English > UOGCC Publications
The night when Christ rose from the dead
Post date: 2026-04-04Autor: BCP
It is night. Jesus is in the tomb. The soldiers guard the tomb. What is the spiritual atmosphere in Jerusalem like? Christ is in the tomb. The enemies rejoice over Him...But this is not the end! JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD! Jesus says: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me has eternal life.” We have eternal life already now really and essentially, though not yet in fullness and glory. The power of Christ’s Resurrection becomes manifest in our body as far as through the obedience of faith we enter Christ’s death – that means, as far as we give ourselves wholly to God or, in other words, as far as we love God and progress towards the fulfillment of the greatest commandment – to love God with all our heart, all our soul and all our strength.
Death in Adam, life in Christ
Post date: 2026-04-04Autor: BCP
The first man Adam became a living soul but then he sinned and the consequence was death, not only physical one, which takes place only once, but also spiritual one, which means that man is born a dead soul, and not a living one. From the very moment of conception, man carries death in himself – both earthly and eternal. That is why we must be born again so that we may enter the kingdom of God. We are born again of water and the Spirit, and this also requires that we receive Christ as our Saviour and Lord. He is the last Adam, He is a life-giving Spirit. As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
Unite your pain with Mine
Post date: 2026-04-03Autor: BCP
In suffering, we must stand in the faith and not groan. We must give thanks and praise the Lord, turn our eyes to the suffering Jesus and unite our pain, loneliness, spiritual dryness and all sorts of negative feelings, which are hard to express, with the pain of Jesus. Let us give every thought, every problem or fear to Jesus in faith.
Even if all betray You, I never will
Post date: 2026-04-01Autor: BCP
After Jesus talked about love at the Last Supper, Simon asked Him: “Lord, where are You going?” What did Jesus say? “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow Me later.” Peter finally said: “I will lay down my life for You.” Jesus answered him: “Truly, truly, I say to you, before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times.” What must Peter have felt when Jesus told him this? He didn’t understand: What’s that He is saying about me? How can I deny Him? I am ready to sacrifice my life! Even if all betray Him, I never will! Peter must have looked at Jesus with sadness...
Holy Week Thoughts from Patriarch Elijah (video)
Post date: 2026-03-31Autor: BCP
Holy Week Thoughts from Patriarch Elijah
Reflection on Lk 24:46-47
Post date: 2026-03-29Autor: BCP
Who said these words and where? Jesus spoke them on Sunday evening when He appeared to the apostles gathered on Mount Zion. It was here that Jesus had celebrated the Last Supper three days earlier, on Thursday evening. The risen Jesus reminds the astonished apostles that He had foretold several times that He would suffer, but also rise from the dead on the third day. Only when this prophecy was fulfilled were the apostles’ eyes opened. Jesus goes on to say that repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations.
Losing our soul (life) for the sake of Jesus and the Annunciation
Post date: 2026-03-25Autor: BCP
When the Blessed Virgin said: “I am the bondslave of the Lord!”, the Spirit of God descended on her. How will an impossible thing become possible? The Holy Spirit will do it. Through the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Spirit, Jesus wants to live in us. How? He wants us to surrender our will to Him in all things. He wants us to give Him our all. He wants us to love God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strength. The essential thing needed to allow God to live in us, to allow Jesus to be incarnate in us, is the obedience of Mary: “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord!”
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Is 53:6)
Post date: 2026-03-22Autor: BCP
“All we like sheep have gone astray…” The first words are “all we”. That is, me, you, each of us. None of us can say: Not me. All we have gone astray. What does it mean? To go astray means not to know the way. When a child gets lost in the forest, they do not know the way back.
