how to be a Christian in our nit-picky, negative world: a guest post by Judie Jolma

"I recently began studies for a Masters of Theology and was surprised by my impressions after the first class. Introduction to Theology was almost entirely apologetic in nature. Instead of embarking on a study to delve deeper into an understanding of what our hearts love, it was a defense - an argument - to prove our position‘s validity for those who don’t believe. Are we insecure in our belief? Do we think that love can be inspired by arguments? (Don’t mistake these comments as relativistic slop that does not demand holiness. That is not my point.) 

There is a place for apologetics, to be sure. But when so many encyclicals are specifically drafted for this cause it colors the nature of our faith. We have somehow abandoned our first love, abandoned the way of the lover in Song of Solomon who searches for the fairest of ten thousands, whose hands drip with myrrh. And this departure has come from the shepherds (hirelings) who lead us. Do our hearts faint being love-sick for our Lord, our bridegroom? Or do we live in a passionless faith where we choose sides like a political party? 

Do our faces shine because they reflect the light of the Father - like the moon reflecting the sun? Or do we live a cold, calculating faith inspecting the correctness of our brother’s beliefs? We worry about definitions and proper form. We check the boxes, and like the Pharisees thank God that we are not like that tax collector. 

The whole church needs a course correction. We are all guilty of the sin of the older brother in the story of the prodigal son. We need to abandon the notion that intimacy can be charted and measured. We need to stop running away from the negative and run toward the true, good and beautiful.

Put away these petty arguments. Pray like a lover. Reach out in the liturgy to touch the priest’s vestments and be healed of all that hurt that inspires you to fight and strive. Can’t we all see how much woundedness there is coming from each person around us? Hurting people hurt people. But only the lover sings.

Go to liturgy and sing."

---Judie Jolma 

more Magdalena: thoughts on being a Byzantine Catholic priest's daughter

How has being a Catholic Priest's kid affected/influenced your relationship with God?

Because I have never not been a priest kid it is a little difficult to say, but I think that it has brought me closer to God. I am in constant contact with faith-based things, so God is never far from my thoughts. 

A friend is the son of a minister-  they were watched regularly by the congregation, and their father was criticized for their behavior. I wonder if you also feel the same expectation? 

I would say yes. My actions reflect on my father, and my dad is well known enough in our community that there is always a chance that the person I am speaking with knows him, either through the hospital or the church. Not that I would ever misbehave… ahem…. We are very involved in my father’s ministry, so there is a pressure there to live up to him. Usually it s the old-country parishioners who would report any misbehavior and criticize, but as there are fewer and fewer of these fine people left, it hasn’t happened as much lately. 

What is the strangest thing you've learned about as a priest's kid?

Because I am a priest kid I have met very many strange people and have been in many strange situations (like the time a lady let my father know that her son was of a similar age to me and she would be happy to arrange a marriage between us. I was four at the time.) The strangest thing I have learned would have to be 

Do you feel any pressure being the child of a priest; and what have you, and the rest of your siblings done to ease whatever pressure may be felt, at times; and have you had to defend your father's vocation? 

There is pressure there, but I have felt it all my life, so it feels very normal. I can clearly see the value in what my father does so I am never ashamed of who I am. I do explain why it is ok for married men to become priests in the Byzantine tradition to help people out, but I try not to hang out with the kind of people who would attack me on this. If people are hostile about it I refer them to my dad for further explanations and then I leave. The people who are vehemently against the catholic church are difficult to handle sometimes (I usually meet with these people at my community college), and I feel like the ex-Catholics are worst of all. Usually they take the perspective that I am a naïve little girl who will wake up to the real world of science and truth, but then I enjoy flooring them in the next exam. Kindly, of course…. I don’t start religion-based arguements, but if someone else wants to discuss religion I don’t say no. I usually quote Maccabees or Tobit 😉. 

Do you have a funny story about being a priest's kid?

Sooooo many…. Many times I laugh at the blank look given by people to whom I tell I am a priest’s kid. They kind of double take and say “but you said you were Catholic…” In Romania it is always very nice because it is usual for the priests to be married. However, the priest families are VIPs, and because we are from America we are seen as very important and rich (they don’t seem to factor in the cultural difference). Whenever we went to our grandparents church in Romania people would help me with my coat, offer their seats, serve me food (I didn’t have to do the clean-up!), it was very fancy. 

Being a priest kid also puts me in weird situations. Sometimes when my dad is invited to dinner, we are invited too, but they kind of forget that there are six of us. This has resulted in a Thanksgiving spent inside the kitchen of our host, where the turkey leftovers, no mashed potatoes or stuffing, and one piece of pumpkin pie for me and my 3 siblings were our feast. People just don’t expect us. 

Would you prefer if your future husbands entered the priesthood after you are married? Why or why not?

If he did, it would mean that I would never be in a position where I would have to forsake my Byzantine traditions, something very important to me. I think hat I am pretty well-equipped to deal with being married to a priest because of my mother and other role models, so it wouldn’t be a shockingly different lifestyle. However, it is a huge commitment. Once a priest, always a priest, and never home on Sundays. There are so many difficulties, but also a huge joy in the vocation of priest family. I definitely want my husband involved in the liturgy, maybe as a deacon or even an acolyte. In other words, I am definitely open to it. 

