Sunday, August 9, 2026From the news

The Collector of Souls: Mercy in the Shadow of War

In Oleksiy Yukov's heroic recovery of the war dead, even of enemies, we find echoes of ancient mercy and the comforting promise that the souls of the just rest safely in God's hands.

But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their going away was thought to be a disaster— and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.

Wisdom 3:1-3

He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting those who had fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought.

2 Maccabees 12:43-45

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

In these shadowed days, as news reaches us from Ukraine, our hearts ache with the people there. Oleksiy Yukov, tenderly called the 'collector of souls,' devoted two decades to the solemn work of recovering the bodies of soldiers fallen in war—many of them Ukrainians, but also Russians, his nation's adversaries. This gentle man, who honored the dignity of every human person even in death, stepped on a landmine during one such mission and gave his life. Ukraine mourns him deeply, and so do we, for in his story we glimpse the raw pain of conflict and the quiet heroism born of mercy.

God sees this sorrow, my friends. He is near to the brokenhearted, as the Psalmist assures us, and He gathers every tear. Let us sit for a moment with this grief—the horror of landmines that claim the merciful, the endless toll of war on families and lands. Yet even here, the Lord whispers consolation through His Word, inviting us to see beyond the grave.

Consider the words from the Book of Wisdom: 'But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their going away was thought to be a disaster— and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace.' Oleksiy Yukov, in faithfully tending to the fallen, lived as one of the just. To the world, his death on that forsaken field may seem a cruel waste, but to God, it is precious. His soul rests secure, untouched by torment, wrapped in divine peace. Take heart, dear ones; the Lord holds him close.

This echoes the ancient witness of Judas Maccabeus, who, after a fierce battle, gathered the bodies of his fallen comrades: 'He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting those who had fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought.' Here is the heart of our Catholic faith: burying the dead is a corporal work of mercy, affirming the body's dignity as temple of the Holy Spirit. Judas collected the war dead not in despair, but in hope of resurrection, offering prayers for their purification. So too Oleksiy, bridging enmity by honoring Russian and Ukrainian alike, embodied solidarity and mercy, those pillars of our social teaching.

Like Mary at the foot of the Cross, who pondered her Son's broken body with unyielding trust, let us remember that every act of love for the suffering Christ endures. The Church invites us to this mercy in the sacraments—especially Eucharist and Anointing—where we encounter the Risen Lord who conquered death. Amid Ukraine's trials, may we too pray for the dead, commend the living to God's care, and hold fast to hope.

Oleksiy's life reminds us: even in war's darkness, mercy shines, and God's faithful are never lost. Rest in that truth today, my friends. The Resurrection dawns.