Going to a Melkite liturgy

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Trebor135

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Hi all,

I intend to go to a Melkite liturgy tomorrow morning for the first time. Because I’m fully blind and–at least as of this moment–will be on my own, I’d like to ask for your advice.
  1. In general, what should I expect from the liturgy and the people? I would imagine that the average respondent to a questionnaire would describe the Latin Catholic Mass as “boring” (which I don’t mind!) and Catholic parishioners as “unfriendly and distant”.
2a) How much sitting, standing, bowing, and crossing of oneself will typically take place?

2b) What points during the liturgy should I particularly make sure to do one of the above?
  1. Any other comments are welcome.
I’m going to look into finding someone to accompany or meet me there, but would like to be fully prepared.
 
Trebor135 said:
2a) How much sitting, standing, bowing, and crossing of oneself will typically take place
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Traditionally, eastern churches don’t have pews so in theory you’ll stand all the time. Bowing probably won’t happen on sundays.
 
Cavaradossi said:
Credo ergo sum;9057867:
Traditionally, eastern churches don’t have pews so in theory you’ll stand all the time. Bowing probably won’t happen on sundays.
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In practice, this is often not true in America.
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And even where it is true there are normally seats along the walls to accommodate the aged and infirm, etc, who are physically unable to stand the whole while.
 
I would also let someone in the parish know that you’re coming. They could help you by explaining to you what will happen before the DL.
 
Trebor135,

You can expect acceptance because the Melkites are group oriented. There is much singing and many liturgical responses. There is a lot of standing, and you can stand the entire time, yet sitting at the homily. Crossing is at every mention of the Holy Trinity. Bowing occurs at the consecration, and many also make a bow conjoined with the crossing at the mention of the Holy Trinity, with just the crossing when being given a blessing.

Communion is given by spoon, both the Body and Blood of Christ. The mouth is held open, tilted up, do not close on the spoon and you do not say Amen. There is a prayer said prior to communion that is the affirmation.

You will likely hear English, Arabic, and Greek.
 
Vico said:
Trebor135,

You can expect acceptance because the Melkites are group oriented. There is much singing and many liturgical responses. There is a lot of standing, and you can stand the entire time, yet sitting at the homily. Crossing is at every mention of the Holy Trinity. Bowing occurs at the consecration, and many also make a bow conjoined with the crossing at the mention of the Holy Trinity, with just the crossing when being given a blessing.

Communion is given by spoon, both the Body and Blood of Christ. The mouth is held open, tilted up, do not close on the spoon and you do not say Amen. There is a prayer said prior to communion that is the affirmation.

You will likely hear English, Arabic, and Greek.
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I’m quite certian that the Melkites do not use a spoon - that is a Slavic practice. I’ve been to a couple Melkite liturgies and the priest placed the body and blood of Our Lord directly into my mouth with his fingers.
 
Vico said:
Trebor135,

You can expect acceptance because the Melkites are group oriented. There is much singing and many liturgical responses. There is a lot of standing, and you can stand the entire time, yet sitting at the homily. Crossing is at every mention of the Holy Trinity. Bowing occurs at the consecration, and many also make a bow conjoined with the crossing at the mention of the Holy Trinity, with just the crossing when being given a blessing.

Communion is given by spoon, both the Body and Blood of Christ. The mouth is held open, tilted up, do not close on the spoon and you do not say Amen. There is a prayer said prior to communion that is the affirmation.

You will likely hear English, Arabic, and Greek.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this very useful information. Since I’m still discerning between (Eastern) Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, I’m not able to receive communion. What should I do? (Latins will cross their arms diagonally over their chest; would Melkites do something else?)
 
twf said:
Vico;9058084:
Communion is given by spoon, both the Body and Blood of Christ. The mouth is held open, tilted up, do not close on the spoon and you do not say Amen. There is a prayer said prior to communion that is the affirmation.
Click to expand...
I’m quite certian that the Melkites do not use a spoon - that is a Slavic practice. I’ve been to a couple Melkite liturgies and the priest placed the body and blood of Our Lord directly into my mouth with his fingers.
Click to expand...
IIRC, the Melkites abandoned the use of the spoon quite some years ago. There was a particular reason for doing so which I do not recall. Maybe Phillip or Ghosty have a better idea. However and AFAIK, the spoon is used by the AOC and the GOC, so I wouldn’t say that it’s peculiar to the Slav Byzantines.
 
malphono said:
However and AFAIK, the spoon is used by the AOC and the GOC, so I wouldn’t say that it’s peculiar to the Slav Byzantines.
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And the Maronites, as I’ve read.

