Attending Oriental Orthodox Mass: any pointers?

[Episcopalian]

I’m going to be attending an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahando Mass in a few weeks and I’m trying to get the “lay of the land” with my online research.

I have their Missal, which I’m slowly reading through, and it doesn’t seem all that much different than an a full blown Easter Vigil Mass?

Aside from going through the long process of mapping it out by comparing sections of the Ethiopian Missal to the Roman Missal or Anglican BCP, I’d ask here to see if there’s anything that might be useful to know off the bat.

I’m well versed in the Catholic Ordinary Form of the Mass and Rite II of the Episcopalian High and Low Masses, if that helps?

Figured this would be a great place to move forward!

 

[Salibi]

Don’t approach the priest for communion. The Ethiopian Orthodox practice closed communion.

You probably already know this, but just in case.

 

[CapitalistCatholic]

It’s not Mass. There’s a name for it I can’t remember. When you go, please not to approach the priest for communion, as you should not receive communion at a “sexual age” I hear. I might be wrong though.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Plus the person is not Orthodox. They will not want to give him Communion to my knowledge.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

It’s not Mass. There’s a name for it I can’t remember. When you go, please not to approach the priest for communion, as you should not receive communion at a “sexual age” I hear. I might be wrong though.

http://www.eotc.faithweb.com/liturgy.htm

This is a fascinating article. I think the term you are looking for is kidase. It is a Eucharistic liturgy, they just don’t call it “Mass”.

Their “sexual age” restriction reminds me of something I once heard about the Russian Orthodox (may have been Old Believers) from way back in the day, not today. If an unmarried man would approach the priest for communion, people would be scandalized, as they could not comprehend how a single man could possibly be chaste.