Christmas – Royal Doors

Dec

08

2023

Christmas 2023 Pastoral Letter of the Ukrainian Catholic Bishops of Canada

Featured Articles, UGCCChristmas, Nativity

To the Very Reverend Clergy, Monastics and Religious Sisters and Brothers, Seminarians and Laity of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada Christ is Born! Let us Glorify Him! “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earthpeace among those whom he favours!” (Luke 2:14) Dear Sisters and Brothers, As we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, we do so with a sense of wonder in our hearts. The story of the birth of Jesus serves as a constant reminder of God’s love for us. To express God’s boundless love for us, God appears among us in…

Dec

25

2018

By His Beatitude Sviatoslav

2018 Nativity Greeting from Patriarch Sviatoslav

Featured Articles, UGCCChristmas, Nativity

Most Reverend Archbishops and Metropolitans,God-loving Bishops, Very Reverend Clergy, Venerable Monastics,Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters,in Ukraine and throughout the world For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his nameshall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:5) Christ is born! Glorify Him! Beloved in Christ! Today heaven and earth is filled with the light of joy and peace. Angels and men, all creation welcomes Christ the Saviour born in human flesh. All of us together with the shepherds and wise men…

Dec

25

2018

By UGCC Bishops of Canada

2018 Nativity Greeting from UGCC Bishops of Canada

Featured Articles, UGCCChristmas, Nativity

Christ is Born! Glorify Him! Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours! (Luke 2:14) Dear Sisters and Brothers, As we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, we do so with a sense of wonder in our hearts. The story of the birth of Jesus serves as a constant reminder of God’s love for us. To express God’s boundless love for us, God appears among us in the person of his own son, Jesus Christ. God with us. Emmanuel. And in this were rejoice! This year, we celebrate Christmas…

Mar

18

2017

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Unto Us a Son is Given | February 17, 2017

NewsBethlehem, Cave, Christmas, Nativity

Feb. 17, Friday: Bethlehem – Ein Karem This morning we drive to Bethlehem to visit the place of birth of our Lord, The Basilica of the Nativity. We will visit the Grotto of Nativity and the Church of St. Catherine where the Midnight Mass is celebrated and the Caves of St. Joseph and St. Jerome underneath the church. Visit Shepherd's Fields, where the Angels appeared to the shepherds who were watching over their flocks during the night. Lunch at Tent Restaurant in Bethlehem. This afternoon drive to nearby village of Ein – Karem to visit the birth place of St.…

Jan

03

2017

By Fr. Michael Winn

2016 Christmas Pastoral Letter of His Beatitude Sviatoslav

Featured Articles, NewsChristmas, Nativity of our Lord

CHRISTMAS PASTORAL LETTER OF HIS BEATITUDE SVIATOSLAV Most Reverend Archbishops and Metropolitans, God-loving Bishops, Very Reverend Clergy, Venerable Monastics, Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters, in Ukraine and throughout the world And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) Christ is born! Glorify Him! Today our hearts are filled with lightsome Christmas joy. The eternal God becomes man, so that man might be united and reconciled with Him forever. The Son of God becomes the son of the…

Jan

03

2017

By Fr. Michael Winn

Christmas Pastoral Letter of the Ukrainian Catholic Bishops of Canada

Featured Articles, NewsChristmas, Nativity of our Lord

PASTORAL LETTER FROM THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF CANADA ON THE OCCASION OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD 2016/2017 To the Reverend Clergy, Monastics, Seminarians and Laity of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada: Christ is born! Let Us Glorify Him! The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. (Isaiah 9:2) At the Complines service on the Eve of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we sing out “Z Namy Boh! God is with us!” This beautiful hymn evokes in us…

Dec

27

2016

By Fr. Michael Bombak

Matthew 21:33-42 We’re Servants, not Owners

FaithChristmas, servant, steward, vineyard

Christ is Born! It happens time and time again throughout history, as well as in literature. From Hamlet to Narnia to Gondor one constant theme is the story of a steward, who by lies and treachery, tries to steal the throne for himself. The lure of power can often overcome those who have been entrusted with the kingdom in order to serve others. In our reading today, brothers and sisters, the Lord uses the parable of a vineyard to illustrate this point. The servants have been tasked with taking care of the vineyard while their master is travelling. They forget…

Dec

22

2014

By Fr. Michael Winn

Origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas

LiturgyChristmas, domestic church, Nativity of our Lord

by Fr Hal Stockert You’re all familiar with the Christmas song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” I think. To most it’s a delightful nonsense rhyme set to music. But it had a quite serious purpose when it was written. It is a good deal more than just a repetitious melody with pretty phrases and a list of strange gifts. Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from any practice of their faith by law—private or public. It was a crime to be a Catholic. “The Twelve Days of Christmas”…

Dec

19

2014

By Brent Kostyniuk

Christmas Traditions

Both LungsChristmas, Christmas Eve, didukh, kutia, sviat vechir

by Brent Kostyniuk O, Most merciful Lord and You, Son of Righteousness We greet you with holy Christmas Last year You gave us a harvest, You gave us goodness, You gave us health, You gave us wealth Then help us this year so that it will be better. Given Ukrainians’ love for ritual and symbolism, it is no surprise their Christmas celebrations are rich in traditions. Some traditions are purely religious ones, having evolved over the ten centuries since the people of Ukraine accepted Byzantine Christianity in 988. Others are much older. Born in ancient pagan times, they have been…

Dec

18

2014

By Fr. Andriy Chirovsky

Fr. Andriy Chirovsky Speaks About Ukraine and About the Meaning of Christmas

Christian LifeChristmas, Nativity of our Lord

On December 16, 2014 The "Daily Double" radio program on Tucson, AZ, radio station KVOI 1013 AM featured an hour-long conversation with the founder of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies (MASI), Fr. Andriy Chirovsky. The program, hosted by Chris DeSimone, features a daily extended interview with one guest. Fr. Andriy has been the featured guest before. This time the MASI professor was asked to speak about the current situation in Ukraine, after it has largely fallen out of the attention of the Mass Media. He was also asked to speak about Christmas, focusing not only on folk customs…