Blog - St Luke Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

“STRASTI” SERVICES OF THE HOLY PASSION OF OUR LORD according to the BYZANTINE TRADITION

by Rev. Roman Bobesiuk March 28, 2024

“Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.”

(I Pet. 2:21.)

Good Friday, known to the primitive Church as the Pasch of Crucifixion, was since apostolic times, dedicated to the solemn commemoration of the passion of our Lord. By the word “passion”, we understand all the sufferings endured by our divine Savior, from the Last Supper until His death on the cross, including His burial.

The sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ constitute the main part of the economy of salvation, and are meticulously described by all four Evangelists, with some variant details. Divided into twelve parts, these gospel readings become a special feature of the services called The Holy Passion of Our Lord.

The readings of the twelve passion gospels are set up into the frame of Good Friday Matins. However, according to ancient practice, these services are celebrated in the evening of Holy Thursday, when the sufferings of our Lord actually started.

1. The cradle of the liturgical celebrations in the Byzantine Rite was Jerusalem, where the faithful began to celebrate certain mysteries of our salvation in their proper setting . With the coming of numerous pilgrims, the holy places mentioned in the Scriptures were singled out with some outstanding sanctuaries, where many impressive liturgical celebrations were initiated, and were then gradually accepted by other Churches of the East. Likewise the solemn celebration of the Holy Passion of our Lord started in Jerusalem, being inspired by the All-Night Vigil of Good Friday.

Inspired by the vivid passion narratives of the Evangelists, the faithful used to spend the night before Good Friday “watching and praying” (Mt. 26 :41), as they followed our Lord on His way to the crucifixion in a candle-light procession. In time the pilgrims joined the local Christians in their vigil procession, visiting all the holy places in and around the city which were mentioned in the passion narratives.

When the procession reached a particular place (station), marked by a church or chapel, the people used to sing some “psalms and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16), while the clergy read the related gospel story and recited certain prayers. The procession then moved to the next holy place mentioned in the Gospel. This was the beginning of the present Services of the Holy Passion, as described by the famous Spanish pilgrim, the nun Egeria, at the end of the fourth century.

2. As we are told by the Evangelists, the sufferings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ started on Holy Thursday night. After the Last Supper our Lord left the Cenacle and, together with His disciples, entered into the garden of Gethsemany, located at the foot of the Mount of Olives. For this reason, the passion vigil in Jerusalem also started on the eve of Good Friday. The ancient Typikon of Jerusalem, dating to the ninth century, prescribes that the vigil should start at two o’clock at night, that is at eight o’clock in the evening according to our time.

In the fourth century, the Christians had already built a beautiful church on the site of the Cenacle where Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist. This church was known as the Basilica of Holy Sion, mentioned in our liturgical hymns as the Mother of All Churches, as testified to by St. Sophronius, the Patriarch of Jerusalem (d. 638). Therefore, the vigil procession started in the Basilica of Sion with the reading of the rather lengthy Farewell Discourse of our Lord, which He delivered just before leaving the cenacle, as recorded by St. John Evangelist (In. 13:31-18:1).

As the deacon finished the reading with the words : “When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples across the Cedron Valley, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered,” the candle-light procession started to move toward the Garden of Gethsemany, at the foot of Mount of Olives. By the time the procession returned to the city, after making five stations on the mountain, it was already dawn and time to celebrate the morning services, the Matins (et. Byzantine Leaflet Series 1984, No. 31).

Back in the city, the procession then stopped in a small chapel, known as the Church Before the Cross. It marked the praetorium of Pilate, where our Lord was brought by the Jewish leaders on Friday morning, as indicated by the Evangelist: “When it was morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death. They bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate, the governor.” (Mt. 27:1-2).

During the morning services the gospel, describing the trial and condemnation of Jesus, was read. It ended with the words: “Then he (Pilate) handed Him over to them to be crucified.” (In. 19:16). Hence the name of the place, Before the Cross, before the cross was placed on the shoulders of our Lord on His way to Calvary.

3. Before the dismissal the bishop invited all the faithful to return to the same place at two o’clock (i.e. 8:00 a.m. our time) to follow our Lord on His Way of the Cross to Calvary, where a magnificent Basilica of the Martyrion was built (cf. Byz. Leaflet Series 1977, No.8). As the procession reached the basilica, the Third (9:00 a.m.), the Sixth (noon time), and the Ninth Hour (3:00 p.m.) was celebrated with the gospel readings about our Lord’s crucifixion, agony, and dying on the cross. Those three readings were later transferred from the Hours to the Passion Services as the eighth, the ninth and the tenth Passion Gospels.

The eleventh Passion Gospel, describing burial of our Lord, was initially read at Vespers of Holy Friday, celebrated immediately after the Ninth Hour in the adjoining Basilica of the Resurrection, constructed in the fourth century over the tomb of our Savior.

Originally, then, there were only six Passion Gospels, as indicated by the fourth century pilgrim, the nun Egeria, describing the all-night vigil procession.

The seventh Gospel, introduced by a Prokimenon, was the proper gospel reading of the Matins. As the Matins services became enriched with the new liturgical compositions, especially those of St. Cosmas of Maiuma (d. about 760)’ the additional Passion Gospels were inserted. Thus, according to the later Typika, by the thirteenth century eleven Passion Gospels were read in order to equal the number of the eleven Resurrectional Gospels. However, sometime before the sixteenth century the twelfth Passion Gospel, describing the placing of the guards at our Lord’s tomb (Mt. 27:62-66), was added for no other reason than “to round up the number.” The twelfth gospel reading was borrowed from the Matins services of Holy Saturday, where it properly belongs.

4. The Passion Services, as we celebrate them today, are composed of two separate parts: 1) the ancient All-Night Vigil, and 2) the morning services of Matins.

The pristine All Night Vigil now unfolds in the frame of the first six Passion Gospels, tied together by the antiphons. The first gospel reading is preceded by a moving troparion, While the glorious disciples (see Back Cover), which takes us directly into the Cenacle (the Holy Sion Church), where the candle-light procession originally had started. As the vigil procession was moving from one station (church) to another, the antiphons, excerpts from the Psalms, were chanted by the people. The gospel reading at the station was usually preceded by a prayer and appropriate hymn.

Following the pristine custom, three antiphons are sung between the first six Passion Gospels even till today, which are followed by a small ektenia (prayer) and so called sessional hymn. Altogether there are fifteen such antiphons and five sessional hymns, connecting the first six Passion Gospels into one liturgical whole, constituting the ancient All Night Vigil Services.

5. With the singing of the Beatitudes the second part of the Passion Services, the proper Matins, begins.

The Matins also contain six Passion Gospels, inserted throughout the services, namely: 1) after the Prokimenon, 2) after the Psalm 51 (50), 3) after the triodion of the Canon, 4) after the Sticheras of Praise, 5) after the Doxology, and 6) after the Aposticha.

Finally, the concluding troparion, You have redeemed us (see Back Cover), summarizes the meaning of Christ’s sufferings in the work of our salvation.

The twelve Passion Gospels, as prescribed by the Typikon, are as follows:

1) John 13:31 -18:1 7) Matthew 27:33-54

2) John 18:1-28 8) Luke 23:32-49

3) Matthew 26:57-75 9) John 19:25-37

4) John 18 :28-19 :16 10) Mark 15:43-47

5) Matthew 27:3-32 11) John 19 :38-42

6) Mark 15:16-32 12) Matthew 27:62-66

Perhaps nothing is so characteristic of the Holy Passion Services as the versicles chanted before and after the reading of the Gospel as we make a deep bow. Before the gospel reading we sing: Glory to Your Passion, o Lord; and after: Glory to Your long-suffering, o Lord!

The Services of the Holy Passion may be long, but they are very dramatic and deeply touching to the heart. Our prayerful participation in these services, which so vividly describe the mysteries of our salvation, fills our heart with compassion and love of our Savior, and restores our moral strength. Strengthened by our Lord’s passion, we then eagerly look toward the Pasch of Resurrection as the assurance of our salvation. Already at the end of the first part of the services we humbly cry out:

“We venerate Your Passion, 0 Christ, Show us also Your glorious Resurrection !”

(cf. The 75th Antiphon)

Source: archpitt.org

March 28, 2024 27

Byzantine Rite

THE HOLY and GREAT THURSDAY: according to THE BYZANTINE TRADITION

by Rev. Roman Bobesiuk March 28, 2024

In the Byzantine Rite the week preceding Easter, during which we spiritually relive the mysteries of our redemption, is called Passion Week. It is also referred to as the Great Week, on account of the “great and indescribable benefits that have befallen us during this week (St. John Chrysostom).

Consequently, each individual day of Passion Week is also designated as Great (St. Athanasius). Hence Holy Thursday liturgically is referred to as Great Thursday, in commemoration of the institution of the Holy Eucharist.

1. Although the celebration of the Holy and Great Thursday is very ancient, it did not originally form part of the liturgical celebration of the Paschal Mysteries (the crucifixion, burial and glorious resurrection of Christ) . At the beginning, Holy Thursday was rather a day of preparation for the Easter Vigil, the primitive Sacred Triduum, which started on the eve of the Holy and Great Friday, and ended at the dawn of Easter Sunday. Thus, originally, Holy Thursday was assigned to the reconciliation of penitents in order that they be able to participate in the paschal festivities with the rest of the faithful.

The catechumens, also, who were to be baptized on the Vigil of Easter, were examined on Holy Thursday.

They had to recite from memory the Symbol of Faith before the presiding bishop.

It was only natural that a special commemoration of the institution of the Holy Eucharist should be made on the day when this great event took place.

Thus the custom to celebrate the Holy Liturgy in the evening of Holy Thursday originated, with all probability in Jerusalem, at the end of the fourth century.

It was at this commemmorative Divine Liturgy that the faithful were expected to receive Holy Communion in fulfillment of their Easter duty (cf. Egeria, Diary of Pilgrimage, 35).

2. The celebration of the Divine Liturgy on the evening of Holy Thursday encountered some difficulties, especially on account of the Eucharistic fast, prohibiting any food , or even a drink of water, to be taken before Holy Communion. Thus, in the seventh century they began to celebrate the Holy Liturgy in the morning hours to make it possible for the people to receive Holy Communion while fasting. This practice was approved by the Council of Trullo, in 692 A.D.

