St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church

06/02/2026

Are We Disciples?

Glory to Jesus Christ!

We often hear the word “disciple,” but what does this word mean? No thoughtful reader of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles can fail to note the constant use of the word “Disciple.” In fact the Greek word for “disciple” occurs over 250 times in these five books. While it most often refers to the Twelve — the Apostles of Christ — it also applies to others who came later and were and are even today followers of Christ. All these understood fully that Jesus have some of His most distinctive teaching concerning the meaning of discipleship.

However, this concept of discipleship has not been of major concern in the life or even in the thoughts of many. One reason may be the neglect of the study of the meaning of discipleship in the Gospels and Acts. This includes the incomplete quoting of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 that Jesus gave at the end of His days on earth. We hear this Gospel proclaimed at the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great on Holy Saturday. Here He gave His last command: “Go forth and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Too often we only hear the words: “Go and teach,” thus cutting short the powerful emphasis on total discipleship at the heart of the Great Commission.

Jesus moved personal commitment from the intellectual level to the moral level to total obedience to His commands — an obedience that probes the very roots of our everyday living. He took the teacher-pupil relationship, which was common in first century Judaism, and deepened and expanded it. He laid upon all Christians not only the necessity of learning about God, but also of carrying out His purpose on earth.

This purpose will only be reached in proportion to how each Christian is faithful in fulfilling this charge which was put upon all who “put on Christ” in Baptism. Doubters ask: “Why hasn’t Christianity done more in the world?” Here is the answer: “Because Christians have not done more. They have not taken discipleship seriously.” Each of us has a choice to make, and we are going to be held accountable at the Judgment for what we have done and, perhaps more importantly, what we have not done in this life. Choose wisely.

06/01/2026

The Apostles’ Fast

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Today, we begin a fasting period known in our Church as the Apostles’ Fast, one of the four fasting periods of the Church year. The Apostles’ Fast always begins the Monday following All Saints Sunday and ends on June 29, the feastday of Saints Peter and Paul, Chiefs of the Apostles. The duration of this fast varies each year depending on the date of Pascha (which determines the date of All Saints). This year, the fast is 28 days long.

The Apostles’ Fast dates back to the first centuries of Christianity, with the oldest account mentioning it by Saint Athanasius the Great (373). Saint Leo the Great (461) says that “after the long feast of Pentecost, fasting is especially necessary to purify our thoughts and render us worthy to receive the Gifts of the Holy Spirit…therefore the salutary custom was established of fasting after the joyful days during which we celebrated the Resurrection, the Ascension, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit. The fast itself commemorates the fast that the disciples observed after the Ascension of Christ.

It is always important to remember that fasting is a spiritual discipline that should be practiced with prayer and, if necessary, with the direction of your spiritual father.

The general guidelines for the Apostles’ Fast are as follows:

MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, and FRIDAYS are Strict Fast Days. On these days we abstain from meat, dairy, fish with backbones, wine, and oil.

TUESDAYS and THURSDAYS are Wine and Oil Days. On these days the fast is relaxed to permit wine and oil, but we still abstain from meat, dairy, and fish with backbones.

SATURDAYS and SUNDAYS are Fish, Wine, and Oil Days. On these days the fast is further relaxed to permit fish with backbones in addition to wine and oil, but we still abstain from meat and dairy.

It is always important to note that, during a fasting period, meals should follow dietary restrictions and be cooked simply. Also, portions should be smaller than usual.

If you have a medical condition that requires you to relax the fasting guidelines, then do so.

There is no “age limit” to fasting; we are all called to do our part, in whatever way that we can. It’s a good discipline, and it is healthy for both body and soul. However, you need to sustain yourself as well if you have difficulties with your health. Of course, you can consult your doctor and/or spiritual father for directions with how to fast as healthily as you can.

Along with fasting, we are called to intensified prayer as well as performing good works in our communities. During this time, we should be focusing on ways to be less selfish, less self-centered so that we can continue the ministry that Christ and His apostles started in our world.

We walk many journeys in our faith life: here, else begin another one. Here, we work to imitate the apostles in growing in our knowledge in live and faith and to walk in the way of our Lord! Let us increase our prayer as we fast and work toward being thankful for all the God has provided for us!

