CATECHESIS

Sunday, March 26, 2023

Frequent Confession allows us to know not only our faults and offenses, but also our weaknesses and inclinations to sin. Through the grace of the Mystery of Repentance, the Christian overcomes sins and the tendency to sin. This grace also raises up the Christian after a fall, and strengthens him or her in the virtues. The fruits of repentance are good works, almsgiving, purity of heart, and sacrificial love. The gift of the Mystery of Repentance is forgiveness from God and reconciliation with him: “[Give] thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:12-14).

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 455

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Часта Сповідь дозволяє людині пізнати не тільки свої упадки й провини, а й свої немочі та схильності до гріха. Благодаттю таїнства Покаяння християнин долає гріхи та схильності до них, піднімається з упадку й утверджується в чеснотах. Плодами покаяння є добрі діла, милостиня, чистота серця і жертовна любов. Даром таїнства Покаяння є прощення від Бога й примирення з Ним: «Дякуйте Отцеві, який зробив нас гідними мати участь у долі святих у світлі. Він вирвав нас із влади тьми й переніс у царство Свого улюбленого Сина, в якому ми маємо відкуплення, прощення гріхів» (Кл. 1, 12-14).

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 455

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Every human person is sacred and inviolable. To ensure that a society has a future, it is necessary that a sense of respect be matured for the dignity of every person, no matter in what condition they find themselves.

Let us ask the grace to be surprised every day by God’s gifts and to see the various circumstances of life, even the ones that are the most difficult to accept, as occasions to do good, as Jesus did with the blind man

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2023

The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom and that of Saint Basil the Great, named after these two great bishops of the Church, are identical as to their structure but differ in their Anaphoras and in some of the other prayers.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 395

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In the Anaphora of the Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, the Church contemplates the glory of the Most Holy Trinity—the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: “Who can tell of all your acts of power, make all your praises heard, or recount all your wonders at every moment?” All creation, the nine choirs of angels and with them this liturgical community, ministers to the Lord and praises him for his gifts: for the creation of humanity, for paradise, for the promise of immortal life.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 398

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Літургії святого Йоана Золотоустого та святого Василія Великого, названі за іменами цих двох великих святителів Церкви, – однакові за своїм основним змістом і структурою, але відмінні анафорами та деякими молитвами.

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 395

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В Анафорі Літургії святого Василія Великого Церква споглядає славу Пресвятої Тройці – Отця, і Сина, і Святого Духа: «Хто спроможний висловити сили Твої, голосними вчинити всі хвали Твої або повісти всі чудеса Твої кожного часу?». Усе творіння – дев’ять ангельських хорів, а з ними й ця літургійна спільнота – служить Господеві та прославляє Його за дари: створення людини, рай, обітницю безсмертя.

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 398

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One year ago the absurd war against Ukraine began. Let us remain close to the tormented Ukrainian people, who continue to suffer, and let us ask ourselves: has everything possible been done to stop the war? Peace built on rubble will never be a true victory.

During Lent we are called to respond to God’s gift by accepting his word, which is “living and active” (Heb 4:12). Regular listening to the Word of God makes us open and docile to his working and bears fruit in our lives.

Lent is the “favourable time” to return to what is essential, to divest ourselves of all that weighs us down, to be reconciled with God, and to rekindle the fire of the Holy Spirit hidden beneath the ashes of our frail humanity.                                              

Pope Francis @Pontifex

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023

In order to make us partakers of divine life, and to enable us to live by the freedom of God’s children, Christ frees us from the bondage of sin. We had descended into this slavery through the fall of Adam and our own sins. Having taken the sin of the world upon himself, Christ also accepted the ultimate consequence of this sin, which is death. But he overcame it by the death he freely accepted on the cross. In Baptism, Christ makes us partakers of his victory over sin and death.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 411

Христос, заради дарування нам участі в Божому житті й можливості жити свободою дітей Божих, звільняє нас від гріховного рабства, у яке ми потрапили через гріхопадіння Адама й наші власні гріхи. Взявши гріх світу на Себе, Христос прийняв і остаточний наслідок цього гріха – смерть, яку Він переміг Своєю добровільною смертю на хресті. У Хрещенні Христос чинить нас учасниками Своєї перемоги над гріхом і смертю.

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 411

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Last Saturday, a new missile attack in Ukraine caused many civilian victims, babies among them. I unite myself to the sorrow of their relatives. The testimonials of this tragic episode are a powerful appeal to every conscience. You cannot remain indifferent!

