(Death, Heaven, Purgatory, Hell)
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
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WHAT'S AN EASTERN RITE CATHOLIC?
Perhaps the easiest way to learn more about Eastern Rite Catholics is to attend a Divine Liturgy (which the Romans call 'The Mass') in one of their churches. Plan to attend an Eastern Rite liturgy some Sunday morning with someone who has already experienced one. You can readily learn from your CATHOLIC DIRECTORY or from any Catholic priest (presumably) whether or not your hometown does have any Eastern Catholic Church. In fact, your local telephone book often proves to be the most readily available helpful source - you can usually find us listed there under "CHURCHES," sometimes under Catholic, Byzantine Catholic, Ukrainaian Catholic, Maronite Catholic, often under Roman Catholic, but almost always with the qualifier which will inform you that it is of a different rite than the Roman. Often, too, you can find it under "CLERGYMEN" in the yellow pages.
Don't worry about satisfying your Sunday obligation. That will be fulfilled (and quite *amply* so!), for the Liturgy you attend, dependong on the liturgical season, may last anywhere from one hour to two. Of course the length of the sermon as well as the number of those who receive Holy Communion will also alter the length of the service. According to the Old Code of Canon Law (I haven't yet looked up the proper canons in the New Code), *any* Catholic may fulfill the Sunday obligation by being present at *any* Catholic Liturgy (Canon 1249: "Legi de audiendo Sacro satisfacit qui Missae adest quocunque ritu celebretur." 'He satisfies the law of hearing Mass (see Canon 1248) who is present at Mass celebrated in any Catholic rite.)
Some parishes and schools have adopted the practice of inviting an EAstern Rite Catholic priest to celebrate the Divine Liturgy according to his own rite, but in your own church or parish hall or school. Not many, not many at all. But *some*. I know of Diocesan Directors of Ecumenical Affairs who have NOT invited any Eastern Catholic priests to anything but an occasional meeting, and who have never so much as set foot in a neighboring Catholic church's doors - but who consider themselves "devoted" to "ecumenism." While the practice is certainly laudable, and ought to be far more widespread than it is, still it does not provide the full benefits that you will derive from experiencing the Divine Liturgy in a church designed for its special needs and surrounded by a congregation accustomed to the ritual and participating vigorously in it.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
For example, let us say that you have chosen to participate in the Divine Liturgy of a Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic Church. Perhaps the very first difference you will notice as you enter the church is that nobody genuflects. Instead, everyone makes (or is *supposed* to make) a profound bow (i.e., a deep bow from the waist, with the hand extended nearly touching the floor), followed by the Sign of the Cross with the right hand touching the right shoulder before the left. Genuflection was a Roman custom...a Roman *military* custom. It was a way for an armed soldier to present himself to his military superiors in a position which made it virtually impossible for him to attack his superior. It was the way that a Roman approached his "Imperator," his "General" (for that is what "Imperator" means, in Latin), his "Caesar." In the East, however, one acknowledged (and still does) royalty by a profound and reverential bow. Thus, before entering a pew, or before taking one's place in the body of the Church, one stands before the Blessed Sacrament and expresses one's belief in the Real Presence of the King of the Universe, the Prince of Peace, by making just that precise gesture of reverence toward royalty.
Most members of the parish will then move to a small table, called a "tetrapod" (Greek = "four-footed") or "analogion" (Greek = "similarity," for its likeness to the main altar), which is placed fifteen or twenty feet in front of the altar on which one will find a crucifix, a hand cross, two candles and an icon, usually of Christ, the Blessed Mother, the patron of the parish church, the Holy Angels, or one proper to the season of the year, as at Christmas, Epiphany and Easter. The parishioner will kiss the hand cross and the icon with reverence.
