Belonging

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Big_Chris

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What is a person who is attracted to the rites and spirituality of the Eastern Church to do when there are no Byzantine-Catholic churches nearby?
 
Live the Eastern way of life anyway. Follow Eastern devotions and practice Eastern Spirituality.
 
Pray for discernment and seek guidance from a qualified person.
 
Big_Chris said:
What is a person who is attracted to the rites and spirituality of the Eastern Church to do when there are no Byzantine-Catholic churches nearby?
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“Truly charity has no limit; for the love of God has been poured into our hearts
by His Spirit dwelling in each one of us, calling us to a life of devotion and inviting us to bloom in the garden where He has planted and directing us to radiate the beauty and spread the fragrance of His Providence.”

–St Francis de Sales

Since there are no Byzantine Catholic Churches near you, continue to grow spiritually in your Roman Catholic Church. Meet with your priest or spiritual director to delve more deeply into the manifold spiritual traditions of the rite in which you currently belong.
 
Are you not, like Catholics, supposed to “Go (ye) into all the world?”
 
Brother_Art said:
Are you not, like Catholics, supposed to “Go (ye) into all the world?”
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Yes, that is the particular joy of being Catholic. That being said, though, even the apostles were geographically transplated to various regions and cultures of the world; likewise, the Spirit leads each of us to that which best suits our ability to seek relationship with God.

One problem that has continually daunted me during my spiritual journey is a sense of strong individualism and isolation. Not that there is an inability to relate or appreciate others’ spirituality nor the willingness to learn from others; rather, there is simply no support for a person with an Eastern orientation in parishes whose primary focus is, as to be expected, decidedly Western and “Roman.”
 
Big_Chris said:
Yes, that is the particular joy of being Catholic. That being said, though, even the apostles were geographically transplated to various regions and cultures of the world; likewise, the Spirit leads each of us to that which best suits our ability to seek relationship with God.
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It sounds like the Spirit has led you to place where there are no Byzantine Catholic Churches. Perhaps the Spirit has led you to an area that only has a Roman Catholic Church because that best suits your ability to seek relationship with God.
 
Splagchnizomai said:
“Truly charity has no limit; for the love of God has been poured into our hearts
by His Spirit dwelling in each one of us, calling us to a life of devotion and inviting us to bloom in the garden where He has planted and directing us to radiate the beauty and spread the fragrance of His Providence.”

–St Francis de Sales

Since there are no Byzantine Catholic Churches near you, continue to grow spiritually in your Roman Catholic Church. Meet with your priest or spiritual director to delve more deeply into the manifold spiritual traditions of the rite in which you currently belong.
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Excellent advice and if you have a good priest or spiritual director they will enable you to grow whichever way you ‘end-up’ growing 🙂
 
Big_Chris said:
One problem that has continually daunted me during my spiritual journey is a sense of strong individualism and isolation. Not that there is an inability to relate or appreciate others’ spirituality nor the willingness to learn from others; rather, there is simply no support for a person with an Eastern orientation in parishes whose primary focus is, as to be expected, decidedly Western and “Roman.”
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My brother has struggled with this most of his adult life. A “cradle” Byzantine, he has lived in the South most of his adult life in areas that have no EC churches or presence. It wasn’t until recently that a small mission parish was formed, and he is now rather involved in building that parish community. He has shared that this experience has been extraordinary, and the sense of community and connectedness he shares now with his fellow parishioners is like no other.

So, his drought is now coming to an end, but it was a long road over many years. He sustained himself in the interim by reading the works of the Eastern Church fathers and clinging to his treasured Orthodox Study Bible.

But how did this mission parish start up? Well, he had always attended local RC parishes, and my brother is a naturally sociable guy. So, as he got to know people at his newest parish (he’s moved a few times), it turns out there were several displaced ECs in the community. The pastor also knew a fellow priest, in retirement, who had bi-ritual faculties, and the rest was history. The new mission parish has been directly supported by the RC parish, in a terrific display of Catholic fidelity and charity.

So, you never know! God will reward you for your Catholic faith and your love of your inheritance of Eastern heritage.
 
Splagchnizomai said:
It sounds like the Spirit has led you to place where there are no Byzantine Catholic Churches. Perhaps the Spirit has led you to an area that only has a Roman Catholic Church because that best suits your ability to seek relationship with God.
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You’re right. I’m wasting energy by wishing to be somewhere other than where I currently am. It’s all in working with the circumstances I’ve been given.
ByzCathCantor said:
My brother has struggled with this most of his adult life. A “cradle” Byzantine, he has lived in the South most of his adult life in areas that have no EC churches or presence. It wasn’t until recently that a small mission parish was formed, and he is now rather involved in building that parish community. He has shared that this experience has been extraordinary, and the sense of community and connectedness he shares now with his fellow parishioners is like no other.

So, his drought is now coming to an end, but it was a long road over many years. He sustained himself in the interim by reading the works of the Eastern Church fathers and clinging to his treasured Orthodox Study Bible.
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I’m really glad to hear that about your brother. Where in the South is he? I’m actually from the Piedmont in North Carolina. There are some EC missions to the east of where I live, but with gas being as high as it is driving approx. 100+ miles one way to get to a Liturgy seems excessive no matter how great my desire.

Like your brother, I take consolation in my prayer, my Orthodox Study Bible, and in the great Eastern fathers and mystics. It is in these that I have found “home.”
 
rhiannonh said:
Excellent advice and if you have a good priest or spiritual director they will enable you to grow whichever way you ‘end-up’ growing 🙂
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Yes, it is good advice. What’s that old saying…“Blossom where you’re planted”? Or something like that…😉

In Christ,
Jeff
 
MrPip said:
Yes, it is good advice. What’s that old saying…“Blossom where you’re planted”? Or something like that…😉

In Christ,
Jeff
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I think someone mentioned it in post #4 of this thread. 😛
 
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