How can I expose myself more to Eastern Catholicism when there are no parishes near me?

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misheru

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Hello everyone! I was raised in the Latin tradition and continue to mainly participate in Latin churches today. Unfortunately I am growing tired of the liturgy, particularly the music and the habit of turning mass into a party (in my opinion) rather than something more solemn.

There are not Eastern parishes where I live, but there are Orthodox parishes; I visited an OCA parish for a couple services and their divine liturgy and loved it. It is worlds away from how it is in the Latin church. Later I attended a divine liturgy in a byzantine Catholic parish in another city and also really liked it. I would do whatever to be able to continue attending divine liturgy, but obviously I am not allowed to receive the Eucharist in the Orthodox parish.

So what can I do to be a part of the Eastern tradition? I wish I could learn how to chant like they do in the OCA parish and chant my liturgy of the hours etc; if I could do this at home at least it would be good until I maybe might have the fortune to live in a place with an Eastern parish nearby; although it doesn’t look to good with a future in the military.

Anybody else who has been in my position? Thanks!
 
Before you throw in the towel on the Latin Rite, have you tried the FSSP or diocesan parishes offering both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Mass? You might need to travel a bit to find such a parish but it sounds like you might be willing to do that anyways and it’s well worth the trip. I was never really in your position but I came to recognize the sorts of things you’re complaining about only after I happened to start attending the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.
 
Although I belong to an eastern rite, I am fortunate to be exposed to liturgies of both my mother rite and the Latin rite. As my MOW (Ministry of the Word) professor used to say, “Latin rite is rich in celebration and Eastern rite in worship!”.

But I don’t know whether one should pick and choose. I feel that one should be loyal to one’s official parish/diocese and try and build up the local christian community by contributing one’s time/talents/resources. Whilst the vertical dimension (me and God) is important, we should not neglect the horizontal dimension (me and my parish community); for after all, in times of need, it’s your immediate co-parishioner who is going to come to your aid, rather than someone from a distant place.

Just a different thought…
 
afthomercy said:
…But I don’t know whether one should pick and choose. I feel that one should be loyal to one’s official parish/diocese and try and build up the local christian community by contributing one’s time/talents/resources. Whilst the vertical dimension (me and God) is important, we should not neglect the horizontal dimension (me and my parish community); for after all, in times of need, it’s your immediate co-parishioner who is going to come to your aid, rather than someone from a distant place…
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I agree with this, though I have to say that I wouldn’t have been able to have learned what I have in the way of the Church’s sacred music had I not joined the schola of another parish. Maybe eventually when I feel I know the the music well enough, I’ll be able to sing what I’ve learned in my own parish.
 
misheru said:
Hello everyone! I was raised in the Latin tradition and continue to mainly participate in Latin churches today. Unfortunately I am growing tired of the liturgy, particularly the music and the habit of turning mass into a party (in my opinion) rather than something more solemn.

There are not Eastern parishes where I live, but there are Orthodox parishes; I visited an OCA parish for a couple services and their divine liturgy and loved it. It is worlds away from how it is in the Latin church. Later I attended a divine liturgy in a byzantine Catholic parish in another city and also really liked it. I would do whatever to be able to continue attending divine liturgy, but obviously I am not allowed to receive the Eucharist in the Orthodox parish.

So what can I do to be a part of the Eastern tradition? I wish I could learn how to chant like they do in the OCA parish and chant my liturgy of the hours etc; if I could do this at home at least it would be good until I maybe might have the fortune to live in a place with an Eastern parish nearby; although it doesn’t look to good with a future in the military.

