Featured Articles – Page 25

Oct

26

2013

Christ Calls a Demoniac

Faith, Featured Articles

THE GOSPELS RECORD SEVERAL INSTANCES when the Lord Jesus called people to be His followers. At times He called people to leave their homes and livelihoods and follow Him. He called Peter and Andrew, James and John as they were busy fishing “and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him” (Matthew 4:22). Similarly Matthew walked away from his toll booth and followed Jesus (cf., Matthew 9:9); the other disciples whose calls are not recorded in the Gospels did the same. Sometimes the Lord called but was refused. The cost of following Jesus was more than some…

Sep

24

2013

By Fr. Roman Planchak

The True Glory of God

Faith, Featured Articles

THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST was manifested to Moses on Sinai in great power. The prophet Elias, trusting in the Almighty One, called down fire from heaven to consume his offerings. The leaders of Israel, seeking to glorify this God of power and might, built one temple after another. Jews flocked there on the great feasts to experience the presence of their wondrous God. Then there came One from Galilee, far from the Holy City and its splendors, to proclaim the Kingdom of God. He surrounded himself with a few fishermen, who would be joined by tax collectors, partisans, and an…

Sep

14

2013

By Fr. Roman Planchak

Taking Up The Cross

Christian Life, Featured Articles

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PASSAGES that we find in one of the Gospels but not in the others. The raising of Lazarus, for example, is recorded only in John. The birth of John the Baptist, certain of the Lord’s parables, such as the Good Samaritan, and Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet are found in only one Gospel, not the others. It may be that the people who first witnessed one of these events or heard a certain teaching were important to the local community and emphasized it in their preaching. Thus this episode found a place in the…

Sep

03

2013

By Fr. Roman Planchak

Beginning a Time of Grace

Christian Life, Featured Articles, Liturgy

IN THE MODERN AGE the world has come to accept one civil calendar which originated in Western Europe centuries ago. Many of us are aware that some groups still maintain an attachment to their historic calendars. The Chinese and Vietnamese, for example stage their own New Year’s celebrations according to their ancient calendars, usually in late winter. The Islamic New Year may begin anywhere from mid-October to mid-December. And the Jewish New Year, Rosh Ha-shanah, regularly begins in September. Starting in the last half of the fifth century (probably ad 462), the Byzantine Empire designated September 1 as the first…

Aug

18

2013

By Fr. Michael Winn

Preparation for Confession by St. John Kronstadt

Christian Life, Featured Articles, Prayer

I, a sinful soul, confess to our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, all of my evil acts which I have done, said or thought from baptism even unto this present day. I have not kept the vows of my baptism, but have made myself unwanted before the face of God. I have sinned before the Lord by lack of faith and by doubts concerning the Orthodox Faith and the Holy Church; by ungratefulness for all of God's great and unceasing gifts; His long-suffering and His providence for me, a sinner; by lack of love for the Lord, as well…

Aug

13

2013

By Fr. Michael Winn

Liturgy: Where the Holy One Seeks Us

Christian Life, Featured Articles, Liturgy

Archpriest Peter Galadza, PhD is Kule Family Professor of Liturgy at the Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, Canada. He is immediate past president of the Society for the Study of Oriental Liturgy. In 2003-2004 he was a research fellow at Harvard University’s Dumbarton Oaks Byzantine Research Center, and has recently been elected to the Board of Fellows of McGill University’s Centre for Research on Religion. This podcast is presented on Ancient Faith Radio as part of the Searching for the Sacred Symposium - co-sponsored by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Ft. Wayne and the…

Aug

13

2013

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Weeding the Christian Garden

Christian Life, Featured Articles, Prayergardening, weeding

Sometimes it does not seem to matter how hard we try to weed a garden, the things keep coming back. There are times, even after doing what I thought was a thorough job at pulling up weeds I would come back even a few days later, still with an aching back and hands, to discover the garden once again full of weeds! Sometimes it just makes you wonder "do I really need to worry about these weeds? Why don't I just let them grow in with my flowers or veggies?" That thought withers almost as quickly as your flowers if you…

Aug

05

2013

By Borys Gudziak

The New Martyrs of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church

Faith, Featured Articles, News

Holiness in Life Pope John Paul II’s solemn proclamation of the new martyrs and faithful servants of God of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church as blessed is another divine manifestation to our people. During more than 1,000 years of salvation history on our land, Ukrainian Christians have rejoiced in various signs of God’s presence. The Word has become incarnate among us has been changed into visible sacraments: the healing water of baptism, the oil of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine of the Lord’s paschal feast. They lead us to the divine life. “God is with us!” He has built…

Aug

05

2013

By Fr. Roman Planchak

70×7 = Infinity

Christian Life, Faith, Featured Articles

What is the hardest thing to accept in Christianity? Is it the doctrine of the Trinity? The idea that God became man? Or that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ? While these teachings may meet with obstacles in our minds, the hardest thing for us to accept in practice is the absolute need to forgive others. In our broken humanity we are much more at home with seeking vengeance. We are often more comfortable with the pre-Christian vision of a vengeful God: “And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on…

Jul

28

2013

By Fr. Roman Planchak

Mustard Seed Faith

Faith, Featured Articles

The healing of an epileptic described in Matthew 17:14-21 took place late in Christ’s public ministry. One indication is that the very next verses speak of Christ warning His disciples about His coming Passion (vv. 22-23). It was only as the time of His earthly ministry was drawing to a close that He began insisting on what was about to happen to Him. Another sign that this healing took place late in Christ’s earthly ministry is the reaction of His disciples. Their question, “Why could we not cast it out?” (v. 19), shows that they had already been healing the…