Eastern Catholics celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday?

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Monica4316

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Hello, 🙂

You might know about Divine Mercy Sunday that will be celebrated in the Catholic Church on the 15th… this year, it is also the Eastern Catholic Easter. I usually celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday as well even though I’m Eastern Catholic, because I like the Divine Mercy devotion. The way you can celebrate that day is go to Confession and Communion (and there are other things you can do too, like venerate the Divine Mercy image, etc).

I’m wondering if there is anyone here who celebrates this feast day, though they are Eastern Catholic, and what do you do that day if it will be Easter for you, - do you just receive Communion in your Eastern Catholic church? 🙂

This Easter is kind of complicated for me because it combines 3 different liturgies: my family going to their Orthodox church, the Eastern Catholic liturgy, and the Divine Mercy Mass at a Roman Catholic church later on in the day. I was going to go to the Eastern Catholic liturgy, but I can’t get there without getting a ride and it’s at the same time as the Orthodox liturgy. So I don’t know if I would have a way to travel there, since my family would have the car and it’s in another city 😦 which is sad… so I was wondering, if you were in this situation, would you just go to the Divine Mercy Mass? (I’ll probably have transportation for that). Also, I’m wondering if anyone here celebrates the Divine Mercy feast day. And if you can, as an Eastern Catholic? thanks 🙂
 
We do not celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday - ever.

For us, every Sunday throughout the year celebrates Divine Mercy! 🙂

Alex
 
To put what Alex said another way, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday every Sunday;)
 
Monica4316 said:
Hello, 🙂

You might know about Divine Mercy Sunday that will be celebrated in the Catholic Church on the 15th… this year, it is also the Eastern Catholic Easter. I usually celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday as well even though I’m Eastern Catholic, because I like the Divine Mercy devotion. The way you can celebrate that day is go to Confession and Communion (and there are other things you can do too, like venerate the Divine Mercy image, etc).

I’m wondering if there is anyone here who celebrates this feast day, though they are Eastern Catholic, and what do you do that day if it will be Easter for you, - do you just receive Communion in your Eastern Catholic church? 🙂

This Easter is kind of complicated for me because it combines 3 different liturgies: my family going to their Orthodox church, the Eastern Catholic liturgy, and the Divine Mercy Mass at a Roman Catholic church later on in the day. I was going to go to the Eastern Catholic liturgy, but I can’t get there without getting a ride and it’s at the same time as the Orthodox liturgy. So I don’t know if I would have a way to travel there, since my family would have the car and it’s in another city 😦 which is sad… so I was wondering, if you were in this situation, would you just go to the Divine Mercy Mass? (I’ll probably have transportation for that). Also, I’m wondering if anyone here celebrates the Divine Mercy feast day. And if you can, as an Eastern Catholic? thanks 🙂
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I have been to a Divine Mercy prayer group on a weekday, and to a Divine Mercy Mass, and I am eastern Catholic. However, it is to be the Sunday after Easter. That translates to, for Byzantine, Thomas Sunday. Divine Mercy Sunday is part of the Roman Calendar not used by the Byzantines. It seems more in keeping with eastern traditions to worship with your eastern community, when possible, and use the appropriate calendar.

If your desire is to obtain a plenary indulgence through the Church, it is possible to have that with a half hour of devout reading of the scriptures (an approved text) plus the usual conditions for a plenary indulgence, or even the Akathist or suitable portion (such as occurs on the fifth Friday of Lent, or Akathist Saturday.
piercedhearts.org/treasures/devotions/other_prayers/akathistos.htm

Toparion of Thomas Sunday
Though the tomb had been sealed, O Life, from the grave you arose, O Christ our God. Though the door had been locked, you appeared among the disciples, O Resurrection of All. Through them you renewed an upright spirit in us according to your great mercy.
Kontakion of Thomas Sunday
With his probing right hand, Thomas searched your lifegiving side, O Christ our God. When you entered, although the doors were locked, he cried out to you with the other apostles: You are my Lord and my God.
 
Because Jesus specifically told Sister Faustina how he wanted Divine Mercy Sunday to be the Sunday after Easter, and he also wants us to follow our Church rules, that really puts you in a tough spot, doesnt it? Can you save enough for a cab ride? Or ask someone else who is planning on going to Divine Mercy Sunday mass to pick you up and you can chip in on gas? I would go to both if possible.
 