In an Eastern Rite Church it is at or near this little altar that all the sacraments are adminstered. Here infants are baptized, marriages will take place, the anointing of the sick is carried out. The Main Altar is reserved for the Offering of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and for this alone. There are no side altars in the nave of the Church - only in the sanctuary are there side altars, and they are used for the preparation of the Divine Liturgy. When more than one priest wishes to celebrate the Divine Mysteries, he joins the principal celebrant and CON-celebrates. This has been the custom of the Eastern Church since time immemorial.
Between the tetrapod and the altar stands an icon screen or an "iconostasis" (Greek for "icon stand"). The iconostasis is a partition separating the altar area from the body of the Church. Three sets of doors opening into the altar area, and are used frequently during the services. Thus, when you first enter an Eastern Rite church, you normally do not see the altar, rather you see the iconostasis which will extend entirely across the front of the sanctuary, and often from floor to ceiling, though it is becoming more common in the United States to use what is called a "half" or "three-quarter" iconostasis. On the icon screen are icons (images) of Christ, the Blessed Mother, the patron saint of the parish, St. Nicholas (the patron saint of my rite), the Last Supper, the Archangel Michael or St. John Chrysostom (the author of one of the liturgies celebrated). Some icon screens are plain and simple in design, others are highly ornate.
The doors of the icon screen will usually be closed at this time, unless it is the period between Easter and the Ascension. But you can hear quite well all that's happening in the sanctuary area. It is at this time that the celebrant, standing at a side altar behind the iconostasis, prepares the bread and wine that will be used in this liturgy. When he has completed his preparatory prayers, the central doors of the iconostasis are opened, revealing the altar. When the steeple bells ring, the congregation stands. Acolytes garbed in ornate robes bow with reverence as they enter the sanctuary, and their garments are quite similar to the vestments worn by deacons and subdeacons at a RomanRite Mass prior to Vatican II.
The principal celebrant will then incense in sequence the Main Altar, the icons, and then the congregation - some priests process up and back down the main aisle incensing the congregation as they go.
With the opening ceremonies completed, the priest will begin the Divine Liturgy by standing on the "Amvon," the area immediately before the central doors, bowing three times and reciting silently the opening prayers of repentance and reconciliation with the Lord, and as soon as he has mounted the dias on which stands the Main Altar, the Liturgy will begin. Sometimes the language will be English, sometimes Old Slavonic, the mother tongue to all the current modern Slavic tongues, sometimes French, German, Spanish - even Chinese, Japanese and American Eskimo. It is the tradition of the Eastern Church to use whatever language is understood by the congregation. In this context, Old Slavonic *is* a "vernacular" language, since many Americans still speak and understand Slavic tongues, and Old Slavonic is no more alien to them than Shakespearean English is to modern English-speakers.
From time to time during the services all the attendants behind the iconostasis will march in solemn procession around the altar. On one occasion, this procession takes place just prior to the reading of the Holy Gospel. The symbolism behind the ceremony is significant in all cases. The Body of the Church symbolizes the Home of God's People. When the Book of the Gospels, The Word of God, is held aloft by the celebrant and carried in procession around the altar and then out into the body of the church, the faithful reverence the book by kissing it, if there are any close enough to it. In symbolic form, God's Word has come forth from God's home to circulate among God's people for their sanctification.
For many centuries Roman Catholics were accusomed to maintaining an almost tomb-like silence at the moment of consecration. Today, however, after the changes introduced by Vatican II, the words of consecration are recited or sung aloud in a clear and penetrating voice. Eastern Rite celebrants, on the other hand, have *always* sung the words of consecration aloud, after which the congregation sings its own affirming "Amen," expressing their own faith and belief in the Real Presence, and their willing choice to participate in the renewal of Christ's Eucharistic Sacrifice.
At this moment you will notice that there is no kneeling, nor any genuflecting - but again another of those solemnly profound bows, possibly even a complete prostration on the floor before the main altar by the celebrant(s). You will witness an "Elevation," but differently from the Roman Rite, since the Eastern Rite celebrant elevates both species simultaneously instead of individually, while holding his arms crossed as he holds both chalice and paten.