05/31/2026

Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, the Sunday of All Saints, May 31st, 2026

05/31/2026

All Saints Day

Glory to Jesus Christ!

This Sunday, we celebrate the first Sunday after Pentecost: the Sunday of all Saints. On this day, we come to the end of a long journey that has lasted around 120 days (1/3 of the year), which began with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee and ends with this Sunday of All Saints.

This is a journey of sanctification, meant to sanctify us and teach us about the meaning of our life on earth – which is to be sanctified. Today, we acknowledge the assembly of wondrous saints, known and unknown, recognized and not yet fully glorified by the Church on earth: Apostles, Martyrs & Confessors, Prophets, Hierarchs, Monastics, and Righteous Ones.

As faithful Ukrainian Greek-Catholics, we hear this word “saint” a lot. However, do we ever think about its meaning? Do we ever reflect on the lives of the Saints?

Oftentimes, we think of a saint as someone who is pure, completely holy, and deified beyond their earthly recognition. If you pay attention to the lives of the “Unknown Saints” posts that we provide, you will be quick to notice how a lot of people who have achieved the rank of Sainthood lived difficult lives, well beyond having to deal with what we see as problems or burdens like traffic or our daily toils or problems, or perhaps even following the recommended fasting periods throughout the Church Year.

These are people who, because of their strong faith in God and their zeal to share this faith with others, endured unspeakable tortures, scathing criticisms from friends and family, social ostracization, and, in a lot of cases, death. What, then, makes them Saints in the Church’s and our eyes? Quite simply, their utter assurance in our Lord and their willingness to even die an unjust death for their faith give them cause to be venerated.

As we reflect on these things, we turn to ourselves and to today’s Gospel while asking the question: “How can I, a great sinner, in some way remain in our Lord’s Divine Garden, together with the Mother of God and all the Saints, together with everything that is beautiful and pure in Heaven and on Earth?” The answer that we receive is difficult, but not impossible to receive and act upon.

Our Lord tells us that we must confess Him before men, confess Him by our way of life, by the way we dress, by the way we speak, by the way we treat others, and by our words, not remaining silent regarding the Good News of the Cross and Resurrection of Christ, which is a stumbling block to many but life and the hope of salvation to us.

The Lord tells us that, if our close family and their demands upon us are more important to us than the Lord’s call, we are not worthy of Him. The Lord tells us that our true family is a spiritual family, the family of the true followers of Christ, and if our earthly family should ask us to deny Christ or compromise our faithfulness to Him, we must refuse and choose the Lord’s commandments over their demands and desires for us.

In reflecting on this, no matter how good we think we are in life (and, of course, there are those who profess to do absolutely no wrong, even to the point that they refuse the Mystery of Repentance), we should reflect on the lives of the Saints we learn about and so admire and pray to. We should follow their examples and seek to imitate their simple faith, not only for ourselves to grow closer to God, but to also lead others to the grace and love of our Lord.

Let us pray today for all of the Saints, for all of those who are persecuted because of their belief in God, and for those that help to guide us in our faith. Let us consider seriously our Lord’s call for us and ponder where we came from four months ago to where we are now: have WE grown in our faith? Although we consider it glorified (and it is in the eyes of God), the lives of the Saints were anything but easy. Ultimately, we must ask ourselves: “are we up to the challenge?” God bless, and have a wonderful All Saints Sunday!

05/30/2026

Saturday Divine Liturgy for the Sunday of All Saints

05/30/2026

Our Latest Bulletin:

NOTE: Tomorrow's Theology on Tap will be at The Blendery, Seven Sirens Brewing Company, Easton, PA (off of Rt. 22) at 12:30 pm. The topic has changed from a discussion on the Holy Spirit to a discussion on the new papal encyclical MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS on the human person and artificial intelligence. Hope to see you there!

05/30/2026

05/30/2026

What is a Living Church?

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Some things to ponder after celebrating the “birthday” of the Church: after wearing green to symbolize life:

A live church has parking problems;
A dying church doesn't.

A live church often changes the way things are done to do things better;
A dying church doesn't need to change a thing.

A live church invites people to risk involvement and new ideas;
A dying church plays it soft and never risks anything.

A live church uses tradition and buildings to serve God and people;
A dying church uses people to serve its traditions and buildings.

