Christian Life – Page 2

Sep

01

2025

Spiritual Significance of the Liturgical Year

Christian Life, Liturgy

by Fr. Julian Katrijtranslated by Fr. Demetrius Wysochansky, OSBMIn the pastoral letter written by our bishops and the Archbishop Major Cardinal Joseph Slipyj at the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council (1965), we read: “The Liturgical cycle of our Church is very rich. Our Liturgical Constitutions guide the faithful throughout the whole year and continuously place before their eyes the mysteries of the life, passion, death, and resurrection of our Divine Saviour, the grandeur of the Divine Motherhood and powerful intercession of the most Holy Virgin Mary, the lives of holy men and women, who by their heroic imitation of…

Aug

31

2025

By Respected Author

Our Liturgical Year

Christian Life, Faith, Liturgy

by Fr. Julian Katrijtranslated by Fr. Demetrius Wysochansky, OSBMO Author of all created things Who has establishedthe seasons and the years, bless the crown of the yearwith your goodness, O Lord.Troparion of the Indiction Our Eastern Rite is a priceless heritage and treasure of the Eastern Church and our Ukrainian people. It is noted for its venerable antiquity, its profound content, its mysticism, symbolism, and magnificent liturgical ceremonies. Developed by the greatest and most gifted of the faithful of the Eastern Church of different ages, countries and peoples, it has been sanctified by the prayers, tears, and sacrifices of the…

Mar

02

2025

By Respected Author

A Fastless Fast?

Christian LifeFasting, Great Lent

Cheesefare Sunday is traditionally the last day for eating dairy products until Pascha, as the Great Fast begins tomorrow. This poses a problem in our society where meat and dairy are the substance of every meal. Some people say that they cannot do without meat and so they only fast sporadically. By this they may mean they need protein and are not aware of other sources of protein, such as beans, peas, soy products (tofu), as well as seeds and nuts. But it is perhaps more likely that people miss the taste of meat, fish or dairy products more than…

May

27

2024

By Fr. Michael Winn

Wondering what to eat this Apostles’ Fast?

Christian Life

Turns out that as Pascha was rather early this year, we have a much longer Apostles' Fast than usual. It runs May 27 to June 28, a full 32 days - almost as long as the Great Fast! You may be wondering what to eat through this fasting period of the Church Year. Well, over at ByziMom they have you covered with new recipes appearing! They even have a book ready for purchase! Head on over to ByziMom for your lenten recipes! ByziMom Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Nov

01

2023

By Fr. Michael Winn

The House of the Lord: A Biblical Catechesis on the Temple

Christian Life

Join a free and exciting God With Us Institute certificate course on the theology of God’s dwelling with us in the temples of the Old and New Testaments! Based on the book, The House of the Lord: A Catholic Biblical Theology of God's Temple Presence in the Old and New Testaments by Steven C. Smith Published by Franciscan University Press Dr. Steven Smith, PhDHe earned his Ph.D. in New Testament and Early Christianity from Loyola University of Chicago (2008). His "Lord" trilogy—The Word of the Lord, The House of the Lord, and The Face of the Lord (2012-20)—is highly regarded…

Jul

26

2023

By Respected Author

The Fast of the Dormition – Spasiwka

Christian Life

From the book, A Byzantine Rite Liturgical Year, by Fr. Julian Katrij, OSBM, translated by Fr. Demtrius Wysochansky, OSBM. Christians of the first centuries always prepared themselves for great feasts with fasting and prayer. Gradually shorter or longer fasts developed from this sacred practice. The Great Fast before the glorious feast of the Pasch occupies first place among the fasts. Soon before the feast of the Nativity, the fast of St. Philip came into practice. From a special cult in honour of SS. Peter and Paul, there arose a fast called Petriwka or Peter’s Fast. And finally, came the most…

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…

Jul

18

2022

By Fr. Michael Winn

Becoming Byzantine

Christian Life, Faith, News

The series, Becoming Byzantine, is intended to be an online introduction to Byzantine Catholic Faith, Worship, and Life, based on the teachings of the catechism, Christ Our Pascha. Each month, the series sponsors a 90-minute webinar which will serve as a conversation introducing the topics and themes from the Catechism (which can be read afterwards), as well as from the recorded videos that will be available on our YouTube Channel. This can be used for individual, group, or parish study. You can view the entire series here.

May

14

2021

By Fr. Michael Winn

The Season of Pentecost – Mission Days Guidebook

Christian Life, News

By taking an active role in the spiritual efforts of these ten Mission Days, we are called to better understand that, by their very nature, our parish communities and families (domestic churches) have a missionary character. This missionary spirit is a consequence of the gift of our Baptism, by virtue of which we, as Christians, take upon ourselves the responsibility to believe, live, serve, and share the witness of our faith in Christ, not just among our family members, but with our neighbours, wherever we may live. Thus, the mission of our parish community is to allow our Lord to…

Mar

28

2020

By Fr. Andrij Onuferko

The Domestic Church: A Place of Prayer and Blessing. Food for Thought in a Time of Pandemic

Christian Life

by Very Rev. Andrij Onuferko As we are confronted with the reality of our churches being closed to the general public, we have been given a unique opportunity to build up and strengthen our Christian home as domestic church. In the Vibrant Parish program, we encouraged our parishes to fulfil their mission as “a place to encounter the living Christ.” Today we have an opportunity to extend that same understanding of encounter with Christ to the place where we live, be it with our immediate family or community, or by ourselves. In order for this to happen, we need to…