Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Stay informed to strengthen Christian voice

Did you know that more Christians are being persecuted for their faith in our times than ever before? Surprising but true.

It is our duty to oppose such injustice as Jesus taught us to stand up for the oppressed. The doctrine of the Catholic Church on social teaching also encourages us to commit ourselves to furthering the common good. To do so, we need to stay informed.

The mass media rarely covers religious news, but other sources exist. The Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU) provides news on all denominations in Ukraine. In Canada, Progress Ukrainian Catholic News, published by the Ukr. Cath. Eparchy of Winnipeg contains articles on religious topics and church affairs in Canada, Ukraine, and beyond. Logos, a journal published by the Sheptytsky Institute in Ottawa, offers an academic approach on issues in Eastern Christianity. The print and online editions of Catholic Insight keep readers informed on bioethical and educational issues. LifeSite News offers daily reports on the same. Convivium, is a new current affairs magazine focused on religion in politics.

Holy Apostles Institute is a new online catechetical formation offering in the Byzantine Catholic tradition.

TV and radio listeners can find informative programs on EWTN, the global Catholic network, and Salt and Light TV. Ancient Faith Radio provides online audio programs and podcasts on Orthodox Christianity around the world.

By staying informed we can defend and promote our faith and strengthen the Christian voice in all spheres of our life, be it personal, professional, educational or political.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Archangel Michael protects God’s people

In many Ukrainian Catholic Churches there is an icon of an angel holding a sword. That is Archangel Michael, the chief commander of God’s army of loyal angels, who won the battle against the rebellious angels led by Satan.

The feast day of Archangel Michael and the rest of the “bodiless powers of Heaven,” falls on Nov. 8/21.  God created the visible earthly world and also the unseen one, which is the realm of Archangel Michael (often referred to as “St. Michael”), his fellow archangels and the other ranks of angels, such as the seraphim and the cherubim. In the Old and New Testaments, Archangel Michael’s main roles include: fighting Satan; bringing souls to judgement; rescuing good souls from evil, especially at the hour of death; and protecting God’s people.

Early Christians regarded him as a healer, believing he generated a medicinal spring near Colossae in modern-day Turkey, and he is said to have miraculously saved a monastery from ruin. In the Middle Ages, he was venerated as the patron of knights and chivalric orders and in many Western countries his feast, Michaelmas Day, was strictly observed.

Archangel Michael is also the patron saint of police officers, soldiers, Germany, Brussels and Kyiv. In Kyiv, St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, built in the 1100s, sits on the banks of the Dnipro River, reminding Ukrainians of the historic connection between the archangel and their nation.