Let us pray to God so that he might grant us a pastoral heart that suffers and takes risks in bearing witness. It is not only a burden, but also a duty, to bring the Word of God to those who have been entrusted to us and to those whom we meet in our daily lives.

Those who are familiar with God’s Word receive healthy lessons about what is essential. They discover that life is not the time to look at others and protect themselves, but is an opportunity to go out and meet others in the name of the God who is near.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 15, 2023

Christ himself shows that the created world is a means through which God acts: he cures the man born blind by applying a mud paste to his eyes; he heals the hemorrhaging woman who touched the fringe of his cloak, and in the Transfiguration his clothes shine with divine light (see Mt 17:2). All that Christ did during his lifetime he continues to do through the Divine Services of his Church and through the Holy Mysteries. Therefore, the Church, through her Divine Services during the Mysteries and on holy days, blesses and sanctifies various material objects through which she witnesses to Christ’s presence and salvific action.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 342

Сам Христос вказує на сотворений світ як на засіб Божої дії: Христос глеєм зціляє сліпця; оздоровлює кровоточиву жінку, яка доторкнулася до його шат; у Переображенні одежа Ісуса засяяла божественним світлом (пор. Мт. 17, 2). Усе, що Христос чинив за Свого життя, Він продовжує чинити в богослужіннях Церкви та Святих Таїнствах. Тому Церква благословляє й освячує різні матеріальні предмети й засоби, якими являє присутність Христа і Його спасенне діяння.

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 342

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Let us not forget our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. Today, seeing Our Lady who is holding the infant in the Nativity scene, who nurses him, I think of the mothers of the victims of war, of the soldiers who have fallen in this war in Ukraine. (Jan 8)

We need daily prayer, time dedicated to God, so He can enter into our time. We need frequent moments in which we open our hearts to Him so He can daily pour out his love on us and nourish our faith.

Let us always remember that the way we treat the last and the least of our brothers and sisters speaks of the value we place upon all human life.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2023

The tradition of celebrating the Divine Liturgy over the relics of the saints lives on in the Church. During the consecration of an altar, relics are mounted into it, and on it is placed an antimension (from the Greek, meaning instead of a table). The antimension is a cloth with an image of Christ being laid in the grave with relics sewn into it and signed by the local bishop. This special cloth is a symbol of the communion of the priest and the community with their bishop. Therefore, the Liturgy is not celebrated without it. There exists also a pious custom of placing relics or objects that the saints used during their lives into their icons. The Seventh Ecumenical Council of 787 solemnly confirmed the tradition of venerating relics along with the tradition of venerating icons. The Lord glorifies the relics of martyrs in different ways: some are incorruptible, others stream forth myrrh (for example, the relics of Saint Nicholas, the great-martyr Demetrius, and many venerable Fathers of the Kyivan-Caves Monastery). The Church sometimes venerates also instruments of martyrdom, for example, the chains of the apostle Peter (January 6/29).

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 618

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I urge everyone to persevere in demonstrating through closeness and solidarity to the battered people of Ukraine who are suffering very much, asking for the gift of the peace for them.

At this time, let us invoke the intercession of Mary Most Holy for Pope emeritus Benedict XVI. Let us all join together, with one heart and one soul, in thanking God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church. 

Jesus, Crucified and Risen, the Living One and the Lord, was the destination to which Pope Benedict led us, taking us by the hand. May he help us rediscover in Christ the joy of believing and the hope of living.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Creation joyfully welcomes God in the flesh, bearing gifts for the new[1]born Child: angels—their song; the heavens—a star; the magi—gold, frankincense, and myrrh; the shepherds—their wonder; the earth—a cave; the deserted place—a manger; humankind—the Virgin Mother. The mystery of the Nativity, namely God’s entry into human history, continues to this day: “Today has God come upon earth, and the human race gone up to heaven.”{ Menaion, Nativity of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ (December 25/January 7), Great Complines: Stichera for Lytia}

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 195

Творіння радісно вітає Бога в тілі, принісши дари Дитяті: ангели – спів, небо – зірку, мудреці – золото, ладан і миро, пастирі – подив, земля – вертеп, пустеля – ясла, людство – Матір Діву. Таїнство Різдва – входження Бога в людську історію – триває і сьогодні: «Нині Бог прийшов на землю, людина ж на небо вийшла» { Мінея, Різдво Господа нашого Ісуса Христа (25 грудня/7 січня) , Велике повечір’я, стихира на литії.}

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 195

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On the Feast when God became a child, let‘s think of the Ukrainian children suffering so much because of this war. Let‘s think of the Ukrainian people deprived of the basics to survive, and let us pray together to the Lord that He might bring them peace as soon as possible.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

Sunday, December 11, 2022

The prayer of thanksgiving is preceded by the dialogue between the clergy and the faithful. There we hear the basic conditions of the Eucharistic mystery: receiving the “mercy of peace”—God’s gift of reconciliation—we respond with the “sacrifice of praise.” Our response is praise, blessing, thanksgiving, worship, and offering—the entire Eucharistic work. We are able to bring this “holy oblation” because we have received “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship [i.e., communion] of the Holy Spirit.”

