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.

Jun
11
2014
By Brent Kostyniuk

Both Sides

Both Lungs, Christian Life, Faith
by Brent Kostyniuk “I’ve looked at life from both sides now…” I’m sure Joni Mitchell’s words mean something different to just about everyone who hears them. Over the past several months, they have taken on a special new meaning for me, as I reflect on St. John Paul II’s famous exhortation that the Church needs to breathe through both lungs - East and West. For the past five years, this column has used the saint’s words as a focus in attempting to spread knowledge and appreciation of Eastern theology and spirituality to those from the Christian West. Often, the theme…
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May
06
2014
By Brent Kostyniuk

Ut Unum Sint

Both Lungs, Christian Life, Faith
by Brent Kostyniuk As this marks the fiftieth appearance of the Both Lungs column, it seems appropriate to learn more about the context in which Saint John Paul II made the remark from which this column takes its title and its theme. As it turns out, he used the phrase many times. However, one which seems most relevant to this column was in the encyclical Ut Unum Sint [That They May Be One] given on May 25, 1995. Ut Unum Sint looked ahead to the year 2000 and the Jubilee of the Incarnation of the Son of God. It builds…
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May
02
2014
By Brent Kostyniuk
An Encounter with the Shroud

An Encounter with the Shroud

Both Lungs, News
by Brent Kostyniuk Both Lungs is about East and West, the belief and spiritual heritage we share as Catholics, and the elements of our respective traditions which are different. It is about unity in diversity. Now during Lent, or the Great Fast as it known in the East, an opportunity has come to encounter a part of our mutual heritage which is held in deep regard throughout the Christian world - the Shroud of Turin. On Monday March 3 (the beginning of the Great Fast for Eastern Catholics) the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton celebrated with the solemn exposition of…
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Jan
17
2014
By Brent Kostyniuk

You Say Potato

Both Lungs, Faith
by Brent Kostyniuk One of my son-in-laws is fond of saying, “You say pot-ay-to and I say pot-ah-to.”  He usually makes the comment towards the end of a long conversation when we have been discussing cars or modern technology.  We never really argue and our discussions never become heated.  However, we come from different generations and tend to look at many things in different ways.  Still, we understand each other and respect each other’s viewpoint.  Essentially, his remark means we have agreed to disagree. Mutual understanding is the key.  I understand why he has the viewpoint he does, and I’m…
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Dec
20
2013
By Brent Kostyniuk

Light from the East

Both Lungs
by Brent Kostyniuk If at times Both Lungs seems to take on a bit of a defensive tone, it is, perhaps, justified. It is, after all, nearly 120 years since Pope Leo XIII issued the apostolic constitution Orientalium Dignitas. In it, the Pope praised the Eastern Churches and extolled their place in the Catholic Church. “The Churches of the East are worthy of the glory and reverence that they hold throughout the whole of Christendom in virtue of those extremely ancient, singular memorials that they have bequeathed to us. For it was in that part of the world that the…
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Dec
20
2013
By Brent Kostyniuk
The Nativity Icon

The Nativity Icon

Both Lungs, Liturgy,
by Brent Kostyniuk It is often said that icons are windows onto heaven. Indeed, that is exactly what they are meant to be. In their beauty, in their unique artistic style, and in the theology they convey, icons do lead us away from this world and into the next. Unlike other forms of religious art, icons are not meant to be realistic. As the noted Canadian iconographer Myroslaw Tataryn explains, “...they are symbols that reveal, in an artistic manner, a profound spiritual truth - the mysterious reality of God’s presence in human life.” The question of whether or not it…
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Dec
20
2013
By Brent Kostyniuk
Bodily Worship

Bodily Worship

Both Lungs
by Brent Kostyniuk Both Lungs is about East and West. It is about diversity and unity in the universal Catholic Church. However, it is also about the diversity which exists in the East. That diversity leads to richness. Such diversity exists in one of the most basic aspects of Christian life - prayer. This time, Both Lungs looks at the varying gestures Eastern Christians use when praying - bodily worship. Eastern worship is a very sensual thing. Incense is burned and with it our sense of smell reminds us our prayers are meant to rise to heaven. Icons cover the…
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Dec
20
2013
By Brent Kostyniuk

The Jesus Prayer

Both Lungs, Prayer,
by Brent Kostyniuk When Peter Pan wants to teach Wendy and the other children how to fly, one of the prerequisites is the need to think a happy thought. A happy thought, it is said, will give you wings. For me, there is a happy thought which gives wings to my spirit - it is the Jesus Prayer. One of the hallmarks of Eastern spirituality is meditation, a discipline brought to near-perfection by the Desert Fathers and Mothers. The Jesus Prayer is a short repetitive prayer, which is profound and deeply mystical. Indeed, in a few short words, it expresses…
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