On Great Thursday we celebrate the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (cf. Byzantine Leaflet Series, n. 20) , preceded by solemn Vespers (cf. Byzantine Leaflet Series, n. 29). The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great was chosen, since the Anaphora, the priestly prayer preceding and following the Consecration, describes the institution of the Holy Eucharist with much more detail than that of St. John Chrysostom. The Divine Liturgy is preceded by Vespers to indicate that the Liturgy is celebrated in commemoration of the institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Mystical (Last) Supper, which was celebrated by Jesus with His Apostles after the evening sacrifice at the temple.

Thus the evening character of the Divine Liturgy of Great Thursday is observed at least liturgically.

The morning celebration of the Holy Liturgy on Great Thursday was prompted by another practical reason, the anticipation of the All-night Vigil in order to attract larger crowds. With time, the All-night Vigil (Passion Services) of Great Friday became less and less attended. By moving the celebration of the Divine Liturgy to the morning hours, they were able to begin the Great Friday Vigil early in the evening and complete it before midnight. And the people responded .

3. Since the Great Thursday Liturgy is celebrated in commemoration of the institution of the Holy Eucharist, which can be performed only on a properly consecrated altar, it was logical that the consecration of the Antimensia (Greek antimension-instead of the altar) by the bishop would also take place at the Liturgy of Great Thursday.

The Antimension (equivalent to a portable altar in the Latin Rite) is a square piece of linen or, recently, of silk, on which is depicted the deposition of Christ’s body from the cross, with the four Evangelists in the corners. A small pocket, containing the relics of a Martyr, is then sewn to the reverse side of the cloth, which is then consecrated by the bishop and authenticated by his signature.

In the first centuries the Holy Liturgy was usually celebrated on altars built over the tombs of Martyrs who gave living witness to the Gospel of Christ by sacrificing their own life. This practice was suggested by the Scriptures, describing the heavenly altar: ” I saw under the altar the spirits of those who had been martyred because of the witness they bore to the Word of God” (Rev. 6:9).

In the places where there were no tombs of Martyrs the local bishop usually enshrined a piece of a Martyr’s relics in the altar at the time of the consecration of a newly erected church. Finally in 787 A.D., the Second Council of Nicea legislated: ” If any church has been consecrated without the relics of the Martyrs, we decree that the holy relics be deposited therein with the customary prayers” (Can. 7).

As a result of the above decree the use of the consecrated antimension became widespread in the Byzantine Church, although originally it was meant to be used on the altars which were not consecrated by the bishop. Beginning with the 17th century the antimensia are used in the Byzantine Rite churches on every altar, whether it has been consecrated by the bishop or not.

The ritual of the consecration of antimensia is almost the same as that of the altar. As a matter of fact, in the prayers of consecration, the antimension is referred to as ” the holy altar” since it contains the holy relics and, after being consecrated by the bishop, the Holy Liturgy can be celebrated upon it. For the consecration of the antimensia, just as for the consecration of the altar, the bishop uses holy chrism (myron).

4. The holy chrism (myron) is used by the bishop in the consecration of the churches, altars and antimensia.

It is also used by the priests in the administration of Holy Confirmation, which in the Byzantine Rite is appropriately called Chrismation-in Old Slavonic Myropomazanije.

The first instructions about the ingredients and preparation of the ch rism , referred to as sacred anointing oil, were given by God Himself to Moses (Ex. 30 :22-30) . To the present day the chrism is basically composed of a mixture of olive oil and balm, to which various fragrant spices and roots are added in powdered form. After adding some white wine to it, the entire mixture is then carefully boiled until all the ingredients are smoothly blended together. During the boiling of the mixture certain prayers are said.

This perfumed ointment is then solemnly consecrated by the bishop during the Divine Liturgy on Great Thursday. The vessel with the properly prepared ointment is placed on the altar during the Great Entrance and is consecrated by the bishop after the Anaphora by a ” holy invocation.” The oldest prayer for the consecration of chrism, entitled the Holy Invocation, comes to us from the fourth century (cf. The Apostolic Constitutions, VII, 44). The oldest ritual of the consecration of chrism can be found in the Euchologion from the eighth century, generally known as the Barberini Code. Originally, the consecration of chrism took place during the Easter Vigil on Great Saturday, just before the solemn baptism of the catechumens. At the end of the sixth century the consecration of chrism was moved to the Great Thursday Liturgy in order to alleviate the crowded services of the Easter Vigil.

Holy Chrism was always considered by the Church Fathers as a very sacred thing, imbued with the presence of the Holy Spi rit, as explained by St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386) to the newly baptized : “After the invocation (of the bishop) this holy ointment is no more a simple or common ointment, but is Christ’s gift of grace and by His advent is able to impart the Holy Spirit” (cf. his Catechetical Lectures, XXI , 3) .

After Easter, the Holy Chrism is distributed by the bishop to all parishes under his jurisdiction, and the priests then use it in the administration of the Mystery of Chrismation.

5. At the Mystical Supper Our Lord washed the feet of his disciples, giving them a practical lesson of the humble service to which they were called, saying : “What I just did was to give you an example: as I have done, so also you must do” (In. 13:15). In the early Church the washing of the feet as an act of Christian charity became a common practice (I Tim. 5:10).

In the following centuries the custom of washing the feet outlived its practical use and was abandoned by the Christian communities. Nevertheless it survived as a liturgical ceremony and was performed by the bishop, or by the superior of a monastery, at the end of the Divine Liturgy on Great Thursday.

During this symbolic ritual the bishop, representing Our Lord Jesus Christ, re-enacts the entire event as described by the Evangelist (In. 13 :3-17) and washes the feet of twelve clerics or altar boys, symbolizing his readiness to serve the people in humility. The symbolic meaning of the entire ceremony is beautifully described in the concluding prayer, recited by the bishop:

” Lord, our God, you who pou red out yourself for us according to the greatness of your mercy, and who took the form of a slave, who at the time of your saving , life creating and voluntary passion, willed to sit and eat with your holy disciples and apostles, and after this, girt with a towel, you washed the feet of your apostles, giving them an example of humility and love, one for another, and who said: ‘That what I have done to you, you do also to one another:’ Now, o Master, among your unworthy servants, cleanse our souls of all stain and uncleanness, that, having been cleansed of the dust of sin attached to us, and having been dried with the towel of love one for another, we may praise you all the days of our life and merit grace before you . For you are the one who blesses and sanctifies all things, 0 Christ our God, and we give glory to you, together with your eternal Father and your most holy and life creating Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.”

Source: https://archpitt.org

March 28, 2024 26

Byzantine Rite

The Easter Egg. Symbol of Death and Resurrection by Bishop David Motiuk, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton

by Rev. Roman Bobesiuk March 28, 2024

Reflections on Growing in Our Friendship with Christ

by Bishop David Motiuk, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton

April 2024

The Easter Egg. Symbol of Death and Resurrection

Praying with Icons. Windows into Heaven. Growing in Our Friendship with Christ.

Easter. Death. Resurrection. Easter Eggs.

Easter eggs, in one sense, can be likened to icons in that they are full of colour and meaning and open us up to God’s love and presence.

Long ago, it was the custom for people to place eggs on the graves of their family members and friends. Just as a baby chick is born from the eggshell, they believed their loved ones would be born again from the shell of their bodies. The egg became a symbol of their belief in a future life.

Let us take a closer look at the Easter Egg, which became for Christians a symbol for Easter, the resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The egg is a symbol of renewed life. It represents the beginning of life, the hope of new life to come. Life is already present in the egg but it must first grow and develop. With warmth and patience, in time this life will hatch and break forth from the shell.

The egg, seemingly dead and lifeless, white and colourless, represents Jesus Christ in the tomb on Holy Saturday before Easter Sunday. His tomb seemed dead and lifeless. Yet on Easter Sunday, Jesus breaks free from the shell of the tomb and emerges into the newness of life, life eternal.

The very colours of the Easter Egg help remind us of the meaning of Easter and the newness of life that Jesus offers us when we chose to follow him.

Red reminds us of the blood shed by Jesus. It is the colour of love and reminds us that Jesus died and was buried because of his love for us.

Purple is the colour of royalty, the reminder that Christ is the King and Lord of all.

Green is the sign of new life in spring, when nature is freshly growing. It is the sign of hope for the future, hope in God’s unfolding plan for us.

Yellow represents the radiance of resurrection, the bright reflection of Christ’s divinity.

Black reminds us of the blackness, of destiny without the light of faith.

Blue is the colour of courage, strength, and stability, and reminds us that Christ is our strength.

Orange is the colour of the warmth of the sun, and reminds us of God’s presence, the warmth of Jesus.

As we celebrate Easter, let us take a moment to reflect on Jesus’ passion and death upon the cross – the great sacrifice he makes for you and me, and let us recall his glorious resurrection and the gift of the newness of life that he offers us.

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Praying with Icons. Windows into Heaven. Growing in Our Friendship with Christ.

Source: https://eeparchy.com

March 28, 2024 8

Byzantine Rite

BYZANTINE TRADITIONAL PRAYERS TO THE BLESSED MOTHER OF GOD

by Rev. Roman Bobesiuk March 25, 2024

We owe special veneration (hyperdulia) to the Blessed Virgin Mary since She gave birth to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Lk. 1:35), and thus She became the Mother of God. The Greeks called Her Theotokos, and the Ukrainians Bohorodicja, which literally means the God-Bearer. The title of “Theotokos” was acknowledged to Mary by the Third Ecumenical Council, held in Ephesus in 431 A.D.

1.
The Blessed Virgin Mary was venerated as the “Mother of God” (Theotokos) since the beginning of Christianity, but the first written testimony comes to us from Bishop Alexander of Alexandria in 320 A.D. (cf. Theodoret, The History of Church 1, 4). Since then this title can be found in the writings of such great Fathers of the Church as St. Athanasius (d. 373), St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386), and St. Gregory of Nyssa, just to mention a few. And St. Gregory of Nazianz (d. 389) considered it an article of faith, saying: “He who denies that Holy Mary is Theotokos (the God-Bearer) is far from God” (cf. Epistle 101).
In 428 A.D., Archbishop Nestorius of Constantinople publicly questioned the use of the title Theotokos, traditionally given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and persisted in calling Her Christotokos, meaning the Mother of the Christ-man. The reaction to such denial became so strong that in 431 A.D. the Council of Ephesus had to be convoked in order to make a solemn decision on this article of faith. The Council Fathers, under the leadership of St. Cyril of Alexandria (d. 444), condemned Nestorius and solemnly proclaimed the “orthodoxy” (in its orig. meaning a true teaching of the Church: “The All-Holy Virgin Mary is indeed-THEOTOKOS (the Mother of God) since She bore ‘the Word of God made flesh’ (Jn. 1:14).”
Since that time, the Council of Ephesus received the name the Council of the Theotokos.