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 375

Молитві благодарення передує діалог між  священнослужителем і  вірними,  у  якому  згадано  основні  передумови  Євхаристійного таїнства: приймаючи «милість миру» – дар Божого примирення, ми відповідаємо  «жертвою  хвалення»:  прославою,  благословенням, благодаренням,  поклонінням  і  приношенням  –  усім  євхаристійним дійством. Ми можемо приносити це «святе возношення» тому, що прийняли «благодать Господа нашого Ісуса Христа, любов Бога і отця і причастя Святого духа».

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 375

Let us entrust to the intercession of the Mother of God the universal desire for peace, in particular for tormented Ukraine, which suffers greatly. With God’s help, peace is possible; disarmament is possible. May Our Lady help us to convert ourselves towards God’s plans.

With Baptism, we became God's beloved children forever. This is our original beauty, for which to be joyful! Today, Mary, surprised by the grace that made her beautiful from the first instant of her life, leads us to marvel at our beauty.

If we embrace Christ with open arms, we will also embrace others with trust and humility.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

Sunday, December 4, 2022

"Penitential prayer (or prayer of repentance) is not only a manifestation of sorrow for trespasses committed but also a turning of the penitent to his Creator: “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for you, O God” (Ps 41[42]:2). A person’s repentance goes through three stages: 1) conversion—turning away from sin and returning to life in God; 2) purification—healing from passions and cleansing from the consequences of sin; and 3) union with God in contemplation. All three stages find expression in the penitential prayers of the Church."

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 816

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Молитва покаяння – це не лише вияв жалю за провини, а й прибігання особи, що кається, до свого Творця: «Як лань прагне до водних потоків, так душа моя прагне до Тебе, Боже» (Пс. 42, 2). Покаяння людини проходить трьома етапами: 1) навернення – відвернення від гріха та повернення до життя в Богові; 2) очищення – уздоровлення від пристрастей та очищення від наслідків гріха; 3) єднання з Богом у спогляданні. Кожній з цих частин властиві відповідні за формою, змістом і глибиною покаянні молитви

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 816

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We are all together called to develop a renewed society oriented towards freedom, justice and peace so as to overcome every kind of inequality and discrimination so that no one can make another person a slave.

Before the day's end, let us learn how to read what has happened during that day in the book of our hearts -- not in newspapers, but in my heart.

Acts of violence and exploitation directed at women are not merely wrong. They are crimes that destroy the harmony, the harmony and beauty that God wished to bestow on the world.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2022

Prayer in the Spiritual Life

Prayer is one of the important manifestations of the spiritual life. Together with fasting and almsgiving, prayer is a component of spiritual warfare. Prayer confirms a person in the good and fosters communication with God. Prayer is a great blessing—a deep connection with God in love. “Prayer is by nature a dialogue and a union of a human being with God. Its effect is to hold the world together. It achieves a reconciliation with God.”

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 799

Молитва в духовному житті

Молитва – один із важливих виявів духовного життя. Разом із постом і милостинею молитва є частиною духовної боротьби. Молитва утверджує людину в добрі та вводить її у богоспілкування. Великим благом для людини є молитва – глибинний зв’язок любові з Богом. «Молитва за своєю сутністю – це спілкування та єднання людини з Богом, а за своєю дією вона підтримує світ і поєднує його з Богом».

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 799

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Sometimes we human beings believe that we are the masters of everything, or on the contrary, we lose all self-esteem. Prayer helps us to find the right dimension in our relationship with God, our Father, and with all Creation.

Prayer is an indispensable aid for spiritual discernment, especially when it involves the affections, enabling us to address God with simplicity and familiarity, as one would speak to a friend.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, August 28, 2022

Liturgical or church singing is an expression of worship. Church singing is doxological prayer by which the Church is united with the angelic choirs in glorifying the Most Holy Trinity. The source of this doxology (glorification) is contemplation of the Trinity. Indeed, this is why liturgical singing is exalted theological music. In liturgical singing we take part in the angelic choirs’ “incorporeal” singing, thus “mystically representing the Cherubim.”

