Both Lungs

The continuing series of articles about the relationship and experience between Eastern and Western Catholics as seen through the eyes, mind, and heart of Brent Kostyniuk of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Dec
08
2019
By Brent Kostyniuk

Our Byzantine Heritage

Both Lungs, News
by Brent Kostyniuk As Ukrainian Catholics, we, along with others, are the inheritors of a rich Byzantine Christian tradition. It provides a spirituality abundant in prayers, icons, hymns, and liturgies intended to draw us ever closer to God. It has been our birth-right for over 1000 years since St. Volodymyr arranged the baptism of the Ukrainian people. Even then it was centuries old. However, “Why Byzantine?” you may well ask. The answer lies deep in Christianity, in the first centuries of the Church’s existence. As the early Church grew it formed around five centres - Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Byzantium, and…
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Jul
27
2019
By Brent Kostyniuk

Fortunate

Both Lungs, Liturgy
by Brent Kostyniuk Some years ago there was a popular film titled My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It followed the daughter of a Greek immigrant family in her romance with a very non-ethnic boyfriend. Eventually, romance led to marriage. However, before that could take place, the boyfriend had to be baptized. The girl’s father proudly told the boyfriend, “It is your lucky day to be baptized into the Greek Orthodox Church.” Similarly, it might be said that many of us are fortunate to have been baptized into the Ukrainian Catholic Church. For most, the decision to be baptized was taken…
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Jul
04
2019
By Brent Kostyniuk
Ditpych

Ditpych

Both Lungs
Brent Kostyniuk For Ukrainian Catholics, and indeed all Byzantine Christians, icons are a vital part of their prayer life. So closely linked are the two, some faithful find it difficult to pray without being able to gaze on an icon. Often referred to as windows to heaven, icons are not meant to be realistic images of Jesus, the Theotokos, or the saints as they were on earth. Rather they portray theological truths. For this reason, icons are said to be written, rather than painted. We see the holy person as they are now, glorified in heaven. Praying before an icon…
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Mar
07
2019
By Brent Kostyniuk
Physician of Souls and Bodies

Physician of Souls and Bodies

Both Lungs, News
by Brent Kostyniuk “Cure the sick, O physician of our souls and bodies.” So we pray at each Divine Liturgy. This petition reminds us not only of our need for healing but helps us to recall the many miracles of healing which Jesus performed during his public ministry. During those three years, our Lord showed His compassion for the sick, the suffering, the destitute, and even the dead. In performing these miracles, Jesus revealed both his divinity and his humanity. In like manner, when we show love towards others, we reflect the compassion which ultimately comes from God. In His…
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Nov
28
2018
By Brent Kostyniuk
New Religion Resource – Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ

New Religion Resource – Growing in Faith, Growing in Christ

Both Lungs
by Brent Kostyniuk Breathing through both lungs is the expression St. John Paul II used on many occasions to express his great desire for the Church—both East and West—to be united in our common faith in the Triune God. In order to be united, however, we must first know and understand each other. Looking at the Catholic Church, the vast majority, some 1.2 billion faithful, are aligned with the West—the Latin Church. A mere 16 million Catholics, or 1.5 %, belong to one of 23 Eastern Catholic Churches. Clearly, the task of learning about the other lung is more difficult…
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Oct
30
2018
By Brent Kostyniuk
Minor Orders

Minor Orders

Both Lungs, News
by Brent Kostyniuk Each time we participate in the Divine Liturgy, we pray the Nicene Creed, the profession of our Faith, our faith in the Triune God, our faith in the Church and our faith in the next world. Among the articles we profess are the marks or signs of the Church—one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. By apostolic, we mean there is a direct succession from the Apostles to the clergy who serve. Of those clerics, we are most familiar with the major orders: deacon, priest, and bishop. Along with these, however, are the lesser known minor orders. According to…
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May
14
2018
By Brent Kostyniuk
A Journey Together

A Journey Together

Both Lungs
by Brent Kostyniuk When you are on a journey, it’s good to stop once in a while to check not only where you are going, but where you have been. Not that long ago every car had a glove compartment full of road maps, now replaced by GPS . However, there was something intriguing about looking at a map. By finding your current location, you could see how far you had come and how much further you had to go. Our Christian journey is a bit like that. Every now and then it is good to take stock of your…
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Apr
02
2018
By Brent Kostyniuk
Bread of Life

Bread of Life

Both Lungs, , ,
by Brent Kostyniuk As we all know, at the Last Supper, Jesus gave humanity the most precious gift it would ever receive, when He changed bread and wine into His Body and Blood. Since that time, those who follow Him have continuously heeded His exhortation to “...do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19). Jesus’ institution of the Holy Eucharist most likely came in the context of a traditional Passover meal. It recalls the night of the tenth and final plague when lamb’s blood was spread on doorframes to protect the Israelite’s firstborn children. According to custom, early in the…
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Feb
20
2018
By Brent Kostyniuk
Our Precious Monasteries

Our Precious Monasteries

Both Lungs
by Brent Kostyniuk When the pioneer settlers came to the Prairies, they brought with them precious possessions that would remind them of the lives they had left behind; keepsakes that would help see them through the challenges and hardships that would be inevitable in the new land. While material goods were essential, they also brought with them a more valuable intangible possession—their faith. Settling on homesteads in the vast wilderness, the pioneers had little to support their efforts to build new homes and raise children. Neighbours were few and far between, stores and doctors often dozens of miles away. Yet…
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Jan
18
2018
By Brent Kostyniuk
Sharing Jordan

Sharing Jordan

Both Lungs,
by Brent Kostyniuk Today the darkness of the world vanishes with the appearance of our God. Today the celestials celebrate with the terrestrials, and the terrestrials commune with the celestials. The Great Service for the Sanctification of the Water Christians both East and West are united in their celebration of feast days, or holy days, which commemorate significant events in our salvation history. Christmas and Easter are universally recognized as momentous events in re-establishing our relationship with God. Perhaps equally significant is the feast celebrated January 6. Although the moment chosen to celebrate differs between East and West as does…
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