Anybody else who has been in my position? Thanks!
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Here’s a good source: byzcath.org/
 
Here is something you might enjoy watching, Byzantine Liturgy at St. Peter’s in Rome with Blessed John Paul II presiding.The Divine Liturgy to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Union of Brest, with Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky, and the episcopate and priests of Ucrainian Catholic Church of the byzantine rite.
Choir: United ucrainian choirs
Conductor: Zinovij Demtsiukh and Oleg Cyhylyk

St Peter’s Basilica
7 July 1996

youtube.com/watch?v=m-KGcgViPEI
👍
 
Greg1963 said:
That is not entirely true. It is up to the local authorities [since there is NO Magisterium (as in the Latin Rite].
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I mean that I am not allowed to receive the Eucharist at my Orthodox Chuch of America parish (not a Eastern Catholic parish); they don’t allow it unless I convert.
 
Greg1963 said:
That is not entirely true. It is up to the local authorities [since there is NO Magisterium (as in the Latin Rite].
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Actually you are gravely wrong. We have Rules about Who can and can not receive the Mysteries, and I can assure you that it is totally impossible for a non Orthodox Christian to receive the Eucharist. Until the Bishops agree about the reunification of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, No Roman Catholic or Eastern Catholic or Oriental Orthodox are able to receive the Orthodox Mysteries, except in grave cases, like if a Coptic or Ethiopian Orthodox Christian is too far away from their own Church, then our Bishops have given economia for them to receive the Eucharist, but under no circumstances are Roman or Eastern Catholics allowed to receive. :eek::eek:
 
misheru said:
but obviously I am not allowed to receive the Eucharist in the Orthodox parish.
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True.

But let me point out (for whatever it’s worth) that even if you were instead visiting, say, a parish of the PNCC, which does allow Roman Catholics to receive, Roman canon law would only permit you to receive in an emergency where no Catholic (ICWR) parish were available. (For anyone unfamiliar with the PNCC, it is a small Church which broke away from Rome a bit more than a century ago.)
 
Robertwilliam said:
Actually you are gravely wrong. We have Rules about Who can and can not receive the Mysteries, and I can assure you that it is totally impossible for a non Orthodox Christian to receive the Eucharist. Until the Bishops agree about the reunification of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, No Roman Catholic or Eastern Catholic or Oriental Orthodox are able to receive the Orthodox Mysteries, except in grave cases, like if a Coptic or Ethiopian Orthodox Christian is too far away from their own Church, then our Bishops have given economia for them to receive the Eucharist, but under no circumstances are Roman or Eastern Catholics allowed to receive. :eek::eek:
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Except the circumstance where all the Antiochians, Syriacs and Melkites are allowed to receive in each other’s Church with permission. Also the Syriacs and Armenians allowed to commune Romans and Eastern Catholics.
 
Robertwilliam said:
Actually you are gravely wrong. We have Rules about Who can and can not receive the Mysteries, and I can assure you that it is totally impossible for a non Orthodox Christian to receive the Eucharist. Until the Bishops agree about the reunification of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, No Roman Catholic or Eastern Catholic or Oriental Orthodox are able to receive the Orthodox Mysteries, except in grave cases, like if a Coptic or Ethiopian Orthodox Christian is too far away from their own Church, then our Bishops have given economia for them to receive the Eucharist, but under no circumstances are Roman or Eastern Catholics allowed to receive. :eek::eek:
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Not completely impossible. My friend received the Eucharist from a Greek Orthodox priest once. The priest knew my friend is Catholic.
 
misheru said:
Unfortunately I am growing tired of the liturgy, particularly the music and the habit of turning mass into a party (in my opinion) rather than something more solemn.
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While Catholics have the right to fully participate in the liturgies of any of the Eastern Catholic (not Catholic Orthodox) Divine Liturgies, I take exception to the phrases “tired of the Liturgy,” wherein we receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord into our very mouths.

The irony at the heart of this is that the Eastern Catholic liturgical rites are very, very sensual: sight, music, scents, etc.

If you are looking for a new style of sacred worship, you are welcome to of course, attend and participate. But: “tired of the Liturgy” makes it sound as if you’re overly focused on the trappings and not on the miracle itself.
 
