Light Of The East

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.

Whether Santa Claus or St. Nicholas, this man of mystery and his universal observance has his origins in the Eastern lung of Church.

Shakespeare asked, "What's in a name?" We ask, “What's in a color?"... the color purple used in the Church, both East and West, during this preparatory season.

Morning Prayer belongs to the tradition of the Church, both East and West. But the development of Morning Prayer, called matins or orthros, in the Byzantine Catholic tradition, is rich, complex and meaningful.

Our special guest is Michael Warsaw, CEO and Chairman of the Board of EWTN who tells us about EWTN's challenge to the HHS Mandate.

We approach the season of the observation of Our Lord's Incarnation by preparing through fasting, charity and prayer. The Vespers service is the evening prayer of the Byzantine Catholic Church, an ancient prayer of Light, immersing us into the rhythm of s

The Eastern Churches and the Roman Catholic Church may differ in emphasis, style and expression, but they all ultimately converge at the same point. We will look at how this happens and some of the issues that divide.