Light of the East

Have you been to so many doctors, taken so many treatments and medication and nothing seems to work. The resurrected body of Jesus Christ and Liturgy of the Church can actually offer real healing.

This week, through the liturgy of the Church we become the Myrrh-Bearing Women who are the first to hear of Christ's Resurrection. The fact that it was women is very providential.

In many Eastern Catholic Churches this Sunday is Thomas Sunday but also known in Latin Rite Churches as Divine Mercy Sunday. Either way, God's mercy will be shown through the doubt of Thomas.

Our Lord has Risen from the dead! And we will help you rise to a new level of joy and financial freedom through a Biblically based spirituality of giving.

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

Historically an older generation is often skeptical about the "younger generation" and this is perhaps more true today than ever before. Yet, in salvation history it was often the "youth" that God called upon most.

Dr. Paul Gavrilyuk is a Russian speaking Ukrainian and distinguished scholar at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He will join us to offer perspective on the situation in Ukraine.

The raging of the sea, the raging of nations, fire in the sky, just some of the warnings of the end times. Are the end times really near? The answer is both yes and we don't know.

On the Second Sunday of Lent, we focus on contemplative prayer which enables us to see the crises in Ukraine, the mystery of the Cross put before the eyes of the world.

The Eastern Catholic Churches have historically been at the epicenter of some of the most crucial global issues of their day. And so it is, even today in one of the great centers of Eastern Catholicism.

This evening in many Eastern Catholic Churches, the season of Lent will begin with the solemn ceremony of Forgiveness between one another and between ourselves and our Merciful God.

Are you ready to go vegan!!? That's what's coming up for many Eastern Catholic Churches as we head toward the season of the great fast on the Meat-Fare Sunday.

The Scripture parable of the Prodigal Son is our story - a choice for the delusion of ideology or a choice for reality, right reason and our ultimate glorious destiny

The raging of the sea, the raging of nations, fire in the sky, just some of the warnings of the end times. Are the end times really near? The answer is both yes and we don't know

Tensions have arisen between the Holy Father and many faithful tradition loving Latin Rite Catholics. Some of these Catholics have found solace in the Eastern Catholic Churches. Perspective can be helpful.

Saints of the Church and Pope Francis have said that the Church is a "field hospital." So, during this season of flues and viruses let's check ourselves into the "field hospital" of Eastern Christian spirituality.

Moving out of the Descending Incarnation cycle of the Liturgical calendar, and heading toward the Ascending cycle of Christ's resurrection and Ascension we will hear from great masters of the spiritual life.

We have all done a lot of work preparing and living these recent high holy days of Our Lord. Even God Himself has performed His salvific tasks. Now, it is time to let these events work for us

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

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

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

Do not celebrate Christmas. That's Right. Do not celebrate Christmas. Rather, rely on the Church's preparation for Christmas to help you enter into the mystery of the Incarnation and be transformed by it

As we draw near to the Nativity of Our Lord, we look back on the ancestry of Christ and the many foretellings and prefigurements of Christ in the Old Testament.

Every Eastern Christian church has its own ancient and indigenous chant which is sung by the faithful during liturgical services. This gives cantors a special place in Eastern Christian Liturgy

A mystical marriage is about to take place. It is the Great Mystery of the Incarnation and we have to clean house and prepare for it. For many Eastern churches, the Philip's is their preparation.

Light of the East is dedicated to unity in the Church between east and west. Our ecumenical advance man, Jack Figel makes a quick return to our program with late breaking ecumenical updates.

Latin Rite Catholics often ask if the Eastern Catholic Churches pray the Rosary? The answer is a qualified, yes and no. Our special guest, Jack Figel will help us to understand what this actually means.

The raging of the sea, the raging of nations, fire in the sky, just some of the warnings of the end times. Are the end times really near? The answer is both yes and we don't know.

Pope Francis described the Church as a Field Hospital. We will hear from an author and patient of this hospital as he describes his healing by way of the spirituality of the Eastern Churches.

Parents, frazzled or embarrassed by your fidgety or screaming child in church? Out of the mouths of babes wisdom will come, Our Lord tells us. So what "wisdom" is that fidgety child sharing about themselves and about the church?

There is a humanitarian disaster on the Southern Border of the United States of America. For a simple solution look not further than than the Liturgy of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

Last Sunday marked the 22nd anniversary of our first Liturgy in our new church of Annunciation in our new location. So. we will do a little boasting, but as St. Paul says, "in the Lord.

Two often asked questions today are: Can the Pope mandate things for the Eastern Catholic Liturgies? And How are Eastern Catholic Churches dealing with the pandemic?"

We revisit a fundamental question that is often asked and often not well understood. What exactly is meant by the different Rites of the Catholic Church? How and why are they different?

Both inside and outside of the Church, hope, self-sacrifice and courage, much needed in our world, seem to be so scarce. Our two guests Rinju Chenet and Kameron Traxler serve as signs of hope for the Church and the world.

There is no need to lose our heads about the way the world is. On second thought there is someone who did, and it is helped us keep our heads and Faith.

Warnings and predictions of the worldwide pandemic, vaccination policies and lockdowns are swirling again. The spirituality of the Eastern Churches indeed have something to offer during this time of great anxiety.

The Feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God into Heaven offers an insightful example of the two lungs of the Church, east and west approach things differently but arrive at the same point.

We revisit a fundamental question that is often asked and often not well understood. What exactly is meant by the different Rites of the Catholic Church? How and why are they different?

The beginning of another month in the Byzantine Liturgical calendar starts off with rich events, a potential period and a way to overcome the demons of lust and pornography.

From Critical Race Theory to the Equity Act, to Pandemic policies, we live in confusing times for which the history and spirituality of the Eastern Churches can offer sources of stability.

We can have full confidence that a Church whose dogma's came about from Councils and not from a mere person is indeed the fullness of the Body of Christ on Earth.

Wow! It's sure is hot during these dog days of summer. Want a really unique vacation? Plan the rest of your summer according to the Liturgical life of the Church.

Holy Communion and Ex-Communion. There is a lot of Communication and MIS-communication about it all these days. Allow the Liturgy itself to communicate clarity and truth on the source and summit of our existence.

The world needs to rediscover the virtue of real humility which has gone missing in modern society. Yet, as always, the Liturgical life of the Church offers a way back for us to this priceless virtue.

Words like Perichorresis, Kenosis, Theoria Theologica sound unfamiliar but together with the liturgical monastic tradition they make up the potpourri of Eastern spirituality.

The raging of the sea, the raging of nations, fire in the sky, just some of the warnings of the end times. Are the end times really near? The answer is both yes and we don't know.

In the Byzantine Calendar, we're in the season of the Sundays after Pentecost, In the Latin Rite, this is known as ordinary time, which is actually extraordinary and vice versa.

This weekend, in both civil life and in the life of the Church, we honor those who gave their lives that we might have a blessed life on earth and in eternity.

In the Liturgy of the Church, we are mystically transported from earth to Heaven. The Feast of our Lord's Ascension is not only His Ascension but ours as well.

