Thank you for posting this wonderful article. Although Catholic myself, I have always had a very strong feeling for the Orthodox. I am also blessed with the presence of three(!) Eastern Rite Catholic Churches in my area. I find the contemporary liturgy of the western church to be terribly bland. The Tridentine Rite is great if its available. But the glorious liturgy of the east is truly a spiritual feast.
The Russian Orthodox Church has a very visible presence in Alaska. I've always loved their onion dome churches.
Time for one of those Orthodox Christian pings.
The charismatic approach is good for kick starting a sluggish soul but lacks the permanency of traditionalism.<
Those who convert say they are drawn to an aesthetic beauty and spiritual mystery in Orthodox worship that are often lacking in their own Protestant services. It's like entering a time machine that allows congregants to worship as the early Christians did.
This is evident in the Eastern Catholic Traditions, as well. These liturgies have survived for thousands of years and trace their roots to the first christians. AAABest commented recently that there is a growing interest amongst catholics in the Eastern Churches.
The Catholic Church is both Western and Eastern. As most of us realize, the Church began in the East. Our Lord lived and died and resurrected in the Holy Land. The Church spread from Jerusalem throughout the known world. As the Church spread, it encountered different cultures and adapted, retaining from each culture what was consistent with the Gospel. In the city of Alexandria, the Church became very Egyptian; in Antioch it remained very Jewish; in Rome it took on an Italian appearance and in the Constantinople it took on the trappings of the Roman imperial court. All the churches which developed this way were Eastern, except Rome. Most Catholics in the United States have their roots in Western Europe where the Roman rite predominated. It has been said that the Eastern Catholic Churches are "the best kept secret in the Catholic Church."
The Vatican II Council declared that "all should realize it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve, and foster the exceedingly rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern churches, in order faithfully to preserve the fullness of Christian tradition" (Unitatis Redintegrato, 15). Pope John Paul II said that "the Catholic Church is both Eastern and Western."
Check your local community at the following link and look into attending an Eastern Catholic Liturgy (not to be confused with the Orthodox Church).
Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S.
The Eastern Catholic Rites retain the rich heritage of our church, without the "novelties" introduced into the Novus Ordo liturgy. Incense is used throughout.
I attend a Maronite Catholic Church. The Consecration is in Aramaic, using the words and language of our Lord at the Last Supper. Communion is ONLY distributed by the priest. It is by intinction (the priest dips the consecrated host into the Precious Blood) and is ONLY received on the tongue. The priest administers communion with the words: "The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, is given to you for the remission of sin and eternal salvation".
A Roman Catholic may attend the Divine Liturgy at any Eastern Catholic Church. You can learn more about the 22 different liturgies at this link:
Geeze.
An article about converts to Orthodoxy written in Dallas. Written largely about Orthodoxy *in* Dallas. Not one mention of the ROCOR St. Nicholas in Dallas -- which is mostly converts, and whose priest: Father Seraphim Holland is also a convert.
The article is like a well-prepared formal meal with no dessert. Good, but something is missing.
This is an odd statement, given that Orthodox and Catholics have many, many teachings in common. Both differ much more from Protestantism than from each other, or so it seems to me. Perhaps he was referring to those few teachings on which we differ, but he made it sound like we are far more separated than I believe we are.
A fascinating article. Although I doubt that even 10% of Roman Catholics are aware of the existence of eastern rite Catholic churches in their own midst, it's something well worth exploring.
Thank you"Destro"
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has a beautiful website that also has a parish search page.
http://www.goarch.org/en/parishes/
''I felt like there was a gauntlet thrown down in front of me,'' he said.
Or as another EO convert told me "God breathed on my face".
I went to a Greek Orthodox church the first time in my life to attend a memorial service for a friend who was killed at the WTC on 09/11. I was angry and still scared and confused about what happened to us. I did not expect to experience what I did that day. God was there!
ping to self for later pingout.
I am a Presbyterian (conservative denomination with about 10,000 members, so we are REALLY small...but I love the fellowship we have, and we are fully centered on God, not our sinful and worldly needs like many modern Prot churches).
I must say that I admire the Orthodox much more than the Catholic church. There is just something about the Orthodox that does make me go "wow" as a rant against the Catholics. I have problems with some things, obviously. I prefer the balanced Presbyterian form of government (basically is like the U.S. govt. with different levels). I believe the congregation should be involved in DOING everything in worship aside from leading Communion, leading prayer, and speaking the sermon. I hate choirs and other types of performance vehicles that keep the congregation idle.
But, there is still something about the Orthodox that makes me much less apt to critize them than the Catholics, and I don't know quite what it is.
Wow...is this really an opinion some folks have out there? Any encyclopedia would refute that in a few minutes!