Hello, my Eastern brothers and sisters! I sometimes attend a Catholic apologetics group at my college that is organized by the local Byzantine Catholic Church. I never knew much about the Eastern churches, and I really respect how much Eastern rite Catholics know about their faith and their rich traditions. I have a few questions. First of all, our local church says that they are Byzantine and part of the Ruthenian Church. My first question is, what does this mean? What does Byzantine refer to, and what does Ruthenian refer to? Also, I found that at the Divine liturgy there is no reading from the Old Testament. Why is this? Finally, I would like to attend this church, but I have no idea what the responses are to the things the priest says and proper etiquette in Eastern rite-churches. I believe this church in my city uses the Divine liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and I tried to look this up, but I have found many different versions of this Divine liturgy online. Is there a website that uses the version that this church will most likely use, or at least a sort of missal that is in the pews like at a Roman Mass? Any help would be appreciated.
First of all, our local church says that they are Byzantine and part of the Ruthenian Church. My first question is, what does this mean? What does Byzantine refer to, and what does Ruthenian refer to
“Byzantine” refers to the
rite, and “Ruthenian” refers to the particular
Church. A rite is the collection of liturgical and spiritual practices (including all the liturgical prayers, calendar, fasting practices, etc…), while a particular , or autonomous (sui juris) Church is the hierarchy and people who share a particular rite, canons, theological tradition, etc… (please, all, excuse the rough definitions). There are many Churches in the Catholic communion that use the Byzantine rite, including the Ruthenian Church, Melikte Church, Ukranian Church, Russian Church, etc… The Ruthenian (or perhaps more properly, Carpatho-Rusyn) Church stems from an area in eastern Europe spanning the modern national boundaries of Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia. The Ruthenian Church in the US is an autonomous metropolitan Church headed by a Metropolitan Archbishop in Pittsburgh.
Also, I found that at the Divine liturgy there is no reading from the Old Testament. Why is this?
While there is no reading from the OT in the Divine Liturgy, there are OT readings in the Divine Office, and it is much more common in the Byzantine rite for parishes to serve Vespers, Matins, etc… So parishioners who attend the full cycle of services will also hear OT readings. Why this is, I would have to leave to liturgical scholars to answer. Remember, though, that the before the Novus Ordo in the Latin Rite, there was also only an Epistle, but no OT reading in the Mass.
Finally, I would like to attend this church, but I have no idea what the responses are to the things the priest says and proper etiquette in Eastern rite-churches. I believe this church in my city uses the Divine liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and I tried to look this up, but I have found many different versions of this Divine liturgy online. Is there a website that uses the version that this church will most likely use, or at least a sort of missal that is in the pews like at a Roman Mass? Any help would be appreciated
If it’s a Ruthenian parish, it will use the DL here:
metropolitancantorinstitute.org/Publications2.html
Don’t worry about learning responses and etiquette beforehand. Just go, listen, watch, pray, and immerse yourself in the liturgy.