2.
The teaching of “Theotokos,” outside of the followers of Nestorius in Persia (where they founded the so-called-Nestorian Church), was enthusiastically accepted by the entire Christian world and gave great impetus to the public veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It certainly contributed to the final formulation and public recitation of the ancient Marian prayer, known to the Ukrainian people as Bohorodice D’ivo:

Hail, Mother of God, Virgin Mary full of grace!* The Lord is with you.* Blessed are you among women,* and blessed is the fruit of your womb. For you have borne Christ, the Savior and Deliverer of our souls.

The nucleus of this traditional Marian prayer, also known as the Angelic Salutation, consists of the greeting words of the Archangel Gabriel addressed to Mary: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with You” (Lk. 1:28), and those of St. Elizabeth: “Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb” (Lk. 1:42). For the ending, some words of explanation were added as to why the Blessed Virgin Mary should be so exalted: “For You-Virgin Mother of God have borne Christ, the Savior and Deliverer of our souls.”This Marian prayer is a result of gradual development from the fourth to the sixth century, when it was finally introduced into liturgical use. The greeting words of the Archangel and St. Elizabeth, as a single formula, can be traced to the ancient Greek Liturgy of St. James and that of St. Mark in use already in the fourth century. The pristine text of the prayer reads as follows:

Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with You. Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have borne the Savior of our souls.

After the Council of Constantinople (381 A.D.), which defined Mary’s perpetual virginity, and the Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.), which solemnly proclaimed Mary’s divine motherhood, the words: Virgin and Mother of God (Theotokos) were added to underscore Mary’s spiritual excellence and dignity. The final formula, as it was accepted by the Byzantine Church, appears for the first time in the Ritual of Severus of Antioch (d. 538 A.D.) and was recited during Baptism.
Unfortunately, the Church Fathers did not leave us any explanation about the origin, development and liturgical use of this venerable prayer. But by the 12th century it became a common daily prayer of the faithful, recited together with the Our Father and the Symbol of Faith.

3.
The shorter formula of the Marian prayer, as it is known in the Liturgies of St. James and St. Mark, was introduced by Pope Gregory the Great (590-604) into the Roman Liturgy of the Annunciation and as such is preserved by the Ambrosian Rite of Milan to the present day. It was Pope Urban IV (1261-1264) who substituted the ending words of the original prayer (“for You have borne the Savior of our souls”) with a single word, Jesus. Thus, starting with the 13th century, the Western Church was reciting the Angelic Salutation in the following fashion:

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with You. Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, Jesus.

In a short time, the daily recitation of the Angelic Salutation became very popular also in the West, where they considered it merely as a greeting of Mary. During the 15th century, words of petition began to be added. We know that in 1427, St. Bernardine of Siena recommended adding the following petition: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.” Finally, the Roman Catholic Church accepted the following additional petition:

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

It was approved and introduced into the Roman Office by Pope Pius V in 1568. Since then the Angelic Salutation in the Roman Rite remained without any change.

4.
In the Byzantine Rite there are many other prayers in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mostly they are troparia or hymns used in the liturgical services, such as: a) It is truly right to bless You… (“Dostojno jest’ “), b) We flee to your mercy (“Pid Tvoju milist’ “), and many others. Here we will briefly discuss only these two.

It is truly right to bless You is the hymn that was introduced into the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom during the seventh century by the Patriarch Sophronius of Jerusalem (d. 638) in order to extol the Holy Mother of God among the Saints. The origin and precise time of its composition is unknown to us. The second part of the prayer, More honorable seems to be older and is used in various liturgical services much more often. It was already mentioned by St. Ephrem the Syrian (d. 373), who had a great devotion to the B.V.M. and, in all probability, desired to establish a special veneration to Her. Referring to this hymn the II Vatican Council explained: “As the Most Holy Mother of God, after Her Son, She was exalted by divine grace above all men and angels. Hence the Church appropriately honors Her with special reverence” (cf. Const. on the Church, n. 66).
The great Byzantine hymnographer, St. Cosmas of Maiuma (d. about 760), in composing the Canon for Good Friday, adapted this second part of the prayer into the 9th Heirmos (“More honorable …”). For this reason even its composition was for some time attributed to him. But, as was mentioned, this popular hymn-payer existed much earlier.

5.
We flee to your mercy-is the oldest Marian prayer equally used in the East and in the West. Its origin, as the origin of so many ancient prayers, just disappears somewhere in antiquity. But a recently discovered fragment of papyrus with the Greek text of this prayer (found in Egypt, 1917) proves beyond any doubt that it was composed not later than in the third century. And indeed, the third century with its fierce persecutions of Christians, and their exposure to all kinds of dangers, sufferings and needs, created a proper atmosphere for such prayer. This great confidence of the faithful in Mary’s motherly protection eventually, in the tenth century, took a more solemn form in the establishment of the Feast of the Patronage of the Mother of God (“Pokrov”), celebrated in our Rite on the first day of October. The prayer, We fly to Your Patronage, at the same time proves beyond any doubt that the Christians from the very beginning believed in Mary’s perpetual virginity and in Her divine motherhood (O Virgin Mother of God), and that the title of “Theotokos,” attributed to the B.V.M., was not fabricated by the Council Fathers of Ephesus (431 A.D.) but, rather, it was inspired by Christian piety at least one century before. Refer- ring to this venerable prayer, the Council Fathers of Vatican II remind us:

“The Blessed Virgin from the ancient times has been venerated under the title of ‘Theotokos’ (the God-Bearer). In all their perils and needs, the faithful have prayerfully fled to Her protection. Devotion of the People of God toward Mary increased, especially after the Council of Ephesus, in veneration and love, in invocation and imitation, according to Her own prophetic words: ‘All generations shall call me blessed, for the Almighty has done great things for me’ (Lk. 1:48)”.

We flee to your mercy, O Virgin Mother of God.* Despise not our prayers in our necessities,* but you, who alone are pure and blessed, deliver us from all danger.

More honorable than the cherubim* and by far more glorious than the seraphim;* ever a virgin, you gave birth to God the Word,* O true Mother of God, we magnify you.

It is truly right to bless you, O God-bearing One, as the ever-blessed and immaculate Mother of our God. More honorable than the cherubim and by far more glori- ous than the seraphim; ever a virgin, you gave birth to God the Word; O true Mother of God, we magnify you.

March 25, 2024 55

Byzantine Rite

Prayers at the Holy Shroud

by Rev. Roman Bobesiuk March 25, 2024

PRAYER AT THE HOLY SHROUD

Lord Jesus Christ, through your passion, death and resurrection you redeem us and raise us to new life in the Spirit. As we venerate the Holy Shroud, wonderful icon of your suffering, we are moved by your love revealed here in all its lowly majesty.
By meditating on your sacrifice, teach us the way of salvation so that we may embrace the fullness of life you offer us. Help us to take up our cross each day and to follow you joyfully along the path of discipleship.
Take us into your pierced Heart, opened on the cross for us. There, transformed by your grace, may we be renewed, made holy and consecrated to your service.
Accept us, Lord, as an offering, an oblation, to serve you faithfully, so we too may become icons of your mercy, a living Gospel, to proclaim your boundless love to the men and women of our time. Hear our prayer, Lord Jesus, for we trust in you. Amen.

Child’s Prayer before the Holy Burial Shroud of Our Lord (Plashchanytsia)

Those who want to venerate the shroud should approach it on their knees and make a profound bow (head to floor) twice. Then they can say the following prayer or pray in their own words.

Lord Jesus, I am sad that you had to suffer so much. You were blamed unfairly, you were made fun of, you were beaten, then you were nailed to a cross. Your friends ran away instead of standing up for you. I don’t really understand all of what happened.

But I do know that you did all this because you wanted to show all people what true love is. It means loving even if it hurts, even giving up your life for those you love. Thank you for loving us so much. Thank you for loving me and forgiving me when I do wrong and hurt other people. Thank you for choosing me to be your follower. Help me to be faithful to you all my life. I love you.

After the prayer, they kiss the hands and the feet of Our Lord. If possible, some may kiss the wound where the lance pierced his side. They make one more profound bow, move to the side and leave by making the Sign of the Cross bending from the waist towards the shroud.

Sing or pray as you sit in front of the Holy Shroud.

March 25, 2024 19

Byzantine Rite

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God

by Rev. Roman Bobesiuk March 25, 2024

“With the voice of the Archangel we cry
out to you, O Most Pure One: ‘Rejoice,
O full of grace, the Lord is with you.’”

(Hymn of Praise of the Feast)

“Today is the beginning of our salvation and the revelation of the eternal mystery: the Son of God becomes the Son of a Virgin.”

(Troparion of the Feast).

Thus, with a song of praise our Church greets the feast of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God, calling it the beginning of our salvation. And justifiably, for this feast is one of the most important feasts of our Ecclesiastical Year. The very title of the feast, found in our liturgical books, indicates its importance: “The Annunciation of our Most Holy Queen, the Mother of God and Most Pure Virgin Mary.”
St. Athanasius the Great (+373), in his sermon on the Annunciation, calls this feast the first in the list of feasts, for it begins the work of salvation of the human race. The basis for this feast is the joyful annunciation recorded in St. Luke (1, 26-38). The Annunciation is first in a whole series of great mysteries in the life of Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother. The feast of the Annunciation is not only one of the twelve greatest feastdays of our Church, but its service is taken even if it should fall on Palm Sunday, Great Friday or on the feast of the Resurrection (Easter day).

The Significance of the Mystery of the Annunciation

The mystery of the Annunciation has fundamental significance, for with it begin the New Testament and our salvation. Mankind had waited thousands of years for the good news of the Archangel concerning the incarnation of the Son of God. Heaven, earth, and the righteous souls in limbo awaited this good news. On this day God fulfilled his promise to send a redeemer, for on this day the “Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1,14) In a sermon on the Annunciation, attributed to St. John Chrysostom, we read:

“Gabriel was sent to reveal the salvation of the world. Gabriel was sent to bring to Adam the promise of his return from slavery to sin. Gabriel was sent to the Virgin, to restore the honor of womanhood. Gabriel was sent to prepare a worthy bridal chamber for the pure Bridegroom. Gabriel was sent to espouse creature with the Creator. Gabriel was sent to the living palace of the King of angels. Gabriel was sent to the Virgin betrothed to Joseph, but preserved for the Son. The bodiless servant was sent to the pure Virgin. The one who was free from sin was sent to one exempt from corruption. A lamp was sent to point out the Sun of truth. Morning was sent to precede the light of day. Gabriel was sent to announce Him, who is in the bosom of the Father and in the arms of the Mother. Gabriel was sent to announce Him, Who is seated on a throne at God’s right hand and, at the same time, rests in a lowly manger on earth.”