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 621

Літургійний або церковний спів є виявом богопочитання. Церковний спів – це молитва славослів’я, якою Церква єднається з ангельськими хорами у прославленні Пресвятої Тройці. Джерелом славослів’я є споглядання Пресвятої Тройці, а тому літургійний спів – це справжня висока «музика богослов’я». У літургійному співі людина бере участь у «безтілесному» співі ангельських хорів, «херувимів тайно являючи».

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 621

Sunday, August 21, 2022

Throughout their lives, the Holy Fathers and Mothers joined vocal prayer to prayer of the mind and heart. This kind of union causes prayer to permeate the soul and body of the one who prays. When the heart is joined to the mind in prayer, the words truly communicate their meaning and the heart feels that which the mind is pondering.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 691

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Let us continue to invoke the intercession of Our Lady, so that God might give the world peace, and let us pray in particular for the Ukrainian people.

Love goes beyond usefulness, convenience or duty; love generates wonder, it inspires creative, freely-given zeal.

Jesus shows us the patience of God, the merciful Father who calls us even at the last hour, who does not demand perfection but heartfelt enthusiasm, who wants to open a breach in our hardened hearts.

 Pope Francis @Pontifex

Sunday, August 14, 2022

Dormition of the Mother of God

In the reality of her being the Mother of God, the Church also contemplates the mystery of Mary’s virginity, magnifying her as the “EverVirgin.” In the year 649, the Lateran Council defined “ever-virginity” as virginity before, during, and after the birth of Christ. “[For you were a] Virgin before childbirth, and Virgin in childbirth, and still a Virgin after the childbirth.” With respect to the virginity of the Mother of God, the Church understands her integrity, the wholeness of a person filled with grace, in whom bodily and spiritual aspirations are harmoniously united in the fulfilment of a vocation from God. Her virginity is a virginity of “mind, soul, and body.” Church iconography symbolically portrays the virginity of Mary using stars, which are placed upon her forehead and shoulders. She retained virginity and incorruption even in death, which the Church refers to as her Dormition (Falling-Asleep). “Having fallen asleep in the flesh,” Mary was “awakened” by her Son to life in glory: “You passed into life, for you are the Mother of Life.” The Lord glorified the soul and body of Mary—the first to be divinized from among the human race.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 189

We are unique, free and alive, called to live a love story with God, to make bold and firm decisions, to accept the marvelous risk of loving.

Reviving a dialogue happens not with words, but with silence; not by insisting, but by patiently beginning anew to patiently listen to another person, hearing about their struggles and what they carry inside. The healing of the heart begins with listening.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, August 7, 2022

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, cares for us because he truly loves us. We, the Church’s pastors, are asked to show that same generosity in tending the flock, so as to manifest Jesus’ concern for everyone and his compassion for each person's wounds.

The Gospel is preached effectively when life itself speaks and reveals the freedom that sets others free, the compassion that asks for nothing in return, the mercy that silently speaks of Christ.

 Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, July 17, 2022

In the tradition of the Holy Fathers, the primary goal of the Christian’s spiritual life is active and dynamic participation in the divine life. Such participation is called divinization (théosis in Greek). Divinization takes place in the cooperation between the human person and God, and consists of the person’s transfiguration in the Holy Spirit. The grace of transfiguration is granted to those who have completed the path of ascetic purification and live a virtuous life.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 850

Святоотцівська традиція визначає головною метою духовного життя християнина активну й дієву участь у божественному житті. 

Таку участь називаємо обожествленням (грецькою теозіс). Обожествлення відбувається у співдії між людиною і Богом і є переображенням людини у Святому Дусі. Благодать переображення дарується тим, які пройшли шлях аскетичного очищення та живуть чеснотливим життям.

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 850

I renew my closeness to the Ukrainian people, who are daily tormented by the brutal attacks that ordinary people are paying for. Let us pray together that God might show the way to put an end to this senseless war!

I invite you to go out and look for those elderly persons who are most alone, at home or in residences where they are guests. Let's make sure no one feels alone. Visiting the elderly who live alone is a work of mercy in our time!

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, July 10, 2022

WE ARE CREATED FOR INTIMACY AND COMMUNION WITH GOD

God created human beings in his image and likeness. He thus called them to enter into communion with him. The Lord revealed to his people his desire to communicate with them, and his desire is to hear them respond to his Word. He longs for his people to come to know him in love; he wants to fill them with his love. 

