Category: Adult Faith Formation

THE WAY OF THE PILGRIM: Entering Into the Jesus Prayer

Do you struggle to follow the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to “pray always”? For most of us living and working in the world, it can be difficult to let our prayer and participation in the liturgy permeate our entire lives and transform our hearts.

God invites us to persevere, and He has blessed the Church with many holy teachers and spiritual traditions to help us draw closer to Him.

In this Tuesday’s live webinar, discover the meaning and power of a centuries-old traditional prayer that has helped many devout Christians throughout the ages broaden their view of prayer and incorporate it more deeply into their lives.

THE WAY OF THE PILGRIM: Entering Into the Jesus Prayer
Tuesday, August 23
8:00 pm ET / Pre-class discussion 30 minutes prior

Register at: https://instituteofcatholicculture.org

Feast of the Procession of the Cross

According to the Synaxarion, the feast celebrates the veneration of the Holy Cross in Constantinople. The early days of August were dangerous in antiquity. Because of the heat, many diseases became strong, and so the Cross was displayed in various places in the city for fourteen days. This feast was then introduced into Rus in the fifteenth century.

Today it announces the coming of the great feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14, approximately forty days from now. I think in may ways we misunderstand the Cross, we equate it with pain and suffering, as a negative sign that Christians were made to be miserable. That is not what St. Paul says in today’s epistle, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God …. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 18:18.23-24).

St. John calls the Cross the glory of Jesus, not because of its ugliness, but because it witnesses to the infinite love of God for his people. Because of love the cross is a “trophy of victory.”

In the Ambon Prayer of the Feast of the Exaltation, we pray, “You are glorified by the exaltation of your venerable Cross and by it accomplish our purification from the pride of demons.” As the people of Constantinople centuries ago looked to the Cross for deliverance from illness, we look at it today as our hope for deliverance from sin and evil.

Meditation by Archpriest David Petras

Sacred Signs: Pointing the Way to Heaven

Many Christians tend to think of the spiritual life as something entirely opposed to physical reality. This can translate into Christian practice today in the form of plain churches and simple services, especially among Protestant denominations.

In contrast, apostolic Christianity is incarnational and sacramental, incorporating many physical things into worship: not just in the art and music accompanying the liturgy, but in the very liturgy itself we make use of fire and water, bread and oil, gestures and postures. Are these merely relics of a more religious era, or does the Church recognize there is something fundamental to our human nature that needs such signs and symbols?

This Tuesday, Fr. David Anderson will explore the meaning of the “stuff” of our Christian practice in order to restore a sacramental vision in our secular age.

SACRED SIGNS: Pointing the Way to Heaven

Tuesday, July 12
8:00 pm ET / Pre-class discussion 30 minutes prior

About the Instructor

Father David Anderson is a priest of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Chicago and has served as a parish priest for 37 years. He is also a published translator of patristic texts and Byzantine liturgical texts. For over 40 years, he has presented many classes on liturgy and the Church Fathers throughout the country, but especially in northern California. He is presently the Byzantine-rite chaplain at Wyoming Catholic College.

To Register use this link.

4th Sunday of Lent, Sunday of St John of the Ladder

As ever-blooming fruits, you offer the teachings of your God-given book, O wise John, most blessed, while sweetening the hearts of all them that heed it with vigilance; for it is a ladder from the earth unto Heaven that confers glory on the souls that ascend it and honor you faithfully. (Kontakion)

Here are the resources for the Sunday of St John Climacus (or, known as “of the Ladder”), the 4th Sunday of Lent. In particular, we ought to listen to the resurrection hymn and the gospel reflection by Father Hezekias and Sebastian.

Do yourself a favor, spend time with the Word of the Lord in preparation for Sunday Liturgy.

A 7th century monk of Mount Sinai of Egypt. He is the author of a famous text of spiritual discipline. He spent 40 years as a hermit and later abbot. He is famous for his book, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, which was written with the presumption of a monastic context. That is, the contents speaks of how to raise the soul to God by the acquiring virtues and rejecting specific sins. The ascent is of the soul is described in 30 steps (think of the image of a ladder with 30 steps) and the number 30 corresponds with the age that Jesus began his public ministry. A widely read book in Byzantine spirituality.

