Benjamin Cafeo | Archeparchy of Pittsburgh

Sixteen men came from all over the United States Nov. 1 to 3 to visit the Byzantine Catholic Seminary of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Pittsburgh for a discernment retreat accurately titled “Come and See.”

The idea behind the weekend was to help retreatants prayerfully discern God’s calling by living with the seminarians and getting a taste of the experience of seminary life. Retreatants came from the four Ruthenian eparchies — Pittsburgh, Passaic, Parma, and Phoenix — and the Melkite Eparchy of Newton.

I was one of the men to attend this great weekend of prayer and fraternity. Prayer formed the structure of the retreat with beautiful liturgical services, including Vespers, Compline, Festal Matins, Divine Liturgies, and 9th Hour, led by Fathers Will Rupp, Robert Pipta, and Joel Barstad. There were also short classes and talks led by various instructors who teach at the seminary, by spiritual directors of seminarians, and by the seminarians themselves.

Fraternity was also a significant part of the weekend. The seminarians were each assigned retreatants in order to mentor them. This provided for some very good spiritual conversations on discernment and life in general. Very enjoyable was an ice cream social where we and the seminarians were able to talk, play games, and have genuine human interaction, Continue reading →

	December 2023
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
					1 Nahum Nahum December 1, 2023 St. Nahum, Prophet. One of the Minor Prophets, lived in the seventh century B.C. He saw the fulfillment of his prophecy of the destruction of Nineveh. St. Filaret, the "Almsgiver" and St. Ananias, Martyr. See more details •	2 St. Habakkuk St. Habakkuk December 2, 2023 St. Habakkuk, one of the Twelve Minor Prophets, of the Tribe of Simeon, lived in the 5th century B.C. His relics were discovered in the reign of the Emperor Theodosius the Great about A.D. 379. See more details •
3 Zephaniah Zephaniah December 3, 2023 St. Zephaniah, Prophet, said to be of the Tribe of Simeon foretold the judgments of God upon Jerusalem, and the ultimate conversion of the Jews. He lived in the 7th century B.C. Our venerable father, Theodulus, was Prefect of Constantinople A.D. 320. See more details •	4 SS Barbara & John Damascene SS Barbara & John Damascene December 4, 2023 St. Barbara, Great-Martyr, endured death A.D. 290 during the reign of Diocletian and Maximianus, Emperors. Our venerable father, St. John Demascene, Doctor of the Church, born in Syria, educated by St. Comas, succeeded his father as the Caliph's Vizier. He distributed his possessions among the poor, retired to the monastery of St. Sabbas at Jerusalem. Laboring and writing much, he championed the Faith against the Iconoclast Emperor Leo the Isaurian, and was sentenced to have his right hand cut off. It was miraculously restored by the Theotokos. By him was composed the beautiful "Canon of the Resurrection." He lived to be 104 years old, died in the 2nd half of the 8th century A.D. (Between A.D. 750 - 780.) See more details •	5 St. Sabbas St. Sabbas December 5, 2023 Our venerable and divinely inspired father, St. Sabbas, Hegumen-Abbot. He rendered great service to the Eastern Church against the Eutychian heretics. He died at the age of 94 A.D. 532 in the reign of the Emperor Justinian the Great. See more details •	6 27th Sunday after Pentecost 27th Sunday after Pentecost December 6, 2023 Eph 6:10-17 Lk 13:10-17 See more details St. Nicholas of Myra St. Nicholas of Myra December 6, 2023 Born in Patara-Lycia in Asia Minor in the late 3rd century, our Holy Father Nicholas was ordained a priest at the age of 21 and led a simple life devoted to God and in service to the poor and needy. He later became Bishop of Myra in Lycia, and was a model of Christian living and leadership. Died 6 December 345. See more details • •	7 St. Ambrose St. Ambrose December 7, 2023 Our holy father, Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan, is one of the four great Doctors of the Western Church. He was a great exegete and orator, by whom St. Augustine was converted and baptized. He died A.D. 387. See more details •	8 Maternity of Holy Anna Maternity of Holy Anna December 8, 2023 The Eastern Church has celebrated this feast since the 6th century to commemorate the Conception of the Theotokos by St. Anna. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception (i.e., the preservation from the stain of original sin) was declared A.D. 1854. See more details •	9 St. Patapius St. Patapius December 9, 2023 Our venerable father, Patapius, was of Thebes, Egypt, lived as a Hermit in the suburbs of Constantinople. See more details •
10 SS Menas, Victor, & Vincent SS Menas, Victor, & Vincent December 10, 2023 SS. Menas, Victor, and Vincent, Martyrs, suffered martyrdom A.D. 296. St. Stephenida, Martyr, endured death A.D. 213. Our venerable father, Theodore Studite, Confessor, Hegumen-Abbot. He resisted the Iconoclast Emperor at Constantinople, was banished four times, and ended his days in exile, aged 80, A.D. 826. See more details •	11 St. Daniel the Stylite St. Daniel the Stylite December 11, 2023 Our venerable father, Daniel, Stylite, imitating St. Simeon in the mode of austere life, he spent 30 years on his pillar, miraculously healing many sick people. He died A.D. 492 at the age of 80. See more details •	12 Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe December 12, 2023 Guadalupe means "crusher of the serpent's head." Revered as the Patroness of the Americas, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego in December 1531, crushing the false gods of Mexico and offering faith, hope, and consolation to the oppressed. See more details •	13 Sunday of the Forefathers Sunday of the