Trying to establish a prayer life while busy? As a mom, a wife, and a friend, I both know and witness how hectic life can be. And especially since becoming a mom, I know how easy it is to be forgetful. The to-do list is longer than a yardstick. And even then, some important tasks …
Pentecost in the East and West
Mnohaya lita! Mnohaya lita! Vo zdraviye, vo spasenniye! Na mnohaya lita! Pentecost is one of my favourite feasts of the church year. Even more so now that I’ve been exposed to the Byzantine celebration of Holy and Glorious Pentecost. I love green, so the fact that the liturgical colour in the East for this day …
John the Theologian
St. John the Theologian John the Theologian is my favourite apostle, and Gospel writer! We celebrate his main feast day on May 8th. We also celebrate John during the Synaxis of the 12 Apostles, and on his dormition: September 26th. He is one of the sons of Zebedee (together with St. James). Tradition holds that …
St. Mark the Evangelist
On April 25th we celebrate the Holy, Glorious, Apostle and Evangelist Mark. (Otherwise known as John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas). He is symbolized by a lion with wings. The lion represents the power and glory of the resurrection. Also, when you read the beginning of Mark’s gospel, it fits with the image of a …
Bright Week
Khrystos Voskres! Christ is Risen! Today we are discussing Bright Week, the “one joyous day” that begins Easter Morning and ends on Saturday. If you are looking to read about Easter Sunday (including what to put in your Easter Basket), check out our previous years’ article here. Bright Week is one joyous day in our …
How to Have A Saint’s Day Party
On a YouTube video about answering the question “Why I Have So Many Kids,” one mom joked that it was because she liked to eat a lot of birthday cake. There were some other good comedic answers, but that is the one that sticks out to me now. Sometimes I like to think about how …
Venerable Benedict for Byzantines
St. Benedict is on of my favourite saints, so this year I am doing an article for his feast day. We celebrate Benedict of Nursia on his death-day, the 21st of March (547 AD). Although Ukrainian Catholics on the new calendar celebrate him on the 14th. He was a monk in the 6th century, and …
Prayers for Preschoolers and Older Children
What do you think of when you hear prayers for preschoolers? Do you think of “Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here?” Or perhaps “thank you Lord for this beautiful day, for home and care and happy play.” Well, that is not what this article is about. We are …
40 Martyrs of Sebaste
On the 9th of March we celebrate the feast of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste. And who are these Martyrs? Good question… because the truth is, I don’t know! Or, at least, I didn’t until it came time to write this week’s article. So here we go! Some true research from the depths. When the …
A Heart for the Innocents
If you have been following the blog closely, you may have noticed we recently started up The Prayer League of The Holy Innocents. This prayer league includes a daily prayer for children in the womb, and for an end to infanticide and abortion. There is a printable of this prayer in our ByzShop here. Prayer …