www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Hi! I'm new here....

Thank you all so much for your kind welcome and very helpful information.....

The link to Byzantines.net is especially helpful for finding written descriptions of the Liturgy...for copies of the liturgicalprayers and all.....

By the way, I really like the remark that the counterpart of our 4-volume Liturgy of the Hours is a monestary...you must have many different daily prayers, or different ways of arranging them ...ours sort of repeat after a 4 week cycle, except for feast days etc....even so, it takes years to learn to do it "just right"

Thanks again

Another good source to check out the ordinary parts of the Office is here:

http://www.saintjonah.org/services/horologion.htm

Both versions, with a Priest or without are given. Browse the site, and there are sections on private prayers, as well as other liturgical material.

UIC, Fr. John Whiteford has compiled several on-line resources (in addition to his WONDERFUL Horologion mentioned above) at http://pages.prodigy.net/frjohnwhiteford/services.htm

In the Byzantine tradition we have eight Hours (Vespers, Compline, Midnight Office, Matins, First, Third, Sixth and Ninth). There is also an office prayed in the place of the Divine Liturgy called the Typika.

The Monks of New Skete also have some on-line prayer resources at http://www.ogreatmystery.com/res/

Just a word, the Byzantine horologion is much more intricate and elaborate than the Latin. If you are considering praying an hour, take an hour a day, perhaps Compline, Midnight Office or one of the Little Hours, and become familiar with that as they are mcuh simpler than Matins or Vespers and more suited for a single reader.

Then you can set up an icon corner, with icons, oil lamp, hand censer and all that good Byzantine stuff in your home...

We bark sometimes, but we don't bite. Welcome aboard and may the Holy Spirit guide your discernment.

Dear Unity in Christ,

Welcome to the Forum from another learner from the West here. I echoe Paul's words:

"You are with a good bunch of people.

God bless you,"

Steve

Hello,

I'm also new here... I've been attending a Byzantine rite church for almost a year now, and really love it!

I heard about this forum from an online friend (LADYHAWKE), and came to check it out. :-)

I look forward to talking with you and others here.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Welcome SaintClare, I love the Byzantine church too! Warts and all!!

Michael, that sinner

Glory forever!

Thanks for the welcome, Michael... it's so nice to finally find a forum like this! I and an Greek Orthodox online friend created "Eastern Christianity" forum, but it's very inactive.

I'm planning on *offically* changing rites, but according to the chancery I have to wait two more years before starting the process.

Where is it written that one must wait two years before initiating the process of "changing rites"? And what is the starting point of the two years? Incognitus

I think you will need to get back to who ever told you that you will need to wait 2 years for an answer to that question. I personally waited for nearly 5-6 yrs before I made the change. In those days it was done via Rome. However, I do think it is good to take time over the formal move as i know a man here in Australia who changed rites and in my opinion it was mistake as he had only been going to a Byzantine church for a few months and now does not go there at all. He also had no knowledge of even the basics of the Byzantine Rite but no one ever asked him what he knew and the PP was not even consulted in the move.

I'm not sure... I e-mailed the priest of the other Byzantine rite church in the Tampa are (St. Therese)-- he oversees both St. Therese and St. Anne (my parish). Anyway, he wrote back that he contacted the chancery and according to the rules, I have to be a parishoner of St. Anne for three years before I can officially change rites-- and I've been attending St. Anne for almost a year, so I have two more to go. Don't know if this is a Eparchy of Passaic rule or what....

Maybe this is a good thing, though.. that way people don't change rites without having to think it through carefully.

Taking one's time with important decisions is certainly desirable. Whether it's desirable for some anonymous bureaucrat to give himself the right to hold up the works without reference to the person most concerned is rather a different question, particularly since the "rule" mentioned has no basis in canon law. Incognitus

It DOES seem as if the process is unnecesarily difficult and complicated; you have to have your baptismal certificate (the ORIGINAL, no copies). It's a tad stupid.

Changing rites is serious business....I think it is wise to make people wait until they have had plenty of time to think it all through sufficiently....

Let's say you are changing to a rite that has stricter fasting rules, prayers in a foreign language, and numerous cultural differences...it shouldn't be "change on a whim" or someone might ask to change back again when they tire of the novelty....the Church isn't looking for rite-hopping Catholics.

After all, if it was that easy, then some "less popular" rites might die out before anyone took a second look.

I'm Latin Rite....and no matter how much I learn about the East, I intend to stay here....if we all moved over to the East, then who would inform the West about the existance, beauty, and wonder of the East....I want to be a bridge, not just hop over the stream....

If I were you, I'd go ahead and wait in peace...after all, you are a Catholic, whatever rite you are in. The West is not better than the East, nor the East than the West...even if one is more appealing than the other...

Hey Unity,

I appreciate the advice... I am indeed being patient (after all, what other choice do I have?) :rolleyes:

I do think it's good to ask people to wait... but I think a year would be suffifient time; three is a little ridiculous, I think.

Even though I can't *officially* change rites yet, I consider myself a Byzantine. You're right though, the Eastern rites have their own "issues", no one's perfect.

I still love the West, though I am increasingly disturbed by the liberal modernist garbage and outright heresy that has infiltrated the Roman church for the past forty years.. couldn't take it anymore, and since I've been fascinated and drawn to the beauty of icons and Eastern worship, I decided to try going to a Byzantine church... well, I did, and am never going back. And I'm taking as many Latins with me as I can!