Light of the East

The prayer of Eastern Liturgy takes us on a pilgrimage where through the doubt and proclamation of the Apostle Thomas we too will cry out, "My Lord and my God!"

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! Together with you and Luke the Regular Guy we will share and proclaim the joy of this Day of Days, the Resurrection of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from the Dead.

The Week of the Bridegroom is upon us. It is preceded by the raising of Lazarus and Christ's entry into Jerusalem: two events that anticipate what will happen only one week later.

On the 5th Sunday of Lent in the Byzantine liturgical calendar, the example of St. Mary of Egypt is presented and it can help answer the question. often asked, of the place and role of women in the Eastern Churches.

Three great ascetics are put before our eyes as our guides at this point of Lent. As Pope Saint John Paul II said, "Monasticism is the reference point for all of the baptized."

The "Bright Sadness" of Lent becomes palpable as this Sunday of the Great Fast brings us to the convergence of the Veneration of the Cross and the Annunciation of the Mother of God.

I will call him the Patron Saint of Byzantine Lent - St. Ephram the Syrian. An ancient ascetic yet ahead of his time and relevant for all times through prayer and apostolic work.

Byzantine Iconography draws us into the very mystery of our Faith and provides us with the one and only honest vision of all of life. Lent, in turn, helps us to live according to that vision.

Jesus Christ said, " Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God." During Lent we journey to regain a pure heart and the vision in sacred art can help us do just that.

We often hear the word, "Extreme," used today to describe certain experiences, beliefs and behaviors. While we might consider the desert monks to be extreme, they are actually the model for the NORMAL Christian.

We weep today by the Waters of Babylon. Like the Israelites of the Bible and the Prodigal Son, our sinfulness has us exiled from ourselves and from our Father's House.

Although the term "Icon" is being used more commonly today, Byzantine Iconography is a specific art form whose real value lies first in knowing the why behind the line, color and composition and interior principles.

As we complete Christ's descension to Earth, Zacchaeus the tax collector ascends the tree and prepares us for the season of Christ's ascent to the Cross and to His resurrection.

So now they are saying that masculinity is toxic. Actually it is toxic to claim such things. All we need to do is look into Eastern Christian spirituality to see God's intention for masculinity.

Unity in the torn Body of Christ ought to be a primary concern for all. Our special guest will demonstrate how liturgy can be an appropriate vehicle between the two lungs of the church, East and West.

Fasting and Penance is the way to prepare for any great Feast day. This includes Confession which is similar yet different to the form practiced in the Latin Rite.

January 1st and New Year's Resolutions. January 1st and the Feast of the Circumcision, one a holiday and the other a Holy Day. Circumcision of Providence?

The great act of love and humiliation that our Lord took on by being born in a cave in Bethlehem will continue with submission to circumcision on the eighth day.

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

As plans are being made for family get-togethers, the Byzantine Liturgical calendar calls together the spiritual family and the ancestors of Jesus Christ during the two Sundays before the Birth of Christ.

The complexity and richness of the Eastern Christian Churches is part of their charism and genius. At the same time things can get confusing and divisive in these Churches which can even have geo-political implications.

Enroute to our Lord's Nativity we pass by the Feast of St. Nicholas and the Feast of the Conception of the Mother Of God in the womb of St. Anne, also known as the Immaculate Conception.

LIGHTEAST 739 We Remember Fr. Robert Taft and St. Josephat

Water is marvelous and mysterious. It give life and takes life. It is central to civilization and to the life of the Church. Strange how for some suffering Christians the mystery of water remains scarce.

Like little families, many of the Churches of the East each have their own Father or Patriarch together with his spiritual children. The problem is in trying to keep all of the families together, talking with each other.