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I was baptized and raised a Roman Catholic and last Sunday I attended for the first time a Divine Liturgy at an Eastern Rite Church. I was mainly interested in the differences between the celebrations of the Mass and the Divine Liturgy. Was I in for a surprise as I had absolutely no idea of what to expect. The church members knew I was a visitor, recognized me as such and welcomed me openly, making me want to learn more. I must say I was enchanted by the whole experience. Can anyone suggest some good books to allow me to learn more of the Divine Liturgy and Eastern Rite Catholicism? Thank you so much in advance for the kind replies that I expect to receive.

Michael,

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Welcome to the other lung of the Catholic Church.

I recommend three books in this order ...

1.) Pope John Paul the Great's apostolic letter, Light of the East. Check it out online at http://www.motherofgodchurch.org/mog/documents/jp2_ORIENTALE_LUMEN-The_Light_Of_The_East.HTM

2.) Also, get a copy of the book Light of the East: A Guide to Eastern Catholicism for Western Catholics by Fr. George Appleyard. http://www.stjosaphateparchy.org/Store.html

3.) I would also recommend Bishop Kallistos' The Orthodox Way for an introduction to our spirituality. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0913836583/104-4644376-4778321?v=glance&n=283155

This will get you started.

Again, welcome Michael.

In Christ,

John

Glory to Jesus Christ!
Welcome, Michael. There are so many things to read... that goes for me too.

I would recommed starting out with two for the Latin Catholic to get their "feet wet". One of which is a wonderful spiritual primer, and the other a great introduction into the history, liturgy, culture, traditions, etc. of Byzantine Christianity. These are also two of the books I use in an introductory course in Byzantine Christianity at a local Roman college:

Eastern Christianity: The Byzantine Tradition by Fr. Lawrence Cross for an excellent historical, cultural, and liturgical overview; and the Face of God by Archbishop Joseph Raya for a wonderful introduction to Byzantine spirituality.

If you want to explore the position of Rome on the Eastern Catholic Churches, the documents Orientale Lumen, Orientalium Dignitas, Slavorum Apostoli and Orientalium Ecclesiarum are all available on-line in various places. There is also a small pamphlet called "Eastern Catholics in the USA" which has been put out by the U.S. Catholic Bishop's Conference.
Diak

Welcome to the forum!

You will definitely learn all you need to learn about the Byzantine Catholic Church and Eastern spirituality on this forum!

In Christ,
Alice, Moderator

Michael,

Welcome ! to both the Forum and the Eastern Catholic Churches.

You asked for reading materials. I agree with John S.' and others' recommendations. I would also suggest the following:


(1) Light for Life.
It's an anonymously written work for the Eastern Catholic Churches. It summarizes beliefs, practices and spirituality. It is a *very* good summary: concise, accurate and deep. It's a three-volume set of slim, readable books. (Don't be put off by "three volumes"-- together, they would make one ordinary sized book.) You can get it online from the Byzantine Catholic Seminary's website at http://www.byzantines.net/byzantinepress/theology.htm (toward the bottom of the page).


(2) Anything by the late Archbishop Joseph Raya. I don't agree with every word he has written, but he is a well-regarded author by me and by most Eastern Catholics. I would start with his "Abundance of Love." You can get it at Theobooks at http://www.theobooks.org/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=810 .


The Orthodox Church (by Bishop Timothy / Kallistos Ware) offers a very good summary of Eastern Christian history as well as Eastern Christian beliefs. The Orthodox Way (also by Bishop Kallistos Ware) offers a very good, in-depth discussion of Eastern Christian spirituality. Keep in mind: these books are written from the perspective of the Orthodox Church, not the Eastern Catholic Churches. The Orthodox and Eastern Catholics are similar, but there are real differences that stem from the Eastern Catholics' acceptance of the pope. Nevertheless, Eastern Christians (Orthodox, Eastern Catholics, non-Chalcedonians) have a lot in common in theology, spirituality and heritage. For a good introduction all of Eastern Christianity, see "The Eastern Christian Churches" which is available for free online at http://www.cnewa.org/ecc-bodypg.aspx?eccpageID=3&IndexView=toc .

Finally, visiting this Forum can be invaluable for learning more about Eastern Christianity. Its members are generally very committed to fostering understanding of Eastern Christianity and reconciliation among Eastern Christians in a spirit of Christian charity. Good luck and welcome.

-- John

Thank you all for the prompt replies. I really do appreciate it.