A Guide to the Byzantine Tradition
The Divine Liturgy and all Byzantine Catholic services are a dialogue of prayer, from the priest, deacons, and faithful in the form of hymns or chant. In the Divine Liturgy, there is an elevated sense of reverence, respect, and dignity to all that is taking place. The only prayer that is recited and not sung is the prayer before Holy Communion. Otherwise, every part of the Liturgy is sung or chanted, being led by a cantor or choir, as an offering of our prayers in worship to God. You may follow along with this booklet, or simply experience all that you will be seeing, hearing, smelling (incense) and enjoying.
On Standing and Sitting:
The primary posture of prayer in the byzantine tradition is to stand, which shows respect, honor, and participates in the victory of the Resurrection. Sitting is the posture for learning, so all sit during the reading of the Epistle and the Homily, and kneeling is reserved for penitential seasons and services. Certain parts of the Liturgy, such as the reading of the Gospel, the Great Entrance, and the Anaphora, are especially marked for standing; during other parts, however, such as the litanies, people may sit. The Divine Liturgy is a longer service than many people are used to, so if you become fatigued and the effort of standing is interfering with your prayer, please feel free to sit.
Ad orientem Worship:
Ad orientem, meaning “to the east” in Ecclesiastical Latin, is a phrase used to describe the eastward orientation of Christian prayer and Christian worship (literally “to the rising”). As early as 150 AD and certainly since the time of the Council of Nicea in 325 AD, every Church, every altar, every congregation, and every celebrant was encouraged to face east toward the rising sun representing the risen Christ. Whether or not the building actually faces east, the priest along with the congregation face the invisible presence of Christ who is the real presider of each Eucharistic celebration.
On Receiving the Eucharist (Holy Communion):
If you are a practicing Catholic who is not in a state of mortal sin, as in any other Catholic church, you may receive Holy Communion in a Byzantine Catholic church. Holy Communion is received in both Species by means of a spoon. It is the real Presence of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. In the Byzantine church, the Species of Holy Communion are small cubes of leavened bread, placed directly in a chalice with wine and a small amount of water. If you do not wish to receive Communion, please stay in your pew and pray with us until all going to Communion have received, and then stand up when the entire congregation stands.
On Veneration of Icons:
An icon is literally an image, coming from the Greek word, eikon. Typically these images are of Christ, the Saints, Angels, important Biblical events, parables, or events in the history of the Church. It is customary when venerating an icon in the byzantine tradition, to bow, make the sign of the cross, and then kiss the image. We do not do this to venerate the wood and paint, but rather the prototype themselves, the very persons depicted by the image who are alive in Heaven. When kissing an icon, you should kiss the hands, feet, or holy objects being held. Holy icons depict the eternal now of our savior Jesus Christ and the Communion of Saints; they are reflections of the eternal glory of Heaven, made acces-sible to us in time.