Oak of Pope Benedict XVI in Basilian monastery in Lavriv At the Basilian monastery of St. Onufriy in Lavriv, Staryj Sambir, Lviv region, within the action «Plant paternal forest», there was solemnly planted an oak seedling grown from the acorn that Pope Benedict XVI ordained three years ago during the visit to Poland. Polish foresters presented the seedling to Lviv colleagues, and they brought it to Lavriv monastery. Bishop Iryney Bilyk, OSBM, canonic of the Papal Basilica Santa Maria Major participated in the ceremony of planting the oak of the Most Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI. Photos can be viewed here
For Vatican Radio, Konstantyn Chavaha Congratulations!I cordially welcome all Guests on the web-site of Canonic of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore!
On the occasion of the solemn feast of Christ’s Resurrection - Christ’s Easter and our Easter, accept my heart-whole greetings and best wishes from the Eternal city of
May Risen Christ give us consolidation and brotherly love in all our current national and individual competitions for the good of our Church and our people! CHRIST IS RISEN! - And let UKRAINE RISE! And on this solemn occasion I give You, my dear in Christ, Your families and friends my Archiereyal blessing! May the grace of our risen Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Communion of the Holy Spirit come upon you and stay with you now, always and for ever! † Bishop Iryney (Igor Bilyk) Rome - Easter – 2009 In memory of John Paul II on the fourth anniversary of his death
Today in the
The last earthly day of Pope began with the Holy Liturgy, which was offered in his presence, and later he was visited by the State Secretary, Cardinal Angelo Sodano. About 15.30 John Paul II with barely audible voice told in Polish: «Let me leave to the house of Father». Approximately at
In this tribute Liturgy participated Bishop Iriney Bilyk, OSBM, the current Canonic of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. (Photos will be added later) Holy Liturgy at Vatican Radio on holiday Annunciation On April 7, 2009 on the occasion of the holiday of Annunciation, in the Radio Vatican chapel named after it His Eminence Bishop Iryney, OSBM, Canonic of the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, offered the Divine Liturgy and delivered the homily in the Ukrainian rite. Father Vitaly Hrabatyn and Teodosiy Gren, OSBM co-served in the liturgy. Roman Riznyak sang the Apostle. Sisters of the Congregaation of Immaculate Virgin Mary, Fathers and Brothers of the Basilian Order, representatives of the Ukrainian community in
We offer a record of this Holy Liturgy hold in the Vatican Radio chapel of the Annunciation: Reflections on reading from the Apostle: (A. Andrew Yevchuk) MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2009
"He fasted for forty days and forty nights, Dear Brothers and Sisters! At the beginning of Lent, which constitutes an itinerary of more intense spiritual training, the Liturgy sets before us again three penitential practices that are very dear to the biblical and Christian tradition – prayer, almsgiving, fasting – to prepare us to better celebrate Easter and thus experience God’s power that, as we shall hear in the Paschal Vigil, “dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy, casts out hatred, brings us peace and humbles earthly pride” (Paschal Pr?conium). For this year’s Lenten Message, I wish to focus my reflections especially on the value and meaning of fasting. Indeed, Lent recalls the forty days of our Lord’s fasting in the desert, which He undertook before entering into His public ministry. We read in the Gospel: “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry” (Mt 4,1-2). Like Moses, who fasted before receiving the tablets of the Law (cf. Ex 34,28) and Elijah’s fast before meeting the Lord on Mount Horeb (cf. 1 Kings 19,8), Jesus, too, through prayer and fasting, prepared Himself for the mission that lay before Him, marked at the start by a serious battle with the tempter. We might wonder what value and meaning there is for us Christians in depriving ourselves of something that in itself is good and useful for our bodily sustenance. The Sacred Scriptures and the entire Christian tradition teach that fasting is a great help to avoid sin and all that leads to it. For this reason, the history of salvation is replete with occasions that invite fasting. In the very first pages of Sacred Scripture, the Lord commands man to abstain from partaking of the prohibited fruit: “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die” (Gn 2, 16-17). Commenting on the divine injunction, Saint Basil observes that “fasting was ordained in
In the New Testament, Jesus brings to light the profound motive for fasting, condemning the attitude of the Pharisees, who scrupulously observed the prescriptions of the law, but whose hearts were far from God. True fasting, as the divine Master repeats elsewhere, is rather to do the will of the Heavenly Father, who “sees in secret, and will reward you” (Mt 6,18). He Himself sets the example, answering Satan, at the end of the forty days spent in the desert that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mt 4,4). The true fast is thus directed to eating the “true food,” which is to do the Father’s will (cf. Jn 4,34). If, therefore, Adam disobeyed the Lord’s command “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,” the believer, through fasting, intends to submit himself humbly to God, trusting in His goodness and mercy. |
4 years ago on April 2, 2005, at 21.37 according to Roman time in the evening before the holiday of God's Mercy Pope John Paul II passed away to receive his eternal reward.