Monica4316 said:
Hello, 🙂

You might know about Divine Mercy Sunday that will be celebrated in the Catholic Church on the 15th… this year, it is also the Eastern Catholic Easter. I usually celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday as well even though I’m Eastern Catholic, because I like the Divine Mercy devotion. The way you can celebrate that day is go to Confession and Communion (and there are other things you can do too, like venerate the Divine Mercy image, etc).

This Easter is kind of complicated for me because it combines 3 different liturgies: my family going to their Orthodox church, the Eastern Catholic liturgy, and the Divine Mercy Mass at a Roman Catholic church later on in the day. I was going to go to the Eastern Catholic liturgy, but I can’t get there without getting a ride and it’s at the same time as the Orthodox liturgy. So I don’t know if I would have a way to travel there, since my family would have the car and it’s in another city 😦
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Unfortunately not all Eastern Catholic parishes celebrate Pascha on the old calendar. It’s nice the parish in your area does. Is your family going to the traditional Pascha service close to midnight on Sat. night 4/14? On Sunday morning 4/15 we won’t have any service in my parish and Russian Orthodox here won’t either. It would be nice to go to Orthodox Pascha Sat. night with your family. You can go to the Divine Mercy on Sunday in your Latin Church.

I’m sorry you haven’t been able to connect with people in the ECC parish who are able to give you a ride to those services. On the other hand it has seemed like you prefer the Roman Rite and there is no reason for you to go to an EC Church except if you want to do so. 🙂
 
Alexander_Roman said:
We do not celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday - ever.

For us, every Sunday throughout the year celebrates Divine Mercy! 🙂

Alex
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You know what the OP meant. In that sense, the Latin Church also celebrates divine mercy every Sunday and in fact at every daily mass… 😛
 
I’m wondering if anyone here celebrates the Divine Mercy feast day. And if you can, as an Eastern Catholic? thankshttp://www.spgames.info/g.gif
 
I’ve spoken with at least one EC, who has told me that he and a few others pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy in church after the liturgy.
 
tea1 said:
I’m wondering if anyone here celebrates the Divine Mercy feast day. And if you can, as an Eastern Catholic? thankshttp://www.spgames.info/g.gif
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Why would Eastern Catholics celebrate it - it’s not on the Calendar and the Sunday after Pascha for them is Thomas Sunday.

There is nothing to prevent them remembering it as a ** private** devotion though .
 
The_Idiot said:
Why would Eastern Catholics celebrate it - it’s not on the Calendar and the Sunday after Pascha for them is Thomas Sunday.

There is nothing to prevent them remembering it as a ** private** devotion though .
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Exactly - if an individual Eastern Christian has a private devotion to Divine Mercy there is no reason why they can’t take some time to pray the chaplet of divine mercy on the Latin Church’s Divine Mercy Sunday (more traditionally known as the Second Sunday of Easter) or even, as far as I know, obtain the indulgence associated with the day/devotion. For the Eastern Christian, it would be strictly a personal devotion and not a participation in the liturgical life of his or her particular Church.
 
The_Idiot said:
Why would Eastern Catholics celebrate it - it’s not on the Calendar and the Sunday after Pascha for them is Thomas Sunday.
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As I understand OP she is referring to the date the Divine Mercy falls on the Latin Church Calendar, April 14 this year, which would be our Pascha rather than Thomas Sunday.

The local UGCC prays the Stations of the Cross in their temple and pray the rosary out loud in the temple, not as a private devotion, so I would not be surprised to find they in someway celebrate Divine Mercy. This local UGCC does not follow the old calendar for Pascha, so for that parish Divine Mercy Sunday on the Latin calendar would fall, as you indicate, on Thomas Sunday for that ECC. However according to what OP writes here, the ECC near her and her parents Orthodox Church share the same calendar for Pascha, April 14…
 
The Sunday after Pascha is ALWAYS Thomas Sunday , whether it coincides with the Gregorian Calendar Easter or not.

I’m sure it has been discussed before about the importing of Latin devotions into the Eastern Catholic churches.

As I understand it the ECs have plenty of para liturgical devotions of their own which should be used rather than importing something , for which there is no objection for private use , but these imported Latin devotions should not be public ones.