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 331

The entire Old Covenant is the expression of God’s desire to raise human beings to intimacy with him. The Old Testament law and commandments, the temple and sacrifices, the holy days—all these had as their goal the creation of appropriate conditions for human intimacy with God.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 332

Бог сотворив людину на Свій образ і подобу, покликавши її до спілкування із Собою. Господь відкрив людям Своє прагнення спілкуватися з ними, чути їхні відповіді на Свої слова. Він прагне, щоб люди в любові пізнавали Його, і хоче наповнити їх Своєю любов’ю.

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 331

Увесь Старий Завіт свідчить про прагнення Бога піднести людину до спілкування з Ним. Старозавітні Закон і заповіді, храм і жертвоприношення, свята – усе це створювало умови для спілкування людини з Богом.

Катехизм УГКЦ – Христос наша Пасха # 332

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Every day God passes by and sows a seed in the soil of our lives. Making that seed grow depends on us, on our prayer, on the open heart with which we approach the Scriptures so that it might become for us the Living Word of God.

Brothers, sisters, let us not place our trust in wealth and not fear our poverties, material and human. The more we are free and simple, the more the Holy Spirit gudies the mission and makes us agents of his wonders.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, July 3, 2022

May the supplications of the ancient righteous ones of the land of Ukraine and the sufferings of our confessors of the Holy Gospel rise as fragrant incense before the throne of the Most High; for it is by their sacrifices that the Church of Christ in Ukraine is regenerated and strengthened. 

Stichera of Litiya, Feast of Saints of Ukraine 

With a history of more than a thousand years, the Kyivan Church glories in a vast assembly of saints. In the words of Patriarch Josyf, “the Ukrainian Church’s witness of faith in Christ and his one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, was confirmed by the bloodied seal of a fearless profession, and suffering; by martyrdom and the mountains [of bodies] of our sacrificed people.” Truly, the “blood of martyrs,” known and unknown, became the “seed of the Church.”

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 322

Among the martyrs of our Church, a special place of honour is given to the hieromartyr Josaphat, Archbishop of Polotsk, who suffered for the unity of Christ’s Church in the time of the Union of Brest. His personage as a passion-bearer is an example of self-sacrifice for the sake of reconciliation. Like Saints Borys and Hlib, he preferred to sacrifice his own life than to see the shedding of his brothers’ blood.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 323

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Every day I carry in my heart the dear and tormented Ukraine, which continues to be scourged by barbaric attacks. Let us pray together that the Lord open those paths of dialogue that men are unwilling or unable to find!

During difficult moments, let us not close in on ourselves, shutting Jesus out. Let us seek Jesus, return to him, to his forgiveness, to those wounds that have healed us. In this way, we too will become capable of compassion, of approaching the wounds of others.

The Christian faith is fundamentally an encounter with Jesus Christ. If we truly believe in Jesus, we must try to act like Jesus did: encounter others, encounter our neighbours, so as to share the saving truth of the Gospel with them.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, June 19, 2022

In the Holy Mystery of Repentance, God grants the Christian growth in the grace of Baptism and the virtues. The closer we come to God, we see our own weaknesses and sinfulness more clearly and thus feel the need for more frequent Confession. According to the spiritual Fathers, if a person confesses rarely, he or she gradually loses the capacity to distinguish between good and evil, which has negative consequences for his or her whole life

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 460

In the Eucharist, Christ offers us participation in his life, a life both divine and human (i.e., theandric). He does this out of merciful love, not because of our merits. The highest expression of this love is Christ’s sacrifice in blood on Golgotha, the memorial of which is the bloodless sacrifice—the Eucharist. “You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish” (1 Pt 1:18-19).

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 442

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And let us not forget the suffering of the Ukrainian people. I would like you all to keep in mind a question: what am I doing today for the Ukrainian people? Do I pray? Am I doing something? Am I trying to understand? Each one of you, answer in your heart.

We need to dream even as a Church. We need enthusiasm, we need the passion of youth, to be witnesses of God who is always young!

In the Body and Blood of Christ, we find his presence, his life given for each of us. He not only gives us help to go forward, but he gives us himself: he enters into our affairs, he visits us when we are lonely, giving us back a sense of enthusiasm.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, June 19, 2022

On Sunday the Church of Christ celebrates the Lord’s Day, which the Church Fathers called “little Pascha.” Through Baptism the believer becomes a partaker in the Paschal Mystery. He or she also becomes inwardly tied to the Liturgy of the Church. 