(Works, Vol. 8, p. 854)

In the instruction which the Prologue gives for this day, we read the following concerning the significance of the mystery:

“Today the Son and Word of God, Lord and God, silently places himself in the womb of the Virgin, desiring by his incarnation to deify man and the work of his hands, and to lead him back to the ancient paradise. Today the Uncreated dwells in his creature. Today the invisible becomes visible. Today the inaccessible One is conceived in the virgin womb and becomes eminently accessible. Today the Word of God receives a body, the Son of God becomes the Son of a Virgin… Today the gates of paradise are opened, and the fiery sword that drove our first parents from Paradise is quickly withdrawn and the human race, through faith in Christ and good deeds, again enters into paradise with joy. Today Adam rejoices, having received into his nature his Creator. Today Eve, having crushed the head of the serpent, her implacable tempter, calls upon the whole world to rejoice, saying: “Rejoice with me, for today we have found inexpressible joy and deliverance from all sin.”

At the moment of the angel’s annunciation, the Son of God begins the first moments of earthly life in the womb of the Most Pure Virgin Mary. From this momentous fact the privileges of Mary — those of divine motherhood and virginity — clearly emanate.

The History of the Feast
The celebration of the feast of the Annunciation began in the Eastern Church at the end of the fourth or the beginning of the fifth century. Emperor Mauricius (582-602) made this feast obligatory throughout the entire empire. At first, both in the East and the West, it was considered a feast of the Lord as is evident from the names by which it was first known: “The Conception of Christ”, “The Annunciation concerning Christ”, “The Beginning of Redemption”, “The Annunciation”, “The Annunciation of the Angel to Mary”, “The Day of the Salutation”, “The Day or Feast of the Annunciation”. In the seventh century, the name was formally established for the entire Eastern Church as “The Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God”, and it was decreed that this feast be celebrated as a Marian feast.
The date, March 25, was selected for this feast because it occurs just nine months before the feast of the Nativity of our Lord on December 25. In addition to this, there existed an ancient tradition that March 25th marked not only the incarnation of the Son of God, but also both the creation of the world and the death of Christ on the Cross. The Alexandrian Paschal Chronicle of 624, and also the Paschal Chronicle of Constantinople, from the start of the seventh century, places the feast of the Annunciation on the 25th of March.
The liturgy for this feast was composed by St. John Damascene, St, Cosmas of Maiuma, Theophane, Bishop of Nicea and the monk John. On the day following the feast, the Eastern Church celebrates the “Synaxis of St. Gabriel Archangel”. This is an ancient custom of the Eastern Church to pay honor after some great feast to those persons who had played an outstanding role in the event celebrated by the feast.
The feast of the Annunciation came to the West from the East somewhere between the years 660 and 680. Just as in the East, so here too, it was at first considered a feast of the Lord and had various names, such as: “The Lord’s Annunciation”, The Conception of Christ”, “The Feast of the Incarnation”, “The Annunciation of the Angel to the Most Pure Virgin Mary”, “The Annunciation of Holy Mary concerning the Conception”. The Council of Toledo in the year 656 speaks of the Annunciation as being celebrated on the 25th of March, but transfers it to the 18th of December. The reason for this was that according to an ancient tradition no feast could be celebrated during the Great Fast, and also because it seemed fitting that the feast of the Annunciation be closer to the feast of the Nativity of Christ than to the death and Resurrection. Not until the eleventh century did all the Churches in the West again begin to celebrate the Annunciation on the 25th of March. The Armenians observe the Annunciation on the 7th of April because they observe the Nativity of Christ and the Theophany together on the same day, the 6th of January. The event of the Annunciation is a cherished theme in iconography.
The feast of the Annunciation in Rus-Ukraine was the second Marian feast after the Assumption, to which a church in Kiev was dedicated in the first century of Christianity. Prince Jaroslav the Wise built a church upon the golden gates in Kiev in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God. “In the year 1037,” says our oldest chronicle, “Jaroslav founded the great city of Kiev, which has golden gates. He also built the church of St. Sophia (the Wisdom of God), which was the church of the Metropolitan and then built the stone church of the Annunciation of the Holy Mother of God upon the golden gates. The most wise Prince Jaroslav built the church of the Annunciation upon the Golden Gates so that joy may always reign in the city through the Annunciation of the Lord and the Prayer of the Mother of God and Archangel Gabriel.’’ In the church of the Annunciation, Prince Jaroslav the Wise consecrated the whole Ukrainian nation to the patronage of the Mother of God in 1037.

The Spirit of the Service of the Feast of the Annunciation
The liturgy of this feast is filled with glorious and joyful hymns. The well known greeting of the angel is repeated numerous times: “Rejoice!” The reason for this holy and unearthly joy is the incarnation of the Son of God, the privilege of the Divine Motherhood and Virginity of Mary, and the redemption of mankind. Heaven, earth and all creation share in the joy of the Annunciation. “Today is the joyous Annunciation,’’ we sing at the aposticha of Vespers, ‘‘the feast of virginity. The creatures of earth unite with those of heaven. Adam is renewed and Eve is freed from her ancient sorrow…” The second Sessional Hymn of Matins says: “Today all creation rejoices, for the Archangel says to you: You are the blessed, precious and most Pure Mother of Christ God…” The Canon of the Matins services is unique in that it is arranged in the form of a dialogue between the Most Holy Mother of God and the Archangel. For example: “The Mother of God: — ‘Having heard the joyful voice of your words, Gabriel, I was filled with divine joy, for you proclaim joy and announce infinite happiness.’” “The Angel: — ‘To you is imparted joy, 0 divine Mother of God. All creation, O Virgin of God, cries out to you: Rejoice! For you, the only Pure One, was chosen as the Mother of the Son of God.’” (Ode 6)
The Angel speaks to the Most Holy Mother of God with the deepest respect and has for her, the Mother of God, the highest words of praise and admiration: “Gabriel stood in your presence, O handmaiden, and revealed the eternal plan to you. He greeted you and announced: ‘Rejoice, O unseeded earth. Rejoice, 0 unbumt bush, 0 unfathomable abyss. Rejoice, O bride which leads to heaven, O high ladder which Jacob saw. Rejoice, 0 vessel of divine manna. Rejoice, 0 Deliverer from the curse. Rejoice, O salvation of Adam. The Lord is with you!’” (Vespers — stichera for Psalm 140)
The chief source of this joy is the incarnation of the Son of God and our salvation: “… The virginal womb receives the Son, the Holy Spirit is sent down, and the Father on high is well pleased. Through the universal will, reconciliation is effected for all. Let us, who have been saved in it and through it, sing with Gabriel to the Virgin: Rejoice, O full of grace. For our salvation, Christ our God took our human nature from you and joined it to himself. Therefore, implore him to save our souls.” (Stichera of the Aposticha in Vespers)

March 25, 2024 5

Appeals

EASTER PASTORAL LETTER OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY OF THE U.S.A.

by Rev. Roman Bobesiuk March 24, 2024

EASTER PASTORAL LETTER OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY OF THE U.S.A. TO OUR CLERGY, HIEROMONKS AND BROTHERS, RELIGIOUS SISTERS, SEMINARIANS & BELOVED FAITHFUL

“Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?”
-Luke 24:32

The scene of Cleopas and his companion hurrying to Emmaus following the crucifixion and death of Jesus is one of the most evocative in all of Holy Scripture. In a vain attempt to forget everything they had witnessed in the last few days, the pair had attempted to put as much physical distance as possible between themselves and the horrific events in Jerusalem.

Doubtless, many emotions were coursing through their hearts as they walked that lonely road: confusion, fear, sorrow, but above all, hopelessness and despair. All their aspirations and desires for the future had been dashed with the death of Jesus. There was nothing left to hope for.

The hopelessness and despair experienced by Cleopas and his companion are not strangers to us who live two thousand years later. People of every generation have been afflicted by these same emotions. Today’s information and consumer driven lifestyle exacerbate them even more. In fact, psychologists have called the “malaise of hopelessness” the most pervasive illness of modern humanity.

We stumble into the abyss of hopelessness for many reasons: when we fail at endeavors we undertake, when we feel excluded or isolated from others, when we are constrained by illness or the circumstances of life, when we feel helpless to control our own destiny, and especially, when we fall continually into sin.

For Ukrainians, the feelings of hopelessness have been intensified by the ravages of the Russian invasion of our homeland. After living through two years of death and destruction, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. When will it all end? How much more suffering are we called to endure?

Cleopas and his companion provide an answer to all of us who suffer from hopelessness and despair, no matter what form they take. And that answer is Christ Resurrected!

The Resurrected Christ meets them on the road in the midst of the darkness of their despair and, as they walk, he speaks to them and begins to shed light into the darkness. Later, in Emmaus, at the breaking of the bread, their transformation is complete. Their lives are radically changed. Jesus offers them His Body, and with it, the light of hope and a bright and certain path to the future.

All their doubts, their pain, their sorrow, their fear, melt like morning dew in the sun. So much so, that after He disappears from their sight they exclaim to one another: “Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?” And with renewed courage and determination to face the future they return to Jerusalem to give witness to the Risen Christ.

Dearly beloved in Christ! Today, the Resurrected Christ meets each one of us as well, just as He met Cleopas and his companion, and He walks with us on the road of our lives just as He walked with them. He meets us wherever we are, under whatever circumstances we find ourselves. He meets us in the proclamation of the Word of His Holy Gospel. And He comes to us in His Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, which He offers to us during the celebration of every Divine Liturgy. Jesus transforms our lives just as He transformed the lives of Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus.

With His glorious Resurrection from the darkness of the grave and eternal death, Jesus gifts us with renewed hope in eternal life, and light for the road that lies ahead of us. He gives us the confidence and courage to overcome any challenges we are called to face in our lives. And He promises to walk with us, just as he walked with Cleopas and his companion, and to never abandon us, wherever our road may lead.

May the hope and light of our Resurrected Lord be upon all of you and upon our long-suffering homeland of Ukraine during this Paschal season and always!