We will soon enter into the miracle of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. The Church therefore reminds us of what it is that we actually believe about our Faith.

The magnificence of the Ascension of our Lord can be understood by looking first at his condescension in Bethlehem which allowed our human nature to then Ascend with Christ into Heaven

Jesus Christ encounters a Samaritan woman at an ancient well. What transpires between them will provide insights on how to handle questions like how to save the world and "did you get vaccinated yet?"

Vaccines, masks, lockdowns, third wave, different strains, more opinions, more confusion, more anxiety. There is, however a place to go for the healing of body AND soul which is simple and effective.

Almighty God is the great set up artist. He takes what was lost to regain that which was lost. We see the set up artist at work in the persons of the Myrrh-bearing women at the empty tomb.

On the Sunday after Pascha, both lungs of the Church converge at the theme of God's Mercy. For the Latin Rite it is Divine Mercy Sunday. For Many Eastern Churches it is the Sunday of Doubting Thomas.

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen! As we mystically suffered, and went to the Cross with Our Lord, so too must Our Lord's Resurrection now be our own Resurrection, our own victory over sin and death

In many Eastern Churches this week is called the Week of the Bridegroom. Through the deep liturgical services we walk with the Bridegroom Christ to his mystical marriage on the Cross.

St. John Paul II said that monasticism is the reference point for all of the baptized. Lent is our monastic experience and the examples of two desert monastics are put before our eyes as our guides.

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

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

The Lenten rigors of fasting and penance have as their goal the renewal of the true vision of things. The Eastern Spiritual Masters had a word and a prayer for this.

Images matter. They matter so much that historically images were the thing that opponents of the Church went after and images matter on the First Day of Lent

Wow! What a Week! Are you ready to enter into the most transformative and challenging season of the Church's year? Here it is! The Bright Sadness of repentance, and none too soon.

In the Eastern Catholic Churches, Lent is called the Bright Sadness. How relevant is this term today?! Amidst the darkness of repentance we can, and must, become a people of brightness.

The Season of our Lord's condescension now gives rise to our ascension through the season of repentance. The Scripture, A Feast Day and the prayer for the deceased converge in a week of transition.

The world needs to rediscover the virtue of real humility which has gone missing in modern society. Yet, as always, the Liturgical life of the Church offers a way back for us to this priceless virtue.

Having been immersed in the mystery of our Lord's coming in the flesh, we look toward the season of repentance with the help of those who were the great masters at it

From the birth of Christ through to his presentation in the Temple and to his baptism, this time of Epiphany of manifestation is ingeniously expressed through the prayer of the Church.

It may be Providential as America awaits the revelation of who will actually be its President, the Church East and West celebrates a Great Feat of revelation, illumination and sanctification

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

Every Eastern Christian church has its own ancient and indigenous chant which is sung by the faithful during liturgical services. This gives cantors a special place in Eastern Christian Liturgy

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

As we draw near to the Nativity of Our Lord, we look back on the ancestry of Christ and the many foretellings and prefigurements of Christ in the Old Testament.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception or is it the Feast of the Conception of the Mother of God in the womb of St Ann?

It is not time for celebration, food and gifts yet. We still should be fasting and praying in anticipation of the invisible God becoming visible through his very own creation.

Do you want to remain hopeful and negotiate through the strife, division and confusion of our times? Look into the timeless wisdom of the Church's liturgy and saints.

In the tradition of the Church our prayer is amplified by lining our petitions with angels and saints in heaven. The Byzantine liturgical calendar this week features a powerhouse of prayer intercessors to which we can appeal on behalf of our nation.

It is All Saints Day in the Western lung of the Church. The East observes this on a different day. Whether from the east or the west, a saint is a saint.

It is time to cast our votes in one of the most crucial elections in world history. So we are offering an Eastern Catholic Voter's guide to help form our conscience.

Whether e-learning, classroom learning or not learning at all, school is back in session. Before learning new things we will review old things through commonly asked questions.

The Fundamental beliefs of the Catholic Church are not the brainchild of any one particular human person. They are the work of the 7 Ecumenical Councils. One in particular gets special attention.

Among the many gifts of both lungs of the Church, East and West, we here at Light of the East have our ten favorite gifts that the Eastern Churches offer to the whole Church and the world.

"Sheltering at Home" and "Shut Downs" for many married couples has become more like "Fighting at Home" and "Shut Downs" in communication. We look again into the riches of Eastern Christian Spirituality.

Our Lord said, Let the children come unto me for such is the Kingdom of God." With the help of our guest, Stephanie Potts, we will see how the children come to Christ in an Eastern Catholic parish."

Of all of the virtues that belonged to the desert spiritual masters of the Christian East, one virtue in particular is the most characteristic and far too scarce in our modern age - humility

Everyone knows about Michaelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. There is a Byzantine answer to the Sistine Chapel in an ancient church that has recently been turned into a mosque.

From pandemics to politics, the stressors of our times can be tough on marriage on family. A renewed look at the Byzantine marriage ceremony can actually help couples find their home base once again.

We revisit a fundamental question that is often asked and often not well understood. What exactly is meant by the different Rites of the Catholic Church? How and why are they different?

Civilization will go by the way of the family and these institutions are being attacked like never before. It is the Liturgy of the Church and the Domestic Church that will help marriage and family remain bright.

In these days of anxiety and so much darkness, the Church again comes to our rescue through two glorious feast days of our Lord and the most Holy Blessed Mother.

This week at Annunciation Byzantine Catholic parish in Homer Glen, IL under the the Light of Tabor and through the dynamism of the Liturgy we will be transfiguring from glory to glory amidst two great feasts.

We are reminded that we have no lasting home here on earth as Haiga Sophia, the mother Church of Christianity was once again claimed as a mosque

It ought to be clear to any believing person that demons are running wild in our world today. Eastern Christian Spirituality and warrior saints like the Prophet Elijah can offer calm and confidence amidst the chaos.

There is saint spelled with a small s and saint spelled with a capital S. The life of a baptized Christian is a journey toward turning the small S into a capital S

The famous song, "Old Man River," expresses a contrast between the calm integrity of nature and human chaos. The ancient traditions of the Eastern Churches are today's "Old Man River.

Ss. Peter and Paul are depicted in their icon standing together holding up a model of the Church. They were the two pillars of the early Church and many saints followed after them."

The 24th Annual Orientale Lumen Conference has been unleashed on social media. Our special guest will clue us into the exciting topics and speakers on the subject of Liturgy and icons.

Liturgy is often referred to as "smells and bells." In fact, smells, bells, sights, tastes and touches are not only essential to Liturgy but may even be good for our health

The raging of the sea, the raging of nations, fire in the sky, just some of the warnings of the end times. Are the end times really near? The answer is both yes and we don't know.

As they did in the upper room 2,000 years ago, Christians gather again to be filled with the Holy Spirit on this Feast of Pentecost, the completion of God's plan of salvation

Between the double brightness of the Resurrection of Our Lord and the event of Pentecost is the Ascension of our Lord and the illumination of the Council Fathers of Nicea--- sources of hope and light.