Do Roman Catholic children with whom you are acquainted struggle with the fact that your dad is a priest?

Yes, but luckily my Catholic bubble is pretty well-educated. Most people definitely don’t hold it against me, but it does make events at my house very interesting. I was hosting a high school literature seminar not too long ago, and it was amazing to see my friends try to relate to my dad as a priest and as a normal man, and try not to call him Mr. It can get pretty funny. 

Do you have a favorite saint (Latin or Eastern)?

All the saints are inspirations to me in different ways, so it is difficult to tie it down. I think it depends on my situation. St Jude is for tests, St Anthony for everything that I lose, St. Mary Magdalene for her powerful conversion and holiness, Mother Mary for pretty much everything, and St. Irene for her virtue are just a few.  

What is your favorite feast day?

Easter is just incredible. The excitement is building up all through Lent, and it is such a beautiful Feast. I love the music, the service, the joy, and the symbolism of light. The food is also amazing, and I love how it doesn't end, just keeps on going for forty days, as well as every Sunday. It is the day when I am the most happy that I am Byzantine. 

meet Magdalena: scholar, crafter, Byzantine Catholic priest's daughter

How does your faith inform your day-to-day life?

Being Catholic is the most important thing about me, and being a priest kid only emphasizes this. I am always ready to have a theological discussion, and I am usually singing a byzantine chant under my breath. I try not to flaunt my faith, but it seems to leak out pretty quickly… If I am smiling and daydreaming, it is probably about Divine Liturgy in the Hagia Sophia! Ahem…. So yes, my faith is important…. You were saying? 

What is your greatest challenge in practicing your faith?

There are so many challenges… I try to keep God before me at all times, but there is a definite need for a growth in virtue. Judgmental thoughts are an issue for me, but I am really trying to work on my mercy for others. 

Favorite Bible verse?

It depends on my mood, but I love the simple petition, “Remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy Kingdom,” from the good thief during the crucifixion. It reminds me of what I am constantly asking God and my need for His mercy. It is so simple and trusting, it brings tears to my eyes. 

Favorite spiritual writing besides the Bible?

I love me some Lewis! His essays on the evil of subjectivity and the essay “Men without Chests” are so amazing. I love Perelandra, it is my favorite interpretation of the Creation Story. I also really like Chesterton. 

Favorite saint and why?

I am close to St Mary Magdalene obviously, but I also turn to Saint Jude quite often (the SAT in particular, if you must know. Thanks again buddy 😊) St Anthony has helped me out so many times that it would be the height of indecency for me not to mention him. And, of course, my lovely Mother Mary is one of the most important influences on my life. 

What is your ministry in the church?

Everything….. Pretty much as long as it is not on the altar I had something to do with it. Of course I help arrange the altar. And make the bread. Most importantly though I am a cantor, the welcoming committee, and a catechist. 

Favorite movie, book, music, and why?

The Lord of the Rings will always hold a special place in my heart, both books and movies, because of the magic, wisdom, knowledge, and virtue inside. I also love Austen and Jane Eyre. I really like fantasy books, books with magic and mystery in them. For me, books are a good way to escape real life for a little, and I love the immersive qualities of a book about a magic land. Classics are generally really great as well, I feel better connected to the characters than I do in a lot of modern fiction. 

Hobbies? 

I started to crochet when I was 11, and it still captivates me today, though I am happy to say that my more recent projects have been a tad more professional than my first hat (I wonder why my mother never wears it?). More recent hobbies are peg doll painting, which is really fun. I recently finished a knight and his lady for my friend, and they look rather dashing, if I do say so myself. Other than that, I love dancing and singing and I never lose an opportunity to do either, despite the embarrassment it might cause my companions. 

If you had $20 and an hour, what would you do?

I must confess, I do like window shopping, but that would not necessarily use up my $20. If you put me in a used bookstore, however, I would be one happy person. Up in Oregon there is a store called the Book Bin, the perfect place to spend time and money. 

Thanks for sharing, Magdalena!

Click here for more profiles in the 'I'm a Catholic' series

Click here to read Magdalena's priest's kid blog post from 5 years ago! Time flies!

meet Rachelle: meme maker, cat lover, scholar, Melkite Catholic

How long have you been a practicing Catholic?

I am a cradle Catholic, baptized in the Melkite Catholic Church. I was raised in Lebanon, a country with a large Catholic population. While I practiced some aspects of the faith throughout my life, I consider myself to have truly reverted to the Catholic Church around 5 years ago. Due to poor catechesis, I didn’t know much of my faith before that!

Care to share your conversion/reversion story?

Talk about the work of the Holy Spirit! A few years ago, I met a family on facebook who attended the Traditional Latin Mass in the United States. They encouraged me to attend one near me in Montreal. I first found the Society of Saint Pius X, and fell in love immediately with the reverence and beauty I experienced (though now that I know better, my attitude towards the Society is that of the Church). A year later I found a Fraternity of Saint Peter parish to which I transferred. Through the influence of the wonderful people there, as well as the holiness and charity of the priests, my whole life started to change. I fell in love with Beauty, with Love Himself. When one truly encounters Divine Love, all else becomes a detail, a means to acquire the fullness of that Love, but also to be transformed and lost into it… or Him! Again, through facebook, I started encountering the Byzantine Churches and their traditions. With all the persecutions going on in the Middle East, I decided that I should perhaps re-explore my original Church, the Melkite Church, rather than turn my back on what others have shed their blood for. This newfound interest turned to love when I spent 6 months in Lebanon after my BA, during which I attended the church within the Melkite Patriarchal Complex. God indeed works in mysterious ways, and He doesn’t always take shortcuts. I had to leave Lebanon and the Melkite Church, go through the Latin SSPX in Canada, then the FSSP, to finally return to the Melkite Church in Lebanon. Here I have found the fullness of the faith rooted in tradition and the Church Fathers.  

