Holy Baptism is our mystical participation in Easter, since having “died to sin,” through baptism we rise with Christ to “live in newness of life” (Rom. 6:2-4) as children of God. By Holy Chrismation, which in the Byzantine Rite is administered immediately after baptism, we mystically participate in Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon us.
“How am I going to serve?”
How am I going to serve? The word “deacon” (diaconos) in Greek means “servant,” and so this question is well worth asking for a man discerning a call to the diaconate. This question of how we are going to serve vividly entered the minds of the 13 men in the Diaconal Formation Program at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh, Pa. on one unforgettable night this year.
It was June 22. We had received hours and hours of training in liturgical practicum from Father Robert Pipta, rector of the Seminary. On that night it was our chance to execute, and we all knew that close attention would be placed on how we were going to serve.
We had drawn a number at random, and that number stood for our order in line to practice serving as a deacon in the Presanctified Liturgy. We went from start to finish through the Liturgy with no comments on whether we were standing facing the wrong direction, using the wrong melody, and the like. How am I going to serve? What am I going to intone? Where do I stand, exactly?
These questions multiplied as the 13 men in diaconal formation took the Liturgical Practicum exam on that Friday night. As each of us had our numbers called, Continue reading
Pope Francis: Abuse victims’ outcry more powerful than efforts to silence them
VATICAN CITY — “No effort must be spared” to prevent future cases of clerical sexual abuse and “to prevent the possibility of their being covered up,” Pope Francis said in a letter addressed “to the people of God.” “I acknowledge … Continue reading
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
cardinal daniel n. dinardo: “we are profoundly saddened” WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, hosted a series of meetings last month responding to the broader issue of safe … Continue reading
The Jesus Prayer Project
W h i l e the Jesus Prayer has a long and venerable history, I’m not heading that way at all. I simply want to share about my current experience with the Jesus Prayer. Oddly enough it was abstract art, … Continue reading
Byzantine Spirituality Conference 2018
This month’s Archeparchial Assembly will lay a foundation for our parishes to RENEW, REVITALIZE, AND REJUVENATE. This year’s Byzantine Spirituality Conference is designed to equip the participants of the Assembly, Catechists and all interested adults to go from a “maintenance-mode … Continue reading
WORLD NEWS (Catholic News Service)
Read the latest world news as reported by Catholic News Service. With headquarters in Washington, offices in New York and Rome, and correspondents around the world, CNS provides the most comprehensive coverage of the church today.
- On plane, pope discusses sex abuse, corruption of cover-up, China pact
- People helping people is what attracted actor to ‘God Friended Me’
- Update: Scandals create outrage, but there is time for conversion, pope says
- Today is ‘hour of the laity,’ Archbishop Gomez tells Encuentro delegates
- Update: Pope in Lithuania: Don’t let anti-Semitism, hatred resurge
- God is patient, even with failures, pope tells young Lithuanians
- Update: Vatican signs provisional agreement with China on naming bishops
- Find strength in tolerance, solidarity, pope tells Lithuanians
- Continue to be an evangelizing church, nuncio tells Encuentro delegates
- Encuentro opens with procession, papal message, prayers for abuse victims
- In letters to German cardinal, retired pope defends way he stepped down
- Some cry ‘scandal’ to cover their own failings, pope says at Mass
- Update: Church plans third-party abuse reporting system, code of conduct
- In homily, Calif. priest says he was abused, hears from dozens of victims
- Update: Irish singer Bono calls pope ‘extraordinary man for extraordinary times’
- Be grateful to parents, never insult them, pope says