In the Liturgy of the Church, we are mystically transported from earth to Heaven. The Feast of our Lord's Ascension is not only His ascension but ours as well.

Sheltering at Home" and "Shut Downs" for many married couples has become more like "Fighting at Home" and "Shut Downs" in communication. We look again into the riches of Eastern Christian Spirituality.

It may be hard to proclaim the Resurrection of Christ during this pandemic. A reach into the gifts of Eastern Christian spirituality can actually help move us beyond fear, anxiety and despondency.

How can we experience the Joy of the Resurrection when we are immersed in so much sadness? The women and men who came to care for Jesus's body will provide some answers.

The Liturgy of the Church immerses us into the events of Christ's life on earth. These events become our events and are heightened in their reality by the world wide pandemic.

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

In Eastern Churches it is the Week of the Bridegroom begins this Sunday and includes the story of the wise Virgins who were ready for the coming of the Bridegroom, a relevant theme for a time of pandemic.

Empty shelves at the grocery stores, social distancing, bars and restaurants and all places of communal gathering closed, sporting events cancelled. The Corona Pandemic has essentially turned us into good monastics.

The great spiritual master who lived on Mt. Sinai, St John Climacus, will take us higher and higher on his Ladder of Divine Ascent. The first two rungs of the ladder will be renunciation and obedience.

Every Eastern Christian church has its own ancient and indigenous chant which is sung by the faithful during liturgical services. This gives cantors a special place in Eastern Christian Liturgy

The Season of Lent, the Great Fast, is a return to our living experience of the Scriptures and to our real selves

Silence, God's Uncreated Energies, the Divine Light and coming to know God by Unknowing were taught by a 14th century saint and which are relevant for our own time, especially during Lent

The Sunday evening before Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten Season for many Eastern Catholic Churches. Worshipers take on the posture of Adam exiled from Paradise and also share in a gesture of mutual forgiveness.

There is a lot of discussion today in the Latin Rite about priestly celibacy. A monk from an Eastern Catholic monastery will share a perspective on this that the discussion to baptism and the episcopacy.

The Scripture parable of the Prodigal Son is our story - a choice for the delusion of ideology or a choice for reality, right reason and our ultimate glorious destiny.

On this glorious Feast day, as the Christ child and the Elder Simeon encounter each other through the Temple and the Law we will encounter Christ in our suffering, persecuted Christians of the Middle East

For young people seeking spirituality and the mystical, or guest Anthony Dragani, A Byzantine Deacon and Professors of religious studies will tell young people they need not look outside the Church.

In between the season of Christ's descending and His ascending, the Incarnation and the Resurrection. We turn to the great spiritual masters of the desert to serve as our guides.

From the birth of Christ through to his presentation in the Temple to his baptism, this time of epiphany of manifestation is ingeniously expressed through the prayer of the Church.

Devotional practices between the Eastern and Western lungs of the Church are often different from each other yet they arrive at the same point. These differences are not deficits but rather, complements.

The Sunday after the Birth of Christ calls us to examine and renew the relationships in our lives, beginning with Christ and those closest to us. We also turn our attention to the event and relevancy of the slaughter of the innocents.

LIGHTEAST 795R -The Miracle of the Incarnation

Get rid of it! Just get rid of it! The clutter in our closets, our souls and in our lives. God will come in the flesh on Christmas day to bring order out of the disorder of sin. Now is the time for us to do the same

LIGHTEAST 793R Are the End Times Near

When a special guest is coming to our home we prepare by getting things in order and the includes our interior disposition. Prayer, fasting and alms giving is how we get ourselves in order for the coming of Jesus Christ.

What Rite does a Rite have to be called a "Rite?" We will try to get this Rite by going Rite to the Rite sources especially in regard to the recent Amazon Synod. I think I got that Rite?

Many are concerned at the evangelizing methods surrounding the Amazon Synod. Evangelization is always a balance of culture with the Gospel and here the Eastern Churches can be very insightful.

There is something transformative and bonding that happens to us when we gather as a community in the liturgical worship of the Church. It is a mystical reality for which we have proof

The Incarnation of the Second Person of the Holy Trinity is a mystery central to our Faith and all of life. An opportunity is available to experience that mystery physically and liturgically. 

We congratulate Bishop Nicholas Samra of the Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church and look at how the Eastern Catholic Churches can respond to his plan of action for real evangelization.

Among the many gifts of both lungs of the Church, east and west, we here at Light of the East have our ten favorite gifts that the Eastern Churches offer to the whole Church and the world

Are daily Mass, daily Communion, and daily Rosary part of the devotion of Eastern Catholics? If so, how? If not, why not? The answer will reveal much about east and west.

Monastic spirituality was called by St. John Paul II, "The reference point for all of the baptized." Through their holy, ascetical lives, the Eastern monastics have bequeathed a wisdom relevant and urgent for our day.

The elaborate preparation for the reception  of the Sunday Eucharist begins Saturday evening in the Eastern Churches and gives ample witness to the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

The upcoming Amazon Synod is leaving many Latin Rite Catholics apprehensive about the possibility that Pope Francis may allow married priesthood in the Latin Rite. The Eastern Christian Churches can be very helpful in this discussion. 

Publisher, videographer, and ecumenist extraordinaire, Jack Fiegel. of Eastern Christian Publications will join us to tell us about some historic events during his most recent Orientale Lumen trip.

The differences between the the theologies of east and west are more a matter of emphasis, perspective and expression than fundamental belief. In the end, east and west arrive at the same place but from different directions

Every Eastern Christian church has its own ancient and indigenous chant which is sung by the faithful during liturgical services. This gives cantors a special place in Eastern Christian Liturgy.

Of all of the virtues that belonged to the desert spiritual masters of the Christian East, one virtue in particular is the most characteristic and far too scarce in our modern age - humility."

 

There were may times when the gifts of the western lung of the Church were there to assist the Eastern Churches, Now, the Eastern Churches offer gifts to their Latin Rite brethren.

Living in the "real world" is not about living in pain and hardship. The Feast of Our Lord's Transfiguration is our immersion into the "real world" and it is a glorious one indeed.

It is no secret the Latin Rite Church is experiencing some particularly confusing and painful times. In light of this, the Eastern Catholic Churches may have something to offer our Latin Rite brethren.

 

"Why do Latin Rite Liturgies have periods of silence and Eastern Rite Liturgies do not.? Why do Eastern Catholics stand and Latin Rite Catholics kneel? The answer lies in the question."

Eastern Catholics often wonder: What is our place in the world, the Church at large, and in ecumenical dialogue? The Holy Father's own representative provided an encouraging answer to those questions during a recent visit to the U.S.

There is saint spelled with a small s and saint spelled with a capital S. The life of a baptized Christian is a journey toward turning the small s into a capital S.

 

There is a hole in the very soul of modern western civilization and Eastern Christian spirituality with its sacramental liturgical world view and monastic rhythm can supply the healing balm for the modern world.

 

Devotional practices between the Eastern and Western lungs of the Church are often different from each other yet they arrive at the same point. These differences are not deficits but rather, complements.

