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Here you will find news and general information about the Byzantine Catholic (Greek Cath- olic) and other Eastern Christian Churches.
Fasts & Feasts
2 - Meeting of Our Lord with Simeon and Anna
6 - First All Souls Saturday
7 - Sunday of the Last Judgement (Meatfare)
14 - Forgiveness Sunday (Cheesfare)
The Holy and Great Fast
Latest Forum Discussions
Meatfare Sunday
February 7, 2010
Sunday of the Last Judgment
Matthew 25:31-46 - "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
The Cross brings Life – The Lord does not say that the coming kingdom is compared to this or that, as He has been speaking previously, but now openly shows Himself to be the Son of man, who “shall come in his glory.” If He has up to now appeared in a condition of dishonor, now he appears in a different role. He reproaches. He confronts. He sits upon his throne of glory. And he continually mentions glory. For his cross was drawing near, a thing that seemed to be a matter of reproach. So he lifts his hearers up and brings before their sight the judgment seat, with all the world gathered around him. (St. John Chrysostom)
Scripture
- Matins - Mark 16:9-20
- Divine Liturgy - 1 Corinthians 8:8-9:2, Matthew 25:36-41
Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia to Lecture in Washington, DC & New Jersey February 9-17
Thursday, 04 February 2010 05:22
Note! The prayer service, reception and Ecumenism Lecture by Metropolitan Kallistos at The Catholic University of America scheduled for Tuesday, February 9, has been postponed one week until Tuesday, February 16 because of weather conditions in Washington, DC. The same schedule -- prayer at 4:30, reception at 5:30, lecture at 6:30 -- will be followed starting in the Chapel in Caldwell Hall. Please pass the word to anyone who was planning to attend.
Fairfax, Virginia – February 1, 2010. Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia (Timothy Ware) will be visiting the US East Coast for a series of free lectures open to the public during the week of February 9-17, 2010. The topics of his lectures will begin with the Orthodox-Catholic Dialoge at Catholic University in Washington, and then cover various spiritual subjects at local parish churches in preparation for Lent, which both Catholics and Orthodox will begin during his visit.
New Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Suggests Worldwide Ecumenical Encounter
Thursday, 28 January 2010 15:34
CWNews.com - Serbia’s newly enthroned Orthodox Patriarch Irinej has suggested a worldwide ecumenical encounter in 2013, to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan. He suggested that the event could take place in Nis, the Serbian birthplace of the Emperor Constantine, and expressed the hope that Pope Benedict XVI would attend—in what would be the first visit ever by a Roman Pontiff to Serbia.
Patriarch Irinej did not explicitly suggest that the meeting in Nis could provide the opportunity for a “summit meeting” between the Pope and the Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill. But in light of the close ties between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Moscow patriarchate, the Russian prelate would surely be expected to attend.
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Nothing is Hidden
When You shall come to earth in glory, O God, all things will tremble before You and the river of fire will flow before Your judgment seat. The books will be opened and all hidden things revealed. Deliver me from the unquenchable fire and make me worthy to stand at Your right hand, O righteous Judge.
Kontakion of the Last Judgment (sung on Meat-Fare Sunday)
We Follow Christ
News of the Christian East
- Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia to Lecture in Washington, DC & New Jersey February 9-17
- Cardinal Kasper upbeat on ecumenical prospects with Oriental Orthodox
- New Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Suggests Worldwide Ecumenical Encounter
- Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for the Feast of Three Hierarchs
- Acts of the Oriental Churches
- Papal Message to New Serbian Patriarch
- Apostolic Nuncio: Meeting of Patriarch of Moscow and Pope Could Become Icon of 21st Century
- Exhibition of documents about the violent liquidation, underground activity, and legalization of the UGCC
- First Enthronement of His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia takes place in Belgrade
- ‘The Divine Liturgy” by Archbishop Hilarion (Alfeyev) released on audiodisc in the USA
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The Divine Services of Holy Week and Pascha are online:
Note: Files are large and between 1-2 hours each. Recordings from St. George the Great-Martyr Church, Aliquippa, PA. Right-click to download and save. Files may open a new browser window. |
Wisdom from the Church Fathers
| The soul has followed Moses and the cloud, both of these serving as guides for those who would advance in virtue; Moses here represents the commandments of the Law; and the cloud that leads the way, its spiritual meaning. The soul has been purified by crossing the Sea; it has removed from itself and destroyed the enemy army. It has tasted of the waters of Marah, that is, of life deprived of all sinful pleasure; and this at first had seemed bitter and unpleasant to the taste but offered a sensation of sweetness to those who accepted the wood. Next it enjoyed the beauty of the palm trees of the gospel and the springs; it filled itself with the living water, that is, the rock. It took within itself the bread of heaven. It overwhelmed the foreign host - a victory due to the extended arms of the Lawgiver, which thus foreshadowed the mystery of the Cross. Only then can the soul go on to the contemplation of transcendent Being. St. Gregory of Nyssa |