How does your faith inform your day-to-day life?

I’d like to quote one of my favorite poems for that, written by one of the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Ruthenian Catholic monastery:

“I need not even think of where Your love is.

When I cry, it is in Gethsemane.

When I laugh, it is in Cana.

There is no part of my life outside of our love.”

What is your greatest challenge in practicing your faith?

The constant temptation to compromise and be unfaithful to the One we call Lover of Mankind. The West is very hostile to Catholicism, the Middle East full with brutal persecution, and every part of the life in the faith is constantly questioned. In fact, even back in Lebanon, Cultural Catholicism questions and mocks Living Catholicism, and these two are very different things. I think, however, the sacrifice that so many of our brothers and sisters have done and still do is a witness and an encouragement to persevere. In that sense, they literally die for the faith so that we may learn to live in and for it. We all fantasize about dying on that Libyan beach with the Copts, in some illusion of glory with “Even Unto Death” by Audrey Assad playing in the background. However, let us first learn to be faithful in the little sacrifices. In all those little chances of martyrdom, I have apostatized and denied Christ a thousand times. 

Favorite Bible verse?

“Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not awaken Love until He so desires.” -Song of Songs 8:4. 

I think this verse speaks deeply to the dark night of faith in which we all pass. When we are faltering under the burden of some physical, mental or spiritual pain, we often immediately ask for relief, for some consolation, for some proof that God is with us. Like the Apostles, we choose to awaken the Master when He seems to sleep during the storm. This verse however talks of a soul that chooses to let Him sleep and to take the path of complete, naked and soul-wrenching trust in His mercy. Let Him awaken when He wishes to. Let Him choose when to fill the soul with Uncreated Light, when to allow the action of Grace to finally be perceptible! It is my favorite verse precisely because the virtue of faithfulness is one of, if not THE greatest, of my spiritual struggles.

Favorite spiritual writing besides the Bible?

This is a very difficult choice to make. However, the following quote is particularly beautiful, especially in Arabic. It basically speaks of the encounter with Christ that happens once the darkness is lifted and His face is revealed to us. It is a soul that is not able to bear the glory of God, and like Elijah covers itself before the “gentle whisper” in which God’s presence is revealed: 

“Hold back, my dear Jesus, the waves of Thy grace, for I am melting like wax.” –Elder Joseph the Hesychast

Favorite saint and why?

Right now Saint Maryam of Jesus Crucified (Melkite Carmelite mystic and stigmatist). I’m a fanatical fan of all things Carmelite and all things Melkite, so she’s the union of both. I just finished reading her biography, but she has been very visibly working in my life for the past year. On her feast day she obtained a great grace for me. It is a textbook case of a saint choosing you. She also chose my goddaughter who is named after her. 

However, I think St. Therese of Lisieux will always have a special place in my heart. What a living school of the knowledge of God she is! No wonder the Church glorified her with the title of Doctor. 

What is your ministry in the church?

I work with the youth at the Melkite Cathedral. 

Favorite movie, book, music, and why?

Books:

And the Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns, also Khaled Hosseini 

>> His writing style is very similar to Tolkien’s, whose work I also admire. Hosseini speaks of very difficult topics and life experiences like abusive marriages, the Taliban’s rule, the jealousy of a sister, the absence of a father, etc… However, he writes so beautifully in style and content that his work always gently wounds the heart. Even the sorrows he speaks of are breathtakingly approached. The depth of human misery he embraces in his works seems often misunderstood by Western authors. He understands pain, he expresses pain very well, and in the end shows you the beauty and dignity of human life even through such sufferings. 

Story of a Soul, by St. Therese of Lisieux

>>Does this really need an explanation? I can’t tell which is the truer case: that St. Therese’s simplicity hides the heights of spiritual knowledge she reached, or that her unrivaled holiness hides the raw realism of her worldview? Without leaving her Carmel, and most probably due to that Carmelite vocation, she encountered the magnificence of the Living Fire and Uncreated Light in the perceived “insignificance” of a “boring and wasted” life. 

Movies: 

Everything based on anything by Tolkien: His work is magic. 

Passion of the Christ, especially the “Mary Goes to Jesus” scene: Again, the topic of realistic yet unfathomable holiness is beautifully portrayed. Mary’s humanity is so perfectly depicted in Her running to pick a young Jesus. I have witnessed these very same hands pick me up time and time again. What breaks my heart the most though is the gaze that happens between Christ and Mary. They both, more than anyone else to have walked the Earth, truly saw the beauty of the person at whom they were gazing. Christ knew the extent of Our Lady’s immaculate soul, and Mary was so perfectly united with Her God and Son. At the end of the scene Christ tells Her, like a child proudly showing his work to his mother, “Behold, Mother! I make all things new.” He then rises and embraces the Cross with such love on His face. It is almost unclear in this scene who was carrying whom. Did Mary lift up Christ, or did He lift Her?  