Christ is Risen!
Indeed He is Risen!
+Borys Gudziak
Archbishop of Philadelphia for Ukrainians
Metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States
+Paul Chomnycky, OSBM (author)
Eparch of Stamford
+Вenedict Aleksiychuk
Eparch of St. Nicholas in Chicago
+Bohdan J. Danylo
Eparch of St. Josaphat in Parma
Easter 2024

March 24, 2024 10

Parish news

Fr. Roman Bobesiuk with his family met His Excellency Bishop Steven R. Biegler

by Rev. Roman Bobesiuk March 23, 2024

Psalm 133:1
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
These words of the Psalmist are very important in our lives. My family and I experienced it during a meeting with His Excellency Bishop Steven R. Biegler, Bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne in Wyoming, and with priests who gathered for their Chrism Retreat.
During the meeting, we discussed different questions about our ministry and parish life. We thanked Bishop Steven for his understanding, support, and prayers for Ukraine, and we assured him of our prayers.
As a sign of gratitude, we presented Bishop Biegler with a Ukrainian decorated wooden egg as a symbol of the Resurrection and victory over evil. We know that with our Lord Jesus Christ, we are unbreakable.
May God grant Bishop Steven many blessed years on the occasion of his birthday! Многая Літа!

March 23, 2024 88

Parish news

The Lenten Parish Retreat was held at our St. Luke Church

by Rev. Roman Bobesiuk March 18, 2024

The Lenten Parish Retreat was held at our St. Luke Church on Sunday weekend, March 15-16-17. Fr. Roman Bobesiuk conducted the retreat on the theme “The Holy Mystery of Repentance.”

Here is the text of the material that was mostly based on Catechism “Christ our Pascha.”

03/15/2024

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Today we have the first day of our Parish retreat. The retreat theme is the “Holy Mystery of Repentance or Confession”. Why we use the Holy Mystery?

403 In the Holy Scripture and the teaching of the Fathers, the meaning of the term mystery is particularly extensive.

“The mystery of God’s will” is what Saint Paul calls God’s “plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph 1:9-10).

For Christians, mystery ultimately means Christ in our midst (see Col 1:27). Therefore, knowledge of the mystery of God’s salvation is the knowledge of Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). Briefly stated, Mystery—is Christ, and all that he did and does for us.

404 After his Ascension, Christ continues to remain among his disciples—Christians throughout the ages—and to act for their and the whole world’s salvation. We proclaim this in the kontakion of the feast:

“You ascended in glory, O Christ our God, in no way distant, but remaining inseparable.” These words echo the Lord’s assurance: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28:20).

In his Church, Christ continues to teach, feed, heal, forgive, and revive. Thus, the Church herself can be called the mystery of his presence, the place where God and people meet. The fifth-century Pope of Rome Saint Leo the Great explained: “that which till then [Christ’s Ascension] was visible of our Redeemer was changed into a sacramental presence.”
In our Church we have the Seven Sacramental Mysteries

405 The saving and sanctifying action of the Church is accomplished in seven Holy Mysteries. These are: Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Repentance, Holy Anointing, Marriage, and Orders. Through these sacred actions of the Church, Christ grants the grace of the Holy Spirit. Through these Mysteries the Church sanctifies the faithful on their journey to the fullness of life in Christ. Through visible signs (e.g., water, chrism, bread and wine, the laying on of hands) Christ builds up his Church in the Holy Mysteries. In the liturgical actions of the Mysteries it is God’s grace that acts, and believers enter into God’s life. By participating in the visible form of a Mystery, that is, through the liturgical action, we become partakers of God’s salvific action of grace.

The Holy Mysteries Are a Synergy of God and Human Persons
406 The synergy, or joint operation, of God and human persons in the Mysteries manifests itself as an exchange in which God discloses himself in love, grants his grace—his very life—to human persons, who receive this gift and in turn respond in love. The salvation of men and women consists precisely in their becoming capable, in Christ, of loving as Christ loved us (see Jn 13:34). In opening themselves to the gift of grace, human persons fully abandon themselves to the will of God in order to grow in faith, hope, and love, even “to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph 4:13).

407 Through Baptism, Chrismation, and the Eucharist, called the Mysteries of Christian Initiation, a person becomes a member of the Body of Christ and is enabled to participate in Christ’s priesthood, kingship, and prophetic mission. Through the Mysteries of Repentance and Anointing, called Mysteries of Healing, we receive both spiritual and physical healing. Through the Mysteries of Service, Priesthood and Marriage, Christians are consecrated to the service of the ecclesial community or to the domestic church.
Also, the Holy Mystery of Baptism is the key for another Holy Mysteries. If someone is not baptized then it is prohibited to receive any Mysteries.

447 As a consequence of our first parents’ fall, human will became weakened. The capacity to recognize and choose the good was also enfeebled.
In their relations with God and neighbor and in their attitude towards themselves and their environment, human persons began to be guided not by love and self-giving but by an egotistic exploitation of the other for personal and consumeristic gain. A consequence of the Fall is the loss of every person’s wholeness. This manifests itself in physical and spiritual suffering, in sickness and death.

448 Christ came into the world to heal and save the human race, to renew the wholeness lost by human persons. During his earthly life, Christ, the healer of human souls and bodies, remitted sins and healed the sick. After his Ascension, he continues to do this in his Church by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Holy Mysteries of Repentance and Holy Anointing.

THE HOLY MYSTERY OF REPENTANCE
449 The Holy Mystery of Repentance (or Confession) is a marvellous manifestation of God’s love and mercy towards us sinners. This is because the Lord does not reject us and does not turn away from us when we, having been washed of our sins in Baptism and endowed with divine grace, sin again through malice or weakness. Indeed, the Lord awaits our repentance. He forgives us if we repent and confess our sins (see Lk 15:12-32).

450 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 and every penitent thereby receives Christ’s forgiveness.

About Spiritual Struggle and Repentance
451 The vocation of the Christian to share in the life of Christ and to participate in his mission requires unceasing efforts in the spiritual struggle with passions and sins:

“For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).

The spiritual struggle of the Christian begins with the public renunciation of the devil and the joining to Christ in the Holy Mystery of Baptism. Subsequently, the strengthening of the Christian in his or her spiritual growth is realized through participation in the Mysteries of Repentance and the Eucharist.

452 In the spiritual struggle, the Christian is not ‘left to fend for himself.’ Rather, by the power of the Holy Spirit the Christian acts together with Christ (in synergy) under the Church’s maternal care. Even though we have been called to grow gradually “to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph 4:13), through human weakness we often go astray, lose hope in God’s love, or freely and consciously cooperate with the powers of evil. Nevertheless, God does not turn away from the person who sinned. Instead, in his love and mercy he grants the possibility of repenting—that is, to return to the life that flows from Baptism: “Remember, then, from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first” (Rev 2:5).

453 To repent means to come to know and confess one’s faults, and to renounce sin: Those who confess their sins and accuse themselves for them already work with God.

454 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.”

455 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).

The Rite of Confession
456 Confession is made before a priest, who is a witness of the sinner’s repentance and a mediator of God’s forgiveness: Know, O child, that Christ himself, our Saviour, who knows all the hidden secrets of people’s hearts, is invisibly present, accepting your confession. Therefore do not conceal from me, whether from shame or from fear, anything of your sins … Beware that, having come for healing, you do not leave unhealed.
At the same time, the priest helps penitents to know the state of their soul, confirms their faith in God’s forgiveness, offers spiritual counsel, designates an appropriate spiritual remedy (in Greek, epitimia, i.e., penance), and gives the absolution. As regards the contents of a penitent’s confession, the priest is obliged to maintain the strictest secrecy, even after the penitent’s death.

457 Preparation for Confession requires a prayerful examination of one’s conscience. This consists of aligning our life with the divine commandments, the Church’s precepts, and the Gospel Beatitudes. Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky teaches:

A good Confession requires, perhaps, a lengthier preparation. Before holy Confession we should beseech God in prayer for the gift of repentance, the gift of heartfelt tears. Maybe there is even a need to fast, since you know what Jesus Christ said: “This kind can come out only through prayer and fasting” [see Mk 9:29]. There are sins that cannot be expelled from the soul without fasting, without prayer. An important condition of Confession is sincere repentance, the desire to change one’s life. This means having contrition, or sorrow for sins, and a resolution to make amends. Sincere repentance is first of all realizing that one is a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness, and seeing that one’s sins have caused a turning away from God and rejection of his love. An important requisite of Confession is also reconciliation with one’s neighbour: “When you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift” (Mt 5:23-24).

458 Approaching Confession, the penitent receives from the priest a blessing for the Confession. The penitent signs himself or herself with the sign of the holy cross. The penitent then sincerely confesses all the sins committed since the last Confession, and accepts the guidance of the confessor as well as the assigned penance (epitimia). The priest then pronounces the absolution of sins. The epitimia is an ascetic exercise in virtues that are contrary to the sins that had been committed. The aim is to eradicate the habitual inclination to sin and to correct its consequences.

459 If a person has no desire to repent, and refuses to amend the damage caused by sin, he or she thereby becomes incapable of receiving forgiveness of sins, even if they have come to Confession. In order to help such a person understand their lack of repentance and motivate them to true conversion, the priest can refuse him or her absolution. Anyone intentionally concealing grave sins in Confession remains unhealed and commits a sin of sacrilege. If a person in such a state approaches Holy Communion, he or she offends the Lord and commits a grave sin.

The Significance of Confession in the Spiritual Life
460 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.

461 Frequent Confession makes a person spiritually sound, and capable of resisting temptation; and it increases their vigour in the spiritual struggle. Appropriate occasions for Confession are the [four] fasts of the liturgical year, during which, according to Church custom, the whole family approaches the Holy Mystery of Confession.

03/16/2024

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Today we continue our Parish retreat. The retreat theme is the “Holy Mystery of Repentance”. And today we will reflect on the nature of sins.

Sin in Human Life
756 Having been created by God, human beings are called to grow into the freedom of the children of God (see Rom 8:21). But they have not always been faithful to this vocation. Adam and Eve, having succumbed to deception, rejected God’s will and thus weakened their ability to exercise the gift of freedom. Christian tradition refers to this refusal to obey God as sin. Having sinned, humanity placed itself in an unnatural condition: separation from God and alienation from neighbours.

758 Sin is, first of all, a person’s state that manifests itself in actions, and a sinful deed is the conscious and voluntary violation of God’s commandment. Violation of even one of God’s commandments is a violation of all of God’s Law.

“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable [guilty] for all of it. For he who said, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘You shall not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law” ( Jas 2:10-11).