 

The Sunday of All Saints occurs in the Eastern Lung of the Church on the Sunday after Pentecost. From this observance we learn that to be human is simply to become a saint. A saint is just a normal human being.

 

Are the services in Eastern Catholic Churches really very long? Can Eastern Catholic priests get married? Why are there different rites? We will give you the straight story on these questions and more on this Pentecost Sunday.

Let's face it. We all need to read the Bible more and to actually become the Bible. The Liturgy, art and architecture of the Eastern Churches can actually immerse us into the Bible.

Young adults can be the most vital population in the Church and the most elusive. Our special guests will tell us about a FIRST EVER opportunity offered by the Byzantine Catholic Church for young adults.

The Liturgical prayers and themes of the Church during the Pascal Season are rich and multi layered. Then seem to draw us into the Samaritan woman had with Jesus, a genuine encounter.

Holy Days in the Church that occur within the week, it may be inconvenient to our schedules and other interests. But this is precisely why they are relevant to our lives.

It was Providential that women were the first to hear of Christ's Resurrection. In their example, together with Joseph of Arimathea, we learn much about our own relationship to the Body of Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Every Eastern Christian church has its own ancient and indigenous chant which is sung by the faithful during liturgical services. This gives cantors a special place in Eastern Christian Liturgy.

Among the many gifts of both lungs of the Church, east and west, we here at Light of the East have our ten favorite gifts that the Eastern Churches offer to the whole Church and the world.

Of all of the virtues that belonged to the desert spiritual masters of the Christian East, one virtue in particular is the most characteristic and far too scarce in our modern age - humility.ity

Times of crises in the Church are a call to the Church to rediscover, in new ways, its original mission and charism. The spirituality of the Eastern Churches does have certain gifts to offer a Church in Crisis.

At the very heart of the genius of the Church and of our Faith is the Incarnational reality where invisible realities are made visible through architecture, art, liturgy and even the medium of film.

The intimate union of religion, nation and culture gives an Eastern Catholic a deep sense of responsibility for the Church. This is often reflected in the active participation by the men of Eastern Catholic parishes.

Light is a recurring theme in Eastern Christian spirituality. This light is manifested most brightly in human persons who remain Faithful and hopeful even in the darkest hours if the Church.

"We bow to Your Cross O Lord, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection." A profound mystery of salvation and every aspect of life on earth is captured in this one brief prayer of the Byzantine Church.

Teenagers and young adults often arrive at certain critical junctures in their spiritual journey. Knowing the great "WHY" behind their Faith and the Church can be a helpful signpost along the journey.

It's a new liturgical year in many Eastern Churches. A great New Year's resolution would be to pray more often and better. For that we will get some help from an old friend of ours at Light of the East.

Light burns out the darkness. True healing for the dark scandals in the Church will come about only when the Light of God's Divine Plan shines brighter in our homes, parishes and seminaries.

Don't just "go to Church." Don't just "satisfy an obligation." Rather, LIVE the Liturgy, which is an immersion into the truth of life, particularly when it comes to marriage.

Among the many descriptions and title for the Blessed Virgin Mary is that of consoler, In the Byzantine tradition an service is based on the Virgin Mary as consoler, It is prayed before the Feast of her Dormition.

When Jesus Christ was transfigured on Mt. Tabor amidst three Apostles they were overwhelmed by the sight of Christ's Divinity but also by the glory of His humanity, a glory that is our origin and our destiny.

There is something transformative and bonding that happens to us when we gather as a community in the liturgical worship of the Church. It is a mystical reality for which we have proof.

The Byzantine Liturgy is not just a particular Liturgy that we find suitable for our Sunday obligation. The Liturgy is part of a living church and life itself flows in and out of the Liturgy.

Don't just "go to Church" Don't just "satisfy an obligation." Rather, LIVE the Liturgy, which is an immersion into the truth of life, particularly when it comes to marriage.

God Himself took on flesh and submitted Himself to His own laws. What other response can we have except that of the Elder Simeon: "Now you may dismiss your servant, O Lord."

The hazy, lazy wonderful days of summer are not a signal to get lazy and casual about our Faith. We can trust the Church's liturgical life to provide the proper context and grounding for our lives during summertime.

The spiritual masters of the eastern monastic tradition taught that we must think about our own death a few minutes each day. This may be frightening and can certainly make us wonder about the mystery of the afterlife.

Living in the both-and, means living in the mystery, in the confluence of what is known and not known. This particular genius of the Eastern lung of the Church is handily applied to some confusing and controversial issues.

 

It is the Sunday of All Saints in some Eastern Churches - it is a celebration of all those who have reached "normal" humanness. To be a saint is not something extraordinary but ordinary according to God's original design.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who are everywhere present and filling all things, come and dwell within us. Cleanse us of our sins and save our Souls O Gracious One.

The Nicene Creed, as proclaimed at every Byzantine Divine Liturgy, has a significance and relevancy today as it did during its beginnings when the Church Fathers gathered at Nicea in 325 AD.

 

The Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven unites our earthly nature with Heaven. During this same week the Feasts of Ss. Cyril and Methodius unites both lungs of the Church, east and west.

 

The sanctity of marriage and the whole order of man and woman finds its context in the Liturgy and iconography of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. His Resurrection is also our Resurrection.

 

Story telling is the essential way that Our Lord and the Liturgy of the Church immerse us into the drama and message of the scriptures. Our special guest, Eric Groth tells stories through the medium of film.

This week through the Liturgy of the Church we become the Myrrh-Bearing women who are the first to hear of Christ's Resurrection. The fact that it was women is Providential.

 

In the Byzantine calendar the Divine Mercy of God comes through the reality of Christ's Resurrected body appearing to St. Thomas. In this same Resurrected body we find our own true health of body and soul.

 

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

Hosanna in the Highest! Flowers, palm branches and joy - a moment of Triumph is provided by our Lord to sustain our hope and faithfulness in the days of despair and betrayal lie ahead.

LIGHTEAST703 - St. Mary of Egypt and Fr. Zozimus

On Friday March 23rd, a fitting movie, Paul, Apostle of Christ will hit theaters across America and Eric Groth of ODB Films will be here to tell us all about it.

Why do we adorn, wear and venerate Crosses, once an instrument of suffering and capital punishment? It is because through this instrument God gives us salvation and assures victory over evil.

 

At one time an oppressed Church that had to go underground. Our special guest will tell us how this same Church is now vibrant and growing.

Silence, God's uncreated energies, the Divine Light and coming to know God by Unknowing were taught by a 14th century saint and which are relevant for our own time, especially during Lent.

 

By the Waters of Babylon we weep as did the Israelites of the Bible. For the Byzantine Church the season of Lent has begun, our immersion into the Biblical experience.

We pass the liturgical baton with the help of our friend Nepsis. He is not a person but something that can help us become a person that partakes in the Divine nature.

God Himself took on flesh and submitted Himself to His own laws. What other response can we have except that of the Elder Simeon: "Now you may dismiss your servant, O Lord."

LIGHTEAST695 - Christs Incarnation Death and Resurrection

St. Anthony of the Desert said, "The great work of man is to always take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his last breath." A fitting meditation as we look toward Lent.