All the 20 film versions of “Story of a Soul”: because it is the movie of one of the most groundbreaking spiritual writings.

Music: a bit of everything, as long as isn’t sinful. 

What languages are you fluent in? What language do you pray in outside of Church?

English, French and Arabic. I mostly use English for memorized or read prayers such as from the Byzantine Horologion (Book of the Hours). However, when I’m praying with my own words, I usually use Arabic. I try to include what little Greek I know as much as I can, because it is such a beautiful language of the Melkite Church.

  

Hobby? 

Writing, reading, playing the piano, going to the movies, driving alone on beautiful roads with some good music. 

If you had $20 and an hour, what would you do?

Go horseback riding at night far away from civilization. I’d love to have a chance to go away in solitude, and I’ve always loved sitting alone and looking up to the stars. As for the horses, they’re just magnificent creatures.  

more Joe: polyglot, physicist, cantor

Joe is "a nerd who somehow tries at this Catholic thing" 

Favorite saint and why?

I don’t know if I can limit the heavenly choir of saints to just one, so I won’t, I’ll talk about my 3 favorite Saints.

St Therese: She lost her mother at a young age, and is someone I truly relate to having experienced that myself. I’m quite stubborn myself and she had her moments of stubbornness as well, many people like the flowery St Therese, I don’t. I love the stubborn imperfect soul who through God’s grace was able to do great things. I’m no where close in holiness, but I’m trying.

St Tatyana of Rome She was martyred for the Faith during the time of the persecutions, She also is the patroness of my favorite mathematics teacher during High School (As well as co-patroness of my blog). The One of my favorite parts of her story is when the angels beat up her torturers….always making me think of the Easter Troparion…God arising and scattering His enemies.

St Cyril brother of St Methodius….St Cyril went into a land he was not familiar with and translated the Gospel into the local language of the people The Cyrillic alphabet is named after him. I happen to love the Russian language which is based much from what was developed in the Old Slavonic. I can only hope to be half a missionary of such a stature.

What is your ministry in the church?

At my parish where I attend, I’m probably known for my singing, I have taught Roman confirmation class before at roman parishes, as well as having been lead cantor at a parish before moving parishes to where I am presently. I’m heavily introverted and really don’t like the whole attention thing, I do me, whatever comes off, so be it.

Education and job?

At present I have two occupations. My first job is a teacher of physics and mathematics in the public school system via an online classroom. I also tutor students individually after my day job is up so most of my days are pretty long. I studied physics and mathematics via CSUF and MSAC. Though my running joke is I learned more physics via my high school math teacher than I ever did during my 6 years of college. (But sadly, the joke has a grain of truth to it….I’m very thankful to my HS math teacher Mrs. M, for taking the time to explain to me many of my curious thoughts)…I am in the process of making a permanent move to Las Vegas and look forward to taking up my position there.

Favorite movie, book, music?

My favorite movie, oddly not about cats, but definitely the Star Wars series (We don’t count the prequels )….But sometimes my favorite movies are hard to watch because I over analyze the physics in them.

My favorite book is definitely Principia by Isaac Newton, I got myself a copy after I graduated college, and absolutely enjoy the intuition that he showed throughout the text. Yes, I’m a total nerd, I also enjoy Spirit of the Liturgy and the Philokalia :)

My musical taste is rather strange, you can find everything from Evanescence to Beethoven. Lately I’ve been on a Dutch/Mexican rock kick. But I’m also known to “blast” the music from the MCI site from times as well. My classroom is also known to have Lady Antebellum playing from time to time. (A tech wizard I am not, but I know a few things)

Hobbies?

Free time, whenever I get such a thing is often spent with my niece and nephews, spending time with my fiancé, playing basketball, baseball, and soccer. I’m a huge Liverpool FC fan, I also love driving places and getting lost for no apparent reason :p.I have both a blog and a youtube channel (both of which I should update more often)….http://japotillor.blogspot.com http://youtube.com/japotillor…where you’ll find all sorts of things. I’m also a lover of all things feline, and canine. I love spending time in empty churches….

What is 'cool'/interesting about you?

I suppose a few things can be said, When I once gave a rant in 7 languages….Spanish, Russian, French, Latin, Greek, Church Slavonic, and English. I love languages I suppose that’s one of my hobbies as well….But you probably want to know more interesting things….So, here they go:

I’m heavily introverted, but you’ll nearly never find me at home, I’m always at various things when I have the opportunity….

I’m probably one of the few people that I know that can get hit by a car at 70 mph and say that I’m living.

I’m a huge Russophile, and something you can blame the Russians for authentically is my love of math and physics :p

I’ve always made the sign of the Cross correctly since I’ve learned (from right to left :p)…I suppose I always was Eastern even though canonically I was raised Roman)

If you had $20 and an hour of free time what would you do?