Edit: Also, which church does “Syro-Maronite (‘old style’)”–what you have under the “Religion” field–refer to…?
 
malphono said:
IIRC, the Melkites abandoned the use of the spoon quite some years ago. There was a particular reason for doing so which I do not recall. Maybe Phillip or Ghosty have a better idea. However and AFAIK, the spoon is used by the AOC and the GOC, so I wouldn’t say that it’s peculiar to the Slav Byzantines.
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In general you are correct. The Melkites no longer use the spoon for intinction. I forget the reasons. I do believe, however, that there are some Melkite parishes here and there that have restored the practice. 🙂
 
Trebor135 said:
And the Maronites, as I’ve read.
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No, the Maronites do not use the spoon. We haven’t for a great many centuries. The same is true of the Chaldeans and, I think, of the Armenians. The SCC doesn’t use it either, but I believe the SOC still does. I don’t know the practice in the ACoE (I don’t think they do, but I’m not sure), nor am I familiar with the custom in the Alexandrene Churches.
Trebor135 said:
Edit: Also, which church does “Syro-Maronite (‘old style’)”–what you have under the “Religion” field–refer to…?
Click to expand...
Just what it says. 🙂
 
twf said:
I’m quite certian that the Melkites do not use a spoon - that is a Slavic practice. I’ve been to a couple Melkite liturgies and the priest placed the body and blood of Our Lord directly into my mouth with his fingers.
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Sorry, I should have said that either spoon or intinction, because it varies from what one Melkite told me. I have only been to a concelebrated Divine Liturgy with the Melkites.
 
malphono said:
No, the Maronites do not use the spoon. We haven’t for a great many centuries. The same is true of the Chaldeans and, I think, of the Armenians. The SCC doesn’t use it either, but I believe the SOC still does. I don’t know the practice in the ACoE (I don’t think they do, but I’m not sure), nor am I familiar with the custom in the Alexandrene Churches.
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Ahh, thanks for explaining.
Just what it says. 🙂
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I’m still puzzled. What is the difference between the Maronites and the Syro-Maronites? And how is your Syro-Maronite faith “old style” as opposed to (I would imagine) “new style”? 🙂
 
Trebor135 said:
Ahh, thanks for explaining.

I’m still puzzled. What is the difference between the Maronites and the Syro-Maronites? And how is your Syro-Maronite faith “old style” as opposed to (I would imagine) “new style”? 🙂
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The Maronite Church has, their own tradition maintains, never been out of communion with Rome. For centuries, they were arguably the only Eastern Church with any significant numbers in communion with the Latin Church. For this reason, the Maronite Church is heavily latinized. The Maronite rite is a branch of the Syriac tradition (together with the West Syriac and East Syriac or Chaldean rites), but its liturgy today has many elements borrowed from the West which are completely foreign to the Syriac patrimony. Likewise, the private devotional life of most Maronites contains many Latin elements. Malphono, it seems, strives for a more traditional Syriac spirituality.

That being said, I don’t think the Oriental Orthodox are as hesitant to adopt devotions or practices from the Latins as the Eastern/Byzantine Orthodox are. I hear that in the Coptic Orthodox Church, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is common. I visited an Armenian Orthodox temple once and it was full of what looked like Renaissance era Latin iconography/paintings and stain glass windows.
 
twf said:
That being said, I don’t think the Oriental Orthodox are as hesitant to adopt devotions or practices from the Latins as the Eastern/Byzantine Orthodox are. I hear that in the Coptic Orthodox Church, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is common. I visited an Armenian Orthodox temple once and it was full of what looked like Renaissance era Latin iconography/paintings and stain glass windows.
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Coptic Catholic or Orthodox?
 
John_of_Patmos said:
Coptic Catholic or Orthodox?
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Mardukm can probably confirm, but I understood Orthodox. The Latin Church has drawn much from the East over the centuries and vice versa. It seems to me that the Oriental Orthodox are OK with organic Latinizations in certain areas of their spiritual life just as we Latins are totally fine with organic Hellenizations… the integrity of our unique patrimonies must be maintained, of course, but that doesn’t mean we can’t share - especially at the level of personal devotion.
 
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