Questions for eastern Catholics

[RyanJPII]

A few questions from a RC interested in eastern Catholicism.

1. Why don’t EC celebrate Divine Liturgy everyday like RC celebrate mass everyday?
2. Why don’t EC practice Eucharistic adoration?
3. Do EC practice liturgy of the hours? If so, is there a breviary for lay people?

 

[peter26]

I’m not an Eastern, but I’d suggest the longer fasting requirements may be at least a partial answer to number 1.

 

[Thomas48]

A few questions from a RC interested in eastern Catholicism.

1. Why don’t EC celebrate Divine Liturgy everyday like RC celebrate mass everyday?
2. Why don’t EC practice Eucharistic adoration?
3. Do EC practice liturgy of the hours? If so, is there a breviary for lay people?

1. The Holy Qurbana is offered a few times a week at my parish and other Syro Malabar parishes that have the resources/population need.
2. There is Eucharistic Adoration every Sunday after the children’s Qurbana.
3. This is a copy of the Syro Malabar Liturgy of the Hours (A breviary is offered during the service):
   nasranifoundation.org/books/pdf/DivinePraisesinAramaicTradition.pdf

 

[Augustine]

A few questions from a RC interested in eastern Catholicism.

Not an Easterner… yet. Here are my responses based on my anecdotal findings.

1. Why don’t EC celebrate Divine Liturgy everyday like RC celebrate mass everyday?

Though not as common a practice as in the West, which was evangelized mostly by monks, who do celebrate mass daily, it’s more common in larger parishes. Smaller parishes find it difficult to achieve quorum for daily liturgies.

1. Why don’t EC practice Eucharistic adoration?

It is a primarily Western custom and rather recent, but one that obviously enjoys universal appeal. See #1 why not daily.

1. Do EC practice liturgy of the hours? If so, is there a breviary for lay people?

Yes, especially among their religious. Here’s the Maronite breviary: maronitefaith.com

Pax Christi

 

[Vico]

A few questions from a RC interested in eastern Catholicism.

1. Why don’t EC celebrate Divine Liturgy everyday like RC celebrate mass everyday?
2. Why don’t EC practice Eucharistic adoration?
3. Do EC practice liturgy of the hours? If so, is there a breviary for lay people?

Eastern Catholics fall into several traditions with different practices. For the west, Eucharistic Adoration developed in the 11th century, and for the Byzantine east did not develop because the sacred is veiled in that tradition, and also there was no challenge to the belief that the true Body and Blood were received. Vespers and Matins (or Orthros) are the norm, in addition to the Divine Liturgy or Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

The liturgy of the hours for Byzantine is called the Divine Praises. Monasteries may use all the hours, but generally only Vespers and Matins (or Orthros) are celebrated in a parish. There are prayer books available for private use, and also the Jesus Prayer.

Byzantine penance includes certain aliturgical periods (no Eucharist).

 

[5Loaves]

I’m not an Eastern, but I’d suggest the longer fasting requirements may be at least a partial answer to number 1.

Fasting is the reason why most EC, and most Orthodox, parishes don’t celebrate Divine Liturgy everyday. In addition to not eating or drinking from midnight until after receiving Eucharist, we also fast from marital relations before receiving Eucharist, and in the case of a priest, before celebrating the Liturgy. It’s our tradition that parish priests are married men. We would not want them to be always abstaining from normal relations with their wives. Of course during the great Fasts we do abstain for a long time. Monks, and bishops are celibate clergy. You will find daily Divine Liturgy in most monasteries.

During Great Lent it is prohibited to celebrate Divine Liturgy on weekdays, except the Feast of the Annunciation. Instead the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is offered, in parishes typically on Wednesdays and Fridays.