Since right now I’m hungry, I’d go buy myself a burrito, and probably give another person 5, as well as of course spend my time in an empty church. It’s one of my favorite things to do. (I shouldn’t fill out a survey on an empty stomach)

Thanks, Joe, for sharing! Click on "I'm a Catholic series" for more profiles 

meet Joe: polyglot, physicist, cantor

Joe is "just another sinner along the way here."

How long have you been a practicing Catholic?

Well, I was baptized into the faith a day after I was born. So I guess that’d make me quite literally a Catholic from just after birth. I have been going to church since I was little, and while some days were easier than others.

Care to share your conversion/reversion story? (More like how a born Westerner found his inner Eastern which he always had)

I suppose the story begins something like this, I was baptized a Roman Christian the day after I was born. And I grew up going to Mass every Sunday, sometimes me willing, sometimes me, not so much….One of my favorite memories was midnight Mass…but more on this later.

Fast forwarding to my teenage years where I experienced the hardest thing that any person will have to go through, the loss of a parent. (My mom) it probably didn’t help that things were already in a funk, when I lost both my grandmother and my aunt in recent years before that. During that time, I felt that the world around me was falling apart, and things changed to where I don’t want to say I didn’t believe, but I had very heavy doubts.

After mum died there was some time that I didn’t go to church or have anything to do with church at all. It was during college when a 7th day Adventist challenged me, that I started researching the Faith. I really fell in love with the Eastern Fathers, St John Chrysostom , St Basil, St Simeon the new Theologian, I did nothing about this of course being I just wanted to get back on my feet and being able to answer the questions that the girl brought up. Around the beginning of Pope Benedict’s Pontificate I started heading back to Mass….However that spark for the East didn’t reappear for a while until a few years into college.

I finally had the change to go experience and visit different places. Now having a car, I searched for various churches to go to, I wondered what in the world was this Byzantine Catholic Church that I read about. I went on a Sunday for a Liturgy in 2007 and the rest was history. I wondered where in the world was this, the reverence the movement, the other-worldliness of the Liturgy that I never experienced as a child, and even as an adult with the Traditional Latin Mass. I’m a physicist and mathematician by training, so my approaches to things are quite linear and very much cerebral. At the Divine Liturgy, there was motion, and I could let go of the normal routine of things to see things in a very different light….

A few years later, I found myself in Roman Seminary, and I make no secret about the fact that I wished to serve both the West and the East at the time. But also during this time, there was an opportunity to experience the Divine Liturgy according to the Armenians, but there was some similarity to the Latin praxis and still wasn’t there. I’ll spare you the details of how my time in Roman Seminary was, I’ll just say it was “interesting”. Finally, I moved to Idaho, and found what I’ve been searching for. The Divine Liturgy, with all of the motion, and it was from that point I took this Eastern praxis as my own, and something I started incorporating into my thoughts and praxis. It was the interaction with a few of the parishioners at the parish that really helped bring out my Eastern thought. I’ve always been all right with diversity in opinion and thought, and never thought that we’re trying to train robots, or everything must be a carbon copy. Seeing this lived out in Eastern Christianity made me want more of this, and so I made this happen.

Also during this time I experienced the Faith at a Russian Orthodox Church during Lent. I had the chance to attend the Good Friday Liturgy and saw a very old man about 95 making full prostrations during the Liturgy. (Which for me is difficult at times), but that day I tried much more….I had been a rusophile for a long time, since high school, and to experience the Faith from the Russian perspetrivu brought a completion to what I try to live.

I guess you can say this is the summarised form of what could be written as a much more detailed version. I’m thankful for the opportunity to share this part of my story with you.

How does your faith inform your day-to-day life?

Everyday starts and ends the same, with the Jesus prayer in Russian (my preferred language to pray in these days)….Though I’m known to still occasionally throw out some words in a few other languages from time to time.

The Faith influences everything that I do, I don’t claim to be any good at this though I’m still trying to get this right, 32 years and I’m still not quite getting it :p….I try to keep things simple, Love God, love neighbour, don’t be a jerk…I try to live all these things out, but of course this is still a work in progress.

There’s a lot of play when it comes to the issues of the day; I’m glad that the Faith doesn’t make us approach things from the same way. We can look at different issues from different perspectives. I’m constantly making the sign of the cross, and invoking Our Lord’s mercy, because do we all need it collectively and individually or what? .

As far as me going further and getting ordained…only if God smacks me upside the head with a 2 x 4. My fianceé probably wouldn’t want such a life :p.

What is your greatest challenge in practicing your faith?

I think the greatest challenge in living the Eastern Faith is being surrounded by those that don’t. Its kind of hard to do all of the practices and praxis that comes with Eastern Christianity when one is surrounded by those that don’t. I always like to say that I do what I can within the means that I have.

Also quite a big challenge from time to time is of course all of the past that I’ve been through, it’s sometimes tempting to give up, but thou shall persevere until the end right :p…So we keep going.

Favorite Bible verse?

“Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him, flee from before His Face” (Ps 68, 2)

This is the opening verse from the 3rd antiphon at Easter, my favorite Liturgical celebration of the year, it really summaries my thoughts on pretty much almost everything and summarizes what we believe.

Favorite Spiritual writing (besides Bible) quotation?

