What can I expect at a Byzantine liturgy?

[Tabby]

My spiritual director is a Roman Catholic priest who is studying the liturgy of St. John Chrysostom so he can eventually become bi-ritual. He very much wants me to attend a Byzantine liturgy, just to experience it. He didn’t make it a matter of obedience, but I want to go ahead and do it if I can.

There’s a Byzantine Catholic church in my area, so that’s not a problem. I asked my spiritual director what to expect, and he said all I need to do is stand in the back and experience it – and there’s where my problem lies. I’ve heard that there is a lot more standing in Eastern divine liturgies than there is at Roman Catholic liturgies, and I have difficulty standing for long stretches of time. Will there be opportunity to sit if I need to?

Beyond that practical aspect, I’d like to know what else to expect. Are there any special courtesies I need to be aware of? What happens during Communion? I know that Communion is placed on the communicant’s tongue with a spoon, but what do I need to do to ensure that goes smoothly? Or should I refrain from receiving for the time being? (I know that I can receive Communion since this is a Catholic liturgy; but I wonder if it would be prudent to do so if I have never done so before at a Byzantine liturgy.)

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Nine_Two]

Feel free to sit when you need to. The only times you will be expected to stand will be the Lords Prayer, the Anaphora, and the Reading of the Gospel. I’ve probably missed a few, but just do what the rest of the congregation does. If there are people sitting at some point, you’re probably alright.

 

[Barbkw]

EWTN has a new series explaining the Eastern Church. I know that Fr. Mitch often talks about it as well.

 

[Cristiano]

Expect to chant quite a bit.

I am sure that there will be some kind person that will give you a brief introduction before the Divine Liturgy. Communion is offered through a spoon and you just need to open your mouth (do not stick your tongue out) tilt your head back and receive. When going to communion cross your arms on your chest.

Remember there is always a first time for everything!

 

[ConstantineTG]

Yup, just go. Sit towards the back, and follow everyone. Works for me everytime

 

[Barbkw]

Are the Orthodox in communion with Rome now?

If so, how can you tell which are and which aren’t? We have a Greek Orthodox Church in my town, but our priest has never mentioned that their church.

Thanks!

 

[Cristiano]

Are the Orthodox in communion with Rome now?

If so, how can you tell which are and which aren’t? We have a Greek Orthodox Church in my town, but our priest has never mentioned that their church.

Thanks!

The Orthodox are not in communion with Rome. However, Eastern Catholic Churches are in full communion with the Latin Church and the info for the ones present in your area should be available on your Diocesan web site or through your Diocese.

 

[Barbkw]

Ah, Eastern Catholic Church.

Thanks, I’m not at all up on how to tell the differences & what to look for, etc.

I taped that program on EWTN, but I can’t find the series titles on their website. Two priests sit side by side and talk about the Eastern Church. I’ll find the name of the program tonight and post later.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Are the Orthodox in communion with Rome now?

If so, how can you tell which are and which aren’t? We have a Greek Orthodox Church in my town, but our priest has never mentioned that their church.

Thanks!

Eastern Churches in Communion with Rome will always have “Catholic” in their names and never “Orthodox”.

So a Ukrainian Catholic Church is in communion with Rome, while a Ukrainian Orthodox Church is not.

 

[ConstantineTG]

The Orthodox are not in communion with Rome. However, Eastern Catholic Churches are in full communion with the Latin Church and the info for the ones present in your area should be available on your Diocesan web site or through your Diocese.

Sometimes it is not. Depends if the local Roman Diocese is in charge of the Eastern Rite parish or not. This happens where there is a concentration of migrants in an area with otherwise do not have members of the sui juris Church. For example, the Melkite and Chaldean Churches here in Vancouver share a parish with a Roman Rite parish who actually owns the building. They do not have an Eparchy here and while the priests in those parishes report to a Bishop in another Eparchy, they are also under, in some way, the Roman Diocese (maybe in administrative matters). But the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster has their own parishes, their own website. I don’t see the UGCC parishes listed on the Roman Archdiocese website, and vice versa.

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

The Orthodox are not in communion with Rome. However, Eastern Catholic Churches are in full communion with the Latin Church and the info for the ones present in your area should be available on your Diocesan web site or through your Diocese.

