Liturgical Propers

For six years now, this column has worked at spreading the message of St. John Paul II who proclaimed that the Church – that is you and I – should breathe through both lungs, East and West. One who breathes through both lungs is Fr. Mark Woodruff a priest with...

This year, Great Lent approaches on the heels of the Nativity Season. Kolyada in church continues, but the soft and somber sound of The Rivers of Babylon hint at the approaching season of repentance. The familiar Sundays of the Publican and the Pharisee, The Prodigal...

From the Eparchy of Newton. Resource for Great Lent at Home: Great-Lent-at-Home-Complete-w-Cover. PDF, 556KB, 28 pages)

“They shall be my people and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart” (Jer. 24:7). On Monday, February 16th, we begin the holy season of the Great Fast. Once again, our Church invites us to embark upon this annual journey – a period of...

“Make your hearts firm” (James 5:8) Dear Brothers and Sisters, Lent is a time of renewal for the whole Church, for each communities and every believer. Above all it is a “time of grace” (2 Cor6:2). God does not ask of us anything that he himself has not first...

At the end of today’s catechesis the Pope launched an appeal for an end to the violence among the “beloved Ukrainian people”. “Unfortunately, the situation is worsening”, he said, “and there is an escalation of hostilities between the parties. Let us pray firstly for...

Statement on Physician-Assisted Suicide by the Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops Catholics are called by their faith to assist all those in need, particularly the poor, the suffering...

Presentation on the 100th Anniversary of Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, Rossdale, Manitoba (2014) When we stand in our church building, we are in a sacred space. But what does that mean? All of God’s creation is supposed to be in some sense sacred, so...

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!” Have you ever been to a symphony and noticed what happens before all the playing begins? All of a sudden you hear the first violinist play a note and everyone tunes their instruments to that one...

Back in September, Both Lungs recalled a particularly uplifting Divine Liturgy I attended while on holidays in London. The celebrant was Father Mark Woodruff who had been ordained in the Latin Church, but who had bi-ritual faculties. This month, Both Lungs visits with...

Matthew 6: 1-21, NKJV 1* “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the...

When you were a child, how badly did you want to sneak downstairs on Christmas Eve and see what Santa really looked like? You probably imagined him with a big white beard, jolly belly, red cheeks, and fur lined coat. But according to scientific analysis and computer...

The following is an interview on CKJS Radio in Winnipeg (2013).

by Fr Hal Stockert You’re all familiar with the Christmas song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” I think. To most it’s a delightful nonsense rhyme set to music. But it had a quite serious purpose when it was written. It is a good deal more than just a repetitious melody...

To the Reverend Clergy, Religious Women and Men, Monastics, Seminarians and Laity Christ is Born! Let us Glorify Him! Jesus is born in a family with challenges Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph,...

Most Reverend Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops, Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers, Venerable Religious and Monastics, Beloved Brothers and Sisters, in Ukraine and throughout the world Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all...

I saw Santa punching Arius in the council chambers at Nicaea. He just couldn’t stand to hear the heretic expand his theory how Our Blessed Lord was not much more than just a man. Then I saw Santa grabbing Arius by the beard to pull him off his chair. The other bishops...

On December 16, 2014 The “Daily Double” radio program on Tucson, AZ, radio station KVOI 1013 AM featured an hour-long conversation with the founder of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies (MASI), Fr. Andriy Chirovsky....