The Catechism In A Year (Starting April 2023): An Eastern Catholic Series: Recent Episodes
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church - The Catechism In A Year - A Christian Faith Study Series
Welcome to the Ukrainian Fire Chaplain Show’s study series: “The (Ukrainian Catholic) Catechism In (less than) A Year”! This daily study series is an educational project for the UGCC Catechetical Commission with the support and blessing of Most Rev. Bohdan Danylo and Most Rev. David Motiuk. It is scheduled to air daily after Easter of 2023. It will be available on YouTube and on over a dozen podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. In about 10 minutes a day over 33 weeks, Christopher will read passages from "Christ Our Pascha", the catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC)—the largest of all the Eastern Catholic Churches. During each daily episode, Christopher will explain the teaching of the catechism according to our reading plan and he will share some practical insights and inspiration. Our Ukrainian catechism offers answers to the most profound questions about the meaning and purpose of life. It also offers wisdom and perspective on the Catholic Faith, Sacraments, and Morals from a uniquely Eastern Catholic understanding and experience of Christianity. In his introductory letter to Christ Our Pascha, the Head and Father of our Ukrainian Church—Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk—wrote that, “In 1992, the 'Catechism of the Catholic Church' was published, and a Ukrainian translation appeared in 2002. One of the goals of the 'Catechism of the Catholic Church' was to serve as an authentic and proper guide for the compilation of future local catechisms. [St John Paul II noted that] ‘[the universal] catechism is not meant as a substitute for the various local catechisms. … Rather it is meant to encourage the creation of new and local catechisms that are better equipped to take into account the unique nuances of particular cultures, while at the same time remaining diligently faithful to the unity of faith and Catholic teaching.’ The particularity of the UGCC theological tradition, which is Eastern Christian in origin, defines the need of a separate catechism for our Church. [St] John Paul II, Pope of Rome, drew attention to this theological particularity: ‘In the study of revelation, East and West have followed different methods … these various theological formulations are often to be considered mutually complementary rather than conflicting.’ His Beatitude Lubomyr expressed this same thought: ‘Christ’s teaching is one and the same for everyone. Faith in Christ is also the same for all Catholics, regardless of which Rite or Particular Church they belong to. However, the theological understanding of divinely revealed Truths can be different in various cultures, just as liturgical Rites are different.'" The study plan we will be following adopts the layout of "Christ Our Pascha", which was written in three principal parts: (1-GREEN) The Faith of the Church, (2-BLUE) The Prayer of the Church, and (3-YELLOW) The Life of the Church. Additionally, there are two other short segments of the series: (A-ORANGE) an introduction with the study of the Anaphora of St Basil and (B-GREY) a summary section with key beliefs and specific Byzantine prayers. We look forward to journeying with you through our catechism! You can find links to obtain the FREE PDF copy of "Christ Our Pascha" catechism and our 33-Week outline of daily readings used for our study series at: https://www.ChristInAYear.com ----- Christopher is a lay theologian in the UGCC and he holds three graduate degrees, including one from Byzantine Catholic Seminary. He also has a background in public safety, public safety instruction, and has served as a lay chaplain in a busy ER during COVID-19. *CONTENT ADVISORY: Some portions of this series (such as treatment of the 6th and 9th Commandments, among others) may contain content and adult discussions unsuitable for children and young listeners***
I'm back, with a BIG announcement: Fr. Deacon Christopher. We have had to delay the "Ukrainian Catechism in a Year" series to later in the year. If illnesses and previous commitments weren't enough to delay our May 8th start date, my ordination being moved up to five weeks ago [I finished my seminary studies last year] and my return to school to study emergency medicine this month were!
FIND US:
https://www.ChristInAYear.com
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJp6RGF5xw5BUP5UC4ucyK9Sp0mdzhyhJ
https://www.twitter.com/@UFChaplainShow
00:00 Intro
04:15 Q1: What is liturgical piety?
10:55 Q2: Is liturgical piety common to East and West?
27:25 Q3: What are the major parish services of Byzantine East during the Year?
40:05 Q4: What are the Octoechos, and why is service always sung?
49:48 Q5: What is Latinization and the Eastern liturgical renewal that Vatican II talked about?
Christopher records a pre-release special to our #CatechismInAYear series that looks at five questions on the basics of Eastern Christian worship and spirituality, with friend and mentor Fr. David Petras.
www.ChristInAYear.com -
https://theufcshow.com/ciy -
FIND US:
https://www.ChristInAYear.com
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJp6RGF5xw5BUP5UC4ucyK9Sp0mdzhyhJ
https://www.twitter.com/@UFChaplainShow
The Nativity of Christ
190 - The Church celebrates the coming of the Son of God into the world with the feast of the Nativity of Christ. The birth of Christ is announced to the shepherds by the angel of the Lord: “To you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Christ, the Lord” (Lk 2:11, rsv-ce). The Fathers of the Church extolled Christmas night as a day of joy and peace: “Today the Bountiful One became poor for our sake ... Today we receive a gift for which we did not ask ... This present day threw open the heavenly door to our prayers ... Now the Divine Being took upon himself the seal of humanity, in order for humanity to be decorated by the seal of Divinity.”
191 - According to the liturgical texts, the birth of the Child “from a mother without a father”162 is the fulfilment of the prophecy of Daniel about the rock hewn from the mountain without human hands (see Dn 2:45). In the Incarnation, the Son of God “came from the bosom of the Father, and in his ineffable self-emptying he took on our lowly state.” Through the most holy Mother of God, he became what he had not been before—a human. The Church sings of the Mother of God thus: “The bright and spiritual cloud, filled with heavenly rain, today rises above the earth, in order to drop dew upon it and to water it.”