As one illness can cause another, so one sin leads to another. Saint John of Damascus emphasizes that there are eight evil “thoughts” (in Greek, logismoi), that give rise to sin: gluttony, lust, avarice (love of money), melancholy, anger, acedia (despondency), vainglory, and pride. We call them the capital sins as they are the root of all other sinful acts.

The Eight Capital Sins and Their Opposite Virtues
a. Gluttony and Its Opposite Virtue—Temperance
759 Human beings have a natural need for food and drink; food is necessary to support life. However, an excessive desire for food distorts a natural human need. This leads to the sin of gluttony, wherein food becomes an end in itself. There are various manifestations of this sin. The first of these is excess in food and drink. The Holy Fathers taught that food consumed in excess harms the soul. The second manifestation of gluttony is the quest for food and drink primarily for pleasure. A lack of self-control in eating and drinking leads to voraciousness in everything else, since one seeks to satiate the hunger and thirst of the soul by overindulging the body. Saint John Cassian notes:

“We cannot possibly scorn the gratification of food presented to us, unless the mind is fixed on … the delight of things celestial.”

760 The sin of gluttony can be overcome by the virtue of temperance in food and drink, which we achieve through fasting. Saint John Chrysostom teaches:

We have, you see, a gentle and loving Lord who demands nothing of us beyond our capabilities. In other words, it is not arbitrarily that he looks for fasting and abstinence from food to be performed by us, nor simply for the sake of our remaining without food, but rather that we may be detached from things of this life and devote all our spare time to spiritual matters.

b. Lust and Its Opposite Virtue—Wholeness of Being
761 The sexual impulse is natural for a human being. The essence of the passion of lust lies in the unrestrained and disordered quest for bodily gratification, when a person is driven by self-love and a desire to please oneself, often at the expense of one’s own dignity and the dignity of another person. Lust leads to a variety of sins: pre-marital sexual relations (fornication) and extramarital sexual relations (adultery), sexual slavery, and the commodification of the person. This passion is dangerous not only for the body but also for the soul, because it enslaves a person and destroys the ability to love. The spiritual Fathers consequently stress the necessity of constantly struggling against this passion.

763 A human being achieves chastity in the sexual life through the virtue of wholeness of being. This virtue orders the sexual impulse through love of neighbour and self. Chastity allows a person to control one’s sexual impulse and restores the harmony of body, soul, and spirit.

c. Avarice (Love of Money) and Its Opposite Virtue—Generosity
764 Avarice is a passion for money and material goods. The Holy Fathers taught that love of wealth is not part of man’s innate nature, but appears as a distortion of man’s desire for eternal life. The passion for acquiring wealth, which takes possession of a person, makes one a slave to money. The acquisition of wealth becomes an end in itself and leads to various sins. Such a passion gives rise to the illusion of one’s self-sufficiency as we come to rely solely on material goods. Saint John Chrysostom teaches:

Wealth is not a bad thing, but avarice and love of money are. A covetous person is one thing, and a rich person is another thing. The covetous person is not rich; he is in want of many things, and while he needs many things, he can never be rich. The covetous man is a keeper, not a master, of wealth; a slave, not a lord.
Saint John Climacus regards avarice and greed as idolatry, since in such blindness a person places all his hopes in earthly goods.

765 The virtue of generosity and its concrete expression, almsgiving, make a person capable of properly managing material goods and growing rich in God. Saint John Chrysostom exhorts:
And let there be no gold lying by in your houses, but that which is more precious than millions of money, that is, alms and love to man, for your treasure. For this gives us boldness toward God, but the other… causes the devil to bear hard upon us… Arm your right hand against him… stow away all your fortune in your mind, and instead of a chest and a house, let heaven keep your gold… Why then do we, to the neglect of our own selves, waste all our attention upon those things, which when we are gone we can no longer reach, and often even while we stay here we cannot keep hold of, when we might have such riches as to be found not in this life only, but also in that, in the easiest circumstances?

d. Melancholy (Sadness) and Its Opposite Virtue—Joy in the Holy Spirit
766 The Holy Fathers, in accordance with the teaching of the apostle Paul, distinguished between salvific sorrow for one’s sins and melancholy as a passion:

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death” (2 Cor 7:10).

Sinful melancholy as a passion reveals itself in one of two ways. Most often it is roused by some other passion, when we desire something but cannot satisfy this yearning. This gives rise to depression, which can lead to despair and even suicide. Melancholy can also arise from excessive anxiety about one’s future, from attempting to control one’s life by relying only on the self and not on God. Saint Basil the Great teaches that melancholy is a sign of the weak in spirit, since they lose spiritual equilibrium, inflict spiritual suffering on themselves, and thus risk definitively losing their hope in God.

767 The Spirit-Comforter (or Advocate) is the source of the virtue of Christian joy, which liberates from the passion of melancholy. He grants one the joy of experiencing closeness with God. The apostle Paul exhorts:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:4-6).

e. Anger and Its Opposite Virtue—Long-suffering
768 Anger as a passion is not merely a feeling of malice. It is the state of a person who aggressively defends his or her existence without hope in God and to the detriment of one’s neighbour. The Holy Fathers differentiate between three types of anger: 1) anger that burns within – this is a state of the soul in which a person loses internal tranquillity and is overcome by feelings of malice, offence, and irritation; 2) anger manifested in word and deed, in speech that is coarse and devoid of gentleness and love. The most common manifestations of this anger are flashes of rage, the intentional humiliation of one’s neighbor, giving offence to another, and calumny. Saint John Chrysostom teaches:

“When you inflict insults, then you are defeated, not by another person, but by what is far more disgraceful, by the slavish passion of anger. However, if you remain silent, then you will conquer;” and 3) anger that seethes for a long time or resentment – this sort of anger is particularly ruinous for a person, since he or she consciously refuses to forgive an insult or a wrong, and burns with a yearning for revenge.

769 Anger is an especially dangerous passion because it gives rise to violence, murder, division, and war. In The Shepherd of Hermas, anger is called the angel of evil which rules over a person:

“When anger comes upon you, or harshness, know that he [the angel of malice] is in you.”

770 The virtue of long-suffering, which we also call patience or quiet gentleness, is characterized by confidence in the protection of God, and thus allows one to resist human anger.

“Fret not yourself because of the wicked, be not envious of wrongdoers! … Hope in the Lord, and do good; so you will dwell in the land and be fed with its wealth … Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Ps 36[37]:1, 3, 7). Saint John Chrysostom teaches: “For if we show patience, we shall be invincible; and there is nobody either great or small, who will have power to hurt us.”

f. Acedia (Despondency) and Its Opposite Virtue—Cheerfulness of Spirit

771 The Holy Fathers described despondency (in Greek, akedia) as exhaustion and fatigue of the soul. A melancholic person underestimates the power of the Lord, but a despondent person underestimates God’s mercy. Melancholy drives a person to rely only on his or her own strength, while acedia completely deprives him or her of hope. The Holy Fathers called acedia the “noonday demon” (see Ps 90[91]:6). It extinguishes one’s vigour for spiritual development. Acedia gives rise to feelings of desolation and aversion for life, and a sense of its emptiness, as well as to a loss of confidence in one’s salvation. It leads to a person’s psychological and physical exhaustion; one succumbs to laziness and becomes discouraged and incapable of spiritual combat.

773 The virtue of cheerfulness of spirit or sobriety of mind gives a person the means to renew one’s spiritual strength and continue spiritual combat with the help of God’s grace. Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed” (1 Pt 1:13). Saint Isaac the Syrian teaches:

“If we observe the law of vigilance and practise discernment with knowledge, from which the fruit of life is reaped, then the struggle with the assaults of the passions will in nowise draw near our mind.”

g. Vainglory and Its Opposite Virtue—Humble-Mindedness
774 Vainglory (also known as vanity) is the passion for earthly and human glory, and all manner of honours. The root of vainglory is found in a person’s dependence on what others think of him or her. Manifestations of vainglory include intolerance of criticism, a refusal to acknowledge one’s mistakes, and a constant desire for praise from others. Vainglory manifests itself in boasting of one’s material achievements or intellectual abilities and talents, as well as bringing attention to one’s spiritual accomplishments.

775 Attachment to earthly glory makes a person’s spiritual growth impossible. This is because it replaces the pursuit of God’s glory with a pursuit of human glory. In teaching about the vanity of temporal glory, Saint John Chrysostom asks:

If you are looking forward to the resurrection and retribution, why go chasing the values of this life to such an extent? … The cause of all evils, however, is vainglory and the desire to give one’s own name to property, baths, houses. What good is it to you, human being that you are, when in no time a fever comes upon you, your soul suddenly takes wings and leaves you alone and naked—or, rather, stripped of virtue but encumbered with injustices, robberies, acts of greed, groanings, lamentations, orphans’ tears, plots, intrigues? … You would therefore have to remain outside, and lumbered with these burdens to repent too late.

776 The virtue of humble-mindedness makes a person capable of perceiving oneself as a creature of its Maker and of living for God rather than for oneself. When one humbly accepts oneself as he or she is in God’s eyes, that person becomes truly wise. The humble-minded person accepts all things sent him or her by God and does everything for his glory.

“Strive first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt 6:33). Saint Isaac the Syrian teaches: “Humble-mindedness is the raiment of the Godhead. The Word who became human clothed himself in it, and therewith spoke to us in our body. Every person who has been clothed with it has truly been made like unto him who came down from his own exaltedness.”

h. Pride and Its Opposite Virtue—Humility
777 Pride is the most dangerous passion and the mother of all sins. It was because of pride that Satan fell from God, and it is precisely pride that has ruined the prolonged endeavors of many an ascetic. Pride is a person’s idolatrous self-deification: a person exalts oneself over other people and puts oneself in the place of God. The proud person is closed to God’s grace:

“The Lord opposes the proud; but he gives grace to the humble” (Prv 3:34, lxx; see 1 Pt 5:5 and Jas 4:6). Saint Augustine teaches that pride is the source of all evil, and in order to overcome all other sins, one must rid oneself of the root cause—pride: “Whence does iniquity abound? From pride. Cure pride and there will be no more iniquity. Consequently, that the cause of all diseases might be cured, namely, pride, the Son of God came down and was made low.”

778 The proud person usually does not see his or her own sin. This person is filled with self-love, finds it difficult to forgive, and to ask forgiveness of others, and has trouble relenting. Such a person rejects all forms of authority and frequently flares up in anger. He or she bears grudges, constantly judges other people, and envies their successes. Pride deceitfully takes control even of those who, having achieved virtue, regard themselves, rather than God, as the cause of their achievements.

