Light of the East

During the 4th week of Lent we climb the Ladder of Divine Ascent through the wisdom and examples of 3 great ascetics: St. John Climacus, St. Andrew of Crete and St. Mary of Egypt.

Mysticism is something that keeps men sane. This is something the Eastern Churches have known for centuries. But a sense of the mystical is not the only gift of the Eastern Church.

On the 2nd Sunday of Lent, St. Gregory of Palamas will help us retrieve an indispensible virtue of the spiritual life, but one that is far too rare in today's modern world.

The Crusades is a highly explosive word that comes up from time to time. And it is of special interest to the Eastern lung of the Church. But what exactly does this word Crusades mean?

The journey through the Great Fast has begun. And, the liturgical life of the Church will fill our nap sacks with everything we need including a recipe from Theodore the Recruit.

The journey through the Great Fast has begun. And, the liturgical life of the Church will fill our nap sacks with everything we need including a recipe from Theodore the Recruit.

It is like a liturgical baton, the approaching season of repentance has already started running while the end of the season of Christ's Incarnation runs to catch up to hand off the liturgical baton.

Ahh, the good ol' days when people argued about something it was about who was the greatest saint or what was the true nature of Christ. To keep peace, the Church came up with an interesting proposal.

The very same churches that have the venerable custom of married priests are the same churches that gave the world celibacy. Marriage and celibacy are not diametrically opposed.

Mysticism, it's what keeps men sane and this is something the Eastern Churches have known for centuries. But, its sense of the mystical is not the only gift of the Eastern Church.

In the Eastern Churches, Epiphany is the observance of the baptism of Christ; it is called Theophany. And water is blessed on these days and is used to sanctify many things.

The coming of the Prince of Peace into the world was contrasted by violence and bloodshed for innocent children. But what is happening in our times make the bible story, indeed our story as well.

All families have their stories, from sinners to saints. So it is with the family of Jesus Christ. But God works out His divine plan which is the miracle of this season.

During the two Sundays before Christmas, we look into the family heritage of Christ which also becomes our own family heritage in which God works in mysterious ways.

During the liturgical season of conceptions and births, we will look at two issues that remain controversial between the two lungs of the Church, East and West... contraception and the Immaculate Conception.

As we approach the season of giftedness, the Eastern Catholic Churches are greatful for a gift from Pope Francis that will contribute towards ecumenical relationships.

The differences between the Orthodox churches and the Roman Catholic Church are often a matter of perspective rather than theology as we will hear from Orthodox Theologian Metropolitan Timothy Kallistos Ware.

All baptized Christians have been given the mandate to preach the Gospel to the whole world. Father Thomas Loya and Father Joseph Loya together will discuss their thoughts on the necessity and techniques of effective preaching.

The Sacred Mystery or Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is known to both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. But there is another form of anointing that has healing properties as well.

As the Church spread throughout the world, it took on the character of the various cultures. This helps explain the nuances and tensions between East and West.

The story of Jonah and the Ninevites, just like all stories in the bible are not just history lessons. They are our stories today, our lived experiences. This is particularly true today.

Charity begins at home and so does ecumenism. A small parish in Pennsylvania took that to heart in a very big way!

Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon... the mention of these seem to strike fear in our minds today. However, these are places of great spiritual and biblical significance.

Pope St. John Paul II said that the church breathes with both lungs, East and West. But, why did this come to be? Are the tiny eastern churches still relevant in a modern world?

As the Church spread throughout the world, it took on the character of various cultures. The helpd explain the nuances and tensions between East and West.

What times are your Masses on Sunday?" For an Easter Catholic parish, the answer is not quite so simple.

How could motherhbood preserve virginity and death be the herald of life? These are mysteries celebrated in the new beginning of the liturgical year of the Byzantine tradition.

A holy pilgrimage on a holy mountian and holy people doing holy things... the annual Labor Day Pilgrimage on Mount St. Macrina in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.

On top of Mount Tabor, Jesus Christ revealed the glory of His divinity and the splendor of His humanity. In doing so, He revealed that we ar made in the image and likeness of God.

Pope Benedict XVI taught that the role of the Church in regard to the state was to remind the state of the dignity of the human person. Recently, young students of Ukraine gave witness to this.

Benediction, Eucharistic Adoration, daily Masses, the Rosary... do these same devotions exist in the Eastern Churches? The answer would be yes and no at the same time.

Christ is Risen! On this day, the Church joyfully breathes with both lungs, the canonization of two Popes and the 500th broadcast of Light of the East

Christ is Risen! This is the Day the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it!

We begin Great Week, the week of the Bridegroom where we unite our passion and suffering with that of Christ. This is especially true for the Eastern churches and faithful in the Ukraine.

Great Fast

This week, we bow to the ground and rise up The Ladder of Divine Ascent guided by our special masters: St. John Climacus, St. Andrew of Crete and St. Mary of Egypt.

On the Third Sunday of Lent, we venerate the Cross which stands in the middle between heaven and earth, but also in the middle of many Eastern Churches.

The first Sunday of Lent commemorates the vindication of the ancient practice of the veneration of icons. To appreciate this, we will turn to the writings of a pope from the Western Lung of the Church.

The Bright Sadness is now upon us as we repent and seek God's forgiveness. We will fast and ask forgiveness of one another in the very moving evening service of the Forgiveness Vespers.

It is the Sunday of Meat Fare. But, it is also the Sunday in which we sing, "The end draws near, the time grows short, the Judge is at the door, and the days of life pass swiftly."

We can always turn to the gift of the priesthood to experience God's mercy. But where do priests turn when they are in need of both God's mercy and ours?

On this Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, we will listen to the stirring in the hearts of a publican, a prisoner and a Catholic Cardinal, the young people of the Ukraine and the Church that breathes with both lungs.

The just elder Simeon would never be the same after beholding Christ. Neither would the Eastern Catholics of Ukraine after beholding the freedom of their Church.

The high holy days are now passed and we are in the "dog days" of winter. But this is where the spirituality of the domestic church has something to offer us.

We visit Maximus the Confessor, sometimes known as the Father of Byzantine theology, and we'll also have a visit from an old friend of Light of the East.

We have entered the dog days of winter, so let us flee to the warmth of the desert to face our own demons, discover our most authentic selves and to encounter God.

Manifestation, illumination, incarnation continue to be the theme in the Church, East and West, and also in our individual lives.

Let us encounter the great mystery. The Creator becomes the creature while still remaining the Creator. God is with us!

It's the Sunday of the Holy Patriarchs and we'll look at the words of a recent Patriarch, Pope Francis, whose document is of particular interest to the Eastern churches, both Catholic and Orthodox.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, or as they say in the East, the Conception of the Mother of God in the womb of St. Anne. It's a different emphasis, but they both arrive at the same point.