Yes we are aware that many have come in in the past , but there is really no need to increase their number .

If the OP wishes to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday - then she should make up her mind whether she is an RC or an EC - mixing and matching leads to confusion - as she is well aware.
 
The_Idiot said:
If the OP wishes to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday - then she should make up her mind whether she is an RC or an EC - mixing and matching leads to confusion - as she is well aware.
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I concur. As we see this persistent advise to our OP hasn’t resulted in that happening. 🙂
 
5Loaves said:
I concur. As we see this persistent advise to our OP hasn’t resulted in that happening. 🙂
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Monica4316 said before that she is of the Russian Catholic Church. They do not have a jurisdiction in the USA. They are under the care of a bishop of the Latin or another Church sui iuris. That means she can use the Latin calendar. The feasts should be celebrated in a Catholic Church, unless morally impossible.

The CCEO states:

Canon 403
  1. With due regard for the right and obligation to preserve everywhere their own rite, lay persons have the right to participate actively in the liturgical celebrations of any Church sui iuris whatsoever, according to the norms of the liturgical books.
  2. If the necessity of the Church and genuine advantage so recommend, and when sacred ministers are lacking, certain functions of the sacred ministers may be committed to lay persons, according to the norms of law.
Canon 883
  1. The Christian faithful who are outside the territorial boundaries of their own Church sui iuris can adopt fully for themselves the feast days and days of penance which are in force where they are staying.
  2. In families in which the parents are enrolled in different Churches sui iuris, it is permitted to observe the norms of one or the other Church, in regard to feast days and days of penance.
 
Vico said:
Monica4316 said before that she is of the Russian Catholic Church. They do not have a jurisdiction in the USA. They are under the care of a bishop of the Latin or another Church sui iuris. That means she can use the Latin calendar. The feasts should be celebrated in a Catholic Church, unless morally impossible.
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Yep. Been down this road any number of times.
I believe my post suggested that she be in her Latin Parish for the Divine Mercy.
 
NHeath said:
Because Jesus specifically told Sister Faustina how he wanted Divine Mercy Sunday to be the Sunday after Easter, and he also wants us to follow our Church rules, that really puts you in a tough spot, doesnt it? Can you save enough for a cab ride? Or ask someone else who is planning on going to Divine Mercy Sunday mass to pick you up and you can chip in on gas? I would go to both if possible.
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Well, the Christian East celebrates Easter in accordance with what the early Church councils laid down in terms of the rules to calculate Easter. For example, Easter should always be after Passover. The Western Easter, this year, coincides with Passover - that would have been a no-no in the first millennium of the united Church’s life.

The feast of Divine Mercy is a liturgical feast in which the Pope, as head of the Latin Catholic Church in particular, followed the visions of St Faustina.

He did not impose it on the Eastern Churches as a liturgical feast (in fact, he could/would not). At no time did the Pope declare the visions of St Faustina to be an infallible addition to the Catholic faith in any way (nor could/would he).

There are feasts/practices in the Eastern Catholic Churches that are based on the private revelations of our Saints - yet they are not declared universal or to be imposed on others.

What Divine Mercy Sunday is for the Latin Church is something we already underscore in the East, especially devotion to the Blood and Water that flowed from the Wounded Side of Christ - this is well underlined in the Sunday Octoechos.

Alex
 
twf said:
You know what the OP meant. In that sense, the Latin Church also celebrates divine mercy every Sunday and in fact at every daily mass… 😛
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Yes - but why do Roman Catholics insist on wishing to impose their liturgical feasts (even those approved as private revelations) on Eastern Catholics? I’m not saying that this was a conscious determination - but the question suggests that there is something somehow lacking in us not celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday.

In fact, I’ve studied the life and revelations of St Faustina as an Eastern Catholic and I also know the Eastern liturgical tradition - those revelations are fulfilled completely within that tradition.

Our Lord addressed the Latin Church through an RC nun. Perhaps the Latin Church needs Divine Mercy Sunday to fulfill something that is lacking within its liturgical cycle? I don’t know.

I only know that the essence of the Divine Mercy devotion is part and parcel of our historic liturgical and paraliturgical legacy in the East.

Alex
 
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