www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Eastern Catholic poll; Sat. eve. liturgy or vespers?

Just a question to throw up against the wall and see what sticks. Would Eastern Catholics prefer Saturday night vigil liturgy or would anybody attend vespers if it were offered? No agenda, just curious.

Vespers is offered, and I do go. "Vespergy" should be anathema.

Vespers. Most definitely.

It would be nice for vespers, but no one would show up. I would go for a reader's vespers and read it, but it would be in english.

Vespers is traditionally prescribed for Saturday evening. Matins and Divine Liturgy are prescribed for Sunday morning.

This is what we SHOULD be doing.

Dn. RJB

We do Orthros, too--but, then, we're not Ruthenians.

Because of the Cracker Jack factor: "There's no communion, so what's the point?"

A little twist on the subject. When we converted one of the things that drew us close to God was the fact that Vespers was offered whether or not anyone but the priest or deacon came or not. It's a connection with God, not a sales program. We come when we can. We don't when we can't. Either way we know our priest is communing with God.

Catholics see these links as golden chains that link by link lead to heaven. Protestants see these chain links as binding us to "man made traditions." I'll go with the Catholic view because protesting doesn't lead anywhere.

I for one would love to have vespers be reintroduced again. We'll see.

I know this answer, but let me throw out this question.....why does vespers or the morning services (Matins/Orthos) have to be celebrated on Saturday night/Sunday morning? It's a daily service.

If one is to fully live one's tradition and exhort others to do so, then why only speak of the weekend? Why not have Morning and Evening Divine Praises five days a week? (Not seven days, because most pastoral handbooks give the clergy 2 days off a week.)

Well, there are some parishes that do have Vespers followed by a Vigil DL in our area, like St. Mary's in the Old Brooklyn area, St. John the Baptist Cathedral, etc... While there's a parish that has what they call "The Great Vespers" on Sat. Evenings over at my buddy, Fr. Dennis' parish of St. Mary Magdalene, then you have your parishes that don't do anything on Saturday afternoons/evenings at all.

Although there are parishes that only hold Vigil Divine Liturgies without any Vespers whatsoever, and stick with the basic schedules for everything, like Holy Spirit, St. Joseph, and St. Josaphat Ukrainian Cathedral.

Although for my personal preference, I do believe that having Vespers followed by a Vigil DL would perhaps provide worshipers with the "total package" on Saturday evenings. Sure, something like that would last upwards of about three hours, maybe at least two, but it would certainly make me a lot more spiritually focused.

Actually, it lasts about an hour and a half, max. And it's non-canonical, inimical to the spirit of Eastern Christian Liturgy. And it encourages people to become "Seventh Day Adventist Byzantine Catholics", instead of gathering together on the morning of the First Day of the week, which is the Lord's Day.

But other than that, it's just dandy.

Actually, a parish should offer daily Orthros and Vespers (which are much shorter and simpler than either Great Vespers or Sunday Orthros), but the Divine Praises before the Sunday Divine Liturgy is a necessary and proper preparation for making the Sacrifice of Praise. If every Sunday is Pascha, then Vespers and Orthros--either separately or as the All Night Vigil, represent the forefeast of the Lord's Day.