www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall The Glad Game. What are you thankful for?

Someone pointed out that the hierarchs are not hearing any praise for the positive changes they've made throughout the years.

No arguing or discussing others' lists here, no posting to say you don't have anything or to offer veiled complaints, this is just a place to say thank you for anything, small or large, that you are appreciative of in the Revised Divine Liturgy or other acts carried out by the bishops in the recent history of our Church.

If you want to discuss a point or offer a criticism, please start a new thread. What are you glad for?

The restoration of icon screens and replacing Latin devotional art with genuine icons is the first thing that comes to mind. Another would be praying the correct hours before Divine Liturgy as opposed to the rosary and other Latin devotions. I think those who write articles in the religious newspapers are trying to teach a more authentic eastern spirituality and they deserve our thanks.

Some things I am glad for:

1) The ordination of married men to the priesthood.

2) The full episcopal dress worn by Bishop John.

3) The return to the word Theotokos in the Liturgy.

4) The word essence in the Creed.

5) The printing of the pre- and post-Communion prayers in the people's book.

6) The order to commune infants with their baptisms and chrismations.

Some things I am grateful for:

I am grateful that bishops such as Basil Popovich, Julius Firczak, Theodor Romzha, Gregory Tarkovich, Josef Gaganec, Paul Gojdic, Basil Hopko in our Rusyn homeland preserved the heritage of the Rusyn people and did not cave to other pressures to magyarize, slovakisize or ukrainianize our diverse culture.

I am grateful for Piux XII for not accepting the resignation of Bishop Gojdic in 1939 and making him residental bishop of Presov a year later.

I am grateful for priests such as Athanansius Pekar and Basil Sheregy wrote scholarly works on our Byzantine (Greek) Catholic religion and Rusyn heritage so that people would know the true faith and culture.

That Archbishop Steven Kosicko started the campaign to cannonize our four Rusyn Bishops that were persecuted by the communists (Romzha, Gojdich, Hopko, Chira) and went to Uzhorod right after the fall of communism to tell the Rusyn Greek Catholic faithful that their American brothers and sisters did not forget about them.

I am grateful for the vast amount of liturgical music available on the MCI website (downloaded Compline so that we could add it at the end of our Sunday evening prayer group) and for the musical notation in our new pew books. I really love the new Tone 1 Alleluia!

Thank you Professor Thompson!