Kh. Jocelyn Abyad joins us this week to talk about a very important ministry she helped to start, We Carry You Still. This group of Eastern Catholic, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox women seeks to serve and walk with anyone who has experienced miscarriage or infant loss. Listen in to find out about all of the resources We Carry You Still is able to offer, and how you can also get involved.

We Carry You Still: https://wecarryyoustill.org/

Diakonissa Maria’s saint of the week was a holy woman, banished from her hometown, who miraculously returned after her death.

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What would inspire a lifelong Roman Catholic to train as an iconographer and go on to found a guild for other like-minded (primarily) Roman Catholic iconographers? Well, our guest this week, Judy Symalla of Stillwater, Minnesota, decided to do both! Join us this week as we talk about Judy’s first encounter with icons, her training as an iconographer, and founding the St. Croix Catholic Iconographers Guild. We also talk about how iconography is a gift to all Catholics, not just Byzantines.

Also this week, Diakonissa Maria tells us about a wonderworking iconographer.

St. Croix Catholic Iconographers Guild: https://www.stcroixiconography.org/

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A few weeks ago a Vatican dicastery released an important sounding document with a really long title, but what does any of it mean? Now that we’ve had some time for the dust to settle, we are excited to have Eastern Catholic Answer Man and Ukrainian Catholic deacon, Fr. Dcn. Anthony Dragani, joining us this week to walk us through “The Bishop of Rome. Primacy and synodality in the ecumenical dialogues and in the responses to the Encyclical Ut unum sint” (that’s a mouthful). In particular, Fr. Dcn. Anthony gives us a lot of the background on how the Papacy figures in to Catholic-Orthodox dialogue, what the new document says, and why the discussion of the papacy is important for Eastern Catholics, too.

Oh, and Diakonissa Maria’s saint of the week was a miraculous invisible monk.

Fr. Dcn. Anthony’s website: https://east2west.org/
Full English translation of “The Bishop of Rome[…]”: http://www.christianunity.va/content/dam/unitacristiani/Collezione_Ut_unum_sint/The_Bishop_of_Rome/The%20Bishop%20of%20Rome.pdf

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Have you seen posts on social media about the National Eucharistic Revival? What is it, and what part can Eastern Catholics play in it? Find out how St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church in Whiting, IN, is involved and why Mike Aquilina and the Fathers of the Church are part of it.

Find out more about the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage Kick-Off in Northwest Indiana here: https://stmarywhiting.org/eucharisticpilgrimage/

This week’s saint grew closer to Christ be serving others, even if it meant he didn’t get much sleep.

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If you’re a Ukrainian Catholic, or a Byzantine of any jurisdiction, you have likely used some of the liturgical or spiritual resources available at royaldoors.net. But have you ever wondered who is the driving force behind all of it? Fr. Michael Winn joins us this week to tell us a bit about himself, his involvement with Royal Doors, and why liturgical resources are so important.

And Diakonissa Maria’s Saint of the Week was a faith-filled fashionista who helped found the first Christian Church in Europe.

Royal Doors: https://royaldoors.net/

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What did a day in the life look like for a bishop of the Underground Church is Soviet-ruled Ukraine? Why is his shrine in Canada? We continue with our special two part interview with Fr. John Sianchuk about Bl. Vasyl Velychkovsky. We learn about the condition of the Ukraine Greek Catholic Church in Soviet-ruled Ukraine, how Bl. Vasyl took the challenges head on, and why he continues to intercede for an inspire people around the world.

Diakonissa Maria’s Saint of the Week was made rich and then poor again through the prayers of another saint.

Shrine of Bl. Vasyl Velychkovsky: https://bvmartyrshrine.com/

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Did you know there is an Eastern Catholic martyr buried in North America? This is part 1 of a very special interview with Fr. John Sianchuk, CSsR, about this great man of faith, Bl. Vasyl Velychkovsky. Fr. John is the Director of the Shrine of Bl. Vasyl Velychkovsky, the only main shrine of an Eastern Catholic martyr in North America. This man of God fearlessly served the underground Church in Ukraine despite years of persecution and torture.

In this first half, Fr. John tells us a bit about himself, what his ministry as a Redemptorist Ukrainian Catholic priest serving in Canada and Ukraine has looked like. He also gives us an overview of Bl. Vasyl’s life. Next week Fr. John shares even more amazing details about this Blessed martyr.