A live church has lots of noisy children around;
A dying church enjoys the peace and quiet.

A live church forgives and seeks forgiveness;
A dying church never makes mistakes.

A live church evangelizes;
A dying church fossilizes.

A live church looks for challenges and opportunities;
A dying church looks for problems and dangers.

No one wants to be part of a dying community. No one wants to belong to a negative community. We are the Body of Christ, and through Him we find wisdom, strength, and the ability to do and be better. Let us work together to be a LIVE Church, not just a live parish, but the true Body of Christ, as we have been instructed through our Baptismal promises!

05/29/2026

"The Alley Cats"

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Several years ago, when I was a live-in caretaker for Father +Myron in Chicago, I fed cats from the alley every day. They were part of the neighborhood as they were brought in to take care of rats. Myron’s sister even named a bunch of them after the Disney Aristocats movie. As part of my morning routine, I would put out a few cans of cat food for about ten cats to share.

As time has worn on, however, there an interesting phenomenon occurred. One of the older cats (named Thomas O’Malley) had been outcast from the rest of the group. He had been totally ostracized. When I would put the cans out, the other cats purposely hoarded the food so that the older cat could not eat any. One morning, I observed one of the younger cats purposely blocking this older cat from getting to the can.

While reflecting on these cats staking claim to what they saw as “their” food, I couldn't help make the connection to our own lives. How often do people fight among each other for that "can of cat food?" Whether it be vying for someone's love and attention, the best seat at the table, our inheritance, a promotion at work, and so on, people fight and undercut each other to the point where we do not recognize ourselves. In observing these animals, it is easy to understand that we are not animals; we are children of God with free will, intellect, and, most importantly, the ability to know right from wrong.

While these cats are instinctual beings, we are called to serve a higher purpose, and as Christians, first and foremost, it is our duty to treat one another as brothers and sisters in our Lord. As such, we should be mindful to be more Christ-like in our interactions and outward signs of love for others—even those who hate us. Let us not undercut others or purposely exclude those we feel are undeserving, or that we simply do not like. Being ostracized is extremely painful, and it is something that we should be mindful of in our families, church communities, places of work, and all other social places.

Let us live our faith and share in the gifts that our Lord has given us, and instead of focusing on putting others in their place or having more or being a sole inheritor of something, we should truly appreciate what we have and rid ourselves of anger, greed, and jealousy.

05/28/2026

Striving for Perfection

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Many times in our lives, we get wrapped up in a world of illusion. We hold our lives—and the lives of others—to impossible standards and expectations. We see this quite clearly when we watch movies and television shows where characters live in unrealistic houses and settings, accomplish unrealistic feats, have relationships, careers, and lives that an average person finds hard to attain, and they always seem to be perfectly dressed and have the right words to say.

What we do not see or take into account is the amount of cuts and takes producers and directors need to present us with a particular program. We do not see how many times make up artists have to appear or how many times a scene needs to be redone because of a mistake. We also tend to look past special effects and computer animation as we willingly suspend our disbelief and stay “hooked” while idolizing characters and their lifestyles.

We then tend to apply these standards to our own lived. We expect perfection. We measure our own lives based on reality shows or series where we see what is desirable to us. We think we can be like our “role model” actors, sport stars, on-screen heroes.

As Christians, we have the perfect guidebook in the Gospels. We know that God is perfect. We know that Christ is always there for us in good times and bad to direct us, comfort us, and if we need, to correct us. Yet, we sometimes say that God asks “too much” of us or that it is impossible to live the life of a faithful Christian.

We must ask ourselves “why is this?” Surely, if we pay attention to the Gospels, there are plenty of examples of people who didn’t “get it right” the first time or even the hundredth time, yet they strived, grew in their faith, corrected their behaviors, and found salvation in Christ—Zacchaeus, Mary Magdalene, even Peter, who denied Christ three times as He was being tortured and led to His crucifixion, to name a few.

God is the only One Who is perfect. He gives us free will to make our choices and to correct our bad behaviors. Let us strive to be more like Him, to use Christ as our guide and role model in this life. Let us be more involved in the message of the Gospels than in the messages put out by films and shows that can oftentimes lead us astray or set us up for unreal expectations in life. Only through Christ can we be “successful” in this life as well as hope to be welcomed into the next life with Him.