“To have faith in Christ means more than simply despising the delights of this life. It means we should bear all our daily trials that may bring us sorrow, distress, or unhappiness, and bear them patiently for as long as God wishes and until He comes to visit us. For it is said, ‘I waited on the Lord and He came to me.'” --- St Simenon the new Theologian, (of course this is all easier said than done ;)

meet Anthony: computer geek, theology professor, Greek Catholic

How did you become interested in Eastern Catholicism?  Were you raised Eastern Catholic?

I was raised in the Roman Catholic faith.  I attended a Catholic school, and served as an altar boy.  While I was in elementary school, though, I had a transformative experience. My parents took me to a wedding at a Greek Catholic parish, and I was struck by the beauty and sense of sacredness.  Like the envoys sent to Constantinople by St. Vladimir, I didn’t know whether I was in heaven or on earth.  This moment changed the entire trajectory of my life.

As it happened, my next-door neighbor – a boy my age – was Greek Catholic.  I would sometimes attend Divine Liturgy with his family.  The liturgy had such a profound effect on me that I would literally dream about it at night.

When I graduated from college, I joined a Greek Catholic parish and officially transferred to the Byzantine Rite.

How did your family react to your change of rite?

They were very supportive.  They knew that I wasn’t rejecting the Catholic faith that they instilled in me, but was embracing it in a different form.

I absolutely love Roman Catholicism.  I have so much appreciation for everything that the Latin tradition offers.  I never rejected it.  Rather, I was called to serve God by building up and promoting the “Eastern Lung” of the Catholic Church.  I believe that a strong, vibrant Eastern Christian presence within the Catholic Church will lead to a stronger, healthier Roman Catholicism.

How did you become a theologian?

In college I studied Philosophy and Religion.  I realized that I love teaching people about the Catholic faith, and wanted to pursue a career as a theology professor.   I went on to graduate studies in Theology at Franciscan University.  

Upon finishing my master’s degree, I was accepted into the doctorate program in theology at Duquesne University.  While in this program, I had the opportunity to focus my studies on my true passion: Eastern Christianity.  My dissertation director was Father Michael Slusser, a patristics scholar with a profound understanding of the Greek Fathers and the Eastern Christian theological tradition.  I learned so much from working with him on my dissertation, which was a study entitled Adrian Fortescue and the Eastern Christian Churches.  It was later published as a book by Gorgias Press.

I also had the pleasure of taking classes at SS. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary.  One of the professors, Father David Petras, had a tremendous impact on me.  Father David served on my dissertation committee, and taught me a great deal about liturgy and ecumenism.  I also became friends with a Ukrainian Catholic priest who served in Ireland, Archimandrite Serge Kelleher of blessed memory.  Father Serge was very wise, and taught me what it really means to be an Eastern Christian in communion with Rome – with the challenges that it entails.

After completing my doctorate, I was blessed with my dream job.  I teach theology at a small Catholic college in central Pennsylvania, Mount Aloysius.  I go to work and teach people about God, and I love every minute of it.  

Do you have any hobbies?  What do you do when you’re not teaching theology?

I spend a lot of time with my family, raising two wonderful children.  My wife, Vanessa is a life-long Greek Catholic, and she has a deep love for the faith.  Vanessa’s grandmother was a cantor who spent her life serving the church, and Vanessa seeks to follow her example.

For fun, I enjoy working with computers.  I have several websites that I design and manage.  One of the websites, From East to West, is dedicated to teaching Western Christians about Eastern Catholicism.  

My other primary website, Mythic Scribes, is a community of fantasy writers.  I love reading and writing fantasy fiction, and Mythic Scribes is a wonderful place to explore that interest.

Many thanks to Dr. Anthony Dragani for sharing! 

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do you want to share your spiritual journey? Email me at remnantofremnant@blogspot.com! 

Meet James: family man, history lover, believer

How long have you been a practicing Catholic? All my life, I am a cradle Catholic.  My mom consecrated me to the Virgin Mary when I was an infant.  I am therefore as a special child of Our Lady and I am grateful to my mom for doing that for me.

Care to share your conversion/reversion story?  Well, the only conversion of sort I ever had was from Roman Catholicism to Byzantine Catholicism.  In 1983, as a ninth grader, I read William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar and I wanted to learn about the Roman Empire.  I was surprised to discover there was an Eastern Empire that survived the collapse of the Western Empire.  In studying that Eastern Empire I discovered eastern Christianity and John Chrysostom, who became my confirmation saint. Of course, not all of it was spiritual.  I was quite fascinated by Basil the II the Bulgar Slayer and Justinian the Great.  

I told my mom I wanted to switch to the Byzantine Catholic Church, but she told me I could not until I was an adult.  That was back in 1984.  Thirty-two years later, my wife and I, along with our three children transferred to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. 

However, since I am deeply rooted in Patristics and the history of the Roman Empire, it is not as big a jump as one might think.  Furthermore, the old Latin mass has more in common with the Byzantine Rite than one would think.  In fact, history shows that there is nothing more silly than a Roman Catholic traditionalist or an Orthodox person saying there liturgy has not changed since Gregory the Great or John Chrysostom.  Even the vestments of the priest in the divine liturgy where once more like the gothic chasubles found in the Roman Rite.   The Roman vestments, especially those of the 1950s and 1960s exclusive of lace albs, are actually more like what was used in the East through the tenth century. In the divine liturgy, we use the gates and curtains – in Churches in the West, the use of an image screen/rood crossing and curtains lasted up until the Council of Trent, after which they were removed in response to the reformation. 

