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Dear Friends,

We were all set have an family Easter celebration at my in-law's this Sunday, when we noticed that our God-daughter and niece is making her First Holy Communion in the Latin Church on the same day.
This conflict of dates makes it impossible to attend both.

We suggested to my mother in law that we celebrate Easter on Saturday, however my in-law's are still fasting and will not eat meat.

Would this conflict allow for them to break the fast, and celebrate Easter one day earlier ?

Brad

They would certainly be breaking the fast and doing so prior to receiving communion. Celebrating Easter before the Paschal Liturgy is not an option.

I think that it is probably more important that you go to your goddaughter's first communion. I think that your in-law's should understand.

Joe

Brad

forgive me if I recap a bit -- IIRC your wife is Orthodox - likewise your daughter and I believe there is another child now [ hope I'm not muddling you up with someone else at this point ]

I honestly think a question like this comes under the topic of " Ask your priest "- in this case the Orthodox one .

Whatever you do here someone is going to be hurt

Prayers that this can be sorted out amicably

Speaking as an Orthodox priest, I have to say that this is completely correct and the Orthodox Church's position.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Since our good Fr. Anthony has chimed in from an Orthodox perspective, let met add a Catholic perspective. Don't ask your family to break the fast! Celebrating Easter while they are supposed to be fasting would be wrong for them and you should not ask it of them. You accepted the role of godparent and should, therefore, be considering that role. Attend your goddaughter's first communion. Explain to the in-laws that you do not wish to cause conflict, but that you have not yet mastered the art of bi-location!

Fr. Deacon Ed

Yes Angela, you are correct. My wife, daughter and son were all baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church.

I should have rephrased my question more appropriately. It is my mother in law who feels a sense of guilt that we cannot attend on Sunday.

Obviously we don't want any conflict, and I don't believe there will be any.

It looks like there will be an abundance of lamb left over at my in-laws


Thank you all for your guidance.
Brad

There are a few other solutions one might think of.

Best in my opinion - ask the Greek Orthodox side of the family to schedule the family celebration to be held immediately after the Divine Liturgy yes, I do mean in the middle of the night and then go join the Latin side of the family for the first communion Mass and celebration following - assuming, that is, that the celebration will be of the edifying variety.

Another one: Point out to anyone who asks that the original Paschal Liturgy is - surprise! - the Vespers and Liturgy of Saint Basil, which should be on Saturday in the earlyish evening, and there is no intrinsic reason why the food cannot then be blessed and eaten. There are those who will not believe this, but it's still true.

Actually I'm not quite sure what the problem is - I take it for granted that the Greek Orthodox parish in question will serve Orthros and Divine Liturgy at midnight, and that the First Communion Mass will take place on Sunday morning. That makes it possible to attend both services, and to call in to both dinners (eat lightly). A bit of a marathon, but not insuperable.

Enjoy!

Fr. Serge

Rev. Fr. Keleher mirrors exactly what my Greek family did. Mom (God rest her) and the rest of the family went to Epitaphios on Friday night, we got some coffee etc. and then after midnight fasted until communion on Saturday morning. The Resurrection celebration started on Saturday night (around 10:30) and lasted until about 1:30 or 2:00.

We then took the Holy Light home, had a wonderful family meal/celebration that often lasted until sunrise, and collectively collapsed. (We never did the Agape Vespers.)

So, if you are going to do the Anastasi, you should be able to do the celebration of the Resurrection, and still make it to your god-daughter's First Holy Communion on Sunday morning.

As a personal note, and probably being biased from a Greek 'old-country' perspective, being a godparent is commiting one's self to being the side-lines parent for the child. If something happens to the parents, the godparents are obligated (LEGALLY in Greece) to take the child and raise him/her with one's own children with all the love and care that one can muster. And the godparent/godchild relationship encumbers all the marriage restrictions, etc. (a godchild cannot marry the children of his/her godparent) that would be relevant.

In accepting a godchild, one accepts this little one as one's son or daughter. What a marvelous approach to linking the Sons and Daughters of Christ's church!

So, I'd offer the advice to be there for the little one; shower the child with love and affection - and don't forget the gift cards for Best Buy or FYE so the child can get the MP-3s that are really desired!!

May your weekend be spiritually uplifting and exhausting, and may he First Communicant realize that "godparent" isn't just some stupid title, but rather a loving relationship that the child's parents established.

May the rest of your fast be easy, and may Paschal joy be to you and all your family!

Dr John