www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship Vespers, Matins & the Divine Liturgy The Revised Divine Liturgy Vesperal Liturgy broadcast

Rufinus,

You may be new to internet fora. Topics tend to occasionally drift, some more than others. Your review of the broadcast could help bring us back 'on topic'.

As for this being another 'cry room', are you surprised? The BCC isn't my Church, but I'm nearly brought to tears by what is being done to it by its leaders. I can't begin to imagine what it's like for those who have lived their entire lives in this Church. {BTW, you still haven't answered the question as to whether you are 'cradle' or 'convert'. Help keep things on topic and reply not here, but in the thread where the question was first asked. }

For everyone's information, a number of posts that were non-RDL related were separated off into another thread and placed in Town Hall. Non-topic related posts in the future will simply be deleted. So think as to the content before posting and if this or the section you are posting in is the place appropriate for it.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+
Administrator

Look. I want to hear it in its entirety and reflect upon the broadcast. As I think about the broadcast I'm going to think about what everyone has written. "Dour"? Maybe this is true and I'm missing something. "Flow"? Listen for this. Respect for your opinions and the search for the truth demand no less.

No less than three months to review a single Liturgy?

Administrator. THANK YOU! I am glad someone else noticed.

Father Anthony wrote this ---"First of all this occasion [refering to Jehovah Witnesses coming to your door - on another thread] may be an evangelical encounter for the church, your faith and how you look at the Great Commission of the Gospel."

I agree. I posted a thread where I wanted to hear success stories (spiritual success) of Byzantine Catholic communities. I got only a few replies and 140 looks.

"The Liturgical Sponge" thread got 24 replies and 1,212 views.

A sponge beat out evangelism. (I am not trying to mock one's religion; I am just questioning somethings).

Ok. the broadcast was lousy. Not much effort maybe went into what should be a good representation of Byzantine Catholicism. I never heard it so I can't comment. Ifanything it might be a reflection of teh degree of effort being put into evangelism and positive stories.

I might agree with one poster who might not want to be a member on account of this. I hope the poor singing isn't representative of all of teh Byzantine Church. There are other audios on this website that are excellent.

But if one's efforts and care is reflective in lousy preparation and poor evangelical skills, then it is inevitable that more churches will close.

I hoped to read more stories about how Byzantine Catholics are shining the light on a hill and proclaiming Christ the Lord from the rooftops. Instead, I hear about many lamps being covered by bushel baskets.

I take it that there aren't too many spiritual success stories to tell.

Eddie Hashinsky

So come to Dublin and visit our parish. Meanwhile, keep in mind that very often people do not like to "boast" of their own success stories. While we're on the subject, it is also true that success is sometimes in the eye of the beholder - I don't consider my own life and work to be a colossal failure, but I'm sure there are those who would evaluate my life rather negatively.

Fr. Serge

Ed Hashinsky wrote:

Thankfully, the Parma, OH broadcast does not represent all the BCC liturgies!!!

Much of the problem I have with the broadcast has to do with the blandness due to extremely close micing. Having the microphones farther away from the singer allows the cantor to feel far less inhibited about projecting the voice. Also, if the cantor would work on breathing properly, he could do a wonderful service to the broadcast.

For the chanted Psalms, it would really help to have two cantors for a proper antiphonal effect.

Still, I applaud them for having the wherewithal and gumption to do a weekly broadcast. How many parishes/priests/cantors are willing to ante up?

(I write this as I am listening to the broadcast on the web)

I'm glad you are listening to it Steve - and frankly I'm not enthralled at all.

Have none of our comments from the past few weeks been heard ??

I cannot comment on texts but I will comment on the Vocal things.

I'm appalled -- how do you get 'Amen ' to become A -ha-ha-ha me-he-hen ??

Please will someone teach this Cantor how to ennunciate and sing

I am soooooooooo glad I do not have to listen to stuff like this each week.

BTW I am just finished hearing the homily

Agreed, but one expects better, if not the best, from a cathedral. All one needs to do is compare this broadcast to the other recordings of services available here on ByzCath.

Unless the cathedral has a new - worse - mic set-up then this is not an issue. The H's, flatness of tone and flatness of feeling have nothing to do with the mics, unless someone is trying to claim this is due to stage fright. You'd think they'd overcome this after 6 (?) years of broadcasting.