Thus, every Christian is called to participate in its celebration. Our participation in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and holy days is a manifestation and confirmation of unity with God and the Church in faith and love. Therefore, the Lord instructs us in the third Commandment: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy”516 (see Ex 20:8; Dt 5:12). 

In addition to participating in the Divine Liturgy and other services, faithful Christians celebrate the holy Day of the Lord by deepening their knowledge of the faith, refraining from hard work, and performing acts of mercy (visiting the sick, the infirm, helping the needy, etc.). 

By celebrating the Lord’s Day, we as Christians openly profess our faith, acknowledge ourselves to be a new creation in Christ and members of his Body, the Church; and we await “a new heaven and a new earth” (see Rev 21:1).

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 83

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Let us not forget the people of Ukraine battered by war. Let us not become accustomed to live as though the war is something far off. Let us pray together for these people who are suffering so much and who are living a true martyrdom.

Jesus knows our strengths and our defects, and is always ready to care for us, to heal the wounds of our errors with the abundance of his grace.

Jesus speaks in silence in the Mystery of the Eucharist. He reminds us every time that following him means going out of ourselves and not making our life a possession of our own, but rather a gift to him and to others.

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Sunday, May 15, 2022

The Holy Mystery of Repentance (Sacrament of Confession)

Ongoing repentance is not about focusing on one’s faults and offenses. It is first of all about discovering God’s love. In the light of God’s love we realize to what extent sin separates us from him and prevents us from abiding in his love. “The one who sins does so because they do not appreciate the value and importance of God’s grace. To bring someone to repentance one must first of all clearly and fundamentally show them the magnitude of God’s gift, which they lose through grave sin.” {Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, До духовенства [Letter to the Clergy] (March 15, 1935)}

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 454

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The Holy Mystery of the Eucharist

The Divine Liturgy is the memorial, the continuance, of the Mystical Supper: “Accept me this day, O Son of God, as a partaker of your Mystical Supper.” Just as Christ offered the apostles Communion in his Body and Blood at the Mystical Supper, so at the Liturgy he offers us Communion: “When, therefore, you see the priest delivering [the supper] unto you, account not that it is the priest that does so, but that it is Christ’s hand that is stretched out.” {Saint John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, 50, 3} The Communion of the Apostles icon, as also the icon of the Mystical Supper, depicts that which takes place at the Liturgy: Christ is offering the Communion of his Body and Blood to his apostles, who represent all the faithful. At the Liturgy, before Communion the priest prays: “Deign to give to us with your mighty hand your most pure Body and precious Blood, and through us to all the people.” 

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 435

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Sunday, May 8, 2022

The descent of Christ into Hades completes the salvation of the entire world, “heaven, earth, and the world beneath.” { Floral Triodion, Sunday of Holy Pascha, Paschal Matins, Canon of Pascha, Ode 3.} In his Incarnation, God descends from the heavenly to the earthly, and through death he further descends into the very depths of the underworld, to fill all things with himself. “You were bodily in the tomb, in Hades with your soul as God, in Paradise with the thief, and enthroned with the Father and the Spirit. O Christ, you fill all things but are contained by none.” {Liturgicon, The Divine Liturgy of our Holy Father John Chrysostom, Prayer at the Great Incensation.} By dying and descending into Hades, Christ the God-man reveals himself as the Resurrection and the Life: he awakens Adam from the sleep of sin and leads him into Paradise. Therefore, he “who apprehends the mystery of the cross and the burial apprehends the inward essences of created things; while he who is initiated into the inexpressible power of the Resurrection apprehends the purpose for which God first established everything.” { Maximus the Confessor, On Theology and the Incarnation of the Son of God, I, 66: PG 90, 1107.}

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 231

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I ask everyone to increase their prayers for peace and to have the courage to say, to show that peace is possible. Political leaders, please, listen to the voice of the people who want peace, not an escalation of the conflict.

When we bring peace to someone who is suffering physically or spiritually, when we spend some time listening, being present, or consoling someone, we encounter Jesus who repeats to us through the eyes of all those who are weighed down by the trials of life: Peace be with you!

A Christianity that seeks the Lord among the ruins of the past and encloses him in the tomb of habit is a Christianity without Easter.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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In the celebration of the Holy Mystery of Repentance, the Church actualizes the words of the Lord to the apostles: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” ( Jn 20:22-23). Every priest continues the apostolic ministry in the Mystery of Repentance when he absolves the faithful of their sins and reconciles them with the Church. The priest pronounces the prayer of absolution (the loosing from the bondage of sin) and every penitent thereby receives Christ’s forgiveness. 

