The Eastern churches have some wonderful traditions. There is a Byzantine Catholic church in a nearby town, but I have never looked into it before.
My parents once were on vacation and found a Maronite church. They had to call me on the phone, since I am supposed to be their “church expert.” I told them, yes, they are Catholic, and they’re Lebanese, and Danny Thomas, etc. etc. etc.
My dad’s boss is Lebanese and he described seeing all the old guys walking into church as an interesting experience, since he saw about a hundred or so guys who all looked like his boss walking into church.
I’ve never seen a Maronite liturgy, but for my parents, who are used to what they are familiar with, and happy with their little routine, they were a little bit freaked out.
:-)
Well, you don't describe what they saw, much less where they saw it but I can attest to the fact that the first time I attended a Maronite liturgy, I felt like a fish out of water. The entire liturgy is chanted back and forth between the priest and the congregation. All of the elements are there but there are certain differences in their placement. Take for example, the exchange of peace. The priest touches the gifts and then passes the 'peace' to an acolyte who passes it to two children who serve as peace bearers. They bring the peace to the first person of each pew who passes it on to the next one and so on. What moved me most, however, was the Qadeeshat (Trisgion). This ancient prayer goes back to the origins of the Church and is celebrated at the liturgies of all the Eastern Churches.
Holy OneThe priest and congregation face the Tabernacle as they chant this prayer 3 times. If it sounds familiar to you, that is because our Lord asked St. Faustina to include it at the conclusion of the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Essentially, all traces of this ancient prayer had disappeared in the Latin Church. Our Lord must love this prayer in order to have made such a request of St. Faustina, don't you think?
Holy Mighty One
Holy Immortal OneResponse: Have mercy on us!
The following is a description of the Maronite Divine Liturgy.
The Maronite Liturgy is called Service of the Holy Mysteries and derives from the Syriac :.ministering at the altar". Liturgy, Qourbono and other words are used.
The entire liturgy (prayers, gestures, music, art, and architecture) reflects from beginning to end, glory to God for His loving mercy and the call of the worshipper to forgiveness and rebirth.
The attitude of the Maronite worshiper is unworthiness of and readiness for the second coming of the Lord Jesus. "Blessed is he who has come and will come in the name of the Lord" (Maronite Liturgy).
The believer is likened to a ship opening its sails to the Holy Spirit and making its maiden voyage home to the harbor of safety.
The Holy Spirit is the principal minister in the liturgy. He is the beginning, the end and the perfection of all things.
The Service of the Holy Mysteries develops three themes: 1) humanity's creation in God's image; 2)deep awareness of God's mercy toward sinful people; 3) joyful praise of the Trinity.
The tone of the service is simple and direct in the monastic spirit of its founder, St. Maron. A balance is achieved between the hiddenness and presence of God in Jesus.
The worshiper becomes involves in a human-divine drama which unfolds before and within him and makes once a sharer in the Kingdom. The Mysteries/Sacraments become the meeting point for the believer and God.
The communal aspect of worship is emphasized by the fact that the community is absorbed in a continuous dialogue with the celebrant who mediates on behalf of Christ the High Priest, and the deacon who serves an instructing and coordinating role.
When you have the chance, take some time to visit the above liturgy link. You can then share that information with your parents.
The Eastern churches have some wonderful traditions. There is a Byzantine Catholic church in a nearby town, but I have never looked into it before.
You should read up on the Byzantine Tradition and visit this Church, at least once. 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).
Bottom line is this. If you are happy and well catechized at your local RC parish, then you should remain where you are. If there are issues with liturgical abuse, as some of us have discovered, then the Eastern Catholic Churches are definitely worth exploring as an alternative. There you will experience the very rich heritage of the Catholic Church but from an eastern spirituality. In the Maronite and Chaldean Churches, one hears the words of Consecration chanted in the language of our Lord and Savior; it is like being at the Last Supper. The Maronite Church is monastic in origin and the priestly vestments are simple; versus the Byzantine Church with its heavily decorated vestments, vessels and iconostasis.
Ultimately, the objective of any search is to find the best means to worship our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ.