What Is Distinctive About Our Tradition?
As Eastern Christians we have a particular style of Christian living all our own. We especially stress:
- A belief in our call to be divinized
- Union with God through the Holy Mysteries
- A “public” life of worship, fellowship and service
- A “secret” life of prayer, fasting, and sharing
- The need for spiritual warfare.
Our most important belief is that we are called “to become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). Not just to be saved from sin. We see ourselves as invited to live the very life of God, to become intimately related to God, to be physically united to Christ, and to have the Holy Spirit dwell within us. The Church Fathers saw this as the reason for Christ’s coming: God became man so that man might become God (St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation).
This process begins with our baptism. When we live a life of faith, this relationship is deepened, furthering the process of our divinization or theosis. This movement continues in us through life and death and will not be complete until the resurrection of all mankind on the last day. Then our risen bodies as well as our spirits will share in the resurrection life and partake in glory. We know we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 Jn 3:2). We have been brought to experience God’s self revelation and to become sharers in His very nature. This is our glory and our joy. This is also the core of the Christian message, the Good News we proclaim at our christening and reaffirm whenever we confess the Nicene Creed. This is the heart of our faith and the source of our confident assurance and trust in God who will complete what He has begun in us as He leads us to a greater and greater intimacy with Him.
The process continues by uniting with God through the Holy Mysteries (sacraments), such as confession and particularly the Eucharist. We live our Christian life out through prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. We are constantly seeking a greater union with God, and a life free from sin.
Current Adult Education Opportunities Include:
• Bibles Studies
We offer periodic topical Bible Studies throughout the year, mainly via Zoom. Topics to date have included Acts of the Apostles, Pauline Epistles, the Synoptic Gospels, and an Overview of Salvation History. Future Bible Studies will include the Gospel of John and the Johannine literature, the book of Revelation, the Pentateuch, and the Old Testament prophets.
• Light for Life Series
We offer periodic online Adult Catechism classes based on The Light for Life Series, which was commissioned by the Eastern Catholic Bishops of the United States to provide an overview of the faith, worship, and spiritual life of the Eastern Church.
I- The Mystery Believed sketches out the mystery of the God who loves us and reveals Himself to us.
II- The Mystery Celebrated provides an overview of the faith, worship, and spiritual life of the Eastern Church, placing it within the context of the liturgy. Drawing on various aspects of Holy Tradition, it expresses the historical proclamation of the Gospel.
III- The Mystery Lived explores the building blocks of Eastern Christian Spirituality: entering and growth in the spiritual life, the first steps in the spiritual journey, gaining experience in the spiritual life and spiritual maturity.
• Christ our Pascha Entrance Catechesis
Our Christ our Pascha adult catechesis series is designed for those preparing for Baptism or Chrismation. Christ Our Pascha, the Catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, is the only Eastern Catholic catechism available. Just as there are different liturgical Rites within the Catholic Church, there can be different understandings of divinely revealed Truths based on various cultures. Christ our Pascha communicates the Faith using our Eastern Catholic language and concepts. Currently, classes are held Wednesday after Vespers, beginning at 8:15 PM, both in person and online. All parishioners are welcome. Copies are available for purchase at the parish bookstore.
“Toil together, wrestle together, run together, suffer together, rest together, since you are stewards in God’s house, members of his household and his servant.” – St Ignatius of Antioch
Stewardship is a Christian way of life, and the way we live as disciples of the Lord. It is at the root of our love for God, and love for others, and our care for the world of which God has made us stewards. We exercise our stewardship in terms of time, talent and treasure, recognizing that all we have comes from God and belongs to God. We acknowledge this reality when we prioritize our service to God and others as a way of life.
We serve God and one another by our active participation in the life of the parish community. Attending church on Sundays and Feast days is merely a starting point. To the extent we are able, we also support various parish activities at least by our prayerful support, if not by our participation as well. Active participation in the life of the community includes regular weekly or monthly donations to the extent that we are able.
We also serve God by serving our neighbor – whether that is a family member, parishioner, or even a stranger. This begins with earnest prayer for the needs of others, as well as a willingness to engage in practical works of charity as the need arises.
Finally, we also serve God through exercising spiritual discipline as stewards of our bodies, souls, minds and hearts, acknowledging that they are really not ours but belong to God.