Information on the Eastern Catholic Churches isn’t always available through the local Latin Diocese (in fact, I’ve never seen it available) because the majority of Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S. have their own dioceses and hierarchy that do not fall under the jurisdiction of the local Latin hierarch. I can only think of two Eastern Catholic Churches (both following the Byzantine tradition) that fall under the local Latin hierarch here in the U.S., the Italo-Albanians and the Russians.

If you want to find a local Eastern Catholic or Oriental Catholic Church I suggest you check out the “find a parish” section of www.byzcath.org

I hope you enjoy your experience(s) among us Easterners. I don’t really suggest standing towards the back. I really think there’s no need to. But it does help if you have a friend at whatever parish you’re planning on visiting, just so that they can help guide you along. If there are Liturgy books in the pew, I strongly encourage you NOT to use them, otherwise you’ll spend more time flipping through the book trying to figure out what’s going on rather than paying attention to and soaking in the Divine Liturgy.

For me personally, Byzantine Liturgy has always felt completely natural. I remember the first time I went the deacon’s wife was surprised to find out that I wasn’t actually an Eastern Catholic and had never been to a Divine Liturgy. She basically said that I looked like I’d been going all my life.

ICXC + NIKA,
Phillip

 

[Barbkw]

Thank you for the reply.

*“So a Ukrainian Catholic Church is in communion with Rome, while a Ukrainian Orthodox Church is not.” *

That’s easy to remember then! Good It must say Catholic in the name.

I live in a small town - under 25,000 - so I don’t have opportunity to visit Ukranian Catholic Churchs, the way perhaps a person in a large city would.

However, there are churches that use the word catholic in their names, but they aren’t in communion with Rome (American Catholic Church).

It gets confusing.

 

[Phillip_Rolfes]

Sometimes it is not. Depends if the local Roman Diocese is in charge of the Eastern Rite parish or not. This happens where there is a concentration of migrants in an area with otherwise do not have members of the sui juris Church. For example, the Melkite and Chaldean Churches here in Vancouver share a parish with a Roman Rite parish who actually owns the building. They do not have an Eparchy here and while the priests in those parishes report to a Bishop in another Eparchy, they are also under, in some way, the Roman Diocese (maybe in administrative matters). But the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster has their own parishes, their own website. I don’t see the UGCC parishes listed on the Roman Archdiocese website, and vice versa.

The Melkites in your area are in no way under the Roman diocese, but they are very blessed that the Roman bishop permits them to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in one of his church buildings. Should they ever be fortunate enough, however, to obtain their own church building, then they would have no connection to the Latin hierarch at all. All of the Melkites in the United States belong to the Eparchy (i.e. Diocese) of Newton, based in Massachusetts. Similarly, all the Romanian Greek Catholics in the United States belong to the Romanian Eparchy of St. George, based in Canton, Ohio. The Ruthenians and Ukrainians divide up the entire United States into three or four different Eparchies, as do the Maronites I believe.

 

[GaryTaylor]

I’d like to hear the Byzantine liturgy. I’d like to see the inside of the church.

 

[ConstantineTG]

The Melkites in your area are in no way under the Roman diocese, but they are very blessed that the Roman bishop permits them to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in one of his church buildings. Should they ever be fortunate enough, however, to obtain their own church building, then they would have no connection to the Latin hierarch at all. All of the Melkites in the United States belong to the Eparchy (i.e. Diocese) of Newton, based in Massachusetts. Similarly, all the Romanian Greek Catholics in the United States belong to the Romanian Eparchy of St. George, based in Canton, Ohio. The Ruthenians and Ukrainians divide up the entire United States into three or four different Eparchies, as do the Maronites I believe.

I think what I meant to say was that liturgically and canonically they are not under the Roman Bishop, but perhaps administratively they are. There is some sort of guardianship role the Roman Archbishop takes over these smaller Eastern Churches in our diocese. They are not entirely under the Bishop but fall under him in some manner. I wish I could explain it further but I do not understand the relationship fully. But there is something as the Roman Archdiocese supports them.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I’d like to hear the Byzantine liturgy. I’d like to see the inside of the church.

