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Are there any that would be acceptable to both Eastern and Roman Catholics ?

Are you looking for examples of public or private devotions? Liturgical or aliturgical? There are many that cross "ritual boundaries" in both categories, sometimes remaining exactly as they are, other times with local modifications.

What are you looking for in particular?

Peace and God bless!

I'm thinking of public devotions, and most likely aliturgical.

The late Holy Father John Paul II either offered or presided at the Akathist publically on several occasions. I believe the Akathist to be an especially efficacious and universal devotion.
FDRLB

From the Holy Father's words at one of these celebrations:

The Parakleisis, which is prayed during the Dormition Fast, is also very powerful.

Since both the Parakleisis and Akathist are non-communion services, these Holy Services can be prayed at an Orthodox Church where non-Orthodox can be invited. In this way, the non-Orthodox will not feel offended since no communion is offered.

However, there are some Orthodox monasteries and churches which do not allow non-Orthodox into the Nave of the church, but request that they remain in the Narthex.

I've only ever witnessed this on Mount Athos (in Aghiou Pavlou - the Monastery of St Paul). Even in the rather traditional Russian Church Abroad I've never heard of this being done.

Perhaps it happens in fringe group claiming to be Orthodox. I don't know.

Fr David Straut

Are there any devotions that originated with the Latin Church that would be acceptable in the East ?

There is the "Feast of Corpus Christi" which originated in the Latin Church and was picked up by at least the Melkite Church. It wasn't adopted wholesale "as is", but was "Melkitized" and an office written by the Melkite Patriarch of Antioch just a few years after Communion was restored between Rome and Antioch. The Melkite Feast includes processions with the Holy Eucharist.

It's important to note that this devotion was not adopted as a "Latin practice" being brought into the Melkite Church, but as a Melkite development inspired by a Latin practice that had developed after the Schism.

Peace and God bless!

The rites, chant, ambiance, and traditions, as well as entrenched separatism, are so strong that it would be difficult and controversial to try to make most services universal. We don't even make the Sign of the Cross the same! It's doubtful the East or West will accept a practice which was formalized after the Great Schism, so the rite, prayer or tradition would most likely be something which was common to both traditions before the break, or something which was not "formalized" or mandated by hierarchy of either Tradition in recent times.

After much thought, I propose that the Chaplet of Divine Mercy fits into the latter. The Chaplet was originated by Christ, not by hierarchy, and it originated in the Latin East (Poland) in a Slav country.

I believe that the Chaplet has a very Eastern spirituality. The first prayer "Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world."
This powerful prayer intuitively implies the Eastern understanding of theosis, that Christ became one of us so that we may be part of Him.
This offering, NOT to imply that it is similar to the offering by a priest at Consecration, is God's way of Gifting us in a fuller participation in His redemptive Mercy. This Mercy becomes omnipotent with engagement in this prayer.

The second prayer "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world" is a summation of our Etenia in all of our Liturgies, our Hospodi pomiluj, Lord have Mercy.

And of course, the closing prayer "Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have Mercy on us and on the whole world" is beloved by the East.

The Chaplet was given to the entire world by Christ, not just to the West, not just to the East, but for all the Earth. God's Mercy is so boundless! Are we squandering His Mercy?

A bit weaker candidate for common prayer (in the Americas) is devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas.

Just my humble opinion.

Fr. Deacon Paul

Dear Lawrence,

I think that there are Latin devotions such as the Angelus, various litanies, and Eucharistic devotion with with no thinking Orthodox could disagree in principle. But part of an Orthodox mentality is not to innovate in any way. I can see great beauty in the Marian Antiphons, in the prayers of the Rosary (though the simultaneous meditations are indeed problematic), in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, in the Divine Praises (though 'Blessed be her Immaculate Conception' is understood differently by the Orthodox), in visits to the Blessed Sacrament, in Novenas, etc. But to adopt them myself would seem a bit like moving my friend's cherished furniture into my house. Not a good fit here, though they went perfectly well in my friend's house.

I think SimpleSinner put it well in a post about a month ago concerning Greek Catholics adapting Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament to their milieu. It's just out of place. Greek Catholics who find it meaningful would do well to go to a Roman Rite parish to attend Benediction, not seek to Byzantinize it in their own parish. I don't think Roman Rite Catholics should start singing Akathists in their parishes either. They should join their Greek Catholic brothers in their parish for that particular devotion.

Just my thoughts.

Fr David Straut

The Te Deum Prayer of St. Ambrose is used and is well loved especially in Slavic churches. While its use in the West is ancient it is a relatively new (17th century or so) addition to the Slavonic service books. There are several wonderful choral settings of this in Slavonic.

The Passia service is another example of a more recent service distinctly influenced by Western practices "post-schism" that have become popular especially amongst the Ukrainians.

I suppose also to a lesser extent the beautiful Akathist to the Divine Passion (which has also become a mainstay in many parishes) is another example of a Western influence which took Byzantine form, and perhaps the various Rules of the Mother of God to be prayed on the chotki.

A number of ACROD members pray the Rosary on a regular basis. An OCA chapel has a reference to the Sacred Heart, controversial as the concept has been among some. The "Tale of the Five Prayers" in older editions of the Jordanville Prayer Book reflects devotion to Our Lady's sorrows.

