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As for parishes with May/October "devotions", one wonders how many of them have the Paraklesis in August, or the Akathistos during Great Lent, or Vespers and Orthros on a regular basis . . .

Fr. Serge

Good question. These Latinizations that some are so sentimental about, are like an invasive species. They destroy and supplant that which naturally belongs. One wonders what is so horrid about eastern devotions that sends folks to western practices.

Yes - 100% agreement there. We should explore and integrate the riches of our own tradition first before looking elsewhere (if at all) for devotional practices from other ritual traditions.

Fr. Deacon Daniel

A proverb from one Bantu tribe states "the one who never eats out thinks his [her] mother is the only cook."

God reaches out to each person in his or her circumstances. Who knows why contemplating the Sacred Heart of Jesus brings spiritual fruit to one, while praying Abba Father, or reciting the Jesus Prayer calls another. By their fruits you will know them - love, patience, peace, service. We celebrate the riches of all traditions, knowing and sharing who we are while rejoicing in what our wider community brings to us and the Universal Church.

Peace be with you,
-Pustinik
------------
"Acquire a peaceful spirit, and thousands around you will be saved." –St. Serafim of Sarov

Carried to a possible logical conclusion, that could be syncretism. All traditions may have things worth celebrating. It's possible, however, to pick up enough things from elsewhere that your own tradition loses its identity. I think that's why we eastern Catholics have difficulty, at times, with both the Orthodox and Roman Catholics. Depending on our degree of Latinization, we can be viewed as neither.

Someone has asked me about this 'Sacred Heart Icon' what is the thought here. It is a very 'Latinized' icon, and seems a bit odd to me in many ways since so many rules - as we see them - aren't followed, but I am sure it has great meaning to a lot of people.

It is the one with the Sacred Heart in a tear drop, and the blood and water pouring forth, as in the Divine Mercy.
http://sacredheartak.org/

As one iconographer said to me, "It (sacred heart icon) doesn't have a place in iconography if for no other reason than what it is expressing (His divine love) is already visible in existing methods." I'm sure we will get defenders and anti-Latinizing detractors, but this is my .02 cents.

I understand the need for "identity" in one's particular church, but the idea of rejecting devotions outright has never made sense to me. Also, the idea of elevating any "private" devotion to a requirement doesn't make sense, either.

As someone noted, many Catholics talk as if saying the Rosary is a requirement of being Catholic. It is not. Praying dutifully is a requirement of being Catholic. The Rosary is one private devotion, exalted by some Papal writings as the highest of private devotions, but it is a private devotion nonetheless.

I have been enjoying my experiences with using Eastern devotions and integrating them to my private prayer. One of my local parishes has instituted a weekly all-night Adoration vigil. I volunteered for midnight. I arrive at Midnight and say (if I haven't already) the Office of Readings and Evening prayer for the previous day. Then I say a Jesus Rosary. I read a Moleben or a Paraklesis. I pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet and a Marian Rosary. I finish with Night prayer.

Now, Church decor is a separate issue, since that is part of liturgy. I thought it was interesting, at St. Anthony Maronite in Richmond, that they have a very Byzantine sanctuary, then they have a prayer shrine in the vestibule with Western statues and images.

But that said, try the opposite.

Try getting a Western Christian to investigate Byzantine devotions. For the most part, Roman Catholics' knowledge of Byzantine devotions stops at icons.

I have tried to invite other Roman Catholics to investigate Byzantine devotions. I've e-mailed webmasters of "Catholic prayer" websites and asked them to put Byzantine prayers on their sites. Their attitude is, "Those prayers are for a different church than mine."

So, if it were more of a two-way street, it would be one thing. But I guess I can understand the resistance of Eastern Churches to using Western devotions, since the West won't reciprocate.

Слава Ісусу Христу!

There is the westernization of Eastern practices use by the Western Church, even if you want to limit the discussion to iconography.

Ask and you shall receive

Moleben to Mary (Most Holy Theotokos)
https://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/297539/Moleben%20to%20Mary%20(Most%20Holy%20The#Post297539

Moleben to Jesus:
A SERVICE OF PRAYER TO JESUS, THE LOVER OF MANKIND
https://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads...ESUS#Post214886

OH (rofl) thought you said 'need', anyway, oh well!

Time for me to have a good natured laugh at a few people. This morning when I went to confession at my UGCC parish, our older priest told me to say 2 Our Father's and 2 Hail Mary's in reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. That's why I love the UGCC, you get the best of both worlds.

I don't want to be offensive - but I find those two pseudo-icons deeply offensive. Iconography is, among other things, a language, and if one is going to speak someone else's language, it is well to follow the rules of that language.

Fr. Serge

What Fr Serge said.

Thou shalt not mush the rites together in church.

Wow. Never been given that sort of remedy. I ponder asking about how common that is, but know how off-topic I would be.