Brent Kostyniuk

Jul

04

2023

Theotokos

Both Lungs

by Brent Kostyniuk Ukrainians have a deep devotion and love for the Mother of God. In fact, along with other Byzantine traditions, they have a unique title for her – Theotokos. The term Theotokos is a compound of two Greek words: Θεός (Theo) meaning God, and τόκος (tokos) meaning childbirth or offspring. A literal translation would be “God-bearing one” although a customary English translation is “Mother of God.” The use of the term Theotokos is very ancient. As early as the third century, Christians were turning to the Theotokos as evidenced in this Coptic prayer of that time: “Under your…

Mar

20

2023

By Brent Kostyniuk

Vichnaya Pamyat – Eternal Memory

Both Lungs, Christian Life, Liturgy

by Brent Kostyniuk As adherents to Byzantine tradition, Ukrainian Catholics place great emphasis on commemorating relatives and friends who have passed from this life. We pray their memory will be eternal, both on this earth and in God’s love. We do this in a variety of ways beginning with the moment of a loved one’s death. Christ Our Pascha, the catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, guides us in this manner. At death, a person leaves this world and stands before God. For a worthy encounter with the Lord, the deceased needs the prayerful support of the living, as…

Dec

18

2022

By Brent Kostyniuk

St. Nicholas

Both Lungs, Faithnicholas

by Brent Kostyniuk Of all the saints commemorated in the Byzantine liturgical year, one of the most beloved surely has to be our Holy Father Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra. Although not exclusively a Ukrainian saint, he has won a special place in the hearts of Ukrainians. In Canada alone, there some two dozen Ukrainian Catholic parishes dedicated to his memory. Come December, no Christmas concert is complete without a visit from St. Nicholas, dressed in his bishop’s vestments, arriving to bring presents for the children. In return, he is serenaded with O, Xto, Xto a carol telling of…

Nov

14

2022

By Brent Kostyniuk

Love

Both Lungs

by Brent Kostyniuk It is said the most popular theme for songs is love. That is probably true. All You Need is Love, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Bye Bye Love, and of course, Muskrat Love (go ahead, Google it!). The same goes for movies. What would Christmas be without watching Love Actually? Love is central to our lives. I love my wife, I love my children, and I especially love nachos and salsa. I also love my daughter’s cat, but only sometimes. So, it seems love is a universal theme. Yet, what does the theme of a pop song…

Mar

14

2022

By Brent Kostyniuk

Children in Church

Both Lungs

by Brent Kostyniuk At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-3). How often have we heard these words and tried to apply them to ourselves, to our own lives? We can understand Jesus’ message that we need to have the unconditional trust and faith of children in accepting His teaching.…

Dec

07

2021

By Brent Kostyniuk

Being Ukrainian Catholic

Both Lungs, Faith

by Brent Kostyniuk In certain ways, it is easy being Ukrainian Catholic in a city like Edmonton. Ukrainians form fourteen percent of the population and have been there since the first Ukrainian pioneers arrived in the 1890s. The city is the seat of one of Canada’s five Ukrainian Catholic Eparchies and boasts nine Ukrainian Catholic parishes. No matter where you live in the city, there will be a parish within a short drive. Ukrainians are everywhere—you can even go into any grocery store and buy kobassa and frozen pyrohy. Church and heritage go hand in hand. So it is that…

Oct

30

2021

By Brent Kostyniuk

The Biblical Liturgy

Both Lungs

by Brent Kostyniuk Some years ago, a new priest in our parish caused a great stir when he delivered his first sermon—he brought a Bible with him to the pulpit. Not only did he bring a Bible, but he also quoted passages from it as he preached. “What’s going on here? Is he trying to turn us into Protestants? We are Catholic, we don’t read the Bible in church.” In fact, just the opposite is true. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom draws heavily on Holy Scripture, both directly and indirectly. While this may be surprising to some, it…

May

06

2021

By Brent Kostyniuk

Ever Changing Liturgy

Both Lungs, Liturgy

by Brent Kostyniuk A youngish man gets woken up by his wife on Sunday morning. “Time to get ready for church.” “No! I’m not going today.” “Give me three good reasons why,” his wife replied. “It’s always the same. The sermons are boring. Besides, I went last week. Give me three good reasons why I should go.” “It’s your duty. The Divine Liturgy is what you make of it. Besides, you are the priest.” One of the most commonly raised excuses for not attending Divine Liturgy regularly is that it is always the same. The reality is nothing could be…

Mar

22

2021

By Brent Kostyniuk

All You Orthodox Christians

Both Lungs, News

by Brent Kostyniuk A priest once told me how he had been chastised by an upset parishioner because he prayed for the Orthodox Church during the Divine Liturgy. We both got a chuckle out of the story; however, it did point to a misunderstanding. The prayer, repeated several times during the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, is intended for something quite different from the parishioner’s understanding. Specifically, during the Ektenia of Fervent Supplication, the following petition is prayed by the priest. “We also pray for the people here present who await Your great and bountiful mercies, for those who…

Dec

22

2020

By Brent Kostyniuk

Icons, but not Statues

Both Lungs, Faith

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.” This is how Prince Vladimir’s emissaries described their experience of Byzantine Christianity in 987, leading to the baptism of Kiev in 988. No doubt, the emissaries’ feelings were shaped by the richness of the Byzantine Tradition – they heard the beautiful singing, they smelled the…