Most Western Rite Orthodox pray one or more of: the Angelus, the Western Hours of the Breviarium Monasticum (Benedictine tradition), the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

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Western Orthodoxy Blog [westernorthodox.blogspot.com]

St. Seraphim taught his nuns to pray the beads.

He adapted the Rosary for the Orthodox.

If you want, I can provide some links.

Elizabeth Maria, please do! It would be great to know such prayers.

God Bless

This is the first document I found in 2004 on the Internet, but I cannot find the original url.

How to Pray the Rosary: Modified for Byzantine Catholic use

Note:
This is not urging Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Christians to �latinize� (adopt customs from another Church when they didn�t use them before). However, the Rosary remains a part of us who have come from a tradition where it is a veritable school of prayer. For those of us who grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, but who are now Byzantine Christians, here is a version which has been devised by Ukrainian Catholic priests of the Basilian Order in the 1950s and modified recently to include the luminous mysteries.

Some background:
Besides the obvious parallel of the Rosary to the prayer beads used by Orthodox monks and nuns, there were Russian adaptations of the Rosary in the 1700s and 1800s. St. Seraphim of Sarov is said to have had one. The Russian �Rule of the Mother of God� consists of praying 150 �Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God� prayers (Hail Marys) a day. Some of the mysteries here are the same as the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church (Annunciation, Nativity, Ascension, Dormition) while others, especially the Sorrowful Mysteries, have a more Latin emphasis.

About the Rosary in general:
St Dominic is said to have introduced the Rosary to the Roman Catholic Church. The Reverend S.C. Hughson, Order of the Holy Cross (Anglican), wrote in 1918:

�Almost any encyclop�dia will inform the reader that the use of beads in prayer is far older than Christianity itself and belongs to almost every race which has any highly developed system of prayer.
�It will be a surprise to many, no doubt, to know that our common English word bead is derived from the Saxon word bid, to pray, the derivation arising from the fact that our ancestors made common use of perforated pebbles, or beads, upon which to count their prayers. It will be news even to most Catholics to learn that instead of their Rosaries being spoken of as beads because of a resemblance to the common ornament of the name, the ornament takes its name from the Rosary.�

Make the Sign of the Cross at the Holy God, and invocation of the Holy Trinity at the Glory be, at the beginning of the Lord's Prayer, and at each invocation, �O Come...�,

Start at the crucifix:
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art everywhere and fillest all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come dwell within us, cleanse us from all our sins and save our souls, O gracious Lord.

Note: From Easter until Ascension, leave out Glory to Thee and Heavenly King and instead say three times Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life. From Ascension until Pentecost, simply make the sign of the cross � In the Name of the Father � before continuing as usual with:

Holy God, holy Mighty, holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit us and heal our infirmities for Thy Name�s sake. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

At the first large bead on the pendant, pray the following:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we have no defense: this prayer do we as sinners offer Thee as Master, have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have hoped in Thee. Be not angry with us greatly nor remember our iniquities, but have mercy on us now for Thou art compassionate and deliver us from our enemies. For Thou art our God and we Thy people; all are the works of Thy hands and we call upon Thy name.

Both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Open unto us the doors of compassion, O holy Mother of God, for hoping in thee we will not perish, but through thee will we be delivered from all adversities, for thou art the salvation of Christians.

Lord, have mercy. (12 times)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O come, let us worship God our King.
O come, let us worship and bow down before Christ, our King and our God.
O come, let us worship and bow down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.

Here, you may say Psalm 50 or another appropriate psalm and the Creed.

At the first small bead on the pendant, pray the following:

Glory to the Father, who hast made us, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Saviour of our souls.
At the second small bead on the pendant:
Glory to the Son, who hast redeemed us, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God...

At the third small bead on the pendant:
Glory to the Holy Spirit, who hast enlightened us, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God...
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The decades or mysteries are as in the Latin Rosary, with an Our Father, 10 �Rejoice O Virgin Mother of God� (Hail Mary) prayers and the �Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit�. After each decade one may say the F�tima prayer: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy.

The mysteries are:

JOYFUL: Annunciation, Visitation of Our Lady to St Elizabeth, Nativity of Christ, Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, Finding of the Boy Jesus in the Temple.

SORROWFUL: Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Crowning with Thorns, Jesus Carries the Cross, Crucifixion.

GLORIOUS: Resurrection, Ascension, Descent of the Holy Spirit, Dormition/Assumption and Crowning of Our Lady in Glory in Heaven.

Traditionally you pray the Joyful Mysteries on Mondays and Thursdays, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Note: In 2002, the Pope added another set of mysteries that may be prayed Thursdays, changing Saturday�s set to another round of the Joyful ones.

LUMINOUS: Baptism of Christ in the Jordan, the Wedding at Cana, Jesus Proclaims the Kingdom, the Transfiguration and the Institution of the Eucharist.

Closing Prayers:
JOYFUL MYSTERIES: It is truly proper to glorify thee, who hast borne God, the ever-blessed and immaculate and the Mother of our God! More honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim art thou, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word. Thou art truly the Mother of God, we magnify thee!

SORROWFUL MYSTERIES: We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our prayers in our necessities but deliver us from all danger, O glorious and ever-blessed Virgin.
Most holy Mother of God, save us. (Three times with bows)

GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: To thee, the Champion Leader, we thy servants dedicate a feast of victory and thanksgiving as ones rescued out of sufferings, O Mother of God: but as one with invincible might, from all dangers deliver us that we may cry to thee: Rejoice, O Unwedded Bride!