 

Although the event of the Nativity of Christ has past, the Incarnational reality continues to unfold and it is through the Church that we do not just celebrate but actually experience this reality.

 

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

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

The Liturgical life of the Church and the evnets and people of the Bible transcend time and always remain relevant. This is especially the case during the two Sundays before Christmas.

 

While the Eastern and Western expressions of the Church have their own respective identities, there are point of convergence between them. One such place is the event and icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

 

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

In the place where the Prince of Peace was born there is little peace and much persecution of the followers of the Prince of Peace. Our special guest will be: Juliana Taimoorazy of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council.

The 40 Days leading up to the celebration of our Lord are both days of expectation and repentance. Signposts along the way help us to live between joy and repentance.

The raging of the sea, the raging of nations, fire in the sky, just some of the warnings of the end times. Are the end times really near? The answer is both yes and we don't know. RE-BROADCAST.

During her appearances to the three children at Fatima, the Blessed Mother called the world to a conversion to her Immaculate Heart. Is this a foreign concept in Eastern spirituality or a familiar one?

The two lungs of the Church east and west, differ in their perspective expressions, traditions and theological emphasis. This is particularly true when it comes to the observance of saints and feast days.

While the Eastern Christian Churches have a long and intricate history, their legacy and spirituality remain vital and relevant in confronting today's modern world.

 

The Eastern Churches place primary emphasis on the seven ecumenical councils which established the true belief. Of these seven councils, the last one is set aside for special observance.

 

Pope Francis can both inspire and leave many faithful wondering. We will wander through the thoughts of Pope Francis in light of their implication for unity between both lungs of the Church, East and West.s

The raging of the sea, the raging of nations, fire in the sky, just some of the warnings of the end times. Are the end times really near? The answer is both yes and we don't know.

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

Both lungs of the Church, East and West, converge in their observance of the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross. A feast with historical significance, it is invaluable in its theological significance for the Church and for us personally.

Devotional practices between the Eastern and Western lungs of the Church are often different from each other yet they arrive at the same point. These differences are not deficits but rather, complements.

A pilgrimage is more than a journey with a destination. It is an essential aspect of prayer and spirtituality. A timely and urgent place of pilgrimage today is Fatima.

If a man made symbol, such as the flag of a nation can inspire people even in battle, how much could an image inspire which was not made with human hands.

Of all of the virtues that belonged to the desert spiritual masters of the Christian East, one virtue in particular is the most characteristic and far too scarce in our modern age - humility.

Like the Autumn season that approaches, we too have moments of dying away. Eastern Christian spirituality has something that can help us negotiate through the Autumns of our lives.

Living in the "real world" is not about living in pain and hardship. The Feast of Our Lord's Transfiguration is our immersion into the "real world" and it is a glorious one indeed.

 

 

As a child runs to Mommy for consolation, many in the Eastern lung of the Church pray the Paraklisis service, or the office of Consolation, in preparation for the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.

When our Lord Ascended to Heaven the Apostles were gathered in unity to witness this event. That all might be one is still the desire of our Lord, the nature of Christianity and the mission of Light of the East.

The liturgical life of the Church calls us to something that is vital to both the rhythms of our lives and to worship. It is the spirituality of preparation which even has its very own rite.

A study finds that Ecumenism is not a pressing topic for many Catholic and Orthodox Christian faithful. Could this be because perpetuating the division between them is not important to them either?

Teenagers hold a special place in salvation history and in the Church. In ministering to teens the Eastern Catholic Churches do best through their own liturgical and ascetical traditions.

Words like Perichorresis, Kenosis, Theoria Theologica sound unfamiliar but together with the liturgical monastic tradition they make up the potpourri of Eastern spirituality.

For celibate priests east or west, everyday is about fatherhood in the spirit. We will hear form Jeremiah and Eric, who have been fathered in the spirit and who provide hope for the Church.

 

The Sunday of All Saints occurs in the Eastern Lung of the Church on the Sunday after Pentecost. From this observance we learn that to be human is simply to become a saint. A saint is just a normal human being.

We often speak of the gifts of the Eastern Churches on this program. Today we look at some of the ways in which the Latin rite Church is a gift to the Eastern Churches.

In many Eastern Churches, the Fathers of the First Council of Nicea are celebrated between the Ascension of Our Lord and Pentecost. The Creed established by these Fathers is a gem of truth and inspiration.

When our Lord Ascended to Heaven the Apostles were gathered in unity to witness this event. That all might be one is still the desire of our Lord, the nature ofr Christianity and the mission of Light of the East.

 

The Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well was an evangelizer and ecumenist. This week we peak into the well of a modern evangelizer and ecumenist of the Eastern lung of the Church.

Story telling is the essential way that Our Lord and the Liturgy of the Church immerses us into the drama and message of the scriptures. Our special guest, Eric Groth tells stories through the medium of film.

It was Providential that women were the first to hear of Christ's Resurrection. In their example, together with Joseph of Arimathea, we learn much about our own relationship to the Body of Christ

 

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

 

This is the Resurrection day! During the Byzantine Matins service, the Church becomes the empty tomb and we become the women at the tomb who proclaim... Christ is risen!

The rich Liturgical experience of Holy Week, also known as the "Week of the Bridegroom" immerses us into the days of Christ's earthly life. Through the Liturgy, Christ's events become our events.

On the Fifth Sunday of Lent in the Byzantine Liturgical Calendar, it takes the story of desert woman and the priest that found her to to tell us about our deepest desires.

The Feast of the Annunciation of the Mother of God is never overshadowed even during the Great Fast. One parish named for this feast is a witness to the relevancy of Eastern Christian Spirituality.

St. John Paul II said that the Church breathes with both lungs East and West. But why did this come to be? Are the tiny Easter rite churches relevant in a modern western world?

St. Gregory Palamas, a 14th century Byzantine saint introduced the spirituality of inward stillness know as hesychism. To explain this word will require the introduction of other uncommon words from Eastern Christian spirituality.

If a photo can help draw us into the memory and reality of a loved one, then how much more so can a holy image draw us to God and all of the saints.

The Season of the Great Fast is upon us, It is the flowering of repentance. Prayer, fasting and charity well be our guides as we journey from exile back to our Father's house.

The Lenten disciplines of fasting along with the wisdom of spiritmasters and the art, prayer and liturgy of the Church can help move us beyond the passions of lust and addiction to pornography.

Are you having anger issues? The wisdom of the Eastern Christian spiritual masters and the best of modern psychology can help with this and other fallen passions.

Our guest, Jeff Gardner of the Picture Christians Project, will give us an unique and seldom seen vision of the deep human level of suffering of our fellow Christians of the Middle East

Passion and desires are commonly defined by their disordered condition. It is the rhythm and inner dynamism ot the Liturgical life that provides a more positive view of our passions.

Although the event of the Nativity of Christ has past, the Incarnational reality continues to unfold and it is through the Church that we do not just celebrate but actually experience this reality.

In the Eastern Churches, Liturgy and asceticism have their own respective evangelical power which must be continually rediscovered and unleashed as the way for the Eastern Churches to Evangelize and make a difference.