Forefathers December 13, 2023 Description: Col 3:4-11 Lk 14:16-24 See more details •	14 St. Thrysus & Others St. Thrysus & Others December 14, 2023 SS. Thrysus, Leucius, Philemon, Appollonius, Arianus, and Callinicus, Martyrs, suffered under the reign of Emperor Diocletian about A.D. 303. See more details •	15 St. Eleutherius St. Eleutherius December 15, 2023 St. Eleutherius, Bishop-Martyr, endured death A.D. 120 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Our venerable father, Paul of Latra, was a holy hermit in Greece, about A.D. 880 in the reign of Basil Macedo, Emperor. Father Stephen, Confessor, Abbot of Sodrozh. See more details •	16 Haggai Haggai December 16, 2023 St. Haggai, Prophet, the tenth of the Twelve Minor Prophets, is believed to have been born during the exile in Babylon, and that he lived to see the second temple 516 B.C. See more details •
17 St. Daniel St. Daniel December 17, 2023 St. Daniel, and the Three Youths, SS. Hannaniah, Azariah, and Mischael. Daniel is the Fourth of the Four Great Prophets. He died a centenarian in Persia in the 5th century B.C. The Three Youths were cast into the fiery furnace by the order of King Nebuchadnesar of Babylon but miraculously came out unscathed. (Dan. 3) See more details •	18 St. Sebastian & Others St. Sebastian & Others December 18, 2023 SS. Sebastian and Companions were put to death A.D. 292 during the reign of Diocletian, Emperor. See more details •	19 Saturday before Christmas Saturday before Christmas December 19, 2023 See more details St. Boniface St. Boniface December 19, 2023 St. Boniface, Martyr, put to death A.D. 290 in the reign of Diocletian, Emperor. See more details • •	20 St. Ignatius St. Ignatius December 20, 2023 St. Ignatius, "God-Bearer," Priest-Martyr Bishop at Antioch. (For his other Feast see January 29.) See more details Sunday Before Christmas - of the Ancestors Sunday Before Christmas - of the Ancestors December 20, 2023 Heb 11:9-10 & 32-40 Mt 1:1-25 See more details • •	21 St. Juliana St. Juliana December 21, 2023 St. Juliana, Virgin-Martyr from Nicomedia, was beheaded A.D. 306 in the reign of Maximinian, Emperor. See more details •	22 St. Anastasia St. Anastasia December 22, 2023 St. Anastasia, Venerable Martyr from Rome is said to have been a nun of the community presidedover by St. Sophia. She was brought before Probus during the persecution of Valerian, Emperor, and undergoing the most frightful tortures and outrages was beheaded A.D. 253. SS. Abram, Hermit of Edessa and Mary, his niece, died about A.D. 360. See more details •	23 Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete Ten Holy Martyrs of Crete December 23, 2023 SS. Ten Martyrs at Crete, suffered martyrdom under the Emperor Diocletian. See more details •
24 Vigil of Christmas - Eugenia Martyr Vigil of Christmas - Eugenia Martyr December 24, 2023 SS. Eugenia, Venerable Martyr, and her two slaves, Protus and Hyacinth, by whom she was converted to Christianity. She was put to death in prison at Rome on Christmas Day A.D. 257 in the reign of Valerian, Emperor. See more details •	25 Christmas - Birth of Our Lord Christmas - Birth of Our Lord December 25, 2023 Holy Day of Obligation Gal 4:4-7 Mt 2:1-12 See more details •	26 Synaxis of the Theotokos Synaxis of the Theotokos December 26, 2023 Synaxis of the Theotokos and St. Joseph, her Spouse. The flight of the holy Family into Egypt is commemorated this day. St. Joseph was the Foster-Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Beyond what we learn of him from Holy Scripture, the facts of his life are unknown to us. St. Euthymius, Priest-Martyr, Bishop of Sardis in Lydia. After repeated banishments for his opposition to the Iconoclasts he was scourged to death A.D. 840 under the Emperor Theophilus. See more details •	27 St. Stephen St. Stephen December 27, 2023 St. Stephen, Protomartyr, Apostle and Archdeacon, was the first of the Seven Deacons, and also the first of the Christian Martyrs. He was stoned to death A.D. 33 by the Jews (Acts 7.58). (For the other Feast Day see August 2.) Our venerable father and confessor, Theodore, brother of St. Theophanes, and composer of the Canons. For his opposition to the Iconoclasts, Theodore was imprisoned, where he died A.D. 842. See more details Sunday After Christmas; David, Joseph, & James Sunday After Christmas; David, Joseph, & James December 27, 2023 Gal 1:11-19 Mt 2:13-23 See more details • •	28 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia December 28, 2023 SS. 20,000 Martyrs in Nicomedia, who were burned to death in church on Christmas Day A.D. 286 during the reign of Diocletian and Maximian, Emperors. See more details •	29 The Holy Innocents The Holy Innocents December 29, 2023 The Holy Innocents, 14,000 in number, in Bethlehem and within the borders of Judea, put to death for Jesus Christ by the order of King Herod. Our venerable father, Marcellus, Hegumen-Abbot of the monastic order of the Acoemetes, so named because they recited their Divine Office day and night without interruption. He died about A.D. 485. See more details •	30 St. Anysia St. Anysia December 30, 2023 St. Anysia, a Christian woman, was arrested at Thessalonica when she entered the city to attend the meeting of the Faithful and was put to death A.D. 304 in the reign of the Emperor Maximian Galerius. Venerable Zoticus, a holy priest of Rome who went to Constantinople where he established hospitals and havens of refuge for poor A.D. 344. See more details •
31 Melany - Venerable Melany - Venerable December 31, 2023 Venerable, Melany, a Roman Lady, who with her husband sold their possessions, distributed the proceeds to the poor and went into monasteries. She died A.D. 439. See more details •

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Openness to God’s Will

December 2023