Pastoral Letter for the Great Fast 2008
Published: February 3, 2008
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 It seems like only yesterday we celebrated Christmas and New Year and the Theophany and now the Great Fast 2008 is right around the corner. Yes, the Great Fast begins on Monday, February 4th. You may have noticed that the past few weeks, especially Sundays, have been preparing us for the beginning of the Great Fast. The Great Fast is yet another preparation period. We prepare for our Church’s greatest feast, Easter – our Lord’s Resurrection from the dead. The Great Fast is the traditional annual retreat of our Church, a holy time for reflection on our way of life, on the evil of sin, and on the salvation granted to us in our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, people are always looking for any kind of improvement. Stores are filled with self-help books. Some people spend much time, effort and money seeking ways to improve themselves. There are those who will travel far distances to seek advice from so called sages or gurus.
In fact, from time to time, newspapers and magazines feature a cartoon of such a seeker climbing a high mountain to get timely advice from a guru in an isolated cave on top of a mountain. After the person poses the all-important questions, the guru’s profound answer – the wisdom of the ages – comes out to be something rather obvious or something very ridiculous.
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Christmas Pastoral Letter Of the Ukrainian Catholic Hierarchs of the USA
Published: December 25, 2007
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 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
The annual celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord is replete with many venerable traditions and symbols, and among them the Star of Bethlehem is one of the most beloved.We see examples of the Star everywhere: on Christmas greeting cards, crowning the top of practically every Christmas tree, adorning church steeples and chimney tops of houses. And a brightly decorated Star of Bethlehem invariably leads the way for Ukrainian carolers making their joyful rounds from home to home during this season. The Star of Bethlehem plays such a prominent role in our celebrations because of its significance in the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus. Meditating upon them, it is especially interesting to note the contrast in reaction that the Star’s appearance elicits between the Magi on one hand, and Herod and the chief priests and scribes on the other. The Magi were foreigners in Palestine, but when they arrive in Jerusalem after their long trek they are in no way intimidated or doubtful. They boldly approach Herod and ask with confidence, not if the child has been born, but where is it they will find him. “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come
to do him homage.” (Mt. 2:9) The Magi are filled with joy when they finally behold the Child. “Going into the house, they saw the child with his Mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.” (Mt. 2:11) Compare and contrast the joy and faith of the Magi at the appearance of the Star to the suspicion and fear the same appearance evokes in Herod and the religious authorities. They seem not to be even aware of the existence of this beacon from heaven. Read More...
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