Diakonissa Maria’s saint of the week kept a roof from collapsing with his prayers.

More info on the Shrine of Bl. Vasyl Velychkovsky: https://bvmartyrshrine.com/

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The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom is so important that Byzantine Rite Christians hear it every year at Paschal Matins. It’s so important, that Fr. Dcn. Nick thought it is worth reflecting on throughout the Paschal season, and so we bring you a special God WIth Us Live this week. Christ is Risen!

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Do you know which Eastern Catholic Church traces its foundation back to one of the 12 Apostles, and yet is among the most recent to return to communion with Rome? In fact, its only North American Eparchy is less than 10 years old! Fr. Jerry Mathew, Vicar of St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church in the Chicagoland area, joins us this week to talk about the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and the Malankara Catholic Youth Movement.

Diakonissa Maria’s Saint of the Week was a member of the other Indian Eastern Catholic Church, the Syro-Malabar, and is probably the only saint to have a variety of mango named after him.

St. Mary, Queen of Peace Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in USA and Canada: https://mccna.org/
Fr. Jerry’s series on the Holy Qurbono: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_edoZxLjYZg&list=PLGsq_dBcHi6O_S1jLKCHOMVROjuVQiNH5

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Did you know there’s an Eastern Catholic saint renowned for his miracle working among Catholics, Orthodox, and even Muslims? Dr. Anne Borik joins us this week to talk to us about the great St. Sharbel Makhlouf and the new St. Sharbel Spiritual Life Center in Pittsburgh. Dr. Borik also developed a unique way, based in Christian monasticism, to incorporate prayer and bodily movement to bring healing and also to lead people into a deeper union with God. With the approval of her bishop, it is being used across the United States and even around the world.

Our saint of the week was also a renowned healer who didn’t want her passing to spoil the liturgical party.

Prayer Motion: http://www.prayermotion.com/

St. Sharbel Spiritual Life Center: https://saintsharbelcenter.org/

The post The Miraculous Maronite Monk w/ Dr. Anne Borik (GWUL 119) appeared first on God With Us.

Have you been reminded lately that Catholics are called to evangelize? Does that sound daunting, intimidating, or even… scary? We sit down with Fr. Dcn. Michael Wynar, a deacon serving in the Eparchy of St. Nicholas and a former FOCUS missionary, this week to find out why evangelization is both a lot easier (and in some ways actually a little more difficult) than most people think.

Our saint of the week once turned down a marriage proposal from the Roman Emperor and went on to write some of the most beautiful hymns in the Byzantine tradition.

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Have you been wanting to go on retreat but can’t find the time? Have you wondered what kind of spiritual wisdom our Eastern Catholic bishops would share if that had the opportunity? Wonder no more! The League of Ukrainian Catholics returns this year with their annual Lenten Live Spiritual Lenten Retreat on Sunday, March 24, but that’s not all the League is up to. Sophia Shchur, President of the League joins us to share how this organization established in 1933 continues to find new and innovative ways to serve not only Ukrainian Catholics, but everyone seeking to grow closer to Christ.

To register for the retreat and to find out more about the League click here: https://leagueofukrainiancatholics.org/

Oh, and this week’s saint convinced a lion to become a monk!

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Did you know there’s a Papal charity specifically organized to support the material and spiritual needs of Eastern Christians in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Ethiopia, and India? The Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) supports clergy, religious, and laity of the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Churches in these areas who are already doing heroic things in the face of violence, disaster, and hardship. Michael La Civita is the Communications Coordinator for CNEWA, and is also the Lieutenant of the Eastern Lieutenancy of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre here in the United States. In the second half of the show Michael shares how the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre also help people living in the Holy Land.

Our saint of the week also helped serve the spiritual and material needs of his flock by, among other things, selling a blanket 3 times to raise money for the poor.

You can find out more about the amazing work CNEWA does, and ways you can support them, on their website: https://cnewa.org/

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God With Us Radio is excited to offer a daily dose of inspiration on the weekdays of the Great Fast through Seasons of Grace! This Great Fast we will feature recordings of Fr. Jack Custer’s Lenten devotional, Back to the Garden: A Lenten Journey through Genesis. Thank you to Jack Figel at Eastern Christian Publications for his permission to present this fantastic book in this way. And not to worry, we’ll be back next week with our usual episodes of God With Us Live!