779 The most effective means of combatting pride is to train oneself in humility. This opens a person toward God and neighbour, and makes a person capable of receiving God’s transfiguring and liberating power. The apostle Paul declares:

“We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor 10:4-5).

Through the virtue of humility, a person stands in truth before the face of God. Therefore, Christian humility does not demean a person, but allows one to recognize one’s true dignity as a child of God. Saint John Chrysostom teaches:

He who places humility as the foundation of his character can safely build a building of any height. It [humility] is the strongest palisade, an immovable wall, an impenetrable fortress; it supports the entire edifice and does not allow it to fall… it makes it inaccessible to all attacks… and through it God, the lover of mankind, pours out on us his plentiful gifts.

03/17/2024

Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Today we have our third day of Parish retreat. And we continue to reflect on our general topic of the Holy Mystery of Reconciliation.

Preparation
5 steps to making a Good Confession

1. Examination of Conscience – Know your sins.
2. Contrition– Be sorry for your sins
3. Decide not to sin again.
4. Confess your sins to a priest.
5. Penance – Do the penance the priest gives you.

Before confession, each person must attempt to recall all of his/her sins, both voluntary and involuntary, those committed since the last confession as well as those past sins which, through forgetfulness, have never been confessed. Prayer and fasting help the penitent remember and recognize his/her sinfulness. Then, with compunction and with a contrite heart begin to confess your sins.
If you have not been to confession in a long time and are unsure of yourself on how to begin, do not be afraid. Tell the priest and he will help you.

1. Confess your sins honestly, remembering that you are disclosing them not to a man but to God Himself, Who already knows your sins, but wishes you to admit to them. There is no reason to feel shame before your spiritual father. He is a person, just like you. Because he knows human weakness and man’s inclination to sin, he cannot be your judge. Do not be embarrassed before you spiritual father or afraid to lose his good opinion of you. Your spiritual father will love you all the more, seeing your sincere confession.

2. Confess all of your sins in full, each sin separately. The sinner is spiritually ill and the spiritual father is a physician or healer. It follows that you must relate or confess your sins to your spiritual father the same way that a physically ill person relates his symptoms to a physician.

3. Do not complain about others during confession or talk about their sins. You would be condemning them, thus committing another sin.

4. In confession, do not attempt to justify yourself in any way, blaming weakness, habit, etc. The more you justify yourself, the less you will be justified by God, while the more you condemn your actions, the more you will be justified by God.

5. Unless asked by your spiritual father, do not talk about sins you have not committed, emulating the Pharisee in the Gospel who only praised himself and did not confess his sins.

6. We must confess with sorrow and a contrite heart the sins by which we have grieved our Lord God. Speaking matter-of-factly or casually about sins committed or laughing during confession reflect a lack of repentance.

7. Finally, confess your sins with faith in Jesus Christ, with hope in His mercy and confidence in His love for you.

Frequency of Confession for Eastern Catholics

1. The Scriptures teach that there is a basic undercurrent of sin in everyone’s life, “for all have sinned, all have fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). At the same time, it teaches there are distinctions in sins.

2. In distinguishing among sins, the Eastern Churches have employed the distinction between sins and transgressions. A sin would be considered a misdeed committed deliberately and with knowledge. A transgression would be an action which may be as wrong objectively, but is committed inadvertently or in ignorance. It is this distinction which is employed in many liturgical prayers. In the Divine Liturgy, we pray, “have mercy on me and pardon my offences: the deliberate and indeliberate, those committed in word and in deed, whether knowingly or unknowingly….” This to insult someone deliberately or to maliciously destroy his property would be a sin; to hurt someone’s feelings unintentionally or to accidentally break a favorite item would be a transgression. The other person would still be hurt, but inadvertently. In either case, the image of God in us has been scratched and disfigured, but sins committed in malice are clearly more serious to our spiritual condition than those committed from weakness of unconsciously.

3. Minimalism would be content with avoiding the more serious offense while ignoring the lesser: “It’s only a venial sin,” or, “I didn’t mean it so it’s just a transgression.” However, a person who is serious about deepening his relationship with God is concerned with anything which will affect that relationship or cause love to grow cold.

4. In distinguishing among sins, the Western Church has favored the distinction of mortal and venial sins. To borrow an image from the Psalms, all sin is slipping down a slope. Slipping so far or falling so rapidly that relationship with God is ruptured would be mortal sin. Venial sin would be a slower slipping or a separation not as distant.

In essence, then, a Christian should seek the Mystery of Repentance at least when he or she has sinned mortally. But this, of course, is a minimum. Anyone who is aware of serious sin is to receive the sacrament of penance as soon as possible; it is strongly recommended to all the Christian faithful that they receive this sacrament frequently especially during the times of fasts and penance observed in their own Church sui iuris.

For daily and frequent Holy Communion the Church does not demand confession each time one goes to Holy Communion. One may receive Holy Communion frequently as long as one is not guilty of mortal sin. Venial sins do not constitute an obstacle to Holy Communion. Actually one may receive Holy Communion daily while it suffices that he confess his sins once a month.
The most Holy Eucharist is the holiest and most sacred Mystery because in this Sacrament, under the appearance of bread and wine, the true and living Jesus Christ, our Saviour, Lord and God is present. The Second Vatican Council declares that

“in the Liturgy, therefore, and especially from the Eucharist, as from a font, grace is poured forth upon us: and the sanctification of men in Christ and the glorification of God, to which all other activities of the Church are directed as toward their end are most powerfully achieved…” (Constitution on the Liturgy, 10).

For this reason, the Council directs that we join our participation in the Divine Liturgy with Holy Communion:

“The perfect form of participation in the Divine Liturgy, whereby the faithful, after the priest’s Communion, receive the Lord’s Body from the same sacrifice, is strongly commended.” (§55)

Therefore, let these two great and holy Mysteries serve us as a perpetual fountain of love of God and of neighbor, of our faith and holiness and as our guarantee of everlasting happiness according to the words of Christ:

“Whoever eats my body and drinks my blood, shall have eternal life, and I shall raise him up on the last day.”

Manner of Making Confession in the Byzantine Churches
(Short Form, Ukrainian Tradition)
Many Eastern Christians confess their sins in the front of the church, kneeling before a priest at the iconostasis.

This will also often include a lectern that has a Gospel book on it and a cross. The icon behind the priest will normally be an icon of Jesus Christ, emphasizing the reality that the penitent is confessing their sins to Jesus, and not the priest.
Approach the priest.
Facing the icon of Christ or, if one is not available, the Gospel book and the cross:
Cross yourself twice.
Kiss the Gospel book and the cross.
Cross yourself a third time.
Penitent: I, a sinner, confess to Almighty God, the Lord, One in the Holy Trinity; to the Immaculate Virgin, the Mother of God, to Saint N. my patron saint, to all the Saints, and to you, my spiritual father, all my sins:
Here list all your sins.
Penitent: For these sins, and for all my sins which I cannot remember, I am truly sorry because I have offended God who is good. I sincerely repent and I promise, with the help of God, to better my way of life. And so, I ask you, my spiritual father, for saving penance and absolution.
Prayer of Absolution
The priest may place his epitrachelion (stole) over your head and will make the sign of the cross on your head and say Prayer of Absolution.
After the priest has spoken to you and given absolution, get up and cross yourself twice;
kiss the Gospel book and cross yourself a third time and bow.
Then turn toward the priest, bow to him, saying, “Thank you, Father,” kiss the end of the epitrachelion (stole) which he is wearing, and go to your place.
There, kneel down, say your penance, and thank God in your own words for His great mercy.
Then, go in peace.

Another Short Form of Confession in the Byzantine Churches
(For those who are familiar with the Roman Catholic rite)

Penitent: Bless me, father, for I have sinned. It has been [how long] since my last confession.
Here confess your sins.
Receive any counsel or penance offered.
Crossing yourself after each declaration, say:
Penitent: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. ✚
Penitent: God, cleanse me of my sins and have mercy on me. ✚
Penitent: I have sinned without number, forgive me, O Lord. ✚
The priest then says the prayer of absolution.

Examination of Conscience for Adults

A good examination of conscience can be a great help in making a new start in the life of faith. We use an examination of conscience to help call to mind our sins and failings during a period of quiet reflection before approaching the Priest in Confession.
A good Christian examination of conscience needs to be thorough. This will help you to consider what sins you are guilty of and make you aware of sins you might not realize as sins. It’s also a chance to develop your conscience. This is a critical aid for any Catholic.

To make an examination:
• Set aside some quiet time for reflection.
• Start by praying to the Holy Spirit, asking for help in making a good examination to prepare for Confession.
• Read through the matters of this list and honestly reflect on your behavior for each.
• You may want to take this list or some brief notes (in secrecy to avoid scandal) to Confession to help you remember things.
• Remember that a mortal sin is committed when :

1. Full Knowledge that the act (thought, word or omission) was contrary to God’s will (sinful) is possessed by the offender;
2. Full Consent (with intentionality; i.e., not forced) is held by the one committing the sin;
3. Grave Matter (anything under the Ten Commandments and the Precepts of the Church) is the circumstances of the sin. Not to belabor the point, but, there is a difference in grave matter between stealing $10 from a friend and stealing $10,000 from an orphanage.

If any of these three conditions are not met the sin is to be known as venial. It is a very good idea to confess venial sins as well, since these sins, like all sin, offend God Who deserves all of our love. Confessing venial sins helps us to be more sensitive to God and more faithful in our love to Him.

If all three conditions are met the sin is known as mortal.
Remember, ALL mortal sins must be confessed according to the kind (what type of sin) and the number of times committed for a valid confession. If one willingly withholds and conceals a sin in confession it is a sacrilege (which is another mortal sin), and it invalidates the absolution. Do not worry! Do not be afraid! Jesus wants you to tell him your sins with honesty and courageousness that he may remove the hurt from your heart and soul. Do not further steep yourself in sin by concealing sins in confession.
Also, it should be noted, the priest is bound under pain of grievous mortal sin and excommunication, if he ever reveals anything said in the confessional. No matter how grievous the sin, do not be afraid. Admit your failings openly and God will grant you His sweet gift of forgiveness.

Begin your examination with the time of your last confession. Try to recall whether you omitted anything from fear of embarrassment that needs to be confessed. With the help or the self-examination provided, call to mind all the sin you have committed since your last confession.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. Putting God First: I am the Lord your God; you shall not have other gods before me.

