Category: Adult Faith Formation

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.

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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!

Third Sunday after Pentecost

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life.” Only after Jesus has shown the hurt to be unspeakable, then and not before does he make the instruction stricter. He not only asks us to cast away what we have but also forbids us to take thought even for the food we need, saying, “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat,” not because the soul needs food, for it is incorporeal. He spoke figuratively. For though the soul as such needs no food, it cannot endure to remain in the body unless the body is fed. (St. John Chrysostom)

As always, God With Us Online, there are several things to help us go deeper in knowing and following the Scripture we hear at the Divine Liturgy. So, at the link above for the resources there is a very brief piece on the Domestic Church (the church at home) by Melkite Deacon Thomas Moses. Most importantly listen to the Gospel reflection.

Sunday of the Paralytic

Can you feel it? Can you notice the warmth of the Holy Spirit? We are moving toward the great feast Pentecost. You can feel the dramatic intensity of the praying Church getting ready for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In preparation for receiving the Holy Spirit the Church gives us this weekend the gift of the Sunday of the Paralytic.

Resources from God With Us Online

Don’t miss the April reflection –only one page– by Fr. Vasile Colopelnic, “Developing a Eucharistic Lifestyle.” Fr. Vaisle is a priest the Stamford Eparchy serving in New York State.

There is also the Resurrectional Troparion in Tone 3 to listen to as well as the resources for catechism class.

Prepare for hearing Sunday’s Gospel by listening to the Gospel Reflection.

St. John Chrysostom teaches: “What kind of a cure is this? What mystery does it signify to us?… It was the greatest of gifts, a baptism purging all sins and making people alive instead of dead. These things then are foreshown as in a picture by the pool.… so that those [at the pool] who had learned over and over how it is possible to heal the diseases of the body by water might more easily believe that water can also heal the diseases of the soul.”

Sunday of Myrrh-bearing Women –resources

Three weeks ago we celebrated Pascha. Now we are at the Second Sunday after Easter (April 18, 2021) — the Sunday of the Myrrh-bearing Women. These women pour the oil of our salvation over the bodies of those who belong to Christ Jesus; the oil announces LIFE. Who are these women? Do you know who we are talking about? Scripture reveals to us the names of the women, each with a personal history and each with a mission (like us). They are Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jose, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome. Plus, we have Joseph of Arimathea. Each person here is essential for making the Risen Lord known and loved and followed.

When the women encounter the Risen Lord at the tomb He tells them not to be afraid at the sight of Him and of His announcement: the crucified is now risen. His promise is true; the offer to be united with God is made good, Life is bestowed upon us. The first act of the Risen Lord is to give the women a central mission, a particular service (a diaconia) for the spread of the Gospel: go and tell the disciples and Peter, that crucified Jesus is now risen, He is alive.

The Church understands this biblical narrative of vocation and place in the Way –the Way of the Lord– in generations: the first generation are the Apostles, then the disciples, and the deacons (seen first in the person of Joseph of Arimathea, then the other deacons we read about in the Apostles). No one group can exist without the other because of the particularity of each God-mission given to each person. This mission we speak of, as St John Henry Newman tells us, is the mission given by God is unique, unrepeatable, not transferable, given for a specific purpose. Some are called to be priests, some deacons, some catechists, some nurses, some bakers, some gardeners, some machinists, some writers, some lawyers, etc. The mission the Lord gives us links us to him and those others who have served the Gospel and the Church through 2000 years.

St. Peter Chrysologus speaks of the mission of the Women and the apostles, “The women were first to honor the risen Christ, the apostles first to suffer for him. The women were ready with spices; the apostles prepared for scourges. The women entered the tomb; the apostles would soon enter the dungeon. The women hastened to express their eulogy; the apostles embraced chains for his sake. The women poured oils; the apostles poured out their blood.”

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Honoring the Patriarch’s 10th Anniversary

The Church is honoring the 10th Anniversary of the election and enthronement of His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

A special program has been prepared for His Beatitude’s 10th anniversary (March 27, 2011). There is a review of the Patriarch’s first ten years and there is a revelation of his vision for our Church for the next ten years.

The TV presentation is mostly in Ukrainian with English subtitles.

You may watch the presentation here.

Parish Mission 2021 Part II

On Saturday, March 27, at the 9:00 a.m. Divine Liturgy we will have part II of the Parish Mission given by Father Gregory Lozinskyy, pastor of St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, Trumbull. Father Gregory will preach in both Ukrainian and English.

Part I of the parish mission happened at last Sunday’s 10:30 a.m. Liturgy.