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 450

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The Mystery of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) is the third of the Mysteries of Christian initiation. In the Eucharist the newly baptized, who was born in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, receives the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ at the holy Eucharis[1]tic table. But unlike Baptism and Chrismation, which we receive only once, we receive the Mystery of the Eucharist throughout our lives, since it is through this Mystery that we grow in the grace received in Baptism and Chrismation—the grace to be sons and daughters of God. For this reason our Church offers Communion to the newly baptized.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 431

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Sunday, April 10, 2022

Let us not forget the children who have had to flee and come to a foreign land: this is one of the fruits of war. Let us not forget them, and let us not forget the Ukrainian people.

They are victims whose innocent blood cries to Heaven and implores: put an end to this war! Silence the weapons! Stop sowing death and destruction!

The recent news from Ukraine, reports new atrocities, like the massacre in Bucha: ever more horrendous cruelty done even against defenseless civilians, women and children.

Let us pray together for peace, thinking of the humanitarian tragedy in war-torn Ukraine, which continues to be bombarded. Let us not tire of praying and offering assistance to those who suffer!

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, April 3, 2022

War doesn’t devastate only the present but the future too. From the start of the aggression in Ukraine 1 of every 2 children has been displaced. This destroys the future, traumatizing the smallest and most innocent. This is the bestiality of war, a barbarous and sacrilegious act!.

Let us pray together untiringly to the Queen of Peace, to whom we consecrated humanity, in particular Russia and Ukraine, with such a large and intense participation for which I thank all of you.

We need to reject war, a place of death where fathers and mothers bury their children, where men kill their brothers and sisters without even having seen them, where the powerful decide and the poor die.

We should not accustom ourselves to war. Instead, we need to convert today’s anger into a commitment for tomorrow, because if, after what is happening, we remain like we were before, we will all be guilty in some way.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2022

“Innocent children’s blood is ‘on the hands of the criminals who began this war”

Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk

Lent is a journey of healing, to live each day with a renewed spirit, a different “style”. Prayer, charity and fasting are aids to this: they restore us to a living relationship with God, our brothers and sisters, and ourselves.

The city that bears the name of the Virgin Mary, Mariupol, has become a city martyred by the ruinous war that is devastating Ukraine. #LetsPrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace

Before the barbarism of killing children and innocent and defenceless citizens, no strategic reasons hold: the only thing to be done is to cease the unacceptable armed aggression before cities are reduced to cemeteries. #LetsPrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, March 13, 2022

I would also like to thank the journalists who put their lives at risk to provide information. Thank you, brothers and sisters, for this service that allows us to be close to the tragedy of that population and enables us to assess the cruelty of a war. #Ukraine#Peace

Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine. It is not merely a military operation, but a war, which sows death, destruction, and misery. The number of victims is increasing, as are the people fleeing, especially mothers and children. The need for humanitarian assistance in that troubled country is growing dramatically by the hour.

The Holy See is ready to do everything, to put itself at the service of this peace… “War is madness! Stop, please! Look at this cruelty!   

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, March 6, 2022

Let us ask the Queen of Peace to spread her mantle over us: under your protection we seek refuge. Holy Mother of God: do not despise our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin! #PrayTogether #Ukraine #Peace

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, February 27, 2022

PRAYER FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE

Heavenly Father, Your Son taught us “Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called Children of God”. In this time of great worry, we fervently pray that You show your mercy to people of Ukraine. We pray for children, elderly, adults, soldiers, political leaders – please keep them safe and free from injury! 

Bless the President of Ukraine and give him and all leaders wisdom and strength! 

O most merciful God, do not let chaos and war reign in our homeland! 

We pray for the soldiers that they may have the strength and perseverance to defend Ukraine and the democratic values in the world!

Help us all to live according to your Divine Will!

We beseech you to comfort the suffering, heal the wounded and receive the souls of the departed soldiers and civilians into Your Heavenly Kingdom. 

Most Holy Mother of God protect our brothers and sisters in Ukraine! 

Our Father …. (3 times)

Hail Mary …. (3 times) 

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and ever. Amen!__

Peace is a gift from God. It is not merely the absence of war. Peace cannot be attained without the defense of people’s welfare as well as unfettered communication among them. It also requires respect for the dignity of individuals and nations, as well as a constant fostering of fraternal fellowship. Peace is a matter of justice and the fruit of love.

