Eastern Catholic Life Official Publication of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic VOL. LI, NO. 5 MAY 2015 Why Do You Seek the Living Among the Dead? Pastoral Reflections of Bishop Kurt hy do you seek illuminating the Scriptures, as He tance and forgiveness of sins as Je- corruption”, and the great Messianic the living among says explicitly, “everything written sus commanded beginning in Jeru- Psalm, “The Lord said to my Lord, the dead? He about me in the law of Moses, and salem, Saint Peter used no less than sit at my right hand until I make is “Wnot here, but has risen.” With the prophets, and the psalms must three different prophecies in his very your enemies your footstool.” these dramatic words, the angels be fulfilled”. As you just read, even short sermon, first from the awe- announced the Resurrection of Je- when Jesus is telling them that “re- some description of the Day of Lord The fulfillment of the scriptures is sus for the first time in history to pentance and forgiveness of sins by the Prophet Joel, “And in the last such an important part of the Faith, these women who came on that should be preached in His name to days, I will pour out my Spirit on all that it is even included in the Creed first Easter Sunday to perform an that we sing every Sunday: when we act of kindness for their crucified recount the life of Jesus we sing, “He Lord. The eye witness testimony in rose on the third day, in fulfillment the four Gospels is quite variegated, of the Scriptures.” Or as we say in but all four Gospels agree that the the Church Slavonic, Po pisanijem. first witnesses to the Resurrection, It is common for scholars to say that and the first to tell the Apostles the the Gospel of Saint Matthew was good news, were women. To this written for a Jewish audience, be- day, most Christians first receive cause Saint Matthew quotes so many their faith from their mothers or times from the prophecies about Je- grandmothers, although in this era, sus, starting from his infancy. But all more and more people come to the of the passages that I quoted at the faith as adults. In the early Church beginning of this article are from the many of the great conversions were Gospel of Saint Luke. The urgency brought about by brave women, to know the scriptural prophecies is who risked their social standing and even more clear in Saint Luke. Viz., even their lives to share their faith in on the road to Emmaus, Jesus says Jesus Christ. to his walking companions, “O fool- ish men, and slow of heart to believe After the apostles received the all that the prophets have spoken! Good News from these women, and Was it not necessary that the Christ then saw and heard Jesus for them- would suffer these things and enter selves, “He opened their mind to into his glory?” And then it says, understand the Scriptures, and said “And beginning with Moses and to them, that the Christ should suf- all the prophets, He interpreted to fer and on the third day rise from the them in all the Scriptures the things dead, and that repentance and for- concerning Himself.” giveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations begin- The prophecies about the Messiah ning from Jerusalem.” Throughout did not become irrelevant after they all four gospels, and the rest of the were fulfilled, but are powerful and Icon of the Myrrh-Bearing Women New Testament, the suffering and life giving today, just as they were in death and resurrection is described those days between the Resurrec- all nations”, Jesus first opens their flesh, and your sons and daughters tion and the Ascension. As Saint as the fulfillment of the Scriptures. minds to the Scriptures that fore- will prophesy and your old men will It might seem to those of us who Peter says regarding the prophets, told His actions. We cannot teach dream dreams and your young men “It was revealed to them that they live after the Resurrection, that the repentance and forgiveness until will have visions…and the sun shall prophecies were only for those in were serving not themselves but our minds are first opened to the be turned to darkness and the moon you, in the things which have now ancient times who were waiting for Scriptures. to blood…”, and then two prophe- the Messiah to come. But even Our been announced to you by those cies from the Psalms of King David, who preached the Good News to Lord spent His short time between When the Apostles first began to “You will not abandon my soul to the Resurrection and the Ascension preach the Good News of repen- you through they Holy Spirit sent Hades, nor let