by Rev. Msgr. Russell A. Duker from Christ-bearers – Meditations for the Pre-Christmas Fast, Christmas, and Theophany The oldest Christian feast is the Resurrection of our Lord or Easter. This Holy Day includes a whole cycle of feasts such as the Ascension and Pentecost. It is the great feast of our redemption and sanctification. Later Holy […]
St Gregory of Nazlanzus sums up the Eastern Christian view of Christmas in his famous statement that the Nativity of Christ “is not a festival of creation but a festival of recreation.” The birth of Christ, although a historical event, is not an end but a means to the renewal, sanctification, and recreation of the […]
Pastoral Letter of the Ukrainian Catholic Hierarchy of the USA Behold, I am about to do something new!Now it already springs forth; do you not see it?(Is. 43:19) Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We are commencing the Fast of St. Philip, embarking on a journey that culminates in the contemplation of an indescribable mystery […]
From the book, A Byzantine Rite Liturgical Year, by Fr. Julian Katrij, OSBM, translated by Fr. Demtrius Wysochansky, OSBM. Christians of the first centuries always prepared themselves for great feasts with fasting and prayer. Gradually shorter or longer fasts developed from this sacred practice. The Great Fast before the glorious feast of the Pasch occupies […]
by Brent Kostyniuk “Then we went on to Greece, and the Greeks led us to the edifices where they worship their God, and we knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. For on earth there is no such splendour or such beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it.” […]
Homilies of Fr. Andriy Chirovsky We are happy to present the recorded homilies of Fr. Andriy Chirovsky, Founder and Professor of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies, Pastor of St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Tuscon, Arizona, and one of the founders of Royal Doors. 2017 December 31 – Sunday after […]
WITH THE FIRST SCENT of cooler weather in the air, merchants begin marketing potential Christmas gifts. As the holiday nears, the shopping frenzy intensifies with music, parties and decorations all telling us “Hurry up and buy something.” Our Church, on the other hand, tells us that it’s time for renewed fasting and almsgiving. Gift-giving as […]
ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR CHANTS in our Church is the kondakion of Christ’s Nativity, “Today the Virgin gives birth…” What many do not know is that this hymn is an excerpt from a much longer work and that it was written by St Romanos the Melodist. Who is This Saint? St Romanos was born […]
January 1 The Circumcision of Our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ; Our Father Among the Saints Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia (379) January 3 Sunday before Theophany, Octoechos Tone 7; the Holy Prophet Malachi (5th c. BC); the Holy Martyr Gordius (313-24) January 5 Theophany Eve; The Holy Martyrs Theopemptus and […]
The American Shopping Season is at hand. Some people will spend it jostling for bargains; others will pass the time lamenting the commercialization of Christmas. The Eastern Churches, on the other hand, encourage their faithful to prepare for this feast by fasting. Each of these Churches has a pre-Nativity Fast, but each Church observes it […]
