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.

Camp St. Basil

Camp St. Basil

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 when it was decided an overnight camp in the country would provide a highly desirable opportunity to educate Ukrainian Catholic youth in the Catholic faith and Ukrainian culture. It would have greater impact on them than the summer day camps for boys and girls operating…
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Children of Mary

Children of Mary

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, direct petitions to her, and hymns in her honour. Gracious Lady, you pray for all those who with faith take refuge in your powerful protection. We sinners ever in misery and affliction have no other recourse to God than you. We are burdened by many…
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In Their Debt

In Their Debt

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…
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Lord, Have Mercy

Lord, Have Mercy

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…
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If I Don’t Do It, It Won’t Get Done

If I Don’t Do It, It Won’t Get Done

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…
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A Visit to Our Lady of Good Help Maronite Parish

A Visit to Our Lady of Good Help Maronite Parish

by Brent Kostyniuk I have just come from a spiritually uplifting, spiritually rewarding experience—Mass at Our Lady of Good Help Maronite church in Edmonton, presided by Msgr. Joseph Salame. The Maronite Church is one of 22 Eastern Catholic churches in full communion with Rome. Its spiritual head is His Beatitude Bechara Boutros A-Rahi Patriarch of Antioch and the Entire East, who resides in Bkerke, Lebanon is BaBea. The Maronite Church follows the Antiochian or West Syrian Rite, along with the Syro-Malankar and Syrian Churches. The Mass was truly moving. For the most part, it gives praise to God in wonderful…
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Sr. Petronella Dybka, SSMI – A Gift

Sr. Petronella Dybka, SSMI – A Gift

by Brent Kostyniuk Sometimes you are given a gift but don’t realize just how special it really is. The gift may be something you received a long time ago, or perhaps it simply blends in so well, you hardly realize it is there. The gift could be an heirloom of unrealized value which has always been in your family, passed down through the generations. Or the gift could be a person, a person who somehow exhibits all of these traits. For nearly five decades, St. Basil Parish in Edmonton has had just such a gift—Sister Petronella Dybka, SSMI. Back in…
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Tradition

Tradition

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…
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Transfiguration

Transfiguration

by Brent Kostyniuk As a writer, some of the most interesting columns to do are the ones which respond to questions from readers. This is one of them. Marie approached me regarding confusion about the Transfiguration. Was Christ’s divinity truly revealed? The question is a timely one. Now, as we prepare for the Nativity, the celebration of Christ entering the world in human form, it is worthwhile to re-examine that moment when He first revealed his divine nature. Celebrated on August 6, The Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is documented in all three synoptic Gospels.…
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Welcome to the Family

Welcome to the Family

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,…
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