your Holy One see Continued on page 2 Seminary Professor World Meeting of Families— 50th Anniversary of Saint Pascha Celebrations—8-9 named bishop in Italy—p2 p3 Therese Parish—p6 Page 2 Eastern Catholic Life MAY 2015 fering of our Lord. I received letters Why Do You Seek the Living from people thanking the priests Among the Dead? for these sermons. Isaiah has many more treasures in him for you to Pastoral Reflections of Bishop Kurt discover. Some people say that the Continued from page 1 Book of Isaiah is like a mini-Bible. from heaven, things into which an- don’t really know the Resurrection, Isaiah has 39 chapters of judgment gels long to look.” because we don’t really know the and the Hebrew bible has 39 books, writings of Moses and the proph- and Isaiah has 27 chapters of com- When Saint Jerome said, “Igno- ets and the psalms? If Jesus joins us fort and the New Testament has 27 rance of the Scriptures is ignorance on a walk, do any of us want to hear books. Isaiah is only one of the six- of Christ”, he was simply repeating Him say, “O foolish men, and slow teen later prophets. You might say, what Jesus himself had already told of heart to believe all that the proph- why should I seek the living among us. We cannot really know our own ets have spoken!” Even worse, if we the dead? But the Scriptures are not Faith unless we know the scriptures, say in reply, “What prophets?” dead; they are alive and life-giving. I would counsel you and comfort you and especially the Scriptures that pray most fervently that you will be and never leave you, and then you foretold the Messiah. Saint Peter During the Great Lent, the priests inspired to search out the many oth- found out your friend was sitting on says, “Always be read to give a rea- of our Eparchy preached on the the er references to the Christ in the an- your bookshelf the whole time. son for the hope you have in you, yet great 52nd and 53rd chapters of the cient scriptures. It is really the task do so with gentleness and respect.” Prophet Isaiah, those astonishing of a lifetime. It is like wishing your How can we give a reason if we poetic moving words about the suf- whole life that you had a friend who Pope Francis Names Father George D. Gallaro Bishop of Piana in Palermo Will Serve Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi in Italy from the Byzantine Catholic World staff, photo courtesy of Robert Cifrulak Archeparchy of Pittsburgh for dealing largely with issues from Giorgio Demetrio Gallaro was the past ten years, during which the perspective of Eastern Catho- born January 16, 1948 in Pozzal- time he fulfilled the positions of lics, including ecumenism, mar- lo, Sicily in Italy. After gradua- Syncellus for Canonical Servic- riage and Canon Law, many of tion from the Diocesan Seminary es, Judicial Vicar, member of the which have appeared in The Byz- of Noto, Italy, with the degree Presbyteral Council and of the antine Catholic World. He speaks of Bachelor of Philosophy (PhB Intereparchial Canonical Com- English, Italian, French, Spanish, 1968), his theological studies mission, and Personal Formation Latin, Greek, and some Albanian, were completed at Saint John Advisor and member of the fac- Portuguese, and Arabic. Major Seminary, Camarillo, Ca- ulty of Saints Cyril and Metho- lif. He was ordained a deacon in dius Seminary. He also served In his own Eparchy of Newton, 1971, followed by priestly ordi- Father Gallaro served as Chan- rchbishop Carlo Maria Vi- as administrator of Saint Andrew nation on May 27, 1972, in the Byzantine Catholic Church, Gib- cellor and Eparchial Consultor, Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The Aganò, Apostolic Nuncio to Judicial Vicar, Rector of Saint the U.S., announced at the Vati- sonia, Pa. bishop-designate’s advanced de- Gregory Melkite Seminary, Di- grees were earned at the Pontifi- can 31 March 2015 that Holy Fa- Additionally, the bishop-desig- rector of the Diaconate Program, ther Pope Francis has appointed cal Oriental Institute (1981) and nate is a consultor for the Congre- and Coordinator of Continuing the Pontifical University of St. Very Reverend George D. Galla- gation for the Oriental Churches, Education for Clergy. Among ro, JCOL, JCOD, STL, Bishop of Thomas Aquinas (1994), both in a member and past president of other past duties, he also was an Rome. the Byzantine (Italo-Albanese) the Society for the Law of the Instructor of Catechetics and De- Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi Eastern Churches and member of fender of the Bond in the Mar- The Byzantine Eparchy of in Palermo, Italy.