Today is the feast of Our Holy Father, Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, whose Divine Liturgy we pray most often. He is one of the most famous saints of both the Greek and the Latin Churches and one of the four great Doctors of the East. He is called “Golden-Tongued” because of his eloquence.
St. Josaphat
Today is the feast of St. JosaphatTwenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Read: Ephesians 4:1-6; Luke 10:25-37Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Read: Ephesians 2:14-22; Luke 8:41-56The Holodomor reminds us of truth
Those who think deeply about the meaning of the commemoration of the Holodomor by necessity come back to the Gospel of Matthew where he says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Father Gregory Zubacz of the Ukrainian Catholic Mission Church in Fresno, California, said last year (2017): “Our hunger and thirst for the truth is why we have come together today, to demonstrate that the truth can never remain hidden, and to tell our story to the world. And by gathering here and doing so, we are plowing a field of justice in the world so that the seeds of true peace may grow for future generations to be nourished with. Where once was sown a bitter harvest may we now sow the seeds of hope so that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness may be satisfied.” The 1932-33 genocidal famine should not be a something to merely observe each year because “that’s what we do” but our observance is of the genocide is an opportunity to know and understand our humanity in light of our pursuit of truth and faithfulness to the Lord of Life. Only in light of a relationship with Christ does our desire for peace come true and lasting.
November prayer intention
Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
Read:Twenty-Third Saturday after Pentecost
“There is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).Sunday of the Seventh Ecumenical Council
On this Sunday, we also remember the Nicea II Council in 787, which defined that we can make images (icons) of our Lord and the saints, and venerate them. This council was held in the midst of the iconoclastic (the “image breaking”) controversy, the first phase from 726-787, and the second phase from 814-842. It draws attention to how important images are for us. I know of few homes that do not have a picture, today usually a photograph but sometimes a portrait or drawing, of those we love. If we love Christ first with our whole heart and mind and soul, the image helps us to focus that love.