"Low" Orthodox liturgies?

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FabiusMaximus

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I have a question for some of our Orthodox friends.

In Catholicism, I’ve noticed that some Masses are not sung at all (or just a little bit), and that there is no incense, not much that you would see from a more solemn liturgy.

Does that occur in the Orthodox Church at all? I’ve attended a divine liturgy on a number of occasions, but I’ve never seen anything like that. The liturgy was always all sung (except for the homily of course). Have I perhaps just never experienced it?
 
FabiusMaximus said:
I have a question for some of our Orthodox friends.

In Catholicism, I’ve noticed that some Masses are not sung at all (or just a little bit), and that there is no incense, not much that you would see from a more solemn liturgy.

Does that occur in the Orthodox Church at all? I’ve attended a divine liturgy on a number of occasions, but I’ve never seen anything like that. The liturgy was always all sung (except for the homily of course). Have I perhaps just never experienced it?
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No, no such thing. Although, in addition to the sermon, sometimes the Our Father & The Creed are spoken, just depends on the parish. Our local GOC has recently instituted interactive sermons. The sermon topic is announced in advance to give the laity the oopportunity to submit questions which are answered in the sermon.
 
I’m aware of a Parish that didn’t (past tense) use incense or candles, but that was because they lacked their own building, and the insurance regulations of the one they were using didn’t allow them. They had to get a special dispensation, and were required to be looking for a place where they could use incense and candles (which they eventually found).

Outside of the prayer before communion, and the three "amen"s at the tail end of the anaphora, everything the laity says is sung.

Outside of those very specific circumstances, I don’t think you’d find anything close to a “low” service.
 
Thank you all for your answers, it’s been very helpful.

I wonder why they exist in Catholicism?
 
i’ve been a member of two parishes. both of them sing sometimes but not always. both only use incense on special occasions. for that i am grateful because i really dislike incence.
 
I wonder why they exist in Catholicism?
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It may be a matter of Eastern vs. Roman rite. I’d imagine that what FabiusMaximus mentioned wouldn’t happen in a Byzantine Catholic Liturgy.
 
donna369 said:
i’ve been a member of two parishes. both of them sing sometimes but not always. both only use incense on special occasions. for that i am grateful because i really dislike incence.
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You must be talking about Roman Catholic Liturgies. Orthodox Liturgies always sing everything, and always have incense (barring the aforementioned extenuating circumstances)
 
FabiusMaximus said:
I have a question for some of our Orthodox friends.

In Catholicism, I’ve noticed that some Masses are not sung at all (or just a little bit), and that there is no incense, not much that you would see from a more solemn liturgy.

Does that occur in the Orthodox Church at all? I’ve attended a divine liturgy on a number of occasions, but I’ve never seen anything like that. The liturgy was always all sung (except for the homily of course). Have I perhaps just never experienced it?
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If the people who are supposed to sing doesn’t show up and the people who are there aren’t willing to sing, then what else can we do? It does happen in smaller parishes and where there is less active participation. It is not the ideal and most certainly it is the exception to the rule.
 
ConstantineTG said:
If the people who are supposed to sing doesn’t show up and the people who are there aren’t willing to sing, then what else can we do? It does happen in smaller parishes and where there is less active participation. It is not the ideal and most certainly it is the exception to the rule.
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I think the only time that would be a real issue is in a parish that doesn’t have a full time priest, in which case most of the time the services aren’t going to be proper Divine Liturgies so it isn’t as big of an issue.
 
Nine_Two said:
I think the only time that would be a real issue is in a parish that doesn’t have a full time priest, in which case most of the time the services aren’t going to be proper Divine Liturgies so it isn’t as big of an issue.
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It usually happens with parishes that have low membership.
 
Would the answer to this question change if it were posed about Western Rite Orthodoxy?

+Pax
 
jwinch2 said:
Would the answer to this question change if it were posed about Western Rite Orthodoxy?

+Pax
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I don’t think they will deviate from the norm. And at this point I don’t think any Western Rite parishes are having issues with membership and finding choir members.
 
ConstantineTG said:
If the people who are supposed to sing doesn’t show up and the people who are there aren’t willing to sing, then what else can we do? It does happen in smaller parishes and where there is less active participation. It is not the ideal and most certainly it is the exception to the rule.
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In my experience, this literally never happens. They would sooner have somebody intone all of the hymns like an epistle reading than have them done spoken.
 
ConstantineTG said:
I don’t think they will deviate from the norm. And at this point I don’t think any Western Rite parishes are having issues with membership and finding choir members.
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I think he meant regarding Western Rite parishes having a Low Mass or not.

And I’ll leave that question to someone that knows more about their services.
 
ConstantineTG said:
If the people who are supposed to sing doesn’t show up and the people who are there aren’t willing to sing, then what else can we do? It does happen in smaller parishes and where there is less active participation. It is not the ideal and most certainly it is the exception to the rule.
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That happens in my parish occasionally, especially at non-Sunday liturgies. We sing anyway, although I’m not sure what comes from our mouths (and hearts) would be recognizable to an outside ear as singing.
 
jwinch2 said:
Would the answer to this question change if it were posed about Western Rite Orthodoxy?

+Pax
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I’m not an expert on Western Rite Orthodoxy, but I would assume no. There are two approved liturgies for the Western Rite (last I checked), one based off a High Anglican service, the other based off the Tridentine Mass.
 
ConstantineTG said:
It usually happens with parishes that have low membership.
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Yes, but I’m thinking those smaller parishes probably don’t have a full time, so they are likely to be prepared when a priest does come out. If the people are there and absolutely refuse to respond to the priest appropriately in a Divine Liturgy, I would assume it would be cancelled.
 
neokarny said:
I think he meant regarding Western Rite parishes having a Low Mass or not.

And I’ll leave that question to someone that knows more about their services.
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If I recall correctly, I went to a Western Rite Antiochian Orthodox Church for a liturgy that was missing some parts of the music due to the weather circumstances (Father thought no one would come for Liturgy).

I do not know if that would be a “low” or “middle” Mass, but it contained less than a typical Liturgy proper.

Oh, I wish I remembered it better… In any case I did enjoy being among those 30, 50 people in that small brick chapel…
 
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