www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Book suggestions on understanding/appreciating the Byzantine Rite

As a Latin Rite Catholic, my wife and I and our friend and his family have been considering regularly attending the Byzantine Church an hour away from home. We've attended Divine Liturgy once and enjoyed it though I felt it was at best, a superficial response. We enjoyed the bells and incense and the reverence of the clergy and laity. But we don't understand the Liturgy and feel we are missing out on a great treasure due to our ignorance. Are there any books we could look at getting who can help us better appreciate and understand the Byzantine Liturgy so we can more fully experience the great treasure that the East has to offer? Thanks in advance and God Bless.

Glory be to Jesus Christ

Welcome!

Excellent Book: A Commentary on the Divine Liturgy, by Nicholas Cabasilas. Available at Amazon.[/size]

Light of the east by Monsignor George Appleyard. It's a basic outline for people who know next to nothing about the Eastern churches. It's very well written.

Or you could email St. Joseph Ukrainian Catholic church in Chicago and ask for one of their liturgy books. It was produced by the late Fr. Pavlo Hayda and has commentary on the liturgy with English and transliterated Ukrainian.

The older red books from before the liturgical revision had brief explanations of each part of the liturgy.

And part of the beauty of the liturgy is that the prayers largely explain themselves . . .

(of course, none will tell you that "Wisdom! Be attentive!" originally was closer to, "Shut up and listen!" . . .

hawk