www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Vespers, Matins & the Divine Liturgy The Revised Divine Liturgy A Call for a Conference on Our Liturgy!

I agree with Fr. Serge. There's no doubt that makes the most sense because of the number of people there, but it has the potential to turn into a three-ring circus. That wouldn't be fair to the sisters, or the people who want a prayerful experience.

Still, I often thought something really wonderful could happen there regarding catechisis. It is a missed opportunity with all the brain power present on the mountain that weekend. Keep in mind, classes and informative seminars would be optional, so if you didn't want to attend, you would have the option of creating your own experience based upon what you needed.

For goodness sake, the Orthodox are using podcasts to get catechisis in the hands of their people. I think a few classes on Labor Day weekend is something that could be accomplished. Maybe this is where the laity step in......

I was hoping that that unfairness would temper behavior and help defuse the potential for three-ring circus antics. And I wonder if Sr. Christopher can still wield the "board of education" as heftily as I remember from fourth grade; that might help too.

Now is this a call for a catechesis conference?

I would never have raised the issue of Greek or Russian traditions here if I had realized we were talking about calling a conference to discuss offering catechesis at the annual retreat.

I thought we were talking about a conference convened to discuss the liturgical and ecclisiastical tradition of Greek Catholics who now call themselves Byzantine. Whatever that means.

Eli

I certainly agree with that. The priests and bishops need to tell us that the bar is set so low regarding expectations of theosis that few actually bother. We need to be challenged with the fullness of truth and we need our bishops to point the way forward. There's where the need for priests comes in. If most of our priests are tied up with very few people who will serve the newer Churches developed because of the new evangelical fervor?

You mentioned that some people can't cross the river in Cleveland to go to Church? Could you elaborate? We have one church in the entire state of Illinois. In fact we have one Church that theoretically serves Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois and Wisconsin. People would have to cross many rivers and streams and travel through many towns in order to get to one Church. Does that make any sense?

Annunciation wants to be a mission Church, not simply receiving mission support which we have received in the past, but sharing the mission of the Church. We have several people champing at the bit to serve. We've done some things but there are many who have a growing frustration. If we were freed up financially to serve and if some of the men who have a vocation were allowed to be trained we could serve the Church more fully.

What does the future hold? I do not know but I pray that the bishops will present a vision to us that is bathed in the Holy Spirit and will charge the Church to move forward.

CDL

Oh. I am so sorry. Now I see.

This is a call for a conference to discuss evangelization and how to re-group or whatever we are calling parish closings lately.

I thought that happened already.

Eli

Eli,

One day you make a wonderfully insightful post. The next day you are extraordinarily cynical. I'll guess I'm supposed to wait until tomorrow to answer your cynical remark.

I don't know anyone on here who knows how to get solutions or rather how to get them without episcopal cooperation. So we are all floundering around trying to find a way to help our bishops. I don't have anymore answers that you do. I really don't see why you need to be sarcastic. Would it help if I returned your sarcasm with some of my own?

CDL

Sarcasm is such a nasty word, Daniel. Makes me feel as though I am being set up for a smack.

I'd like to think of my words as more like a heavy dose of iron-y.

I'm am going to tell you a secret and I don't want it to get out, ok? It's got to stay a secret or we're all in trouble.

Bishops are flesh and blood men. Yes indeed!

And the truth is about flesh and blood men is that they DO NOT like to be told what to do, how to do it, when to do it, why to do it, or where to do it, how long to do it or when to stop!!

Bishops DO NOT like to be pushed around. If anybody is going to push, it's the bishop, not you and me.

But that is all I can say about that because I already nearly eight to twelve lines off-topic already.

Now THAT parting shot is much closer to sarcasm, but it fails the true sarcasm test, because I remembered this time to use an emoticon.

Maybe I'll think of something over night. Meantime maybe you can tell me if we are ecclisiastically and liturgically Greek or Russian?

It's a pretty important issue in how and why the putative Ruthenian recension was used briefly and in parts, but never promulgated, this business of Greek Catholics.

And I suppose it does have something to do with what is needed if one is going to even dream about a conference where there is informed dialogue and not the bedlam and sniping and false presumptions and genteel accusations, that, too often, I find here. And there is no sarcasm in that. Only sorrow.

Eli

Eli,

I wasn't aware that my accusation was at all genteel. I'm disappointed that I missed the mark. For that matter I didn't even intend my comments to be an accusation. I must really be slipping.

In any event it would appear that a conference as proposed is dead in the water at least, as they say, for now.

CDL

Well I was not slipping, nor was I making any accusation that was directed at you. The entire topic has people a tad touchy. That I suppose is to be expected, and much of it has to do with the fact that as a people we are internally divided, as I was mentioning yesterday.

Can't say that I am bitterly disappointed about not having a "conference."

The only way truly to stop the immediately pending translation, if there are imprudent choices that have been made, is for the Bishops to voluntarily halt production, or for the clergy, to a man, or darn close, to hand it back the Archbishop and say, "No, thank you."

In closing: I do my best to limit my contact with you here, simply because it turns into one of these kinds of exchanges each time. So do not, please, take offense when I simply decide to ignore any comments directed my way from you. That will not be anything but an act of charity on my part toward you and the rest of the reading population.

Eli

Eli,

I sincerely appreciate your last offer. Yet, I don't recall ever directly addressing you before. Nevertheless, I shall attempt to return the favor.

CDL

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COME AND EXPERIENCE IT--TRY IT YOU'LL LIKE IT.

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Put this on bulletin boards, papers(pay for it if you have to, because you are proud of your church) in your emails to everyone. Less complaining, and more action. Amen.