There are tidbits on YouTube. The inside of their parishes are nice, especially those with Icons covering the walls and the ceilings.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Thank you for the reply.

*“So a Ukrainian Catholic Church is in communion with Rome, while a Ukrainian Orthodox Church is not.” *

That’s easy to remember then! Good It must say Catholic in the name.

I live in a small town - under 25,000 - so I don’t have opportunity to visit Ukranian Catholic Churchs, the way perhaps a person in a large city would.

However, there are churches that use the word catholic in their names, but they aren’t in communion with Rome (American Catholic Church).

It gets confusing.

Sadly a lot of breakaway groups use the name Catholic to confuse people. Its their only semblance of legitimacy, to continue calling themselves Catholic even if they have broken away from Rome. But these breakaway groups almost always used to follow the Latin Rite, and therefore their parishes are decorated as such. And thanks to the internet, we can do a fair bit of research with a parish before joining. So if you see a _____ Catholic parish, look it up on the internet first and see if they are a breakaway group or one that is in Communion with the Pope.

 

[5Loaves]

Welcome to the Eastern Catholicism section.

I’ve heard that there is a lot more standing in Eastern divine liturgies than there is at Roman Catholic liturgies, and I have difficulty standing for long stretches of time. Will there be opportunity to sit if I need to?..

Some ECC churches have pews… hopefully the one you go to won’t. All have some chairs and maybe benches around the walls for those who need to sit. The Divine Liturgy is much longer than a standard OF Holy Mass so do sit when you need to do so. And when the deacon (or without a deacon the priest) says “Let us conclude our prayers…” you can figure there’s still quite a ways to go before communion.

Beyond that practical aspect, I’d like to know what else to expect. Are there any special courtesies I need to be aware of? What happens during Communion?

If you look at the “find a parish” link Phillip gave you it lists parishes and their web site if they have one. The “find a parish” site is extremely well maintained and up to date.

Khouria Frederica Mathewes-Green wrote a piece some time back which many have found helpful: 12 Things I Wish I’d Known…. She’s Orthodox but our Divine Liturgy is the same. You mention there being Orthodox parishes in your community. You can certainly also go there for liturgies. If it’s the Divine Liturgy you just wouldn’t go up for Holy Eucharist. It’s still an opportunity to share in the Byzantine Liturgy. Most parishes now do have websites and often with calendars for EC and Orthodox because we celebrate at least the 12 main Feast Days (on the day of the week when they occur) and then other special Feast days, like the Feast day for the patron of the parish etc. Those are other times when you can go to liturgy, including the beautiful Festal vigils the night before the Feast Day. If the parish near you is an active one then they probably have vigil every Saturday night.

There are a number of threads here about going to DL for the first time. If you look back a ways you’ll find them.

My own suggestion is if they have a service book that you not follow along with it. As your spiritual director said, just "experience it ". There are a number of places where the choir or cantor will chant something which has a refrain that repeats after every verse, a little like the Prayers of the Faithful responses in the OF Mass. You can easily catch on to those and sing along with those.

The priest will use your name when giving you Holy Eucharist so just say your first name audibly when you come up. If you’ve met him or the deacon prior to Liturgy then they will likely remember your name.

P.S.

I taped that program on EWTN, but I can’t find the series titles on their website. Two priests sit side by side and talk about the Eastern Church. I’ll find the name of the program tonight and post later.

It’s Light of the East I haven’t seen it listed on the EWTN schedule but I landed on it a weeks ago late at night. It’s an old series they re-run especially during Lent and Advent. Very nice program.

 

[bkayw]

Hey thanks for posting about Light of the East.

People will have to set a timer, the show comes on 2:30 a.m. on Sunday. I’m unsure of how many episodes will be shown.

 

[Aramis]

Eastern Churches in Communion with Rome will always have “Catholic” in their names and never “Orthodox”.

So a Ukrainian Catholic Church is in communion with Rome, while a Ukrainian Orthodox Church is not.

Wrong. Melkite and Chaldean parishes don’t always state “Catholic.” Especially since their Orthodox parallels (Antiochian Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East) don’t use those terms.

I’ve seen photos of parish signs from both those that do not use Catholic, but do list their eparchy.