It's not enough to say that we attended Mass or celebrated the Divine Liturgy. The vision that litrugy gives ws must move beyond the walls of the church and affect all of life.

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

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

During the Birth of Christ, the Eastern Lung of the Church puts emphasis upon the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled. the mystery of the Incarnation and the continuity between the birth of Christ and His Resurrection.

During the two Sundays before Chistmas, we look back to the people and events that came before Christ becasue there are lessons that are good for all times, especially our own times.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is known in the Eastern Churches as the Conception of the Mother of God in the womb of St. Ann. This has important implications for all issues of life.

LIGHTEAST635 - Pope Francis... Well He's Gone and Done It Again (1)

LIGHTEAST635 - Pope Francis... Well He's Gone and Done It Again

A significant advancement has just recently occurred in ecumenical dialog between the Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church. Learn all about it right here on Light of the East with the help of a special friend.

The Byzantine preparation for the coming of our Lord is beginning. It is called the Phillip's fast. Perhaps now, mor than ever this preparation period must be taken very seriously.

Angels - What do we believe about them and what do we do with them? Another question is, "How do responsible citizens vote in this election.

Civilization will go by way of the family and the family will go by way of marriage. The Mystical, Liturgical and Ascetical gifts of the Eastern Churches have much to offer for holy and happy families.

Let's face it. We all need to read the Bible more and to actually become the Bible. The Liturgy, art and architecture of the Eastern Churches can actually immerse us into the Bible.

Every Eastern Christain church has its own ancient and indigenous chant which is sung by the faithful during liturgical services. This gives cantors a special place in Eastern Christian Liturgy.

We are going to throw our hat in the ring of the Presidential race and on the platform of the Eastern Lung of the Church to provide real solutions for our nation.

The very same churches that had the venerable custom of married priests are the same churches that gave the world celibacy. Marriage and celibacy are not diametrically opposed.

Fasting and penance is the way to prepare for any great feast. This includes confession which is similar yet different to the form practiced in the Latin Rite.

What is the difference between the Roman Catholic Church and an Eastern Catholic Church? This simple question cannot be answered simply. But there are some comparisons that can be helpful.

We go back to basics and answer questions like: What is an Eastern Catholic? Why are there Eastern Catholics, and are the Eastern Catholic services always longer than Latin Rite services?

The Liturgical life of the Church calls us to something that is vital to both the rhythms of our lives and to worship. It is the spirituality of preparation which even has its very own rite.

Among the many gifts of both lungs of the Church, east and west, we here at Light of the East have our ten favorite gifts that the Eastern Churches offer to the whole Church and the world

Asceticism... a strange sounding word to our modern culture. I will take the desert monks of the Eastern churches to shed some timely light on the meaning and relevancy of asceticism.

The Feast of the Assumption, or as the East calls it, the Dormition is a magnificent event with beautiful liturgical customs. But why really do we have to go to Church on days such as these?

Two major feast days converge this week and they convey for us the true nature of our lives as human beings. An old but young friend will join us and give testimony to the process of divinization.

The question is often asked, "What is the place of Women in the Eastern Churches?" A perspective on this question itself and it's answers lies in the context of the Eastern Liturgy.

Teenagers hold a special place in salvation history and in the Church. In ministering to teens the Eastern Catholic Churches do best through their own liturgical and ascetical traditions.

The Eastern Catholic Churches are relatively small and few in America. There are ways to ensure their growth and vitality and the first place to look is to Liturgy.

As our nation celebrates the gift of its independence and freedom, we here at Light of the East are mindful of those whose story of persecution is not nearly enough.

Pope Francis made a few eye opening statements recently about the validity of many Christian marriages. The marriage ritual of the Eastern Churches can help us understand the Pope's message.

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

For the first time in 80 years the prayers of Islam will be permitted to take place in the mother of all Byzantine Christian Churches. This provides opportunity for awareness and enlightenment.

Our efforts extend to non-Christians such as the followers of Islam. Dialogue in thei area could be significantly determined by a single ancient building in the country of Turkey.

While the separation of Church and State has been enshrined in modern western culture there is one particular Eastern Church that can show us that this may not totally be a good thing.

The story of Jonah and the Ninevites like all stories in the Bible are not just history lessons, they are our stories today, our lived experience. This is particularly true today.

There is saint spelled with a small S and saint spelled with a capital S. The life of a baptized Christian is a journey toward turning the small S into a capital S

As we look forward to the Descent of the Holy Spirit, we will see how the Eastern Christian Churches are naturally charismatic.

Holy Days in the Church that occur within the week, it may be inconvienient to our schedules and other interests. But this is precisely why they are relevant to our lives.

The desire of Jesus Christ is that all might be one in Him. Our special guest will tell us of his own extraordinary efforts to bring about unity between the two lungs of the Church, east and west.

Do Eastern Catholics Pray the Rosary? The answer is a qualified "Yes." The Russian Saint Seraphin of Sarov passed down to us an Eastern form of Roseary which was lost and then recovered.

The question of the role and place of women in the Eastern Churches can be found, as always, in the liturgical life of the Church especially today, the Sunday of the ointment bearing women.

The remarkable events that we have witnessed in the life of Christ are not just history lessons. They are events of our own lives as the Church immerses us into the reality of the Scripture.

Before Christ resurrects from the dead, He first descends into Hell to defeat the power of death. Through the Jerusalem Matins service, we descend and ascend with Christ.

The Week of the Bridegroom has arrived and being further enhanced as this year the Feast of the Annunciation falls on the same day as the Death of Christ on the Cross.

The words of a young nun who was recently declared blessed provide insight and consolation for us during the times when we might experience dryness or desolation in our prayer.

The Byzantine Church will give equal time to men and women ascetics. Today we climb the Ladder of Divine Ascent with St. John Climacus and next Sunday we encounter a mysterious woman in the desert named Mary.

There Pope and the Patriarch came together in their historic meeting in Cuba for an entire constellation of reasons. Most importantly they came together out of concern for Christians everywhere.

On what is the second Sunday of Lent in many Eastern Churches, St. Gregory Palamas teaches us about God's utter incomprehensibility and his knowability through his uncreated energies.

The 1st Sunday of Lent in the Byzantine Liturgical Calendar is a day of triumph for sacred art, the true faith itself and for those martyrs and monks who gave it courageous witness.

Many Eastern Catholic Churches will begin Lent this coming Sunday evening. Lent is also known as the bright sadness marked by intense fasting, deep prayer and increased charity.

It is Byzantine Mardi Gras, the Sunday of Meat Faire and we look forward to the feast of the encounter of Our Lord in the temple with Simeon.

With the growing awareness and appreciation of Byzantine iconography has come certain questions tha we will begin to answer such as, "Are icons 'painted' or are they 'written'"? And, can ANYONE paint an icon?

The Eastern Christian Churches, Catholic and Orthodox face similar challenges of both growth and survival. These challenges are best met by taking an honest look at the gifts of these Churches.

