Although there are many differences between the Eastern and Western Catholic Churches, the Eucharist remains central. However, the Byzantine Churches follow traditions about the Eucharist that are now unfamiliar in the West. Let’s explore these traditions in this week’s article. Receiving Communion in the Eastern Rite When I went to my first Divine Liturgy, what …
It is that time of year again… we are counting down to a new year in the Church! September 1st is the beginning of the new Church year for Byzantine Catholics. You can read about why this is in our previous article about the Church New Year here. In that article I also included some …
If you have read any of our other homeschooling articles, you’ll know we are big into classical education. One proponent of the classical method for the preschool years is that the adult is the curriculum. Small children observe everything we do, and they are learning from watching and copying us. So a big part of …
Organizing shared spaces can be difficult. For one, you have to accommodate stuff that other people have and not just your own things. Two, different people have different ways of organizing. A system that works for you might be difficult for others to use. And three, the more people using a space, the more chances …
The Dormition Fast begins August 1st, and lasts through to the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. The BadgerDad wrote an excellent article on the details of the Dormition Fast, which you can read here. In it there are various prayers poignant to this period, as well as a bit about the …
The Dormition of Saint Anna, Mother of the Most Holy God-bearer We celebrate the Dormition of Anna, the mother of the Theotokos, on July 25th. As the mother of the Theotokos, St. Anna (together with Joachim) held an important role in preparing Mary for her role in Salvation history. They taught their daughter to pray, …
Since having children, I’ve noticed that it is harder to visit other family and friends if they do not also have kids. Or, it is even difficult to visit of they have kids but who are all past the age of reason. When I bring my own small children into these homes I have to …
The Repose of Blessed Olga, Princess of Kiev, Who Took on The Christian Name Helen at her Holy Baptism July 11th is the feast of Blessed Olga, Princess of Kiev. Her Christian name is Helen, and she is also called Elena or Helga. And we also call her Equal to the Apostles. Olga attempted to …
Hyacinth of Caesarea Hyacinth was born in Caesarea in Cappadocia, between 88 and 96 A.D. He was raised Christian. And at some point he became a member of the Emperor’s household. The Emperor at this time, Trajan, persecuted Christians. Emperor Trajan led Rome’s military effectively, and greatly expanded the Roman Empire. History even calls Trajan …
Hope as a virtue is very particular to Christianity. In fact, without Christ, hope wouldn’t even make sense as a virtue. Because without Christ, hopes are mere optimistic ideals. And with Christ, our hope is firmly founded on faith and reason. Hope is necessary for our salvation. The one who has hope lives differently – …
