www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Most profound Liturgy you've been to

Friends,

Has there ever been one Divine Liturgy or any liturgical service that has left a profound impact on you, one that has been the most memorable?

I have a few that stick out in my head. But I will say for me, it was a Priestly Funeral I went to a few years ago. I was really close to the priest for he was a good family friend.

There was 11 priests and Archbishop Antony, plus 40+ people up in the choir. From the night before the DL, there was a Parastas and a Panakhyda. But beforehand and afterwards, there was a priest chanting the Gospel, throught the night until the morning of the Funeral which I think is beautiful tradition.

It was truly one of the most prayerful Liturgies I have ever been to.

Please share your experiences.

-uc

My wedding Mass; Novus Ordo, with a schola chanting Gregorian chant and many of the common parts in Latin, generous use of incense, and most beautiful of all, my bride, always beautiful but never more lovely..
-Daniel

Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II outdoors on the city of Anchorage, Alaska park strip in 1981. There are no words to describe, but I was so pleased my daughter, as president of our church youth group, was chosen to be up front within touch of the popmobile as the Holy Father passed by.

An Archdiocesan choir sang and the Holy Father right then and there invited them to come and sing at the Vatican. They did the following spring.

My son and I were in the crowd of thousands. We were standing about a city block back, but we could still see and hear everything well. Communion was given at multi-stations so we were able to receive the Eucharist.

What a day to remember!

Porter...thankfully

For Eastern Rite it would be any Liturgy I attended at Saints Volodymyr and Olha in Chicago. The fact that I don't understand Ukrainian was completely irrelevant.

For Latin Rite it would be Candlemas and Easter Sunday Tridentine High Mass at St John Cantius in Chicago.

The profound liturgy I've been to...the first Divine Liturgy I attended (Ruthenian Rite), but I think even more than that wonderful experience was a (High?) Mass we had at Assumption College commemorating the Beati Pavel, Kamen, and Josaphat. One of the priests has just finished a new icon of them, the first of them ever. The Bishop of Worcester was there, as well as the Bulgarian Ambassador, and the Rublev Choir from BC(?). Their was incence and the Bishop Daniel spoke Latin when he incensed the altar. There was Russian chant and English chant, the petitions were chanted which I had never experienced before. There were so many priests and religious, and it was so nice to see all the priests concelebrating. The Mass lasted about 2 hours...I was in the choir, it was just a wonderful experience.

I heartily agree with Lawrence about Sts. Vladymyr and Olha Church in Chicago. I still get goose bumps thinking about it. It's still number one in my mind.

The reverence there is just absolutely astounding.

As for the Latin Liturgy...I would say the new Mass said in Latin...in a Church in the G-d forsaken neighborhood in the heart of Detroit Michigan. I cannot remember the name of the Church. But I used to attend to the Tridentine Latin Mass and I know the Mass by heart...and I can swear to you that this New Mass in Latin...was absolutely identical to the Tridentine Mass...except with more lay participation (readings and plus responses). That's when I finally realized that this is the Mass which Vatican II intended it to be...to make it even more beautiful. It's too bad that there are so many misinterpretations of Vatican II which led up to whole new breed of liturical abuses.

SPDundas
Deaf Byzantine

Mine was the first Divine Liturgy presided over by a bishop (+Nicholas Elko), during which I had the honor to serve at the altar. As I recall, the occasion was the 50th anniversary of the establishment of our parish, so I would have been somewhere in my early teens at the time. I can still clearly recall his excellency's booming voice intoning the chant "Hagios Theos" while processing in! Knocked my socks off!

Al (a pilgrim)

My most wonderful experience so far...