Why are we celebrating a famous monk and his book when we are not monks? The activity that St John Climacus speaks about, just like the gospel passage read today, that of the Lord’s Transfiguration, is what we followers of Jesus desire, too. That is, we desire to be personally transfigured from someone not too acceptable, into someone beautiful and desirable. Just as Moses who saw God on the mountain and came back to his followers to convey what he is seen. The connection with the gospel of the Transfiguration and St John Climacus comes in the line, “Lord, I believe but help my unbelief.” Prayer and asking for help. Faith is strengthened in prayer and fasting.

We ought to read daily a spiritual book, first starting with a passage of Scripture and then a good spiritual book. Place yourself in the presence of the Lord, so that you can cast out demons. Have faith!

In Zacchaeus there is simplicity and honesty

Having just finished the Nativity Cycle we start moving toward the Lenten Cycle and Zacchaeus is our man. In fact, he’s the model of Christian conversion: turning toward the Lord.

“Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”(Luke 19:5) Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.” (19:9)

Jesus is passing through the town of Jericho and there is a crowd of people gathering to catch sight of the Lord passing by. Zacchaeus is one such person who had heard of Jesus’ talks (sermons) and miraculous deeds. However, Zaccheus has a disadvantage, an impediment: he is of small stature. So what does Zaccheus do? He climbs up a sycamore tree and this way he’d be able to catch a glimpse of the Lord passing by. This does not go unnoticed. Our Lord sees Zaccheus and says: “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”

A reaction from the crowd follows. They had begun to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” Zaccheus was a tax collector who worked for the Roman government. And thus Zaccheus was not well-liked and looked down upon. Besides that, the crowd is judgmental over the Lord’s decision to become a guest at a sinner’s home, namely Zaccheus.

Nonetheless, Zaccheus holds his ground, defending his integrity: “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” (19:8) Repayment or restitution fourfold is indeed a great amount. For according to today’s Catholic moral teaching, restitution or repayment is to be made as close to the value or worth of what was wrongfully taken.

There is a simplicity and honesty in the dialogue between Zaccheus and Our Lord. Zaccheus was not hard-hearted, but rather had an openness of heart by which God finds a path to enter. Yes, He can even enter the heart of any and every sinner, no matter how great a sinner he or she is. To Zaccheus, Jesus had become the source of true joy and happiness here on earth, but more importantly for all eternity.

Our Lord then addresses Zaccheus with these words: “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.” (19:9) The repentance of the sinner and his conversion or change of heart is his salvation. The Lord then holds up Zaccheus as an example of what a true or sincere son of Abraham is to be.

The Lord then addresses words on his own defense and as a correction to the judgmental attitude of the others who objected to his visit: For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” (19:10)

May we have the ardent and persistent desire to encounter the Lord. And when an obstacle comes our way, may we have the ingenuity of Zaccheus. And when others are overly judgmental and question our honesty and sincerity, may we have the fortitude, the courage to stand our ground, to even stand out from the crowd. May we seek more to please the Lord God than to seek merely the favor of men. Let’s remember, the God Who knows and sees all will not let such go unnoticed and will be remembered on the day of Just Judgment at the Lord’s Second and Glorious Coming.

Fr George Worshchak
Archeparchy of Philadelphia

Bible Study on Genesis

God With Us Online has new 3-week study of Genesis starting TONIGHT, November 3rd at 8 PM ET! It’s not too late to register or invite someone else to join us!

Join us as we immerse ourselves in the study of Genesis, which St. Ephrem the Syrian called “the treasure house of the Ark, the crown of the Law.” With Saints Ephrem, John Chrysostom, Basil the Great & Gregory of Nyssa as our guides, we will dive deeply into the Sacred Word which created the world in the beginning.

Dr. Hayes has asked that we provide a handout for you for this week’s class, which will focus on St. Ephrem. You can find it among the resources on the registration page!

Most importantly… don’t forget your Bible! We don’t have Bible studies at God With Us Online without Bibles!