That's It I"m Becoming Eastern Catholic

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' post='1628642' date='Aug 16 2008, 02:17 AM']Oh, ok. I think I misunderstood.
I thought they meant an Ordinary Form mass that happened to be in an Eastern Catholic building.[/quote]

Mass is called "Divine Liturgy" or "Sacred Mysteries" in the Eastern Rites. I went to Sacred Mysteries at a Maronite Rite parish.

Haha, in fact, the building is actually an old Protestant church. They've made it very beautiful, but you can see in the pews the holders for Protestant communion wine/grape juice.

[abercius24]

I'd choose to be an Eastern Catholic if not for one reason: Eastern Catholics do not have Eucharistic Adoration. I love you "East Lung"-ers, but you're truly missing out on this Western priveledge!

Edited August 16, 2008 by abercius24

[Apotheoun]

Eastern Christians adore the Eucharistic elements during the divine liturgy, which is the universal tradition of both East and West dating back to the first millennium.

Para-liturgical private devotions have never been allowed to replace the divine liturgy (i.e., the Eucharistic Liturgy and the Liturgy of the Hours) in the East.

[abercius24]

But there is something very wonderful about being able to visit the Lord in Adoration when I need Him. Like when I was struggling with anger after a family member died, it was nice to be able to calm my anger in the middle of the night at the local adoration chapel. Mass (Divine Liturgy) is clearly necessary, but Eucharistic Adoration is an extrememly merciful extension thereof that I could never do without.

Edited August 16, 2008 by abercius24

[Apotheoun]

The Eucharist is reserved in the artophorion behind the iconostasis in every Eastern Church, and -- of course -- people are free to come to the temple and pray at any hour. That said, for Eastern Christians adoration is not about looking at the Eucharist; instead, adoration is accomplished by consuming the Eucharist and becoming one with the risen Lord.

Edited August 16, 2008 by Apotheoun

[Archaeology cat]

Hmm, can't find a single Eastern Catholic parish in my city. There are some in neighbouring cities, though.

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='abercius24' post='1628686' date='Aug 16 2008, 05:40 AM']I'd choose to be an Eastern Catholic if not for one reason: Eastern Catholics do not have Eucharistic Adoration. I love you "East Lung"-ers, but you're truly missing out on this Western priveledge![/quote]

I do not know if this is unique to the Maronite Rite in the East, or just the particular parish I went to... but they have Eucharistic Adoration for an hour on Sunday mornings.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' post='1628817' date='Aug 16 2008, 09:42 AM']I do not know if this is unique to the Maronite Rite in the East, or just the particular parish I went to... but they have Eucharistic Adoration for an hour on Sunday mornings.[/quote]
Sadly, the Maronites have been heavily Latinized over the centuries, and exposition of the Eucharistic elements is one example of that problem within that particular Church.

That said, even some of the Byzantine Catholic Churches (e.g., the Ukrainians) have had Eucharistic exposition, but that type of para-liturgical service and many other things (e.g., delaying chrismation and first communion to the age of reason, celibate parish priests, stations of the cross, use of musical instruments during the divine liturgy, statues, the rosary, etc.), which are contrary to our tradition, have been or are in the process of being suppressed as Latinizations.

[mortify]

Latinization is a good thing

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='mortify' post='1629422' date='Aug 16 2008, 11:23 PM']Latinization is a good thing[/quote]
Uh oh.
*hides*

[picchick]

[quote name='mortify' post='1629422' date='Aug 17 2008, 12:23 AM']Latinization is a good thing[/quote]

No it isn't necessarily.

Each rite has their tradition. Just because the Eastern Rite is not the Latin rite does not mean that it is a lower form or that it is wrong or that it is lesser in the eyes of God. It would be like saying that it is a good thing to "Easternize" the Latin Rite. This is not necessarily right either. Each rite has rich histories that cannot be erased.

Edited August 17, 2008 by picchick

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='picchick' post='1629445' date='Aug 17 2008, 01:55 AM']No it isn't necessarily.

Each rite has their tradition. Just because the Eastern Rite is not the Latin rite does not mean that it is a lower form or that it is wrong or that it is lesser in the eyes of God. It would be like saying that it is a good thing to "Easternize" the Latin Rite. This is not necessarily right either. Each rite has rich histories that cannot be erased.[/quote]

Agreed.

[Nihil Obstat]

Ooh, he got off lucky.

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='mortify' post='1629422' date='Aug 16 2008, 10:23 PM']Latinization is a good thing[/quote]
In the past that was held to be the case, but happily those days are over.

[abercius24]

[quote name='mortify' post='1629422' date='Aug 17 2008, 12:23 AM']Latinization is a good thing[/quote]

Latinization -- meaning the Eastern Rite abandoning its own traditions and replacing them with Western traditions -- is very dangerous for the Church as a whole. As John Paul II said, the Church breathes with 2 lungs -- the Eastern Church and the Western Church. The Eastern Church has a perspective and approach to the faith that would leave us incomplete historically, ecumenically and theologically if they were to abandone their tradition. And in fact, that danger has been very real in the last 100 years. No, Eastern Churches must control any overriding influences Western tradition may have on their Eastern tradition.

As far as us Westerners learning more of the East, I believe there is a lot of good there. I do not believe there is a real risk of Westerners abandoning their own tradition and replacing it with the East. Instead, I believe a modest approach to the Eastern tradition can strenghten a Western Catholic's faith and widen their perspective of how great God's work in the Church really is! I know my study of Eastern theology has made my Western understanding much more expansive and complete.