Greetings of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon to Metropolitan Onufriy for the Feast of Saint Onuphrios
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon congratulated His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine on the Feast Day of Saint Onuphrios the Great.
Your Beatitude, Dear Brother and Concelebrant in the Lord’s Mysteries,
I congratulate you and wish you many years on your name day, the feast of the Holy Desert Father Onuphrios the Great. May the day be celebrated in peace and in joy, together with those dear to you both near and far.
Our Father Onuphrios lived a life of silence, solitude, and contemplation in the desert of Egypt, drawing near to God through this unique path. While your lot in life has been different, to live of a life of preaching, leadership, and activity in the world, you yet struggle to imitate your heavenly patron in prayer and asceticism. Your silent prayer and contemplation is offered up in the midst of the masses, and your ascetic labor is to diligently shepherd the faithful of Kyiv and Ukraine. May you continue in such good works, ever drawing yourself and the people nearer to our Lord!
Praying for your good health, and the quick dissipation of the Coronavirus epidemic in Ukraine and throughout the world, I wish you many years on this festive day.
Many years, dear Vladyka Onufriy!
With warm regards and best wishes in Christ,
+TIKHON
Archbishop of Washington
Metropolitan of All America and Canada