Great Lent While there are several differences between the way Roman Catholics and Byzantine Catholics and Orthodox families celebrate Lent, the three pillars remain the same: prayer, alms, and fasting. The goal of this period is to repent and prepare for celebrating the Resurrection of Christ. It is a time to deepen our relationship with …
Meatfare and Cheesefare: the Basics Great Lent is fast approaching. This Sunday is Meatfare and the following week is Cheesefare. I think these Sundays are really unique. In the Roman Catholic Church, these Sundays will merely be the 7th and 8th Sundays of Ordinary time. Boring, right? We Byzantine families are taking the time to …
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. One God, The Most Holy and Blessed Trinity, Consubstantial and Undivided. Update: New links have been added to the list at the bottom of the article. Christ is among us! He is and will be! Welcome to a new era, …
In a few short months, we will get to meet our Little Badger baby outside my womb! And more exciting than the impending birth is her reception into the church. (I mean, labour isn’t exactly a fun activity to look forward to). I remember when Little Fox was born, I felt anxious about her not …
The Presentation Explained On February 2nd, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation in the Temple. We also call this day The Meeting of our Lord with Simeon and Anna. Other names for this feast include: Presentation of the Lord, Encounter of Our Lord, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Candlemas. It is the final of the …
On January 6th we celebrate Theophany, which is the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan. Theophany is one of the Feasts of Light (alongside the Nativity, and the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple). Western Christians primarily celebrate this day as when the Magi arrived to present their three gifts to Jesus. Both traditions …
Christmas Eve has always been one of my favourite nights of the year. As a child I loved going to Church, and then coming home knowing that after a short sleep I would wake up to opening presents! In my early teens we even added opening one present Christmas Eve. Both going to church and …
The Best Nativity Fast/Advent Music Having trouble finding music to listen to this season? Our Little Fox loves music. Whenever we start playing something she begins her version of dancing and if there is words she tries to sing along. Malls and other stores have already started playing Christmas music. But it is not Christmas …
It has become increasingly obvious and tragic that members of our hierarchy continue to politick and obfuscate around the ongoing scandal of homosexual predation in the Catholic presbyterate and episcopacy. This has left more than a few faithful Catholic Vloggers, Youtubers and Bloggers aghast, or worse, and left many of the laity feeling numb and betrayed. One …
St. Nicholas The Feast of St. Nicholas is a super beautiful day for Byzantine Catholics. He is actually one of the most popular saints in the Eastern Churches. Today on TheByzantineLife.com we talk about the history of St. Nicholas, traditions, and what our family is doing with Santa Claus. Who is St. Nicholas? Google lists …