You should have noticed by now that the congregation, not the choir, is singing the entire liturgy - and usually without the benefit of any missals, hymn books or any musical accompaniment whatever. Choir practice is usually unknown in most Eastern Rite parishes, since few have a choir - but the entire congregation, including the children, kinow the words of the entire liturgy by heart. Only a cantor uses a sort of missal, since it is his duty to sing those parts of the liturgy which are specific to the day, usually called the "proper" of the day or season, as he will the Epistle. If you are at all musically inclined, the singing alone will reward you quite abundantly for the efforts you may take to participate in the Liturgy. If you feel the urge to join in - even with a harmony rather than the single monotonic chant - feel free to do so. Many others will be singing melodic lines intended to harmonize, even though most cannot read a note of music.
As the congregation takes up the full-volumed singing of the Lord's Prayer, in whatever language it may be taken, you might settle back for a few moments, secure for once in the familiarity of old and familiar territory. "Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done..." You know the familiar words yourself by heart. But as you conclude your prayer with "Amen" you might find yourself surprised, for the priest will continue with a doxology "For Thine is the Kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever." And *then* will come the "Amen." Don't be misled. Many will have thought that that doxology is particularly Protestant - it is not. It is a doxology that has been in use with the Eastern Churches a thousand years before Martin Luther was born.
When you prepare to receive Holy Communion (which you *should* do if you are a Catholic), you may wish to make special note of the proper manner followed by many Eastern Churches. Generally, you will receive in a STANDING position, rather than kneeling, with your arms folded over your breast, instead of folded, fingers pointing upward. The reason is simple - you will be receiving under both species, and the priest will hold both chalice and paten close to you, with the paten under your chin. Your hands, unless they *are* folded crosswise over your chest, will simply get in the way, and possibly spill some of the Sacred Species. So make a special attempt NOT to "fold your hands." Then, open your mouth widely, but comfortably, and tilt your head back. DO NOT EXTEND YOUR TONGUE. The reason is again, the fact that you will be receiving under both species - i.e., a cube of consecrated bread soaked in the consecrated wine will be placed in your mouth with a golden spoon. If you stick out your tongue, the cube will have a tendency to roll, and can easily fall to the floor; also, sticking out your tongue increases the chances of the spoon touching your mouth - and it is not proper that should happen. Above all do NOT CLOSE YOUR MOUTH UPON THE SPOON! I have seen some who have treated it like a popsicle. Perhaps it's the idea that they're not going to miss even a *drop* of the wine - but RESIST! Keep your tongue inside your mouth! Besides, just think how embarrassed you'd be if the priest stuck his tongue out right back at you! You will find it necessary to *chew* the Host - but you shouldn't really feel awkward about that; sometimes Roman Catholics feel it is 'sinful' to let the Host touch one's teeth. It is emphatically NOT SO.
In Eastern Rite churches elsewhere than in the United States, you might find yourself surprised to find that the bread was baked by the pastor's wife (I bake my own), and that one or two of his sons were the acolytes, while perhaps a daughter or two was singing with the choir (if there was one). Romans will then *surely* wonder if these people are REALLY Catholic! I assure you, they are.
If you were inclined to follow up your first experiences with the Eastern Church, you'd have still more surprises. In most of our churches, there will not be a set of the Stations of the Cross. Some will not have confessionals. Devotions such as the recitation of the Rosary and the observance of First Friday will be strictly *private* devotions, instead of the quasi-liturgical observances they have become in the West. Among the Feast Days listed on the calendar, you'll find feast days you've never *heard* of: The Dormition of the Blessed Mother, the Commemoration of the Three Holy Bishops, St. Nicholas the Thaumaturge, The Sunday of Orthodoxy, the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers, St. Elias the Prophet, St. Gregory Martyr Demeter. You would also find fast days and fasting regulations unheard of and unknown to you and your Roman Catholic friends.
Courtesy of Catholic Information Network (CIN)