www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Unexpected accidents during the Divine Liturgy

Ever wonder what the correct proceedure is when something goes wrong during the celebration of the Divine Liturgy? Here is a paper by Father Arkady Mironko that he delivered to a clergy gathering in New Jersey on that subject.


http://dcnyoca.org/files/2007/Clergy%20Retreat/The-practical-instructions-03-12-2007.pdf

This material is late medieval, and largely derived from the Latin De Defectibus. It is an interesting Church-Slavonic text, but not usually considered fully applicable.

Fr. Serge

This is one response that I received in my e-mail about this topic.

"But what about the young women that use too much lip gloss, and it gets on the spoon? What then? You think I am joking? That actually happened . . . OY! What they don't prepare you for in seminary . . . "

To your knowledge, what do you do?

Ray

Wipe the spoon, and after liturgy, remind them to open wider next time!

Isn't the real problem here that in some traditions the mouth is closed round the spoon , and not in others ?

The very idea of wearing lipstick in church . . . ugh. As for receiving the Holy Gifts, let me assure the readers that ANY amount of lipstick is far too much. You wouldn't believe what comes off on to the Spoon.

Lipstick will also ruin icons - I have what was once a nice Icon of the Nativity of Christ, which someone wearing lipstick had the nerve to kiss. No one would want to see it in its current state.

Some things simply don't belong in a church.

Fr. Serge

Women want to look pretty everywhere they go (your not going to here any complants from me about that). Church is no different in that regard. I'm sure that there is some form of polish that will remove such stains if you really want it.

It has become the custom of prudent clergy to cover the Epitaphios on Good Friday with glass or transparent plastic (ugh). What comes off on the glass or the plastic has to be seen to be believed.

Fr. Serge

I have seen in more than one place a tissue left on the tetrapod beside the Icon

Thanks for sharing this. I was deeply moved in many places. I live in an area where there is relative peace and safety and a very mild "Mediterranean climate".

Reading the instructions for these particular situations especially made me ache for many of our brothers and sisters and give thanks again for every blessing in my life:

- Attack on the church or life of the priest (3 and 4)

- if during the service of the Divine Liturgy by a priest the church is burning

- if the Divine Liturgy is stopped due to the Priest being called to baptize or hear a confession because of the danger of death

- if in the winter the Divine Blood in the chalice freezes

I'm going to share some of this with our catechumens, maybe ask that some excerpts be included in our church bulletin. We take so much for granted. I felt humbled and ashamed, reminded again of my complacency and naivete.

The material covers a lot of instances that are NOT covered by the De Defectibus.