The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated on September 8, belongs on the list of the Twelve Major Feasts of the Byzantine rite liturgical year (cf. Gospel of Sinai, 715 A.D.) We usually do not celebrate the birthday of the Saints, but rather their “birthday to heaven,” that is, the anniversary of their death , considered as the beginning of their blessed life with God. Nevertheless, there are two exceptions, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist, since we commemorate not only their birthday to heaven, but also their nativity, their coming to this earth . Continue reading
Openness to God’s Will
Sixteen men came from all over the United States Nov. 1 to 3 to visit the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh for a discernment retreat accurately titled “Come and See.”
The idea behind the weekend was to help retreatants prayerfully discern God’s calling by living with the seminarians and getting a taste of the experience of seminary life. Retreatants came from the four Ruthenian eparchies — Pittsburgh, Passaic, Parma, and Phoenix — and the Melkite Eparchy of Newton.
I was one of the men to attend this great weekend of prayer and fraternity. Prayer formed the structure of the retreat with beautiful liturgical services, including Vespers, Compline, Festal Matins, Divine Liturgies, and 9th Hour, led by Fathers Will Rupp, Robert Pipta, and Joel Barstad. There were also short classes and talks led by various instructors who teach at the seminary, by spiritual directors of seminarians, and by the seminarians themselves.
Fraternity was also a significant part of the weekend. The seminarians were each assigned retreatants in order to mentor them. This provided for some very good spiritual conversations on discernment and life in general. Very enjoyable was an ice cream social where we and the seminarians were able to talk, play games, and have genuine human interaction, Continue reading
“The Journey to Emmaus Continued”
Byzantine Spirituality Conference Welcomes Eparchial Bishop of Newton The annual Byzantine Spirituality Conference, sponsored by the Office of Religious Education, was held Nov. 9 at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Munhall, Pa. The title of this year’s … Continue reading
Spreading the Word
Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Mission Forms in North Carolina Area The Divine Liturgy is celebrated every Saturday at 4 p.m. by Father Steven Galuschik of All Saints Byzantine Church in Ft. Myers, Fla. and Bi-Ritual Deacon Ron Volek. In September, Father … Continue reading
Give a gift of joy for Christmas
View from the little sisters of the poor I had just begun my initiation to religious life when a very kind Little Sister offered to share with me the secret to joy. Of course, I wanted to know the secret, … Continue reading
Patience is proof of the gift of the Holy Spirit
Reflection from Mount St. Macrina Sister Barbara Jean Mihalchick posts videos of her reflections each week at the Facebook of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great. View them at: https://www.facebook.com/sistersofstbasil.uniontown/. This is a transcript of her July 5 reflection … 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.
- Worn marble steps of Holy Stairs to be uncovered for public to climb
- At memorial Mass, CRS remembers four employees who died in plane crash
- Update: After attacks, New Zealand bishops tell Muslims: 'We hold you in prayer'
- Researcher: Difference between 'considering leaving' and 'leaving' church
- Head of African youth network: Listen to young people on ecology
- Update: Amid call for boycott of Lenten appeals, some see harm to poor, needy
- South Carolina Catholic school given national award for 'full inclusion'
- For Lent, Irish Catholics urged to abandon 'weapons of mass distraction'
- Update: Judge sentences Cardinal Pell to six years in prison on abuse charges
- CLINIC says South Sudan TPS extension should have included new arrivals
- Encore: USCCB publishes revised translation of rite for blessing holy oils
- Actress calls her deafness 'a gift'; remembers Catholic school as 'family'
- Update: Four CRS staffers, humanitarian workers aboard Ethiopian jet that crashed
- Benedictine abbot leads pope, curial officials in Lenten retreat
- Pope meets top leaders of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Group's immigrant solidarity project 'not about politics,' organizers say
