Father Richard Soo says Ukrainian Catholics sing ‘Lord have mercy’ dozens of times during liturgy
The B.C. Catholic
NEW WESTMINSTER
Pope Francis declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy this year, but Ukrainian Catholics have been putting the emphasis on mercy for centuries.
“Mercy is a huge thing in our church. It’s about 85 or 87 per cent of our Mass. If you learn ‘Lord have mercy,’ you’ve got most of the Mass,” said Father Richard Soo, SJ.
“There are times when we sing it 12 times. There are times we sing it 40 times. And if you’re in a monastery, there are times when you’d sing it 100 times on the spot.”
Father Soo is the pastor of Dormition of the Mother of God Parish in Richmond, a parish within the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster.
He shared his church’s understanding of mercy with a busload of Roman Catholics and other visitors at Holy Eucharist Cathedral in New Westminster March 18.
He said the word mercy comes from the Hebrew hesed. “Hesed is a word full of deep meanings. The most important meaning is love, not just any kind of love: self-sacrificing love, unconditional love.”
That is the kind of love that God has for His children. “In our church, we are constantly praying for God’s mercy, praying for God’s love, begging for God’s love.”
There are more meanings behind the phrase “Lord have mercy.” Father Soo said it is an admission of sin, an expression of a need for God, and a testimony to His love.
“We’re not just begging for God’s love. We’re also, at the same time, constantly confessing God’s love. Constant prayer is not constantly ignored. Every time we say ‘Lord have mercy,’ God says: ‘I love you.'”
Father Soo and cathedral rector Father Stepan Dovhoshyia then invited their guests to sing a litany in the cathedral, decorated in gold-laden icons.
The event was part of a one-day pilgrimage organized by Anne Wicks, a member of St. Joseph the Worker Parish and the head of its ministry to seniors.
“The pilgrimage contributed to building community among the senior adults of our parish,” she said. “The way in which the day came together was clearly the work of the Holy Spirit among us and within us.”
After stepping through the cathedral’s holy door and learning about mercy, the pilgrims travelled to St. Peter’s Church in New Westminster to learn about refugee sponsorship, then to St. Ann’s in Abbotsford to talk about prison ministry, and finally to a White Rock beach to let it all soak in.
“Singing the prayers in the Ukrainian liturgical tradition with Father Soo and Father Stepan Dovhoshyia was so inspirational, a favourite part of the pilgrimage for me,” said participant Mavis Giroday.
Many in the group were not aware the Archdiocese of Vancouver runs a ministry to prisoners. Giroday felt “moved and inspired” when she learned about this work of mercy through a video and testimonies from volunteers.
Pilgrim Jocelyne Walter said the trip across the Lower Mainland was “just what the soul needs at times like these.”
She was thankful to learn about mercy and the practical ways to live it. “This pilgrimage opened up new doors for me.”