How does your faith inform your day-to-day life? By following the liturgical calendar, I am able to adopt my prayer life to the daily menaion.  In practice the effort is to Love one another as I have loved you.  So, I am working on avoiding negativity, judgmentalism and self-righteousness.  People need prayers and a good positive word.  So, I pray for everybody.  The key is to pray and forgive your enemies and not be jealous or envious of their success.  That way you untie the spiritual knots you would otherwise tie yourself up in with thoughts of revenge, retaliation, etc.  Nothing works better than prayer.  Pray, pray, pray!  I would add in that I love Akathists.  The latest I have discovered is Dr. Alex Romans’s Akathist to Our Lady of Guadalupe.  It is beautiful.

What is your greatest challenge in practicing your faith? Not being a self-righteous pompous ass.  Committing sin.

Favorite Bible verse? “Love one another as I have loved you” John 13:34-35. 

Favorite Spiritual writing (besides Bible) quotation? “Little Children, love one another.”  St. John as quoted at 6:10 in Book Three of St. Jerome’s Commentary on Galatians.  Outside of that I love the Akathists found in the Byzantine Prayer Book put out by the Melkite hierarchy.

Favorite saint and why? I have many saints as friends whom I look forward to conversing with in Heaven – Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, John Chrysostom, Demetrius of Rostov, Edmund Campion, Theresa of Liseux, Teresa of Avila, Maximus the Confessor, Patrick, Germanus of Constantinople, Martin of Tours, Gregory Palamas etc.  My favorite personage is Origen – no one ever wrote as beautifully on scripture as he did. And then there are the great love mystics and female thinkers I love– Hadewijch, Mechtilde of Magdeburg, Hidegard of Bingen, Gertrude the Great, Julian of Norwich, etc.

What is your ministry in the church? Acting Subdeacon and reader.  In the domestic church my ministry is to be a good husband and father.

Education and job? BA and MA in History and a JD.  Attorney by profession, historian by training

Favorite movie, book, music? Favorite Movie – The Princess Bride. Favorite Book – Smith of Wootton Major by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Music – favorite band is the Beatles with Rubber Soul and Revolver as my favorite albums.

Hobbies? Gardening, book collecting, coaching soccer.  I have cultivated quite successfully a pawpaw thicket in a colder zone than the tree is used to.  The fruit is tasty.  I have become very good at growing pumpkins, butternut squash, tomatoes, and peppers.

What is 'cool'/interesting about you? Honestly, as I am approaching the age of 50 with three kids I do not care about being cool anymore.  My daughter says I am intelligent and that I ask questions that need to be asked in a diplomatic but incisive manner, but more brusquely when needed.

If you had $20 and an hour of free time what would you do? Go to Church with a prayer book or a book of spiritual reading, light some candles and enjoy being in the presence of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Thank you, James, for sharing your story!

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Nicholas' journey East: thoughts on church as family

"Yes, I am one of those Latin Church Catholics considering the switch to a Byzantine Rite Church.  I understand this changing of ascription might puzzle (at best) or offend (at worst) some.  Let me say that I understand the reservations entirely, and I’d like to bare my soul (if only ever so slightly) to explain why I’ve come to this point and why you might not.

Back in high school, I had the great privilege of attending a Ukrainian Catholic High School.  It was just down the block from our house and had a solid theology program (unlike so many other Catholic high schools at the time).  It was there that I first encountered the Divine Liturgy.

We also wound up becoming part-time parishioners at the school’s parish, at first for the tuition deduction (I mean, we were already Sunday Mass goers, we just split our Sundays between our Ukrainian Catholic and Latin Polish parishes).  My brothers and I also had the privilege of serving at the Divine Liturgy.  As time went on and we transferred out of the school, I still felt the “call of the East” drawing me back.  I’d still attend Divine Liturgy on occasion, but as the rest of my family was more comfortable as Latins, I did so infrequently.

While completing a year of national service at my alma mater after graduation, I was able to start attending a Ruthenian parish somewhat regularly (again, living only 30 minutes or so from home, I’d often go back for Sunday Mass with family).  It was again there that I was even more in love with this venerable tradition.

But then came the years of exile when I took a job for 4 years in rural, southern Illinois (where it was odd enough to be Catholic, much more Byz-curious).  When my wife and I were getting ready for our life of wedded bliss, she got a job offer in northern Michigan.  Real God’s country, but no Byzantine Rite parishes or missions.

And so, after 3 years in northern Michigan, I’m in the process of trying to determine what support there might be for an outreach in this area (with the support of the relevant eparchies).  I know it will be a long process, but definitely worth it.

So, you may ask, what draws me to the East?

Well, I read an article featured on this blog that rightly pointed out the several stereotypical Latins becoming Byzantine.  First, there’s the rabid traditionalist who’s weary of “modern” hymns, versus populum Mass, women on the altar, etc.  I’ve met these people and know some of them.  As the Blogging Presvytera rightly noted, these folks will often go back to a Latin parish once it starts to offer a Tridentine Mass or other traditional-style Latin Rite Mass (since they were drawn to the idea of a non-modern liturgy rather than, specifically, the Divine Liturgy, etc.).  While I’ll admit the tradition of the Ukrainian and Ruthenian Churches (as well as that one heady Sunday morning I spent in a smoke-filled Melkite parish stumbling out with all of the antidoron I could grab) has greatly impressed me, I realized that the Byzantine Rite Churches are not museums.  