Has God been the source, centre and hope of my life? Have I put myself, anyone or anything before God? Have I given to anyone or anything the love, honour and worship that belongs to God alone? Have I made an idol of any person, idea, occupation or thing? Have I failed to trust in God, His love and mercy? Have I failed to pray to God and to worship Him faithfully? Have I been thankful for God’s blessings? Have I doubted the Christian faith? Have I tried to serve God and keep His Commandments faithfully? Have I murmured or complained against God in adversities?

2. Respect for God: You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain.

Do I have a deep and sincere respect for God and His Holy Name? Have I shown disrespect to God, either in word or deed? Have I dishonoured God’s Name in any way? Have I sworn a false oath? Have I broken any solemn promise or vow that was done before God? Have I cursed or used foul language?

3. Respect for the Lord’s Day: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

Have I worshiped God faithfully on Sundays and major holy days? Have I helped others to do the same, or have I discouraged them? Have I worked or shopped unnecessarily on Sundays or major holy days? Have I caused others to do so? Have I spent the Lord’s Day in wholesome and edifying ways? Have I made time for family and friends?

4. Respect for Parents and Authority: Honour your father and mother.

Have I loved and respected my parents as I should? Have I neglected them, or failed to help them? Have l disobeyed them, deceived them or caused them pain by my words and deeds? Have I treated my family members with patience and love? Have I respected my teachers, superiors, employers (those who are in authority) as I should? Have I disobeyed or deceived them by my words or deeds? Have I treated fairly all those who have worked for me?

5. Respect for Human Life: You shall not kill.

Have I caused the harm, injury or death of anyone? Have I wished my own or anyone’s harm or death? Have I caused others to sin? Have I abused my health or the health of others by evil and intemperate living (i.e. drugs, alcohol, etc.)? Have l given way to anger or hatred? Have I failed to forgive anyone or harboured evil thoughts against them? Have I been cruel to anyone? Have I encouraged someone in procuring an abortion? Have I had an abortion?

6. & 9.Respect for Marriage: You shall not commit adultery. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.

Have I committed any sin of lust, alone or with others (masturbation, fornication, adultery)? Have I caused others to commit impure acts? Have I sinned by giving way to impure thoughts, words or conversations? Have I read immoral books or magazines, or delighted in obscenity of any kind? Have l associated with bad company or frequented placed of ill-repute? Do I maintain modesty and decency in dress? Have I practiced birth control/contraception?

7. & 10. Respect for Private Property: You shall not steal. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Have l taken or kept anything that was not mine? Have l cheated anyone? Have I caused others to steal or cheat? Have I tried to find the owners of lost things I have found? Have I damaged or destroyed anything that belonged to another? Have I defrauded anyone of their rightful wages? Have I paid my debts? Have I worked honesty and conscientiously for my wages? Did I spend beyond my means? Do I give alms according to my capacity? Have I looked with envy, jealousy or hatred toward the possessions, talents or achievements of others? Have I desired the downfall or loss of others out of evil intent that I might benefit? Have I grieved that God has bestowed greater blessing on others than on me?

8. Respect for Truth: You shall not bear false witness.

Have I given false testimony against anyone? Have l spoken evil, told lies, or spread rumours about anyone? Have I unjustly accused someone? Have l disclosed to anyone the sins and faults of another? Have l betrayed the confidence of another? Have I made careless statements or done anything else to harm the good name and reputation of another person? Have I engaged in idle gossip, (discussing that which is doubtful as if it were true), hearsay and backbiting?

THE BEATITUDES

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Have l truly recognized my complete dependence on God? Have I been proud, arrogant and self-righteous? Have I been selfish, greedy, possessive and self-seeking? Have I sought after status, recognition, power, material possessions and wealth?

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Have l endured difficulties and afflictions with faith and patience? Do I have compassion for the poor, the hungry, and addicted; the sick the lonely and the sinful of the world? Have I truly been sorrowful for my sins and faults?

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Am I gentle with others, or am I harsh in my behavior? Do I seek to dominate others at home, school, work, office, church and elsewhere? Have l lost my temper? Have I nursed hatred in my heart or the desire for revenge? Have I been impatient, resentful, bitter, unforgiving or insulting and abusive to others? Have l loved my enemies?

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Do I thirst for holiness? Do I truly yearn for God’s Will to be done, in my life and in all things? Have I tried to cultivate a righteous and holy life through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, worship, the reading of Holy Scripture, frequent Confession and Communion? Have I been lukewarm in my faith? Have I been lazy, negligent or apathetical?

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Have I been merciful to others? Have l turned away from someone who needed my help? Have I turned my back on someone poor, hungry, rejected, lonely and needy? Have I tried to understand and to forgive others? Have I been indifferent or judgmental?

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Do I love purity and honesty? Have I been dishonest in my speech or actions? Have the motives or intentions of my actions been evil or selfish? Have I given way to lust, impure thoughts, words or deeds? Have I been guilty of prejudice? Have I been hypocritical, pretentious or self-indulgent to sinful passions?

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall he called children of God.

Am I at peace with God? Do I have His peace in my heart? Have l been angry, aggressive or impatient? Do I foster peace at home, work, church and community? Have I been irritable or polemical? Have I caused division and discord? Is my criticism harmful and disruptive, or does it build up others in charity?

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Have I complained when persecuted for God’s sake? Have I prayed for my enemies? Have I failed to defend people who are fight for fear of humiliation or persecution? Have I had the courage to stand up for the truth despite criticism, ridicule or persecution? Am I afraid to witness my faith in Christ Jesus?

Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you on my account; rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.

Is the joy of Christ in my heart, even in trying moments? Do I give thanks to God in all circumstances, or do I complain often? Have I been pessimistic, negative, despondent or despairing? Have I truly delighted in the promise of God’s treasures in heaven?

Reference: http://www.royaldoors.net/2015/02/examination-of-conscience-for-adults/

An Examination of Conscience for Children

Examination of Conscience for Children based on the Ten Commandments

Make God the most important thing in your life.
Is God the most important thing in my life, or have I made other things in my life more important than God?
Do I remember to talk to God every day?
Do I choose what God wants for me over what I want for myself?

Use God’s name the right way.
Do I speak God’s name or Jesus’ name respectfully?
Have I spoken God’s name or Jesus’ name inappropriately when I was angry or to impress my friends?

Make Sunday a day to worship God.
Have I tried my best to worship God at Divine Liturgy by singing, praying the prayers with the community, and listening?
Have I misbehaved during Divine Liturgy?

Love your parents and follow their rules.
Have I obeyed my parents—even when they are not looking?
Have I talked back to my parents?

Be kind to the people and animals God made.
How have I been kind or unkind to others?
Do I share what I have with others?
Have I solved disagreements in a peaceful way?
Have I fought with anyone?

Be respectful in the things you do.
Do I show respect for others in what I do and say?
Do I show respect for and cooperate with my teachers?
Do I care for my health and follow safety rules?

Take care of other people’s things; don’t take what belongs to someone else.
How have I respected other people’s things?
Have I taken something that doesn’t belong to me?

Tell the truth.
Do I tell the truth?
Have I told a lie or things that were only partly true?

Think good thoughts and say good words.
Have I thought good thoughts and said good words?
Have I told or listened to any dirty jokes?
Have I watched any movies or shows that I shouldn’t have seen?
Do I try to keep my mind on good things?

Be happy with the things you have.
Am I happy with what I have or do I always want more?
Have I been jealous of what other people have?

An Examination of Conscience for Older Kids, Teens, and Parents

This examination of conscience is taken from The Catholic Family Book of Prayers.

This brief examination of conscience, loosely based on the Ten Commandments.

Have I made anything more important than God: myself, others, money, things I own, things I want, ideas, activities, or goals? Have I set aside time to pray to God every day?
Have I acted pridefully, as if I know everything, am better than others, or don’t need God or others?
Have I used God’s name in a bad way? Have my words hurt God, his Church, or the good he wants for all people?
Have my words and actions given glory to God’s name? Have I shared my faith with those who do not know God?
Have I gone to Divine Liturgy when I should? Have I fully shared in the celebration of Divine Liturgy? Have I listened to the Word of God and the homily? Have I received the Eucharist reverently? Have I spent my Sundays in prayer, rest, service, and family time?
Have I given love and respect to my father and mother? Have I obeyed them? Have I tried to help them without being asked? Have I whined, complained, nagged, or otherwise been difficult toward them? Have I been loving and respectful to my brothers and sisters?

Parents: Have I shown love and respect to my children? Have I been patient and kind? Have I disciplined my children with love, and in ways that help them become the people God wants them to be?
Have I been a good citizen? Have my words and actions strengthened my community, or harmed it?
Have I hurt others, with my hands or my words? Have I given support or encouragement to those who hurt others? Have I excluded others, or treated others with less than the respect they deserve as children of God? Have I held onto anger or hatred toward others? Have I refused to forgive others?
Have I respected my body? Have I given my body what it needs to be strong and healthy? Have I viewed pornography, engaged in sexual acts outside of marriage, or otherwise offended human dignity for my own pleasure?
Have I taken what does not belong to me? Have I wasted time or resources? Have I used my talents and resources to help those in need? Have I let others borrow my possessions for good reason? Have I done my work well? Have I contributed to the good of others through my work? Have I done my chores and schoolwork as best I can, with a good attitude?
Have I always told the truth to myself, God, and others? Have I gossiped, or shared information I shouldn’t have?
Have I been grateful for what I have, or greedy to have what others have? Have I been generous with my time and possessions? Have I given away what I do not need?

The Bible on Confession

• “I give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed heaven” (Matthew 16:19).
• “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).
• “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:22-23).
• “Go, show yourself to the Priest” (Luke 5:14; 17:14; Matthew 8:4).
• “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
• “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

“Be courageous, and go to confession.”

March 18, 2024 64

Byzantine Rite Parish news

The Life of St. Mary of Egypt

by Rev. Roman Bobesiuk March 18, 2024

On the Fifth Sunday of Lent the Eastern Church commemorates our Righteous Mother Mary of Egypt. The feast day of Saint Mary of Egypt is April 1, however, she is also commemorated on this Sunday due to her recognition by the Church as a model of repentance.

This Life of Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt was written down in the seventh century by Saint Sophronius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, some hundred years after the repose of the holy Mary, who fell asleep in the Lord April 1, 522.

March 18, 2024 27

Cody

Reflections on Growing in Our Friendship with Christ

by Bishop David Motiuk, Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton