www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization August 6 vision meeting

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I would like to express my gratitude to all who participated in the August 6 history making vision meeting that took place at St. Mary Byzantine Catholic parish in Whiting, IN.
I especially want to thank all of you who were with us in prayer and who expressed your support of so holy an endeavor. A very special thanks to Bishop John Kudrick for his courage, faith, trust and patience.

The August 6 meeting was just so incredibly refreshing--nothing but postive contributions in a positive and prayerful spirit. You see,it can be done! However, it is only one step along the way. I would like to remind us all that this whole thing is first and foremost a spiritual renewal. It is a shift in perspectives on many of the most fundamental levels. It is the Paschal mystery being lived out in a Church. We will all have to die to many things in order to rise to other more authentic things. The way that we "see" will determine what we do. This is why having an acutal "Vision" of Church is crucial.
Every idea and strategic plan has to serve the vision. Let us not fear change and genuine foundation level renewal.

A number of us will be meeting Sunday, August 14 to take the input from August 6 and start to carve out a rough vision draft. The important thing is to continue to disseminate the ideas.
This is all about the arena of ideas that will lead to the changing of hearts which will then empower our Church to strategic planning and action.

I believe that there is indeed a "movement" in the Byzantine Ruthenian Church in America and it will continue to take shape. I think that soon a name will emerge for this movement. Thank you again for all who have participated, prayed and supported our evangelical efforts.

"It is not that we aim too high and miss. It is that we aim to low and make it."--Michelangelo.

Let's continue to aim high!

--Fr. Thomas J. Loya

Glory to God! Thanks for sharing your reflections, Father Thomas. Sounds like a seed has been planted. I live across the country but did pray for the meeting.

I will continue to pray as you all are led to give a name to this vision of renewal.

I am reminded of the lines from Habakkuk

"Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.

For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie.

If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay." Habakkuk 2: 2-3

Prayerfully,

Porter

Mary Jo,

That is the exact Scripture my friend was given when the Lord told her to start her newspaper.

http://www.networknewspaper.org/

Doloris has been writing the vision ever sence.
As I have suggested to Dan and others, she is up and running and I think with help, the paper would be a wonderful board to bounce off of for the Byzantine understanding and teachings of life. In other words those that have spoken of a newspaper, it is are ready made vehicle.

Pani Rose

Thank you for sharing that. What a blessing!

Mary Jo

i am a supporter of the forum, my husband jon carlson having attended. we waited for him at home with prayers and hope and he returned answering both.

now, i'd like to try out an idea in response to his news of the forum:
that our Byzantine church is a great example to ecumenists, all, that it's not only what's the same about us and other churches that counts but also enthusiasm about our own traditions and distinct spirituality and liturgical practices, perhaps even ethnicity, that makes us catholic. i find it remarkable how large and wise our Mother church is to keep us all close to her bosom, no matter how irreconcilable our differences may seem sometimes. not that they don't matter, but they stretch a love in Christ that is able to be stretched.

I commend participants of the forum for stretching Christ's love to each other and to all people, to reach the universal truth in a particular (and we are particular) setting. thanks.

please let me know what you think of this new take on ecumenism. i'm new at this web board and new at my byzantine faith.
mari carlson, minneapolis

Well Mari Carlson,

We welcome you to the Byzantine Forum. For your first post you did remarkably well. We are like a family here, we get along really well, but from time to time we have some pretty good arguments. The admin and the wonderful priests and deacons here step in and get us back in order.

So we are glad you decided to take the plunge. Very thankful that your husband was able to attend. It is truly awesome, that through a telephone wire God brought a people together from all walks to continue what he said in Matthew - Go ye therefore unto all the nations...

Also, most important of all Mari, welcome to the Church and may God grant to you and your family many years of peace, health, and happiness.

Pani Rose

Mari,

Welcome and say hello to Jon. We hope to make contact by phone with him this afternoon around 3 p.m.

Yes, our mission is to bring East and West together without being crushed by either in the process. In order to do that we must be confident of our mission and strong enough to have a coherent vision to see it through With the power of the Holy Spirit it will be done.

Dan L

See the little guy clapping at the top of my post?

-ray