Standing beside the altar, surrounded by candles, clouds of ascending incense, the bells of the censer sounding, unceasing chants echoing, I knew not whether I was in heaven or on earth. I was invited to serve at the vigil of the Theophany (the Epiphany) at a local Ruthenian Catholic parish, which also celebrates the Byzantine Rite. Every man, after tasting something sweet, is afterward unwilling to accept that which is bitter, and therefore, we cannot dwell longer here.Īfter worshipping with the Byzantines, they could do nothing else but return to this transcendent and awesome experience.Īs a 15-year-old altar boy, I had a similar experience. We only know that God dwells there among men, and their service is fairer than the ceremonies of other nations.
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For on earth there is no such splendor and beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it. We went to Greece and the Greeks led us to the edifices where they worship their God, and we knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth. When the emissaries returned from the latter, they recounted their experience in the great church of Hagia Sophia: According to legend, Vladimir the Great sent out emissaries to Latin Christians, Jews and Muslims, as well as to Constantinople, to investigate their faith. There is a famous account from the Russian Primary Chronicle describing how the Ukrainians first came to embrace the faith and worship of the Byzantine Empire.
Along with 13 of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, the Ukrainians worship according to the Byzantine Rite, which celebrates the Divine Liturgy of the lost, great city of Constantinople. The war in Ukraine has put the spotlight on one of these 24 churches: the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church with 5.5 million adherents, led by one of the most outspoken voices against the Russian invasion, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk. We lose sight of this because the Latin Church, which worships according to the Roman Rite, comprises the overwhelming majority of Catholics throughout the world. It is easy to forget that the Catholic Church is composed of 24 self-governing Churches with distinct liturgical rites.
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