Vespers this last Monday evening for the Pre-Feast of Saint Nicholas, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tarpon Springs. His Eminence Archbishop Alexios presided, with all the priests of the surrounding parishes in attendance. There were 5 Chanters (I was told last evening that the Cantors are called Chanters in the GO Church?). Tons of incense, and when the crowd was blessed with the incense (and it was a crowd-SRO), the priest used the Censor so that the bells rang in time to the cadence of the chant. It was magical and oh so Holy! Vespers was conducted entirely in Greek, but it was so so beautiful! At the end, the alter servers and two men of the parish carried the huge Icon of Saint Nicholas out of the church in an ornate large carved wooden dome type enclosure for a procession down the street to the new Community Center, with all the priests, in red, and the Archbishop all part of the procession.

In Christ,

Michael

spdundas,

Well, if it was "absolutely identical" to the Tridentine Mass, but with greater lay participation (ostensibly, anyway), my guess would be that it was simply a Tridentine Mass in dialogue form (which is how most TLM's are these days at Indult parishes and many SSPX chapels). The TLM and the NO differ in vestments, actions of the all the clergy, actions of the people, actual words, etc. etc. In short, I don't see how you could confuse the two if you know the TLM by heart; therefore, I surmise it was the TLM. Do you think that could be it, or are you absolutely positive it was a Novus Ordo Mass?

As for the most profound liturgy I've been to, I guess I'd have to say Easter Sunday worship at my old United Methodist Church!

Although I've been to a beautiful Solemn High Mass (just on a regular Sunday, I guess, but something was special about that Mass) and to Divine Liturgy at the local Melkite church for the Feast of Theophany, I wouldn't regard these as necessarily "profound." There is no huge Eastern Catholic or Traditional Latin Catholic temple in these parts, so my liturgical experience has probably lacked the profundity of others who can avail themselves of these typs of liturgical experiences. I usually equate profundity with a big beautiful church packed with people who can chant well as well as a good priest, deacon, and servers.

Of course, nothing compares to the profundity experienced at every Apostolic church when bread and wine become Our Lord.

The reason Easter Sunday at the UMC was profound for me is because my immediate family, my grandparents, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, all my closest friends and friends of my family going back generations, attend there. This can't be said for my experience of Catholic worship. Additionally, there is something about "Southern worship" that strikes a very deep chord within my soul. The drawl of the preacher, the singing of Southern favorites like "Amazing Grace," the adorning of the big wooden cross with flowers picked by congregants while singing "That Old Rugged Cross," and finally the invitation of all congregants who wish to come up and sing the Hallelujah Chorus with the choir at the close of the service....well, I just don't think that will ever be replaced by any other liturgy.

Logos Teen

The most profound Divine Liturgy I was a partaker in was on October 3, 1999 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the 75th Anniversary of the Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh.

There were more bishops there than there are parishoners at my local parish on Sunday mornings. Metropolitan Judson Procyk also gave the most profound homily I have ever heard.

Joe Prokopchak
God Reigns Mary Protects We Proclaim

One of the most profound group prayer events I have attended is the Sunday night procession, panachida, moleben, and akathist at Uniontown. I know it isn't a divine Liturgy, but it was so moving.
I don't know about Divine Liturgies, I get caught up in them everytime. Usually by the anaphora you're so into it feels as if everyone is one.
I have one coming up in the spring that will be very important.

It was probably Presanctified Liturgy at St. Innocent's(MP) in Redford, MI, where myself, the Priest, and a Methodist catechumen were it. The intimacy and quiet seemed so much like the account of the quiet voice in the cave...beautiful.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

I am new to this forum and had to reply to this thread as my first post.
One of the most beautiful liturgies I attended was on the feast of the Assumption (Dormition) at the shrine of the Immaculate Conception in D.C.
a few years ago.
It was a moving experience not only because of Our Lord's presence in the Blessed Sacrament, not only because of the beautiful music...but because my brother who was once lost...came back to the sacraments! We worshipped together side-by-side- something we hadn't done since we were children. I found it very hard to compose myself as I inwardly thanked The Holy Theotokos for this great grace. My brother and I received communion together on Our Lady's great Feast.
Praised be to Jesus Christ, the Merciful One!