192 - At the birth of Jesus, “the spring of grace ... overcomes the winter of unbelief.” The Nativity is a harbinger of Pascha. The manger is understood to be a sign of the Lord’s tomb, and the placing of the Child in the manger is a prefiguration of the placing of Christ in the tomb. The myrrh, brought by the magi, is already an anointing for the future burial.
193 - As we sing in the divine services of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, God the Word, in the Incarnation, deigned to limit himself in time—“The beginningless Word mysteriously accepts a beginning”—and in space— “The Uncontainable is contained by flesh.” Christ accepted the humility of childhood to counterbalance Adam’s choice of self-exaltation. When the Virgin received in her womb the Word of God, her womb became a noetic paradise [noetic, from the Greek nous, meaning mind or intellect]. Her womb was thus a place of encounter between God and humanity. The ewe-lamb carried the great Shepherd in her womb; and then in the cave, Christ—the Tree of Life—blossomed from the Virgin. The wall of partition separating humanity from God and earth from heaven is now removed. Heaven announces this to the earth through “the voice of the star” and “the starry host”—the angels. The stable itself becomes a royal palace, and the manger a royal throne. Jesus is bound in swaddling clothes in order to unbind humanity from the chains of sin. Although it had been fallen, the royal image of humanity is now being renewed to its fullness in the Resurrection.
194 - Fulfilling the decree of the Roman Emperor that all people in the empire be enrolled, Joseph, who was of the line of David, sets out with Mary to Bethlehem, the home town of King David, to be recorded in the census rolls. There, in a cave in Bethlehem of Judea, Mary gave birth to the Child (see Lk 2:1). Fulfilled are the words of the prophet Micah about the Messiah, the son of David who shall come forth from Bethlehem (see Mi 5:2). Obedient to the word spoken by the angel of the Lord, Joseph names the Child Jesus, which means God saves, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). The shepherds come to the newborn Child (see Lk 2:15-18), and Magi from the East also arrive (see Mt 2:1-11). The fact that the magi—representatives of all humanity—worship Christ, points to the universal character of salvation. In the Son of God, God the Father offers salvation to all the nations of the earth. .... (cont'd in PDF)
FIND US:
https://www.ChristInAYear.com
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJp6RGF5xw5BUP5UC4ucyK9Sp0mdzhyhJ
https://www.twitter.com/@UFChaplainShow
Welcome to the Ukrainian Fire Chaplain Show ’s series: “The (Ukrainian Catholic) Catechism In (less than) A Year”! This daily study series is scheduled to begin after Easter of 2023. Our reflections will be available on YouTube and on over a dozen podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
You can download the FREE PDF copy of "Christ Our Pascha" catechism and download the FREE PDF of our 33-Week “Study Plan" (the schedule of daily readings for our series) on our website:
https://www.ChristInAYear.com
In about 10 minutes a day over 33 weeks, Christopher will guide you through a study of the teachings in "Christ Our Pascha", the catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC)—the largest of all the Eastern Catholic Churches.
During each daily episode, Christopher will explain the teaching of the catechism according to our reading plan and he will share some practical insights and inspiration. Our Ukrainian catechism offers answers to the most profound questions about the meaning and purpose of life. It also offers wisdom and perspective on the Catholic Faith, Sacraments, and Morals from a uniquely Eastern Catholic understanding and experience of Christianity.
In his introductory letter to "Christ Our Pascha", the Head and Father of our Ukrainian Church—Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk—wrote that,
“In 1992, the 'Catechism of the Catholic Church' was published, and a Ukrainian translation appeared in 2002. One of the goals of the 'Catechism of the Catholic Church' was to serve as an authentic and proper guide for the compilation of future local catechisms. [St John Paul II noted that] ‘[the universal] catechism is not meant as a substitute for the various local catechisms. … Rather it is meant to encourage the creation of new and local catechisms that are better equipped to take into account the unique nuances of particular cultures, while at the same time remaining diligently faithful to the unity of faith and Catholic teaching.’
The particularity of the UGCC theological tradition, which is Eastern Christian in origin, defines the need of a separate catechism for our Church. [St] John Paul II, Pope of Rome, drew attention to this theological particularity: ‘In the study of revelation, East and West have followed different methods … these various theological formulations are often to be considered mutually complementary rather than conflicting.’ His Beatitude Lubomyr expressed this same thought: ‘Christ’s teaching is one and the same for everyone. Faith in Christ is also the same for all Catholics, regardless of which Rite or Particular Church they belong to. However, the theological understanding of divinely revealed Truths can be different in various cultures, just as liturgical Rites are different.'”
The study plan will follow the layout of "Christ Our Pascha", which was written in three principal parts:
(1-GREEN) The Faith of the Church,
(2-BLUE) The Prayer of the Church, and
(3-YELLOW) The Life of the Church.
Additionally, there are two other short segments of the series:
(A-ORANGE) an introduction with the study of the Anaphora of St Basil and
(B-GREY) a summary section with key beliefs and specific Byzantine prayers.
We look forward to journeying with you through our catechism!
Christopher is a lay theologian in the St. Josaphat Eparchy of Parma, Ohio. He is producing this catechism reflection series as an educational project with the support of His Excellency, Most Rev. Bohdan Danylo.
***CONTENT ADVISORY: Some portions of this series (such as treatment of the 6th and 9th Commandments, among others) may contain content and adult discussions unsuitable for children and young listen
FIND US:
https://www.ChristInAYear.com
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJp6RGF5xw5BUP5UC4ucyK9Sp0mdzhyhJ
https://www.twitter.com/@UFChaplainShow