Miserissima said:
While Catholics have the right to fully participate in the liturgies of any of the Eastern Catholic (not Catholic Orthodox) Divine Liturgies, I take exception to the phrases “tired of the Liturgy,” wherein we receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord into our very mouths.

The irony at the heart of this is that the Eastern Catholic liturgical rites are very, very sensual: sight, music, scents, etc.

If you are looking for a new style of sacred worship, you are welcome to of course, attend and participate. But: “tired of the Liturgy” makes it sound as if you’re overly focused on the trappings and not on the miracle itself.
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There’s a difference between not having a liking for the liturgy and being indifferent about the Eucharist. They’re separate things. The Eucharist is not the liturgy or vice versa. I think it is important that services where the Eucharist is served be solemn and respectful; which seems to be the norm in Orthodox churches. If anything they might even be a little too long for most people.

Furthermore, that sort of worship was the original and traditional sort of worship in the church; it was only centuries after it was used that the current sort of mass came into place. If we’re going to say liturgy is unimportant because te important thing is the Eucharist, then we might as well just walk into the parish office once a week and take communion and leave since the liturgy and the worship is not that important.
 
misheru, if by “expose yourself to Eastern Catholicism” you mean liturgy then I have nothing to offer other than to say that Eastern/Western Catholicism is defined by way more than just their respective liturgies.

If however, you are truly looking for a way to deepen your relationship with God and are interested in eastern spirituality, I can recommend reading some of the Early Desert Fathers and looking towards monasticism. I write this as a Roman Catholic who has particularly enjoyed:

Following the Footsteps of the Invisible by Diadochus of Photice with forward by Cliff Ermatinger

books.google.com/books/content?id=Yj72EAyDLG4C&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&edge=curl&imgtk=AFLRE72fYuO3u4r61wwKKZhwj35TnDrv6Hk563MKjbl7I6z-yXwgqgPdDK3rzpKW6E_oL9EOezGf0Lmi_HhSr_L7KF54I7v_geUlDT1hOp2W_5QFXYLJajFEMnSguHHz5Pb8f0oQo0xC

Evagrius Of Pontus: Talking Back - A Handbook for Combating Demons

http://www.cistercianpublications.org/Handlers/ResizeImageHandler.ashx?ImageUrl=~%2FContent%2FSite143%2FProductImages%2F9780879073299.jpg&Width=180

You can read Hesichaus the Priest: On Watchfullness and Holiness online. This has been a great help to me during times of temptation.

Opinions will be divided on reading the entire Philokalia without a spiritual director. I own volume 1 and find parts of it fascinating.

books.google.com/books/content?id=8ViqQ6qYSjIC&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&edge=curl&imgtk=AFLRE71oHvOi83YTY8fYZ6iqDfRM3EsFCThL-12Ypdi_z48BCtK5zFAOmaH_qcDZerH7Szt6XRdokmjSLuHoQq504a9Ox1699_oErSRJw4AEd61HiHoHnuEyP6wQ1_q9IKXk6q3h9XfQ

You might also look toward developing a practice around the Jesus prayer and perhaps even the Rule of St. Pachomius. Many in this forum will be able to guide you if you ask.

All of these have deepened my relationship with God in very real ways.

-Tim-
 
*SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU!

I noticed a number of references to “OCA” in this post/question, and thought it meaningful to remind that “OCA” members - for the most part - are Byzantine Catholics that have left the Byzantine Church - for what ever reason - starting with “The Great Confusion” shortly after we started arriving in North America. Byzantine - Orthodox Divine Liturgies are essentially the same.*
 
For: Peter J -
“Confused”? No,just relating a fact of history, and one of it’s consequences today.
Perhaps you are not totally aware of our history and some of the not so “nice” experiences in coming to N. America - particularly with our Latin “Brothers” at the time.

In any case, it is what it is – regardless of what we would like it to be.

SLAVA YEHO!
 
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