Light Of The East

The Church, East and West breathes with the breath of mercy this day, Divine Mercy Sunday. For the Eaast, it is Thomas Sunday which springs from the side of Christ.

The fragrances of the the blessed foods collide the frangrance of incense. The faithful sing in jubilation; shout one to another, Christ is Risen, Indeed He is Risen!!

We have come to the week of the Bridegroom in which we witness not only Christ on the Cross, but individuals who themselves are willing, in their own time, to go to the cross on behalf of the Bride of Christ.

Pope Francis has called for a heightened emphasis and availability to the sacrament of confession and for us to have a deeper understanding of sin and to understand the relevancy of confession which can help us to confess the best and far surpass the rest

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.