by Brent Kostyniuk On numerous occasions, St. John Paul II exhorted all Catholics, and indeed all Christians, to appreciate that the Church had to breathe through both lungs—East and West. The message was so important to him that the Pontiff issued the Apostolic Letter Orientale Lumen [The Light of the East]. With a sense of […]
by Brent Kostyniuk When our daughter Victoria was quite young, one of her favourite Bible stories was that of Jesus roasting fish by the shore of a lake and calling Peter over to join him. It remains one of my favourite images of the Risen Christ. It is a very comforting image. Jesus has returned […]
by Brent Kostyniuk One of the most distinctive features of the interior of a Byzantine church is its iconostasis, a richly decorated icon screen which establishes the altar area. Far from being a wall which isolates the nave from the sanctuary, theologically the iconostasis actually serves to bring the two together. In Byzantine theology, the […]
by Brent Kostyniuk While Jesus lived on earth, one of His great ministries was healing the sick. The Gospels are filled with accounts of these miracles which teach us of His merciful love and compassion. So often, however, physical healing was linked to spiritual healing. Indeed, His primary concern was the salvation of souls. Jesus’ […]
by Brent Kostyniuk As Christians, one of the things we most strive for is to trust God. Most of us are familiar with the image of Christ with His arms extended towards us, offering His Divine Love and Protection—Jesus, I trust You—this holy image admonishes us. Trust comes in many forms and degrees. Ultimately, we […]
by Brent Kostyniuk In you, O Full of Grace, all creation rejoices: the angelic ranks and all the human race. Sanctified temple and spiritual paradise, virgins’ pride and boast, from whom God is made flesh and became a little Child; and He Who is our God before the ages, He made your womb a throne, […]
by Brent Kostyniuk Those who are old enough will remember the Baltimore Catechism. We spent religion class after religion class memorizing the commandments, the prayers, and those concise statements which defined our relationship with God. At the time, that Catechism, more than anything, seemed to encapsulate the Catholic faith. However, as importance as it was, […]
by Brent Kostyniuk Although the Catholic Church consists of 23 separate or sui iuris Churches, over 98 per cent of her members belong to the Latin, or Roman, Church. The remainder belong to the 22 Eastern Churches, which include Coptic, Maronite, and Ukrainian Catholics among others, Put another way, of the 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, […]
by Brent Kostyniuk Thank goodness they still exist. Many decades ago, parish operated summer camps were a common feature on the prairies, however few remain. A remarkable exception is Camp St. Basil located about 45 miles south west of Edmonton near Mulhurst Bay on Pigeon Lake. The spark for Camp St. Basil came in 1950 […]
by Brent Kostyniuk In the Ukrainian Catholic Church, the months of May and October are set aside for special devotion to the Mother of God. Commonly, this devotion takes the form of a Moleben, or prayer service, dedicated to her. Patterned after the Divine Liturgy, it includes general petitions, a Gospel reading specifically about Mary, […]