Repent immediately (video)
Post date: 2026-03-21Autor: BCP
Repent immediately. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Reflection on John 15:8
Post date: 2026-03-14Autor: BCP
By what will the Father be glorified? By our bearing much fruit. But we will not bear much fruit by engaging in many activities independently of God’s will. If we are independent of Jesus in our problems — that is, if we do not remain in Him and He in us, but remain only in our own will, our own ideas, and our own emotions — then we can only produce abundant confusion, which is of no benefit to the Kingdom of God. We can bear fruit only if we abide in Christ and are Christ’s disciples. But Jesus sets a condition for each of His disciples: “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that we must rid ourselves of the material means of life and the like. However, it is necessary that in every situation we renounce our own will, which refuses to submit to God’s will, and this is connected with a certain test of faith. The fruit that we then bear — spiritual fruit — remains for all eternity.
Lord, give me true zeal!
Post date: 2026-03-14Autor: BCP
Lord, how much suffering You have endured for my sake – scourging, crowning with thorns, the way of the cross, crucifixion! You shed all Your blood for me, You paid the price for me, You love me! And what am I doing for You and for the salvation of my soul? Lord, give me true zeal and help me to deny myself in particular situations, to take up my cross and to follow You.
Lent – a time of trials
Post date: 2026-03-13Autor: BCP
We pass through stages in our life which we could call Gethsemane or Calvary. Sometimes the attacks are concentrating from all sides, but we must persevere in pure faith and total surrender like the Mother of Jesus and our Mother by the cross. In the hour of darkness and in time of trial, let us stand by the cross and believe in the power of God. May you be buried into the death of Jesus in this Lenten period so that there will be nothing left – no wish or anything else of your own, and His new life, the life in dependence on the Father, shall be your new programme. May Jesus crucified and risen grant this to you!
Learn to be truthful before God (video)
Post date: 2026-03-12Autor: BCP
Learn to be truthful before God. + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Meditations on the Passion and the Way of the Cross
Post date: 2026-03-10Autor: BCP
Contemplating the Lord’s passion is an ancient tradition. It helps you realize more deeply what Jesus suffered for your sake. From this knowledge comes true respect, love and gratitude. It is recommended to contemplate the Lord’s passion especially on Thursday evening and Friday, the day of Christ’s redemptive suffering and death.
Prayer of St Ephraim
Post date: 2026-03-09Autor: BCP
St Ephraim’s prayer for Lent reads: “O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, of discouragement, of lust for power, and of vain speaking (vain thoughts and daydreams) give not unto me!” So the first problem is spiritual and physical idleness which leads to mental dullness, and the power that should be transformed into love is transformed into self-love, anger, self-pity, daydreams and unchaste thoughts and feelings. In this prayer, we pray for deliverance from idleness and three more spirits, namely: discouragement, lust for power or self-love, and vain speaking.
Reflection on Jn 15:5a
Post date: 2026-02-28Autor: BCP
In the parable of the vine, Jesus explains that those who believe in Him should remember to be united to Him. This is expressed in the words, ‘… abides in Me, and I in him’. The word ‘abide’ also indicates that being united to Jesus and His will is not enough in only a specific case. We must continue abiding in this spiritual union.
Two mighty eagle’s wings – PRAYER AND FASTING!
Post date: 2026-02-27Autor: BCP
God’s Word says: “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two mighty eagle’s wings to fly into the wilderness to her refuge…” (Rev 12:13-14)
Stop before God every time you sin (video)
Post date: 2026-02-20Autor: BCP
Stop before God every time you sin + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Where is the power of sin broken? (video)
Post date: 2026-02-17Autor: BCP
Where is the power of sin broken? + Elijah Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
Reflection on Phi 2:5.8
Post date: 2026-02-15Autor: BCP
What mind was in Christ Jesus? And therefore, what mind should be in us? Not the proud mind of the spirit of the world. Rather, Jesus humbled Himself and was obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. In what did His great humiliation consist? In this: Being in very nature God, co-equal with the Father, He made Himself nothing, humbled Himself and took on human nature. Jesus was obedient to the Heavenly Father also in that He accepted the means of our salvation – death on the cross.