A new year in both the civil calendar and the liturgical calendar has us looking back in gratitude yet forward in the spirit of manifestation, illumination and renewal.

With the help of our special guest, we will look back on what has been accomplished in the area of ecumenism between the two lunges of the Church, East and West and where this new year might take us.

God is with us. But what does that mean for us personally? To help us answer that question the Byzantine Church puts three special people before our eyes on the Sunday after the Nativity.

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

During this season of love and mercy, in this jubilee year of mercy, we will hear the merciful words of a Pope and prisoner and learn how we are indeed performing a corporal act of mercy.

Whether he is Santa Claus or St. Nicholas, the liturgical celebration of the Feast of St. Nicholas is a witness to how Eastern Churches evangelize and live in the both-and.

Mysticism is what keeps men sane. This is something the Eastern Churches have known for many centuries. The sense of the mystical is not the only gift of the Eastern Church.

Periochoresis, Theoria Theologica, Apatheia, Theosis... strange and complex sounding terms that point to a very simple mystery. The spiritual life is about spiritual warfare and our own deification.

We have begun the penitential season in preparation for the Incarnation of Our Lord in the flesh. Known as Advent in the west and the Philip's Fast in the east, this preparatory period helps us become people of gratitude.

The penitential period of preparation for Our Lord's Nativity, known as the Phillip's Fast is coming upon us. To help our spiritual preparation we will turn to one of our best resources.

The health of a Church is measured by monasticism. In the Eparchy of Parma in the Eastern Lung of the Church a particularly healthy sign are the sisters at the Christ the Bridegroom Monastery.

LIGHTEAST578 - The Integrity of Iconography

People often make Pope Francis out to be what they want him to be. At the risk of doing the same, we will look at Pope Francis in light of Eastern Spirituality.

The Sacramental-Liturgical world view of Eastern Christianity can help the world understand one of the most controversial teachings of the Church in modern times. The author of a new book will help us understand how.

It is often asked if the Eastern Churches acknowledge things like Lourdes and Fatima. There is a particular way that the Eastern Churches do approach visions and revelations especially in regard to the Mother of God.

There are implications for the church and for civilization from the stream of refugees pouring into Europe from the Middle East. Our special guest will provide insight into the situation that will not be heard elsewhere.

It is not, "Go west young man! but, Turn east young man!" as one fine group of young men are doing and we will see how this can make a difference in the Church and for society.

As both lungs of the Church liturgically place the triumph of the Cross in full view, so too does the complementary nature of both lungs of the Church come into full view.

Moral relativism and the rejection of absolute truth is leaving many people of good will confused and restless. The Liturgies of the Eastern Churches, so ancient yet so relevant, can provide a constant for answers.

The history of the Eastern Catholic Churches should not remain just history lessons. The spirituality of the Christian East is also a reservoir to be tapped to confront the hot button issues of our day.

Are we beginning to prepare or preparing to begin? The prayer of the Eastern Churches models and reminds us of something essential for every endeavor of life, most espeially for proper prayer and worship

The story of Jonah and the Ninevites like all stories in the Bible are not just history lessons. They are our stories today, our lived experience. This is particularly true today.

The Feast of the Assumption or Dormition of the Mother of God is a sterling example of how the church East and West breathe together. Yet this feast is also profoundly relevant for our times.

On top of Mount Tabor, Jesus Christ revealed to his apostles and to us, not only his divinity but the true origins and destiny of the human person.

What is the diffenece between a Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Church? This simple question cannot be answered simply. But there are some comparisons that can be helpful.

Throughout history when the teachings of the Church were challenged, it was always the work not of a single person, but of entire councils which established and preserve the true belief passed down to us today.

Marriage is the primordial sacrament. It is our sharing in the way God loves.To attempt to redifine this in any way will have disasterous effects for civilization and humanity to redefine marriage. We will see how and what we can do.

What do the words economy, ecumenism and ecology all have in common? We will find out with the help of a Byzantine theologian and the words of the Ecumenical Patriarch as he comments on the Pope's encyclical.

The Sacrament or Holy Mystery of Matrimony in the Byzantine spirituality is not so much a covenant between a couple as it is an entrance of the couple into the life of the Trinity and of the Church.

It is June, the lazy, hazy days of summer, those days of ordinary liturgical time, but also applying the Eastern liturgical version of what not to wear.

Summertime can feel like a desert. But, the desert is more than a hot, dry place. It is something we encounter on various levels and in every aspect of our lives.

People often look for that one book where they can learn more about the Eastern Churches. While this requires more than just one book, there is one particular place that has much to offer.

The examples of the saints point to our true human origin and our true human destiny. Among the many virtues of the saints are seven that can be particularly helpful to our own growth and holiness.

Our joy in the glorious feast of the descent of the Holy Spirit is yet tinged with a bit of sadness to see the conclusion of the Pascal season. None the less, the Spirit still breatheslife into the Church.

From our most glorious actions to acts of terrorism, all behaviors are ultimately determined by the correct or incorrect understanding of God and our relationship and his creation.

he question of which calendar ought to be followed to the date of our Lord's resurrection is a complicated issue. So we turn to a liturgical theologian of the Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church.

All baptized Christians have been given the mandate to preach the gospel to the whole world. Father Thomas Loya and Father Joseph Loya together discuss their thoughts on the necessity and techniques of effective preaching.

As this week of mid-Pentecost unites the Resurrection with the Ascention of our Lord, our special guest will unite Christians who are free with those who are persecuted.

The examples of Joseph and Nicodemus together with the ointment baring women call us to renew our own approach to the Body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

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

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

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

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

During the 4th week of Lent we climb the Ladder of Divine Ascent through the wisdom and examples of 3 great ascetics: St. John Climacus, St. Andrew of Crete and St. Mary of Egypt.

Mysticism is something that keeps men sane. This is something the Eastern Churches have known for centuries. But a sense of the mystical is not the only gift of the Eastern Church.

On the 2nd Sunday of Lent, St. Gregory of Palamas will help us retrieve an indispensible virtue of the spiritual life, but one that is far too rare in today's modern world.

The Crusades is a highly explosive word that comes up from time to time. And it is of special interest to the Eastern lung of the Church. But what exactly does this word Crusades mean?

The journey through the Great Fast has begun. And, the liturgical life of the Church will fill our nap sacks with everything we need including a recipe from Theodore the Recruit.

The journey through the Great Fast has begun. And, the liturgical life of the Church will fill our nap sacks with everything we need including a recipe from Theodore the Recruit.

It is like a liturgical baton, the approaching season of repentance has already started running while the end of the season of Christ's Incarnation runs to catch up to hand off the liturgical baton.

Ahh, the good ol' days when people argued about something it was about who was the greatest saint or what was the true nature of Christ. To keep peace, the Church came up with an interesting proposal.

The very same churches that have the venerable custom of married priests are the same churches that gave the world celibacy. Marriage and celibacy are not diametrically opposed. 

Mysticism, it's what keeps men sane and this is something the Eastern Churches have known for centuries. But, its sense of the mystical is not the only gift of the Eastern Church.

In the Eastern Churches, Epiphany is the observance of the baptism of Christ; it is called Theophany. And water is blessed on these days and is used to sanctify many things.

