www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology To Jesus through Mary-another try

Thank you. By all means, Mary. You may notice that some of the themes and the actual texts here are found in the official prayers of the Church. I often find it best to work with the liturgical prayers of the Church (as well as the writings of the Fathers) to express the patterns and parameters of my own personal "devotional" life. (Since all Christian devotional life is, by its very nature, ecclesial.)

To my mind, any "True Devotion" to the Theotokos as a Byzantine Christian should be expressed according to our own authentic Eastern spirit.

So, while I might find deMontfort's writings interesting and inspiring on many levels (as did Pope John Paul II), I always try to view it through the Byzantine Mariological lenses of the liturgy and Sts. John of Damascus and Ephrem the Syrian, for example. They are all saying similar things.

Gordo

I am in agreement with you. I find the east so full of spiritual treasures and riches, that it contains everything I need. So I don't really understand the need to pursue Latin devotions - not that there is anything wrong with Latin devotions - when we already have everything we need, and more. We could all spend a lifetime and yet barely touch on the depths of the devotional jewels our eastern faith has given to us.

I really like Fr.H's notes; they're very inspiring. I am a Byzantine Catholic with a devotion to the Theotokos, but for years I was devoted to Latin Marian devotions and still love the Rosary.(They were all I knew) I don't regret it at all,and I think JPII will go down in history for Theology of the Body and his Marian emphasis. That was a very wise man. Much respect.

There is a distinct difference between the Eastern and Western emphases and understanding, and I find that since my Eastern understanding isn't fully formed and my RC understanding is slight since I wasn't formed in the RC faith,I have to leave off the RC until I'm at least a teenager in the EAstern faith. They are both valid and true but it isn't healthy to mix them indiscriminately. Once I'm clear about the emphasis and understanding then I can join in wherever I am, be it a RC church or Orthodox,wholeheartedly without confusion.

Peace

Agreed. Following my return to Catholicism in 1986, I immersed myself in Latin Marian devotionalism (not to be confused with "True Devotion"). Mary had been a large part of the theological rationale for my return, so naturally I felt that I had to make up for lost time by embracing, well, everything! It was actually my gradual encounter with the East that helped to temper my own practice while broadening my understanding of the role of the Mother of God in the spiritual life. As an Eastern, I believe now that I have a better and more balanced perspective on devotion to Mary, as well as even on Latin devotions, although I do not practice them personally or with my family.

Probably the only relic of my own "Latin" devotion is the Miraculous Medal that was blessed by + Pope John Paul II and that I wear next to my Byzantine reception cross around my neck. The man was and is a saint to me, and his personal entrustment to the Mother of God played a large role in his sanctity.

Just a quick word about the term "Latinization" that I have seen bantered about:

To my mind an individual who is Latinized is not someone who can thoughtfully acknowledge or even appreciate the value of Western beliefs or practices or even see them as somehow complimenting or at least notcontradicting Eastern beliefs or practices, but rather one who treats his or her Eastern spiritual and liturgical life as if it is somehow lacking if Latin beliefs and practices are not fully integrated into it. To the extent that Latin beliefs and practices represent what is essentially orthodox and universally Christian, if we deny them outright I think we risk denying something essential about our own beliefs as Easterns. This involves an often difficult and painful, but potentially very fruitful, process of discernment.

But like byzantTN, I think:


Better to put energy into that, despite the virtual omnipresent Latin practices in the West.

In ICXC,

Gordo

PS: A small anaecdote: I make it a point to be a bit apostolic with Eastern devotions among the Latins (especially the Jesus Prayer). I arranged with a bi-ritual priest friend to celebrate the Akathist to the Mother of God with the Latin minor seminarians. We even constructed a portable iconostasis and I served as acolyte and cantor. It was extremely well received., and helped bridge more gaps than any polemic for the Eastern churches. The language of prayer - particularly to our shared Mother - has a way of doing that.

On the topic of consecration, I was able to locate the source of the prayer of entrustment that I mentioned earlier. It is from St. John of Damascus, Homily 1, On the Dormition, 14:



In ICXC,

Gordo

So, while I might find deMontfort's writings interesting and inspiring on many levels (as did Pope John Paul II), I always try to view it through the Byzantine Mariological lenses of the liturgy and Sts. John of Damascus and Ephrem the Syrian, for example. They are all saying similar things.

Gordo [/quote]

I agree they are all saying similar things and I think can be viewed through both an eastern and western view to reach better understanding. Everyone can become enriched and no one has to compromise their own spiritual traditions.