They are places of worship where our mundane lives get a glimpse of the celestial and eternal.  Since this timeless worship is carried out by frail and sinful human beings, it will never be perfect.  The reader might have an irritating chanting voice, the priest might like to give hurried and confusing homilies, the altar boys might trip over themselves, folks might have a devotion to the Rosary (and all of your online forums have told you these people will burn in Byzantine Hell for their Latinizations), etc.  Again, parishes are not museums, and I’ve come to know, understand, and appreciate that.  I am, in a sense, even more aware of my unworthiness to participate in the Divine Mystery when I see how I (and others) fall short of the glory and majesty the Divine Liturgy attempts to convey.  This also contributes to what I can only describe as the “family feel” of every Byzantine parish I’ve ever attended.

This may be my slightly nicer way of hinting at an aspect of most Byzantine parishes I’ve visited—disorganization.  As Latins, we tend to inherit the mindset of the original bearers of the name our Church bears—the Ancient Romans.  The Romans devoted themselves to law and order (along with roads and plumbing, this is what they used to justify tributes and taxes).  Similarly, the Latin Church has a long tradition of applying precise legal thinking to ecclesiastical situations, as well as concretely defining rubrics (although these things went out of vogue in the 60s-90s, they are coming back in a big way).  Altar servers can become liturgical drill teams turning on a dime and never missing a genuflection or bow, cantors have solos that make you feel like you’re at an operatic concert, the parish coffee hour has its own set of prescribed rituals promulgated by the USCCB, etc.  It can be frustrating, then, when the attitude seems more relaxed, there seems to be a lot more (what looks to our structured Latin eyes) “wandering around,” the choir is just a bunch of folks who were daring enough to volunteer, etc.  Again, it’s a quality that has attracted me.  

Sure I know some larger parishes are a bit more regimented, but there’s always that element lurking somewhere of “we’re worshiping as a family and sometimes that means Dido is going to belt out the tropar and kondak off-key and we’re all gonna chant along with him.”

Again, these are merely my small, limited observations from parishes I’ve visited in the Midwestern US.  This won’t be everyone’s experience, but it is this experience (along with some of the theological emphases I don’t want to bore anyone with in what was supposed to be a short article) that has called me East."

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Nicholas! We'll be praying for you during this new part of your spiritual journey! 

from world traveling nun to Ukrainian Catholic wife & home educator (part 3)

What is your ministry in the church? Our parish life is so important to us. Right now I’ve been helping teach catechism to the younger group of children, and I’ve been learning and helping to cantor the different tones for Liturgy. We want to help out in any way we can! Just this past weekend, we helped our parish with a presentation of the Ukrainian Holy Supper, Свята вечеря, and it was so wonderful! I am truly blessed to be a part of such an active, faithful parish where the members are like family. I thank God every day for this. 

Education and job? I mentioned my time in the convent, but when I left, I got a job with a statewide pro-life organization, and I was really grateful for my time there. I learned a lot about the pro-life movement and how to better help people choose life and respect life. We’ve been busy with our young family for the past several years, but I hope someday to become more active in the pro-life movement again. 

Favorite movie, book, music? For movies, I enjoy science fiction and other “geeky” films, but I also love classic films from Hollywood’s Golden Age. My favorite movie is probably Hitchcock’s “Rebecca” or “Gaslight,” but there are so many movies from the 30s and 40s that I love! For books, I prefer nonfiction or spiritual reading. But I’ve always been a Jane Austen fan, too, and I love classic literature. Music-wise, I have a very eclectic taste! I enjoy some typical pop music but also classical music, sacred music, and international music. 

Hobbies? I have many hobbies! With four young children, though, I don’t always have time to pursue them as often as I’d like, but especially as they get older, I love to share my hobbies with them, as well. I love to sing, and I love to paint. I’d love to study iconography more seriously someday. I also love to make crafty things! I enjoy cooking, baking, and gardening, too. I love fishing, and I’m nowhere near an experienced runner, but I like to run, too.

What is 'cool'/interesting about you? Normally when people ask that, I tell them that I was a nun for 5 years! It’s a pretty unusual thing nowadays! While I was there, I had the opportunity to travel to Portugal and then again to Rome and Assisi. Those were really wonderful experiences, and someday I’d love to travel to Eastern Europe, particularly to where my father’s family is from. 

Also, when I was in the convent, I worked closely with their chaplain, a nonagenarian (he turned 100 this year!) Irish Dominican priest who was the founding editor of L’Osservatore Romano in English, and worked in the Vatican for 35 years. He had so many fascinating stories, and it was such a pleasure (and wonderful learning experience!) working with him. 

If you had $20 and an hour of free time what would you do? Probably go clothes shopping, looking for a good deal! Not very creative, but, it’s true! 

Thank you, Carrie for taking the time to answer these questions- you are a testimony to God's faithfulness!

Click here for part 1

Click here for part 2 

Interested in telling your story in the Church? (East or West)- write me an email at remnantofremnant@gmail.com