I've been the lone cantor and have sung psalms antiphonally with one of the clergy. As one hears no thurible one could assume the deacon has some spare time...

One needs a parish willing to make the commitment and a station willing to do the broadcast. I think finding a station and establishing a decent 'deal' would be the trickiest. Can, or should, every parish try to do it? Of course not. But one could hope the 'leading light' in each eparchy (more often than not the cathedral) would undertake such a venture - and present something of high quality.

What I still find odd is that there is no mention of this broadcast on the eparchy's website, nor on the cathedral's web page...
_____
Oυτις ημιν φιλει ου φροντιδα | Nemo Nos Diliget Non Curamus

Well - after listening to the whole broadcast and reading what Kobzar has written ..... I'm still shellshocked.

To my mind - this Broadcast reverted to something like the first I heard and that could be summed up in the format of so many School Reports as

" has a lot to learn ' .

Last week I felt that lessons had been learned - pacing was better - there were not the dragging parts , nor the bits that were simply rushed .

So what did we get this week - more evidence of intrusive 'H's , many things dragged out very slowly , and other things rushed.

Is this really the best that the Eparchy of Parma can produce ?

I'm still convinced that it will not attract people to come to Services for the first time .

Sorry Parma - this week's Report card says

"Must do better "

I listened as well today. Unfortunately because of the mic placements, it does sound like there are only 3 people present: priest, deacon, and cantor. I'd like to have some mics placed around the congregation so that there is a chance that if some of them are singing, it might be picked up. I noticed in at least one spot, the priest did not recite the closing prayer to a litany outloud as is newly mandated. Then there is one prayer, right before the anaphora, that seems to be SHOULD be silent as the priest is prayering for himself as he offers the Sacrifice (and folks, I don't mean the Anaphora Prayer!)

Kudos to the Cathedral who spend the time and money to broadcast this. But quite honestly, if I was unchurched or looking for a new church home, it wouldn't make me want to check that place out. I'll be silent about the fact that it's a "vesperal" Liturgy.

John

Speaking of broadcasts, I just listened to the Divine Liturgy this morning from the Rusyn village of Repejov, boy it would be nice to have Slavonic again...

For anyone interested, you can hear traditional Slavonic liturgies with Rusyn Gospels and homilies every 2nd Sunday on Radio Patria (Radio Slovakia 5 - Ethnic Broadcasting) www.radiopatria.sk [radiopatria.sk] Next one will be Sunday July 22 at midnight EST, don't know yet which village it will be though.

The Eparchy is not footing the bill. Each parish in the Eparchy pays an assesment to fund this ministry.

Stephanie,

thanks for that tid-bit.

I guess I've been ante-ing up for years. Does this mean I get input on the broadcast?

I'd like to order some more anitphon verses with a side of little litanies please!

Monomakh

I believe you would be doing a fine job. But I might have posted words that can be misleading. I know when we talk about "success" we first think of ourselves and what we do or have done. If you are doing your job ministering as a pastor then I would consider that simply ... doing what you have been commissioned to do. But I only ask that we deflect any talk about success (of ourselves) to how we permitted the Holy Spirit to do His job. It is a two-way streeet and we are capable of putting up road blocks for God's Spirit to work in ourlives and hin his Churches.

The context for spiritual success - and i wish I brought this up before - was "boasting in Christ" not bragging or tooting one's own horn for this is so easy to fall victim to. There is nothing wrong with sharing how the Gospel message is being received and promoted in good light and how the Holy Spirit is animated in our communities with souls that are doing His will.

Maybe this is why evangelism is so difficult for some church communities; they don't share their joyous faith in Christ Jesus and how happily this can be promoted. Instead, focus on the negative is given more spilled ink, virtual one at that. Ok.I am guilty of this too, but we need corrective lenses - spiritual ones - to re-see the message of good news and get back on track.

I would love to come to Dublin and visit your parish.

In the meantime, sharing stories about spiritual success or boasting in Jesus Christ can refer to examples of how the Gospel message and faith in our Lord takes on a life of its own rather than becoming (yawn!) routine.

If one isn't aware of the reason why some parishes succeed in building up the body of Christ (as opposed to those that don't) then one is left with old formulas, the status quo, failed methods, top-down fiat, and the inability of reading feedback - assuming that there is an avenue of feedback that will tell one that he or she is just spinning wheels.

Eddie