” for peace.
Mukachevo (AsiaNews) – What does it mean to live on Good Friday in war-torn Ukraine? Sister Ligy Payyappilly, a nun from Kerala member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Saint Mark, is living through it in her mission in Mukachevo, Western Ukraine. AsiaNews is publishing her experience alongside the victims of the conflict. “This war has become our Good Friday,” she writes. “But we know that Easter comes after” at the “dawn of the Resurrection”.
For us, this is the time of the Way of the Cross. It all started eight years ago and now, since 24 February, this war has become our Good Friday.
We know that when Jesus went up from Pilate to Golgotha, his face and clothes covered in blood. The same is happening today in Ukraine; the blood of the innocent is everywhere.
Truly here we can meet many mothers who mourn their children just as Mary suffered before the Cross for her beloved Son. I am sure that Our Lady is interceding for Ukrainian mothers. She can understand the pain of these mothers.
For Ukraine, the more this war goes on, the more innocent people will die, especially women and children. Here we can see so much cruelty – 9-, 10-, 11-year-old girls raped by Russian soldiers and killed. Today Golgotha is really in Ukraine.
But we know that Easter comes after Good Friday. We believe and know that God is with us.
Easter will come for us too; our sufferings will end. Let us pray that the dawn of the Resurrection may come for us too.
Jesus died for us. He knows our sufferings and can understand us. We are waiting for our Easter, especially for Ukraine, an Easter of hope and peace.
Thank you for your closeness; please continue to pray that this war may end.
(Nirmala Carvalho contributed to this article)