Brent Kostyniuk

by Brent Kostyniuk Whenever I look at this photograph of my grandparents, I want to ask them what they are thinking. What drove you and your family to leave your home and travel to an unknown country, with a foreign language you had never even heard spoken before? Was it the tyranny? Was it the poverty? Or was it more? What are your dreams? What trials have you overcome to get this far? There are just so many things I would like to know. There is, however, one thing I do know. I owe a great debt to my gido…

by Brent Kostyniuk We give You thanks, O invisible King, for by Your infinite power You created all things and, in Your great mercy, brought all things from nothingness into being. Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Mercy is central to our Faith. So central, in fact, that Pope Francis made it the theme of an Extraordinary Holy Year which began on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception [in the Roman Catholic Church]. This is the first Holy Year to celebrate, not an anniversary of some kind, but the attribute of God the Father which is…

by Brent Kostyniuk A young lady told me that one of her most poignant memories of her father was watching him make hamburger patties one day. The meat was still partially frozen and it was obvious his hands were suffering from the cold. She asked him why he was doing it if it hurt so much. He replied, “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done.” Life is like that. We are often presented with situations which, if given the choice, we would rather avoid. I used to feel that way about Lent, or the Great Fast as it…

by Brent Kostyniuk In the movie Fiddler on the Roof, the village milkman, Tevye lives his life according to the dictates of Tradition. However, he often does not know the reason for a particular tradition, only that it must be followed. While Tradition plays an important part in Tevye’s life, it is a vital element of Christian theology, especially Eastern theology. In his book, The Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Kallistos Ware writes about the significance of tradition for Eastern Christians, notably as it contributes to its changelessness, its loyalty with the past. “This idea of living continuity may be summed up…

by Brent Kostyniuk An event which was both inspiring and joyous recently took place at St. Basil church in Edmonton. On Sunday September 13, 2015 Brother Agapey Lutsyk, OSBM made his Profession of Vows in the Order of St. Basil the Great of St. Josaphat. Solemn Profession is the rite at which a brother makes a lifelong commitment to the Order. It takes place in the context of a Divine Liturgy and is generally presided over by the Provincial Superior, in this case Father Gabriel Haber, OSBM. Arriving at the altar, Brother Agapey made three great prostrations to the floor,…

by Brent Kostyniuk I think what I love most about summer vacations is the way they manage to surprise, even when it seems a situation could not possibly hold any surprises. Yet, that is exactly what happened again this summer. Before I tell you about the serendipitous event, let me remind you what Both Lungs is all about. The expression was coined by St. John Paul II who said the Church must breathe through Both Lungs. In fact, he said it numerous times, and in slightly different contexts. One instance where he used the phrase was in the encyclical Ut…