Check out Seasons of Grace here: https://godwithusonline.org/show/seasonsofgrace/

If you’d like to purchase a hardcopy of Back to the Garden, check it out here: https://ecpubs.com/product/back-to-the-garden/

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What’s the Jesus Prayer? Why and how should we incorporate it into our lives? This week we speak with Fr. Michael Bombak of the Eparchy of Edmonton, who has a few tips about the Jesus Prayer, and even a challenge.

Listened to the episode and want to take up the challenge? Visit: https://www.jesusprayer33.ca/

This week’s Saint served as an undercover missionary and bishop.

BONUS: Here’s a talk Fr. Michael gave this past summer about the Jesus Prayer to give you even more inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5selEvMDyE

The post The Jesus Prayer Challenge w/ Fr. Michael Bombak (GWUL 115) appeared first on God With Us.

One of the most beautiful and solemn traditions of the Byzantine Churches during the Great Fast is the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts. Where did this liturgy originate? Why don’t we have regular Divine Liturgies on the weekdays of Lent? Our guest this week, Fr. James Bankston, is offering a series of webinars through God With Us Online about Fr. David Petras’ soon to be released book about the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts, Now the Powers of Heaven. The webinars take place on the first and third Thursdays of February and March, and recordings will be posted for later viewing. You can find out more information and register for the course here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Hz8f2LXGRpmJ51VbT8dCjQ#/registration

Oh, and our saint of the week had his vocation delayed TWICE through the prayers of his mother.

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Why did a Chaldean Catholic priest from California decide to start making videos for TikTok? How does social media form a part of his ministry? Oh, and who are Chaldean Catholics anyway? This week we’re joined by Fr. Simon Esshaki of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle to answer these questions and more on God With Us Live.

And our saint of the week collected so many relics that they renamed his See city after them!

The post Bringing Christ to Social Media w/ Fr. Simon Esshaki (GWUL 113) appeared first on God With Us.

Has your pastor asked you to spruce up the parish website or “take care of that social media thing”? Don’t know where to start? Well, this week’s episode is for you! Ben Windsor, commercial marketing professional by day and Communications Consultant for the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton by night, tells us about his own efforts at the eparchial and parochial level to improve evangelization efforts through effective communication. These include creating the iPraises app and publishing a magazine for Ukrainian Catholic men in Alberta.

And this week’s “Scenes with the Saints” features a bishop who traded himself to save a young man from slavery.

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Have you ever been on a pilgrimage? How about an ecumenical one? Jack Figel has been planning and leading ecumenical pilgrimages for years and, also, documenting these trips through recordings and publications. This week Jack joins us to talk about the importance of pilgrimages, as well as a book he recently published called That They May All Be One: Stories from an Ecumenical Pilgrimage. This book was written by a 17-year-old about her experiences this past summer on a trip Jack organized to Istanbul and the Holy Land.

And Diakonissa Maria’s saint of the week really loved the gentle deer that visited him at his hermitage. So much so that he almost lost his hands!

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How does a man go from not really liking his first time attending Divine Liturgy to becoming the Communications Coordinator for the Melkite Eparchy of Newton? Tune in this week to hear Michael Davis’ amazing journey into the Melkite Church and his and Bishop Francois’ vision for the future of communications at the Melkite Eparchy of Newton.

And our saint of the week was literally clothed in righteousness. Any guess who he is?

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What does it take for a Church to recover and maintain its patrimony of singing? Why is is important? Fr. Dcn. Jeff Mierzejewski of the Metropolitan Cantor Institute (MCI) joins us this week to talk about the crucial work of the MCI and recovering our own liturgical traditions.

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On behalf of all of us here at God With Us Radio, have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving! Don’t worry, we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week. Until then, enjoy a passage from St. Basil the Great on offering prayers of thanks to God.

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If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to homeschool 7 kids, incorporate liturgical living into your family routine, and develop catechetical resources for Byzantine Catholics across the country, this week’s episode is for you! Kh. Jocelyn Abyad, THE Melkite Momma shares about herself, her family, and her apostolates on God With Us Live! Our saint of the week is St. Nonna, the mother of St. Gregory the Theologian.

Melkite Momma on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelkiteMomma
Byzimom.com: https://www.byzimom.com/
ByziKids Magazine: https://www.byzimom.com/gallery-2

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