The Discovery of a New Treasure : An Analysis o n the Eastern Catholic Liturgy

(Hey guys! So sorry I haven't been posting! I've been going through a completely new season of my life that's kept me very busy. Anyway, for my theology class, I attended an Easten Catholic mass and wrote a paper on it, so I thought I'd share it here.)

On August 31, 2024, I had the very rare privilege of attending mass in the Eastern Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. It varied greatly from the masses of the Latin rite, yet proved to be a very unique way to celebrate it. 

Firstly, the mass was chanted, not just spoken. It was a very beautiful way to glorify God with our voices as well as our hearts. We also crossed ourselves whenever we heard the names of Jesus, the Trinity, or the Blessed Mother. This served as a very physical reminder of Who deserved all praise, and it fit perfectly into the context we were celebrating. It added just the right amount of emphasis.

Standing was also the primary posture for the entirety of the mass. We only sat down occasionally and never kneeled. In this way, it seemed we all joined together as one to praise the Creator Who made us, but did so with a sense of awe and reverence. All of our prayers were one.

We used the phrase “Lord have mercy” a great deal more than what Roman Catholics are familiar with. Particularly, we used it in response to petitions. The priest explained that it was not necessarily a penitential statement, but rather one of supplication. It meant something such as “Christ, have pity on us”. The priest also used “Let us be attentive” before great parts of the mass, such as the Gospel and the Consecration. He reminded everyone of the great Mystery that was about to unfold and sought to draw us into it.Each individual received Holy Communion by crossing their arms and tipping their head back. The priest had mixed together the Consecrated bread and wine and used a spoon to distribute Jesus into each individual’s mouth. In some way, this aspect seemed to promote abandonment because the faithful had no control of how Jesus entered into them. They could not touch Jesus directly, but had to receive Him in an unfamiliar manner. This makes it apparent that one needs to truly abandon everything to Jesus to be fully present at mass. That is a lesson many people need to learn to be fully immersed into the Divine Unity between God and man.

Through these differences, as well as many others, people can learn to encounter the Liturgy in a whole new light. In part, it can benefit the Church by encouraging people to open their hearts to other ways of worship, while still staying true to tradition. This could be very beneficial to many Roman Catholics, who struggle to find a balance between the two. In this mass, they simply fix their gaze on Jesus. Through this method, people may begin to see beyond the barriers in the branches of the Church. Everyone would benefit greatly.Anyone can attend an Eastern Catholic mass and see that there is also another beautiful aspect to it: the mysticism. This form of liturgy truly brings out the beauty of the Sacrifice in a way the Roman rite does not often express. Many Catholics would fall in love with this treasure once they discovered it. They could learn how to truly use its beauty to bring everything to Jesus and renew their devotion to Him.

This form of the mass is a truly precious treasure of the Church, yet so few know about it. If every Catholic realized they can participate by simply attending with an open mind and heart, they would truly discover the value in it. Indeed, they would truly encounter another form of heaven on earth. With prayers, Jesus may indeed lead many others to experience this beautiful liturgy.