The coming of the Prince of Peace into the world was contrasted by violence and bloodshed for innocent children. But what is happening in our times make the bible story, indeed our story as well.

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

During the two Sundays before Christmas, we look into the family heritage of Christ which also becomes our own family heritage in which God works in mysterious ways.

During the liturgical season of conceptions and births, we will look at two issues that remain controversial between the two lungs of the Church, East and West... contraception and the Immaculate Conception.

As we approach the season of giftedness, the Eastern Catholic Churches are greatful for a gift from Pope Francis that will contribute towards ecumenical relationships.

The differences between the Orthodox churches and the Roman Catholic Church are often a matter of perspective rather than theology as we will hear from Orthodox Theologian Metropolitan Timothy Kallistos Ware.

All baptized Christians have been given the mandate to preach the Gospel to the whole world. Father Thomas Loya and Father Joseph Loya together will discuss their thoughts on the necessity and techniques of effective preaching.

The Sacred Mystery or Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is known to both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. But there is another form of anointing that has healing properties as well.

As the Church spread throughout the world, it took on the character of the various cultures. This helps explain the nuances and tensions between East and West.

The story of Jonah and the Ninevites, just like all stories in the bible are not just history lessons. They are our stories today, our lived experiences. This is particularly true today.

Charity begins at home and so does ecumenism. A small parish in Pennsylvania took that to heart in a very big way!

Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon... the mention of these seem to strike fear in our minds today. However, these are places of great spiritual and biblical significance.

Pope St. John Paul II said that the church breathes with both lungs, East and West. But, why did this come to be? Are the tiny eastern churches still relevant in a modern world?

As the Church spread throughout the world, it took on the character of various cultures. The helpd explain the nuances and tensions between East and West.

What times are your Masses on Sunday?" For an Easter Catholic parish, the answer is not quite so simple.

How could motherhbood preserve virginity and death be the herald of life? These are mysteries celebrated in the new beginning of the liturgical year of the Byzantine tradition.

A holy pilgrimage on a holy mountian and holy people doing holy things... the annual Labor Day Pilgrimage on Mount St. Macrina in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. 

Pope Benedict XVI taught that the role of the Church in regard to the state was to remind the state of the dignity of the human person. Recently, young students of Ukraine gave witness to this.

On top of Mount Tabor, Jesus Christ revealed the glory of His divinity and the splendor of His humanity. In doing so, He revealed that we ar made in the image and likeness of God.

Benediction, Eucharistic Adoration, daily Masses, the Rosary... do these same devotions exist in the Eastern Churches? The answer would be yes and no at the same time.

Christ is Risen! On this day, the Church joyfully breathes with both lungs, the canonization of two Popes and the 500th broadcast of Light of the East

Christ is Risen! This is the Day the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it!

We begin Great Week, the week of the Bridegroom where we unite our passion and suffering with that of Christ. This is especially true for the Eastern churches and faithful in the Ukraine.

Great Fast - season of repentence

This week, we bow to the ground and rise up The Ladder of Divine Ascent guided by our special masters: St. John Climacus, St. Andrew of Crete and St. Mary of Egypt.

On the Third Sunday of Lent, we venerate the Cross which stands in the middle between heaven and earth, but also in the middle of many Eastern Churches.

The first Sunday of Lent commemorates the vindication of the ancient practice of the veneration of icons. To appreciate this, we will turn to the writings of a pope from the Western Lung of the Church. 

The Bright Sadness is now upon us as we repent and seek God's forgiveness. We will fast and ask forgiveness of one another in the very moving evening service of the Forgiveness Vespers.

It is the Sunday of Meat Fare. But, it is also the Sunday in which we sing, "The end draws near, the time grows short, the Judge is at the door, and the days of life pass swiftly."

We can always turn to the gift of the priesthood to experience God's mercy. But where do priests turn when they are in need of both God's mercy and ours?

On this Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, we will listen to the stirring in the hearts of a publican, a prisoner and a Catholic Cardinal, the young people of the Ukraine and the Church that breathes with both lungs.

The just elder Simeon would never be the same after beholding Christ. Neither would the Eastern Catholics of Ukraine after beholding the freedom of their Church.

The high holy days are now passed and we are in the "dog days" of winter. But this is where the spirituality of the domestic church has something to offer us.

We visit Maximus the Confessor, sometimes known as the Father of Byzantine theology, and we'll also have a visit from an old friend of Light of the East.

We have entered the dog days of winter, so let us flee to the warmth of the desert to face our own demons, discover our most authentic selves and to encounter God.

Manifestation, illumination, incarnation continue to be the theme in the Church, East and West, and also in our individual lives.

Let us encounter the great mystery. The Creator becomes the creature while still remaining the Creator. God is with us!

 It's the Sunday of the Holy Patriarchs and we'll look at the words of a recent Patriarch, Pope Francis, whose document is of particular interest to the Eastern churches, both Catholic and Orthodox.

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, or as they say in the East, the Conception of the Mother of God in the womb of St. Anne. It's a different emphasis, but they both arrive at the same point.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The art of the Church breathes with both lungs, East and West. There is iconology in the West and iconography in the East, but they both arrive at the same point.

Father Thomas Loya and his cousin, Father Joseph Loya, discuss the moments of their priesthood.

Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma has begun a process to move forward from maintenance to mission, from survival to vision.

We discuss the Feast of the Protection of the Veil of the Mother of God and one of the Eastern Churches in need of protection.

What do you get when you take a bride, a groom, add 16 priests, a bunch of seminarians, a half dozen nuns, and a bishop? You get a very meaningful wedding ceremony.

For the Liturgy of the Eastern Churches, we come to see our observance of the Exultation of the Cross as so much more than just a history lesson.

 The new liturgical year of the Eastern Churches is upon us, and we begin its many glorious holy days. The feast days of the Church are so much more than just an obligation.

We bring you an exclusive report on the situation and global significance of Coptic Christians caught in the middle of the current unrest in Egypt.

The Eastern Catholic Churches need to let their light shine from under their bushels. We look at how the Eastern Catholic Churches can look at their own gifts and gain greater confidence in their gifts.

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Oh come on, let's be a little more honest here. We examine an article that suggests the Eastern and Western lungs of the Church hold each other accountable to their Ecumenical histories. 

As the summer winds down, it becomes a season of pilgrimage in the Eastern Catholic Churches as special guest Sister Barbara Jean talks about the pilgrimage at Mt. St. Macrina.

The preparation for communion in the Byzantine Catholic Church moves through the rythmn of life.

We discuss how the Eastern and Western lungs of the Church meet at the Theological Institute in Trumau, Austria with special guest, Anastasia Northrup of TOBIA, the Theology of the Body Alliance. 

The Catholic Church, East and West, cannot be attributed to one person, but rather to the Great Councils and their Fathers. Plus, part 5 of our series on the Eucharist.

The calling down of the Holy Spirit and the Eucharistic prayer of the Byzantine Catholic Church occurs after the words of institution and we ask the Holy Spirit to change us and then the gifts lying before us.

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