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 986 

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Every war leaves our world worse than it was before. War is a failure of politics and of humanity, a shameful capitulation, a stinging defeat before the forces of evil.

Pope Francis, “Fratelli Tutti” All Brothers  – Encyclical 2020

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I invite everyone to make this coming 2nd March, Ash Wednesday, a Day of Fasting for Peace: let believers dedicate themselves intensively to prayer and fasting. May the Queen of Peace preserve the world from the madness of war.

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I would like to appeal to those with political responsibilities to make a serious examination of conscience before God, who is the God of peace and not of war, the Father of all, not just of some, who wants us to be brothers and not enemies. #Ukraine #Peace

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Sunday, February 20, 2022

It is very important to bring together the wisdom of the elderly and the enthusiasm of the young. The encounter between grandparents and grandchildren is key, especially in this moment of economic and social crisis that humanity is undergoing.

The elderly should be cared for like a treasure of humanity: they are our wisdom, our memory. It is crucial that grandchildren remain close to their grandparents, who are like roots from which they draw the sap of human and spiritual values.

May the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, witnesses of a Christianity still united and full of zeal for the preaching of the Gospel, help us to persevere on our journey by fostering our fraternal communion in the name of Jesus.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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Sunday, February 13, 2022

In our Church, the Divine Liturgy is served according to three orders, those of the bishops, Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Basil the Great, and that of the Presanctified Gifts. Ordinarily it is the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom that is celebrated. The Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great is celebrated ten times a year, namely: on all five Sundays of Great Lent, on Great and Holy Thursday, on Great and Holy Saturday, on the eves of Christmas and Theophany, and on the feast of Saint Basil the Great. From Monday to Friday during Great Lent, as a sign of the anticipation of Christ’s Pascha and glorious second coming, the Church does not offer the Eucharistic oblation, that is, the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom or Saint Basil the Great.

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Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 393

Let us continue to implore the God of peace that tensions and threats of war be overcome through serious dialogue. Let’s not forget: war is madness! 

Our Christian way of looking at others refuses to see them as a burden or a problem, but rather as brothers and sisters to be helped and protected.

Closeness is a precious balm that provides support and consolation to the sick in their suffering. As Christians, we experience that closeness as a sign of the love of Jesus Christ, the Good Samaritan, who draws near with compassion to every man and woman.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2022

International Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: January 18-25: The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2022 was selected by the Middle East Council of Churches and originates from the churches in Lebanon. Present times in Lebanon are extremely difficult and economically disastrous. All this combined with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have made the situation quite stressful. The power of prayer in solidarity with those who suffer is a demonstration of Christian unity and a sign of communion.

The theme, taken from the second chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew, is the Epiphany. Each year in January, the Church recalls the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem, highlighting God’s invitation to all of humanity to a new covenant in the Incarnation of Christ. In the Eastern Churches, Epiphany is joined to the mystery of the Baptism of Christ, a baptism all Christians hold in common as testimony to their faith in the Son of God.

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In his providence, God envisaged the transmission of his Revelation also in written form. This would give the opportunity to preserve his Revelation unchangeable, and to transmit it from generation to generation throughout human history. People inspired by God transcribed God’s word forming the Bible (from the Greek Biblia, meaning books), which we call Holy Scripture. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful” (2 Tm 3:16). Holy Scripture is the Word of God addressed to every human being. Therefore, it is relevant in every time and every place. The Holy Scriptures are a collection of books, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by holy people, which the Church of Christ has received and preserves as the Word of God. These books comprise the canon of Holy Scripture, which the Church has identified in the light of Apostolic Tradition. This canon includes 47 books of the Old Testament and 27 of the New Testament

Catechism of the UCC: Christ – Our Pascha # 38

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Praying together for one another and cooperating in charity with one another for the sake of this world which God loves so much: this is the most concrete route to full unity.

The Word brings us close to God. Let us carry it with us always, in a place where we can remember to open it daily, so that amid all those words that ring in our ears, there may also be a few verses of the Word of God that can touch our hearts.

Pope Francis @Pontifex

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 16, 2022

Immediately after their fall, God announces to Adam and Eve his promise of salvation. Inasmuch as the human race was deceived by the tempter by trusting in him, God sets enmity, a struggle between them, to safeguard humanity from total subordination to evil: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers” (Gn 3:15). In this struggle, God promises humanity the ultimate victory: “He [i.e., the offs